theNetGuruZ Tech Blog | Web Agency » Tips & Tricks

How to change webhosting without any downtime

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:07:37 +0000

Changing webhost can make your website non functional for some time until it’s transferred fully to the new web host and DNS has resolved. You can avoid this downtime with some of these tips:

Choose that time of moving your site when you get the least visits. For this check your website stats from control panel and find the day and time at which your website have the lowest visitors.
Now you have a day and time to switch over, and most probably you already have bought the new hosting plan, if not then buy it now. Make a full server backup of your old hosting account and upload it to the new hosting account. Note that we have not changed the Nameserver (DNS) for the domain right now. You can use the IP address of new hosting account for logging in. For ease, keep the database username and password same as they were in old hosting account so that you don’t need to change them in script. If you want to change, don’t forget to change them in your website script as well.
Now change the Nameserver to that of new hosting and immediately check your website through a proxy site. I’ll suggest good old anonymouse.org for this. Reason is that thru these proxy site you can immediately see you site working from new web host. Checking thru proxy is of great help because you never know your new host may not fully support your website and throw up error and you will never want your visitors to see those errors. Often these errors reveal server path or database name, so it’s better to check before hand. If everything looks fine then just sit back as DNS resolves for the rest of visitors of your site and your site visitors will not notice any downtime most probably.

One last thing to do is when your sites is fully functional from new webhost, login to your old webhost account and download the database and compare it with your current one. During the switchover, there is a possibility that user registered and his data might be left on the old host. These will be few and not much so you can manually add these to your database!

Get the Most Life Out of Your Laptop

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:59:47 +0000

Everyone has been unfortunate enough to have a laptop lose its battery life and crash on us. Losing the availability of a laptop always seems to happen when we are about to send an important email, get to a good part of a movie, or when taking an exam for an online college course. By keeping your laptop plugged in all of the time, you are spending more money on electricity and increasing your carbon footprint. However, there are several ways to reduce the amount of energy you use while staying productive:

Change the Power Saver Mode

Most people don’t realize they can change their computer’s settings depending on the situation they’re in. Microsoft Windows users can click on the battery icon in the bottom right portion of their screen. There are several different ways to use the power saver features: you can change how quickly your laptop goes into hibernation, you can decrease the brightness of the screen, and you can also change what the power button does when you press it.

Harness the Power of the Sun

By using sunlight as a natural power resource, you can charge your battery throughout the day and not have to worry about losing your work. Most batteries run for $45 so you can purchase a solar power charger and store several at the same time. By using these batteries for work, you won’t have the need to plug in to a power source unless it is a rainy day.

Proper Battery Maintenance

By taking proper care of your battery, you are not only increasing the amount of power you get with each charge, you can also cut back on the amount of batteries you need to purchase over the lifespan of your computer. By using an air duster to clean out your battery and wiping it with a dry towel, you can optimize performance and ensure longevity. For Windows users, the Microsoft website gives official instructions on how to care for your battery.

Close Unused Applications

Tabbed browsing can be a great way to discover the best things on the Internet in a short period of time. While you’re running two browsers at the same time with ten tabs each, you’re probably going to want some music playing in iTunes. You also might still have Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office open from your day at work. While it is great that these applications can run on your laptop at the same time, they also use a lot of memory and battery life.

Unplug Accessories

When you plug in devices like removable USB drives and iPods, you’re battery is essentially using its power stores to run them. By removing a USB drive after you have saved or gathered the files necessary and taking out your iPod when it is fully charged or synced, you can save battery life. If kept in the drive, external software like CD’s use battery life even when you are not using them.

By taking some considerations you can reduce your carbon footprint, become more productive, and use your laptop to its best capabilities.

Featured content gallery not working?

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:52:35 +0000

It’s a nice plugin allowing you to show featured post in a nice box with some effects. However most people can’t make it work in their blog. I have successfully used it in some of my own and clients blog (e.g.: www.gadget5.com) and experienced problem too and I found some solutions that work.First thing to do is download the latest version of the plugin and extract it in your plugin folder. Delete and deactivate older version. Now reactivate the plugin. If everything is fine, it should work but if it doesn’t, here are some troubleshooting tips:

Problem: No featured content gallery box at all.
Solution: 1. Check that you have placed the code In the template file like header.php, index.php, sidebar.php etc. One must not place this code in widget box from dashboard as it will not work. Get hold of a HTML editor and open up template file and place this code where the box fits and suits your blog look. You may want to alter some CSS settings but that’s a different story. Tweaking with CSS is only for fine touching the layout.
2. In the wordpress admin dashboard, go to settings and click on “Featured Content Gallery” link. Now check that you have assigned category or post ID (any one of either) which you want to display as featured content. Also make sure that post ID or category you have assigned have some post with images in it.
3. In “Slide Transition Times” option if you are unsure of duration time, leave them blank. It works fine.
4. If you are doing all this on localhost (wamp / xampp) then try uploading your theme on some webhost and try it with latest version of wordpress. Sometimes it just not works with localhost.

Problem: Box appears but there is no image and only text or none.
Solution: 1. In the admin dashboard of wordpress, go to All post and edit the featured post. In the option below look for “Add New Custom Field:”. If you can’t find it please click on the “Screen Options” button and enable Custom Fields option. In the box below “Name” of custom fields option put “articleimg” and in value box put the path to image. You can copy and paste the image path from the post (check HTML view). The path will be something like this: http://your-blog-domain/wp-content/uploads/year/month/image.jpg If the text is missing from featured box, again go to custom field’s option and in name put “featuredtext” and in value put the text you want to display in featured box.

Problem: It works now but box color, border color and text color is not right.
Solution: In admin dashboard of wordpress, go to settings and click on the Featured content gallery link. Now in the boxes below “Gallery Style” make sure that you have put proper hex code of color you want. Hex code is in this format: #FFFFFFF for white, #000000 for black and so on. Don’t forget to prefix hash symbol “#” before every code. To know exact hex code for your desired color you can use this useful small tool called ColorPix which can be downloaded free from: www.colorschemer.com/colorpix_info.php

Go green with Air Conditioners

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:51:50 +0000

When we talk about saving water, we mostly talk about saving fresh and sweet drinking water. Earth area is covered about 1/3rd of water but most of this water is in form of hard water of oceans. The house hold water supply is of drinking water and we use this water for every work, even for washing our cars. Now washing cars certainly don’t need clean drinking water and neither can we wash it with hard water as the dissolved salts in the hard water will corrode the metal. Cars and air conditioners are two things that are harming our environment. But now with use of new refrigerant in air conditioners, it has become less harmful and with our tip it’s going to become even better. We have seen water dripping out of air conditioner which we let go in the drain, we can use this water to wash our car. On an average day, an AC can give out 20L of water or even more. This is enough for a not so dirty car and we can always store this water to make 50 – 60L. First of all we need to make sure that AC is serviced and is clean of dust and grime. We can let the water flow for one day so that any remaining dust is also cleaned and then start collecting this water. AC water if collected and stored properly is pure distilled water (but not clean enough to drink due to chances of presence of some dust particles so please do not drink this water or use it for making food etc) which can be very well used to wash cars. Also this water can be mixed with coolant and used in car radiator. Reason of using this water is because since it’s distilled, it’s free from salts which increase metal corrosion and our drinking water contains enough salts and minerals to start corrosion. If you find that you have collected really good clear looking water then you can further filter it and use it for topping up lead acid batteries of your car and inverters.

Unlocking Samsung Phones

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:20:26 +0000

Last year my friend was going to US and I told him to get one high end Samsung phone for me as it was available for much less there. However when we tried using it here, it just didn’t worked with the service provider here. I gave my phone to a local store who assured me to unlock it using some cable and connecting it to computer, and the end result was that the phone software got corrupted due to virus in their computer. Technology has improved and now phones can be unlocked just by entering an unlocking code on the phone, which means no cable and no chance of corrupt phone software. These samsung unlocking codes are available for almost every Samsung mobile phone model. Now obviously these codes are unique for each and every phone even in case of same model number. That means if you and your friend has same model of Samsung Galaxy, both phones will need different unlock code. You can get this unlock code from unlocksamsung.com website and all you need to do is pay a small fee and provide them with your phone’s IMEI number. You get your unlock code within few minutes and in rare case you don’t receive your code, you get refund of your money immediately. Getting IMEI number is easy, just switch off the phone, remove the battery and there you get the IMEI number printed. Alternatively you can also get this IMEI number by pressing *#06# on your handset. Since these unlock codes are directly from Samsung, you need not worry about any bad effect on the phone. Your phone will be unlocked permanently without any issues and you can use SIM card or any service provider you want. This is the reason why Samsung IMEI Unlocking technique is successful and now no one goes for software hacks or anything else that sometimes results in a bricked phone. So now feel free to buy Samsung phone from any part of the world and you can always unlock it from unlocksamsung.com and use the phone in your country with any carrier.

How to unlock your HTC 4G mobile phones

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:23:03 +0000

Ever since Android OS has become user’s first choice in any multimedia phone, every mobile company is launching its Android phone. We have seen and reviewed HTC’s Android 3G phone and now they have also launched some cool 4G series of cell phones with even more features. The first model we found worth mentioning here is the HTC Inspire 4G which is equipped with Android 2.2 (Froyo) ( upgradable to v2.3) OS and a mighty processor 1GHz Scorpion processor to run all your applications on the phone super fast. It is also equipped with Adreno 205 Graphic Processor Unit for stunning graphics. However all these good features are not worth unless you have a fully unlocked phone so that you can use your chose or network provider. If you are struck with a locked HTC Inspire 4G phone and paying heavy phone bills or worse not fully enjoying your phone due to insane data charges by your provider, why not unlock it and switch to a better service? You will be surprised to know that how easy is it to unlock this phone and htc inspire unlock codes are available online and all you have to do is enter it in your phone and there you get a fully unlocked phone which is ready to be used with any service provider. To get your unlock code, all you have to do is enter your phone’s IMEI number. If you are unsure about your phone’s IMEI number than just switch off your phone, take out the battery and look at the battery compartment of your phone. You should see IMEI number printed on a white sticker with barcode on it too.

Another HTC phone I would like to tell about is HTC Sensation 4G which is newly launched phone and has slightly better specification than the HTC Inspire. To begin with it has got Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread) and 1.2 GHz dual-core processor with Adreno 220 Graphic Processor Unit. Even when it is a new launch, htc sensation unlocking code is available on htcsimunlock.com which means you can enjoy this new model with your chose of cellphone service.

Tips for Faster Booting PC

admin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:39:37 +0000

Not everyone uses old desktop these days as now new desktop PC’s are quite cheap to own now and we are upgrading hardware more frequently. Still one thing which annoys some people like me who are always in a hurry is the booting time. When we upgrade to new PC with better and faster processor, we do it because either we have already started or plan to use heavy software applications. Let’s take example of Adobe Photoshop 7 in days of Pentium 3. This would have run slow on a P3 and when upgrading to Pentium 4 most upgraded to Photoshop CS range which was more resource hungry than its older versions. This made even Pentium 4 slower and then came multiple core processors. Booting time is effected with the number of software’s installed as every software make entries in registry and some even need services to be started when windows start, all these increase the booting time. Booting time here means the time from system power on till the desktop becomes ready for use (means all notification area icons appeared and antivirus software loaded). Booting time depends on applications installed on the system and nothing to do with the age of your PC. Here are some tips to cut down on booting time and shutting time as well:

1. Install a SSD hard disk and install operating system on it. If space is left, you can also install frequently used application. I would suggest antivirus software because it is running all time right from the boot till shut down. SSD drives have high read and write speed enabling your system to boot faster.

2. Install maximum possible RAM. If there is an empty slot in your motherboard for RAM then do get a RAM and fill that slot! When your system is short of RAM space (many time it is), it uses hard disk space as RAM (virtual memory) and you know hard disk can never be as fast as RAM. RAM is the fastest memory you can provide your computer with. Cache and registers are even faster but they cannot be upgraded as they are inbuilt in CPU.

3. Remove unnecessary programs from startup. Type “msconfig” in the RUN box (works for Windows XP Pro and later OS) and a window will open where you can deselect the applications that you don’t need at startup. If you are unsure of some, leave them checked or Google their name and you will find info about them.

4. Remove unnecessary fonts. Each and every font gets initialized when system boots up, so if you have a large number of fonts that you downloaded and used for any project that you will no longer work on then its good idea to remove them. In case you need them again in a rare occasion, you can install them again. To remove fonts, open control panel and double click on the folder icon named “fonts”. You will see many fonts icon and to delete any font, just right click on its icon and click “delete”.

Summer tips to keep you cool

admin — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:52:06 +0000

Summers come with their own set of problems, especially for those who have sensitive skin. Even if you feel you don’t have any problem after going out in sun, you are mistaken. The damage is done to exposed part of the skin and you may not notice it immediately. Apart from skin damage, there are other problems like headache, fatigue and other symptoms seen after several hours of spending time outside in summers. So here are ten tips for you to keep yourself fit and fine in these summers:

1. Buy sunglasses that block UV rays if you don’t have already and wear them whenever you go out. Your eyes can easily be damaged if exposed to UV rays. Also if not directly exposed, looking at objects reflecting sunlight for long (road, buildings and everything) causes eye strain and even headache. Sunglasses are fashionable too, so hit the store and choose the one which looks good on your face. Information about UV rays protection is mentioned on the sunglasses tag.

2. Wear fabric that breath. Some fabrics restrict air passage and you should avoid these. If you wear, you will sweat more. Light colored clothes will absorb less heat and reflect more, so these summers make light colors your favorite colors!

3. Rely less on those 24 hours deodorant and take bath. Use good quality shampoo and soap.

4. When going out, drink water and also carry water bottle. When returned, don’t drink chilled water from fridge but some fresh water, you may add a little cold water if you want.

5. In summers hand and feat sweat a lot, so you may want to carry a tissue paper with you always and keep hanky for rare occasions when you can’t use a tissue paper. When you reach home, before you step on your bed or touch that TV remote, wash your feet’s and hands. This will not only wash away most of the germs but also cool you down. When your body temperature becomes normal, take shower if needed.

6. When you are out of house and need refreshment, drink fresh fruit juice instead of fizzy drinks. If you don’t get fresh fruit juice then packaged juice is fine too. One more point I would like to add, if you are not in a mood of drinking fruit juice then don’t drink just because it’s said it’s good for you, pick your favorite fizzy drink this time and enjoy it, really I mean it here. You can always eat raw fruit or take fruit juice at some other time when you are in mood of it. Lemonade is a good refresher too. If you are really very exhausted then you should have glucose.

7. Both your home and your car AC should not be set too cold. Keeping AC at most 25 deg (I keep at 27). Apart from saving electricity, this is good for your health too. When you move out of a room that was air conditioned and temperature was set too low, your body faces a sharp change in temperature which is not good for your health. This does not mean at all that you switch off the AC and start sweating, enjoy the luxury of AC but within limits of your body tolerance. Also don’t forget to use sleep mode at night!

8. If you follow above tips then you should not have any summer related skin problems, but in case you get skin rashes or other minor summer related skin problems then applying normal talcum powder helps a lot better than most of the fancy products available in market.

9. Most people might not want to get tanned in summers so for them using a god quality sunscreen lotion (choose nothing below SPF 26) before going out in sun is a must. However, nothing is better than protecting yourself from direct sunlight, wear hat, travel in car or carry an umbrella. Using sunscreen lotion adds to the protection from sun. Don’t hesitate to consult a dermatologist for advice on any type of skin problem that don’t get easily solved using home remedies.

10. People who have white patches on skin (Vitiligo) should not go out in mid day when sunlight is at extreme, and if it’s really necessary then one should wear clothes covering all parts of body, especially those effected with Vitiligo. However taking sunbath in morning and evening when sunlight is not strong is found to be effective in reducing white patches size. More info on Vitiligo here.

New Freelancers – How to launch yourself

admin — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:36:18 +0000

No it’s certainly not about fitting a rocket engine and blasting yourself to space. New freelancers or computer students who want to try the freelancer’s life and earn some money always come to me and ask how to begin? So here I write few tips on how you can begin your career as a freelancer without any hurdle.

1. Make friends – Talk to people who are good in those areas where you are weak. If you are weak in Java say for example then make friend who knows Java well. Now when you have friends like these, you are less likely to get stuck somewhere and you can take help of them. But don’t take advantage of them, if they do a considerable amount of work for you, pay them!

2. Get into a team – Search for a team/person already involved in such works which you intend to do, for example if you want to be a freelance web designer then you should look around for team who are in web design work. When you generally talk to them, these people will be least interested in you and here is how you can get their interest in you: it’s called clients. You can tell them that you can get them new clients or new projects only when they let you do some part of the work and get your share. You can show them your work and also let them know how much you know. Working with people often bring conflicts so make sure you make everything clear beforehand.

3. Make yourself a nice website – Make a portfolio website letting everyone on the web know who you are, where you are and what you do. This will bring you some work for sure.

4. Word of mouth – when you meet new people or even your family friends and relatives, let them know about your freelancing work and show them your latest creations if you can. This is one tip that can keep you busy with work for some time.

When you get enough experience of the market and your skills are well polished, you are ready to become a true freelancer and take up the next step to increase your earnings. This next step can be anything like getting a job in a company or even setting up your own company!

Stop Spreading of Computer Virus with this Easy Trick

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:36:51 +0000

Virus, Trojans, those autorun.inf files which always get copied in your pen drive as soon as you plug them in an infected system are a big headache. And when you return home and plug this pen drive in your system, it gets infected too. If you have good antivirus software then you can be safe but not always. Prevention is better than cure so why not prevent your system from facing these pen drive related virus problem. Here I give you a good solution which will in some cases help you saving your system from getting infected and also stop spreading for virus from one system to another.

Suppose I have to carry some files which I have in my PC so I just copy them in my pen drive, this is most people do. Now I suggest leaving your pen drive and using memory card instead. Grab your digital camera and take out its memory card. Buy a memory card reader if you don’t have one (which comes very cheap). Get a portable card reader for convenience of carrying which don’t need USB cable. Now carry your digital files in memory card and without worrying plug it in any computer with any amount of virus infection! Enjoy the freedom from the worry of virus.

When you reach home, you know your memory card has lots of virus in it and you will not like it plugging in your PC. Plug it in your digital camera instead and switch on your camera. Go to the setup and you should find format option, select it and format your memory card! Boom boom.. all viruses gone! Since those viruses were made for Windows operating system so it will not affect your digital camera in any way. Now you can safely plug this memory card again in your computer for carrying more digital files to your workplace.

You cannot use this trick if you have to take some digital files back to home because formatting will wipe all the data on card.