Monday, 31 March 2014

Adsense alternatives for website publishers.

I have been testing several alternatives to Adsense over the past month or two and have come across some rubbish but also some really good advertising networks.

One in particular stood out for me which you have probably never heard of.
It may not have been the largest but it certainly paid a reasonable amount for clicks on my website and I even managed to earn enough in the first couple of weeks to get a payout direct to my PayPal account. The minimum payout is set at $10 which is quite easy to get to for most people.

Go take a look at the site and signup to see how you do. If you have had your Google Adsense account banned then this could well be the network for you.

www.AdvertBox.Net

Friday, 28 March 2014

Set a Linux server to automatically reboot after a kernel panic

If like me you get a kernel panic on your linux server once a year during the time you are away from internet access then this quick config edit could save you a lot of time and money.

Why not set your server to automatically reboot after a number of seconds after a kernel panic?

It really is easy to do.

Open this file using your favourite editor (nano / vi)

/etc/sysctl.conf
Then add the following line to the end of the file and save.

kernel.panic = 10
I would reboot your server after just to ensure all config changes are loaded.


You now have your server set to reboot 10 seconds after a kernel panic.
 

Thursday, 27 March 2014

IFTTT update: Introducing the NowVia Channel. Plus, new SmartThings Recipes


NowVia lets you collect and curate everything you find interesting, and organize them into topic-specific channels.


The NowVia Channel on IFTTT makes sharing posts and updating your profiles a breeze.








Visit NowVia’s profile for more Recipe inspiration.



There’s a whole lot more you can do with the SmartThings Channel. Use Recipes to track temperature, humidity, and moisture. You can even turn on/off a siren or strobe!





RAC Car Warranty - Review

When I purchased my Citreon C4 Grand Picasso the dealer was good enough to throw in a free RAC Warranty which looked like a great deal considering it cost be nothing.

A week later a fault developed in the central locking system so I took it to the garage for a "diagnostic check" which confirmed that the motor inside the boot was not getting the signal from the central locking system to release the boot lock.

Armed with this information I rang up the RAC and told them what the garage had confirmed (it is a known fault apparently). After much messing around and checking of details I was told that the warranty did not cover handles. Like I said to the operator it was not the handle, it was the electronic mechanise inside the boot at fault but that didn't wash.

I paid for the repair myself which took under an hour and cost just under £150 (roughly the excess on the Warranty policy anyway) but I am still annoyed at the RAC warranty cover and the massive list of "vague exclusions" that they include in their terms and conditions that they can use to wriggle out of almost any repair imaginable.

My advice is save your money and don't take this car warranty out. A new vehicle would be covered under the manufactures warrant most times anyway and a vehicle over 10 years probably isn't going to get covered anyway.
Like all insurance, it is like purchasing a lottery ticket on the basis that something may happen in the future.

Thursday, 20 March 2014

IFTTT update: Introducing the Pushbullet Channel


The Pushbullet Channel makes it easy to push notes, links, files, and addresses to your Android and iOS devices.










Connect Pushbullet to over 80 other Channels and create your own inbox!


Monday, 17 March 2014

IFTTT update: Introducing the OneNote Channel


Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook for everything you need to remember and manage in your life at home, at work, or at school.


The OneNote Channel lets you create new pages, archive images, and save links for reading later.










For more OneNote Recipes, follow what’s trending on IFTTT.


Thursday, 13 March 2014

IFTTT update: March 09, 2014


The Sunlight Foundation is a nonpartisan non-profit organization with a goal of increasing transparency and accountability in the United States Government.


Use the Sunlight Foundation Channel to follow bills as they move from scheduled votes in Congress to the President’s pen.










No Sunlight Foundation account needed. Jump right in!


Monday, 3 March 2014

Logmein Free Alternative

As a long term user of logmein free, the sudden decision to remove the service came as a bit of a shock this week.
My main uses have only ever been to access my home computer when at work and to support my family members
namely my parents and children.
I've spent a couple of days researching alternatives and have been unable to come up with an
acceptable solution that is entirely free.
By acceptable I mean easy to implement without the need to poke holes in firewalls etc. and unobtrusive
on the host machines.
During my research I stumbled upon a product called SplashTop.
Whilst this product is not entirely free it is excellent. The cheapest option is $17 per year, and this gives you remote
to up to five host computers from any device.
I found the setup and configuration of SplashTop very easy and the mobile device viewers are very good.
The application runs very quickly and the speed of the screen refreshes is far better than logmein in my opinion.
You can also get up to eight weeks free access by recommending to other people - hence this website!

I hope you find this useful.
If you use the link below, you'll get one weeks free access to try it out.

http://www.logmeinfreealternative.com/