However, if you have a recent backup of your entire WordPress blog, then you can very easily restore it in a matter of few minutes. Let’s check out in this post, how to perform scheduled backups of your whole WordPress Blog to your Dropbox Account? The final backup will include all your important WordPress Core Files, Images / other media content and Database.

How to Schedule Automatic WordPress Blog Backups to Dropbox?

1. Install WordPress Backup to Dropbox (WPB2D) Plugin for your self hosted WordPress Blog.

2. As soon as the plugin has been successfully installed and activated, go to WPB2D Backup Settings Page. Here you will see following Message:

In order to use WPB2D for making Automatic Blog Backups, you need to authorize / connect this Plugin with your Dropbox Account. Click on Authorize Button and you will be redirected to Dropbox Login Page.

Login to your Dropbox Account in which you want to store your blog backup and you will see following Authorization Confirmation Message from Dropbox:

Click on Allow Button and WPB2D will get successfully connected with your Dropbox Account:

3. Once WPB2D is successfully connected with your Dropbox Account, the Backup Settings Page will now show you following options:

Above options allows you to easily configure Scheduled Backups of your whole WordPress Blog to Dropbox.

4. Under Settings on this page you will see following options:

• Store backup in a subfolder of the wpb2d App Folder: If you select this option, all backup files of your WordPress Blog will be stored in a separate WPB2D Folder inside APPS or Applications folder in your Dropbox Account. The WPB2D folder will get automatically created when backup starts for the first time. If you don’t select this option, then the backup files will be stored directly inside Apps or Application Folder in your Dropbox Account.
• Day and Time: Using the Dropdown Menu, you can select the Day and Time on which you want to perform Automatic backup to Dropbox.
• Frequency: Here you can select how often the backup to Dropbox is to be performed? Select your preference from Daily, Weekly, Fortnightly, Every 4 Weeks (monthly), Every 8 Weeks (bi-monthly) and Every 12 Weeks (tri-monthly).

Once you have selected your preferred Backup Day, Time and Frequency, you can now select which Files and Directories you want to include or exclude in the Automatic Backup? (You can expand a particular directory by clicking on its name):

All files and folder you select here will be excluded from Automatic Backups.

Note: Your SQL dump file / MySQL Database will always be backed up regardless of what you select under Excluded Files and Directories.

Hit the Save Changes Button and your Automatic Backups are scheduled. On your scheduled Day and Time, your WordPress Blog folders and files will be automatically sent to your Dropbox Account and you can find all those inside WPB2D Folder:

Important Notes:

1. For successfully creating automatic backups with WPB2D Plugin, your webhosting server must support PHP 5.2 or higher with cURL support.

2. The Plugin make use of CRON by calling wp-cron.php file for creating Automatic Backups of your WordPress Blog. If your Server Settings or .htaccess file is blocking wp-cron.php, which is required to start the backup process, then you will need to add following line in the .htaccess file which is located in the root folder of your WordPress installation:

Allow from All Satisfy Any

It’s better to contact your Webhost directly in case you are having trouble with the execution of wp-cron.php file.

3. The database is backed up into two separate files. The first one is [database name]-backup-core.sql, which contains entire core WordPress Blog tables and data, and the second one is [database name]-backup-plugins.sql, which contains all tables and data related to your blog Plugins:

These files can be found at /wp-content/backups/ inside the Apps / WPB2D folder in your Dropbox Account.

4. The first backup always takes more time to complete than the next automatic backup, this is because WPB2D plugin only uploads files that have been added / changed since the last backup. The only exception here is your SQL dump / MySQL Database file, which will be uploaded every time.

5. The Plugin also supports On-Demand or Manual Backups anytime. To start an on-demand backup, just go to Backup Logs Page >> Click Start Backup Button:

If you have any query / doubt, feel free to leave a comment below OR ask your query directly on WordPress Support Forums of WPB2D Plugin.

This Post: Schedule Automatic WordPress Blog Backup to Dropbox was originally made on MrinTech

Lock Folder HD ($1.99) allows you to wirelessly transfer photos and videos to your iOS device from your computer. The application is also capable of hiding as well as encrypting your private photos and videos. For transferring images and videos from your computer using Wi-Fi, all you need to do is to follow these steps:

Transfer Photos to iPad, iPhone & iPod using Wi-Fi

1. Run Lock Folder HD on your iOS device and enter your password.

2. On the main screen select Privacy Photo:

On the immediate next screen either create a new album or simply select the default album:

3. Once you have selected / created your album, you will see a small arrow like icon at the top-right corner of the screen:

Tap on it and then Tap on Add Button:

4. On the next screen, tap on the Camera icon present at the top left corner and you will see following options:

Here select Wi-Fi Sharing and you will be able to see following screen with a unique IP Address (Your IP Address will be different):

5. Type the IP Address in the browser of your computer (connected to same Wi-Fi Network, which your iOS device is using) and you will see following transfer interface:

Here select the Photo which you want to transfer to your iOS device and hit the upload button. The photo will immediately get transferred to your iOS device and will be present in the album you selected / created earlier!

Transfer Videos to iPad, iPhone & iPod using Wi-Fi

When you want to wirelessly transfer videos to your iOS device, you need to select Privacy Video on the main screen:

Once you have selected Privacy Video, all the remaining steps are same as for transferring photos using Wi-Fi.

Important Notes:

• Your IP Address for transferring photos and videos over wireless LAN will be completely different. It depends on the default IP Address assigned to your Wireless router and iOS device. The IP Address may change, as the router can dynamically assign some other IP Address to your iOS device.
• For transferring photos and videos, your PC / MAC and iOS device should be using same Wireless LAN network.
• You can transfer only MP4, MOV and M4V video formats using the method above. This is because all iOS devices only supports MP4, MOV and M4V video formats. If you want to transfer some other video format to your iOS device, then you need to convert the file into iOS compatible video format.
• Supported Image formats for successful transfer are PNG and JPEG only.

This Post: Transfer Photos / Videos to iPad, iPhone & iPod using Wi-Fi was originally made on MrinTech

The ISS is visible few times a week from almost all parts of the world and you can easily see the ISS with your naked eyes flying above your head / location! Let’s check out some Android and iOS Apps, which allows you to track the exact location of ISS.

Android App for Tracking the Current Location of ISS

ISS Detector for Android is a must have app for anyone who have interest in astronomy. This free app acts as your personal ISS and satellite tracker. The app will notify you, via alarms and smart notifications, whenever the International Space Station is visible from your location.

Following are the useful features of this app:

• Overview of coming passes of International Space Station (ISS)
• Weather conditions for perfect sightings.
• Radar screen with path indication – Highly useful for detecting the direction of ISS when it passes above your locality.
• Can also detect Iridium flares
• Smart Notifications and Alarms
• Share your ISS sightings using Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Gmail etc.
• Automatic location and timezone detection
• Homescreen Widget Suport
• Full support for Android Tablets and their respective resolutions

The application is available on the Android Market (Google Play) for free, but if you want to detect ham radio satellites, weather satellites, Hubble Space Telescope, Kepler space observatory and X-37B, then you need to buy additional extensions for the app.

I have personally used this app for detecting ISS when it flew over my location. The date, timing and radar are pretty accurate and you will also be able to see ISS with the aid of this app!

iOS App for Tracking the Current Location of ISS

If you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, then there’s is a free ISS detector app for iOS users too.

ISS Spotter allows you see the forecast of all upcoming passes and set alarms to be on time to view the ISS! The in-built compass and tools allows anyone to spot the ISS very easily. The app relies on your GPS location, so certain users with only Wi-Fi enabled iOS devices, will not be able to make full use of this App.

Browser based ISS Trackers

Browse based ISS Trackers like Astro Viewer, ISS Tracker etc. also allows you to see the current location of ISS using Google Maps:

The only problem with these web based trackers is that, you will not be able to detect the direction of ISS when it passes over your location, as there’s no compass / radar!

Also see: Use your Computer Resources for Research Purposes with BOINC

This Post: Track Current Location of ISS with these Android & iOS Apps was originally made on MrinTech

1. Using Wireless Network Connection Properties:

If you are using Windows 7 or Windows 8, then right click on Wi-Fi Icon in the notifications area and select properties of a Wireless Network / SSID whose password you want to see:

A new Window with name <Wireless Network Name/SSID> Wireless Network Properties will pop-up:

On this Window, click on Security Tab. Now check Show Characters under Network Security Key:

Using this method you will be able to see the stored password of your Home / Office Wi-Fi Network.

2. Using Wireless Key Viewer Utility from Nirsoft

If you using older version of Windows OS like Windows Vista or XP, than above trick will not work on these OS. In order to see stored Wi-Fi Network Passwords on these Operating Systems, you need to make use of a third-party utility known as Wireless Key Viewer developed by Nirsoft.

This utility can easily retrieve all wireless network security keys / passwords (WEP / WPA) stored in your computer by using the Wireless Zero Configuration service of Windows XP or by using the WLAN AutoConfig service present in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2008:

Using Wireless Key Viewer you can easily view following information of any Wi-Fi Network / Router, which your computer have used in the past:

• Network Name (SSID or Service Set Identifier)
• Key Type (WEP or WPA)
• Hex Key
• ASCII Key – This is of your main use!
• Name of Wireless Adapter your Desktop / Laptop / Netbook is using for connecting to the internet
• Wireless Network Adapter GUID i.e. Globally unique identifier. GUID is a string of alpha-numeric characters
• Authentication like WPA2PSK etc.
• Wireless Encryption Technology used like AES etc.
• Connection Type

Important Notes:

• Some Anti-virus / internet security softwares detects Wireless Key Viewer utility as infected with Trojan / Virus. This is a false positive alert and must be ignored, if your PC is completely clean.
• None of the above mentioned trick and utility can crack the wireless key of other wireless networks like your neighbor’s or cyber / internet cafe’s Wi-Fi Password. The above mentioned trick and utility can only show you Passwords stored on YOUR own personal computer.
• If the Password for a Wireless Network / Router has been changed and your computer is still storing old password, then you need to either contact Network Administrator of your office or reset the home router completely. Reset instructions are normally present in the manual that came with your router.

Also See: Boost Wi-Fi Router’s Signal Strength

This Post: Easily Recover Lost / Forgotten Wi-Fi Network Password was originally made on MrinTech

Earlier Google Apps Standard Edition was available for free for everyone, but Google has permanently discontinued this FREE service! As of now, the best FREE alternative of Google Apps Standard or Business Edition is Windows Live for Custom Domain Names.

If you want to use Windows Live with your domain for managing all incoming and outgoing Emails, then setting it up is very easy. All you need to do is to follow these steps:

1. Head over to https://domains.live.com/ and click on Get Started Link under Custom Domains:

2. The immediate next page will ask you to enter your domain name for which you want to configure your mail services:

On this page, you need to also select Set up Windows Live Hotmail for my domain and click on Continue Button

Note: If you don’t have a Domain Name and want to purchase one, then either you can purchase it from Namecheap or from Windows Live Partners.

3. You should have a Hotmail (@hotmail.com), Outlook (@outlook.com) or Live (@live.com) Email Account, as you need to associate your existing Windows Live ID with Windows Live Admin Center. In case you don’t have a Microsoft Email Account, then you can create one using this link: https://signup.live.com/signup.aspx?lic=1

Select Sign in with an existing Windows Live ID on this page and hit the Continue Button. A new Window / Tab will open and here you are required to sign in by entering your Windows Live Email Address and password.

4. Once you have successfully signed in and associated your Windows Live ID with Windows Live Admin Center, you will see following Review Settings and Accept Agreement Page:

Double check the details and click on I Accept Button.

5. The next page will ask you to verify the ownership of the domain you entered earlier. This can be easily done by creating a MX Entry / Record for your Domain Name:

By entering a MX Record for your domain name, you are not only verifying your domain ownership with Windows Live Admin Center, but you are also activating Email Services for it instantly.

How to create a MX Record or MX Entry in cPanel?

Login to your cPanel Account and click on MX Entry:

The Next Page will ask you to select your domain name, in case there are multiple domain names are present in your cPanel account,  for which you want to create a MX Record. Once you have selected your preferred domain name, select Automatically Detect Configuration under Email Routing and Enter following details in Add New Record:

Here:

• You need to enter 10 in Priority Field
• You need to enter your personalized alpha-numeric MX Server Address in Destination Field. E.g. anc123pqr.pamx1.hotmail.com

After you have entered the appropriate values in Priority and Destination Fields, hit the Add New Record Button and mail exchanger record for your domain name will be instantly added.

After creating MX Entry for your domain name successfully, hit the Refresh Button present at the top of domain settings page and Windows Live Admin Center will now verify your entered mail exchanger settings for you:

If everything is correct, you can instantly start creating Mail Accounts using Member Accounts Page:

Configuring Server Trust (SPF) for Windows Live Admin Center

You are also required to configure SPF for your domain name, so that other mail servers completely trusts all emails originating from your domain name. Server Trust is also known as sender ID configuration and it will help prevent your Emails from being marked as junk mail / SPAM.

Server trust can easily be configured by crating a TXT Record in Advanced DNS Zone Editor in cPanel:

On Advanced DNS Zone Editor page in cPanel, select your domain name and enter following values in Add a Record:

Here:

• Enter your domain name (without www and http://) in the Name field. A period will be automatically added at the end of your domain name i.e. yourdomain.com.
• Enter 3600 in TTL (Time to Live) Field
• Select TXT from the drop down menu as your record type
• Enter v=spf1 include:hotmail.com ~all in TXT Data Field

Now, hit the Add Record Button and you have successfully created a Server Trust for your domain name. You are now ready to use Windows Live Email Services for your domain name.

For logging in to your Email Account, just go to outlook.com or live.com or hotmail.com, and there enter your Username as: abc@yourdomain.com and type your password:

Additional Tips and Important Notes:

1. Once you have done setting up MX and TXT Records for your domain name, your mail service will start working in few hours. In my case, all incoming and outgoing mail functions were fully active in about 45 minutes.

2. If you are not hosting your domain name with a webhost, than you can still create MX and TXT Records using your domain registrar’s control panel:

I am using Namecheap and if a domain name is using their default name servers, than anyone can configure additional host records for their domain name and its sub-domain. You may want to contact your registrar for configuring hosts records OR browse their support articles / knowledge base.

3. If you also want to use messenger with your domain name, than you need to configure SRV Settings. SRV Settings looks something like following:

• DNS record type: SRV
• Service: _sipfederationtls._tcp.domainname.com
• Protocol: _tcp
• Domain Name: domainname.com
• Priority: 10 (or High priority)
• Weight: 2
• Port: 5061
• Target: federation.messenger.msn.com

For configuring SRV Settings meant for federating Messenger with other compatible networks, you need to have access to WHM (WebHost Manager). If you are using shared hosting and don’t have access to WHM, then you need to contact your webhost and ask them to configure SRV Settings for your domain name.

If you are not hosting your domain name with a webhost, then you can easily set SRV Settings yourself from your domain registrar’s control panel (see domain control panel screenshot above).

4. If you want to verify your mail settings, just after entering values for MX and TXT Records, open Command Prompt (cmd) in Windows and type following lines in it:

• C:\>nslookup -type=txt yourdomain.com – For checking TXT Record settings
• C:\>nslookup -type=mx yourdomain.com – For checking MX Record settings

If you are getting correct values in CMD, then everything is working fine. Try sending a Test Email from your domain name to some other Email Account of yours. If delivery is successful, than the outgoing mail function is working great for your domain name. Now for testing incoming mail function, reply back to the test email you recently sent!

This Post: Google Apps Alternative: Configure Windows Live for Domain was originally made on MrinTech

If you are running an e-commerce website or a website / blog / forum where Emails from your visitors are utmost important to you, than you should definitely consider using a backup Email Service.

How Normal Email Delivery works?

If you are using your own domain name (@yourdomain.com) for receiving and sending Emails, than your hosting account have pre-defined / pre-configured DNS MX Entries or Records.

For example, I am using Google Apps for MrinTech and following are the MX Records I configured in my Web hosting control Panel (cPanel) for all incoming and outgoing Emails:

As you can see in the above screenshot, each MX Entry has a priority assigned to it. Email delivery is first attempted to the primary mail server i.e. the MX Record with lowest priority number. If that particular mail server is not reachable, then delivery is attempted to another mail server with second lowest MX priority number. If the second lowest mail server in priority is also unavailable!, then the mail will be delivered to the server with the third lowest MX priority, etc. This process continues depending on the total number of MX Records with ascending priorities available for your domain name.

Depending on the type of Email Service you are using with your domain, if all the Mail Servers are unavailable because of Server Downtime, Email delivery fails and the Email bounces back to the original sender with mail errors attached within it!

This is where Backup Email Service comes into action.

How Backup Email Works?

Backup Email Service is generally provided by third party websites / services with an additional monthly / yearly payment. The web servers or Email clusters of these third party services are completely isolated from your web hosting server as well as data center.

If all your mail servers are unreachable, then all your emails are sent to Backup email servers. Once they reaches there, they remains in queue and the server continuously reattempts delivery of all the mails to your primary mail server. When your primary server is back online, all Emails in queue are instantly delivered.

Every Backup Email Server keeps on attempting mail delivery to your primary mail server for a certain number of days, after that the Email is bounced back to its original sender and you should seriously consider changing your web hosting / Email provider.

How to set up Backup Email Service for your Account / Domain Name?

For setting up a Backup Email service for your Account / Domain Name, you need to first enter your Domain Name in the Web Interface of Third Party Website offering Backup Email Service and then you need to configure your Domain DNS Records with additional MX Entries.

Once you sign up for a third party backup Email service, by paying their monthly / yearly fees, you will then receive additional MX Records for your domain name and will also get access to their backup email control panel interface.

Recommended Backup Email Service?

I have personally used DNS Made Easy Backup Email Service and it’s one of the best and cheapest available service as of now. If you are considering signing up for Backup Email service from DNS Made Easy, then keep following limitations in mind:

• Each Domain Name is allowed 1 GB of Email data or 100,000 messages in queue. 3 GB, 5 GB, and 10GB options are also available for an additional price.
• Each domain is allowed to transfer 10 GB of email every month.
• There is also a daily limit of 100,000 incoming connections per day.

You can also check out articles for configuring your Backup Email Service using DNS Made Easy here

While writing this post, the pricing for DNS Made Easy Backup Email Service is $12.95 for 1 Year for a single domain name. If you have a Reseller account or want to buy Backup Email service for lots of different domain names, than you may want to directly contact DNS Made Easy.

This Post: Reduce Email Downtime by using Backup Email Server was originally made on MrinTech

If you are a WordPress Blogger, than you can start using MaxCDN instantly with the help of WP Super Cache Plugin. Let’s check out in this post How to easily Configure / Install MaxCDN with WP Super Cache for WordPress?, along with some additional tips.

Assuming you already have a Self Hosted WordPress Blog and a MaxCDN Account, we are ready to follow this guide:

Primary Step: Creating Pull Zone in MaxCDN and CNAME in Web Hosting Control Panel

1. Login to your MaxCDN Account.

2. Once you are logged in to your MaxCDN Dashboard, we need to create a Pull Zone. For creating a Pull Zone, Go to Manage Zones >> Click on Create Pull Zone Button:

3. On the immediate next page, you need to fill out following information:

Here:

• Enter anything, say your Website Name/Nick Name, in the Pull Zone Name field
• Enter your WordPress Blog URL EXACTLY (with http://) in the Origin Server URL field. If your blog URL doesn’t have www in it, then there’s no need to enter www.
• Enter the URL which you want to use with your WordPress Blog for serving content from CDN in the Custom CDN Domain field. E.g. cdn.abcd.com, files.xyz.net etc. – No need to enter http:// and www here
• Enter any keyword(s) relevant to your Blog in the Labels field OR leave it blank
• Enable Gzip Compression by checking the box in front of Compression. Gzip compression will be valid for text, html, js, css and xml files.

4. Once you have entered all the above mentioned details precisely, hit the Create Button and after few minutes, your MaxCDN Pull Zone will be ready. You will also get your personalized CDN URL or Temporary CDN URL on the next page. The URL will look something like:

abc.xyz.netdna-cdn.com

* Here abc and xyz will depend on the information you entered earlier while creating a Pull Zone and on your MaxCDN Account Information.

Using this personalized / temporary CDN URL you need to configure CNAME Record in your Web Hosting Control Panel (cPanel etc.), so that your Custom CDN Domain URL starts working (cdn.abcd.com, files.xyz.net etc.) instantly!

5. Now Login to your Web Hosting Control Panel (cPanel in my case) > look for Simple DNS Zone Editor and click on it:

On the immediate next page, select the Domain Name from the Drop Down Menu (in case of multiple Domains are added to your Account) and you will see Add a CNAME Record here:

In the Name field Enter the Custom CDN Domain URL which you want to use with your WordPress Blog (cdn.abcd.com, files.xyz.net etc.) and in the CNAME field, enter the Personalized / Temporary CDN URL (abc.xyz.netdna-cdn.com) which you recently obtained from MaxCDN after successfully creating a Pull Zone.

* No need to enter http:// and www here

Once, you have entered the information precisely, hit the Add CNAME Record Button and CNAME Record for your Domain Name will be instantly added and activated.

Configure / Install MaxCDN with WP Super Cache for WordPress

1. Install WP Super Cache Plugin for your WordPress Installation and then head over to the CDN Tab of WP Super Cache. Here check the box is front of Enable CDN Support and enter the Off-site URL, which will be your Custom CDN URL, with http://:

When you are entering the Off Site URL in WP Super Cache CDN Settings, there’s NO need to add www. Also, there is no need to configure anything else here.

Leave other fields to their default settings / values on the CDN Tab of WP Super Cache and hit the Save Changes button. Your site will now start serving CSS, Javascripts, Images etc. from MaxCDN in a matter of few minutes.

Note: Just after enabling CDN for your WordPress Blog, if you only see blank white pages or broken WordPress site, have patience!, as the data from your Hosting Server is being sent and stored on MaxCDN Servers worldwide. It may take upto 15-20 minutes before you see your site working normally again.

Additional Tips for using MaxCDN with your WordPress Blog

Once you have successfully created Pull Zone, hit the Manage Button in front of your Custom CDN URL present in your MaxCDN Dashboard and you will be able to configure following things on immediate next page:

1. Test and Edit Origin IP Address:

The origin IP Address for your WordPress Blog will be the IP Address of the server on which your WordPress Blog is hosted. On the settings tab of your Pull Zone Record, you will be able to test as well as edit the origin server IP Address:

This option is very useful when you move your WordPress Blog from one hosting provider to another OR the IP Address of your account changes.

The Origin IP Address is automatically fetched by MaxCDN Servers when you first create a Pull Zone Record. But, if the IP Address of your web hosting account changes, then you can update / edit and test the New IP Address here. If the validation of your New IP Address is successful, then you will be getting following message:

2. Custom Domains:

On the Settings tab, you can set more than one Custom CDN URL (sub-domains for serving CDN content) for your WordPress Blog. This option is helpful when you want to serve different content of your blog using different Custom CDN URLs or sub-domains.

For example, you can serve CSS of your WordPress Blog using abc.xyz.com and server images and other files using pqr.xyz.com, If you opt for this option, than you need to configure CNAME for each Custom CDN URL in your Web Hosting Account Control Panel, as described in the last point of Primary Step above.

3. Compression Settings:

MaxCDN also allows you to compress all your content by default using Gzip. This means content of your WordPress Blog will come to visitors browser in Gziped / compressed form. Using this option you can not only save your valuable CDN Bandwidth, but also increase your WordPress Blog loading time.

Following are the content / file types currently supported by MaxCDN Gzip Compression:

• text/plain
• text/HTML
• text/javascript
• text/css
• text/xml
• application/javascript
• application/x-javascript
• application/xml
• text/x-component
• application/json
• application/xhtml+xml
• application/rss+xml
• application/atom+xml
• app/vnd.ms-fontobject
• image/svg+xml
• application/x-font-ttf
• font/opentype

It’s recommended to leave everything enabled / checked here, unless you are experiencing problems with any file type present in your WordPress Blog.

4. Delete Pull Zone

On the settings tab of your Pull Zone, you can also delete an entire Pull Zone Record you earlier created. Use this option with CAUTION, as all your data from CDN Servers will be completely deleted.

This option comes very handy, when you want to create a NEW Pull Zone Record or close your MaxCDN Account.

5. Cache Tab

The cache tab in your MaxCDN Pull Zone Record allows you to Purge (clear and re-build / re-request / re-sync) any individual / all file(s) from CDN edge servers. This option comes very handy when there’s a problem in loading certain files in various browsers or there’s a major content update on your blog (like Theme, Script, CSS changes etc.). Advanced users can also debug cache on this tab.

Any changes to the content of your original WordPress Blog are sent to CDN Server almost instantly, but if you think the CDN Server is still serving old / outdated content, only then it’s suggested to Purge All / individual file(s).

6. Advanced Settings:

On the advanced settings tab for your Pull Zone, you will find following entities:

• HTTP Referrer Protection: This option allows you to prevent plagiarism of your WordPress Blog files hosted on MaxCDN Server. By default, HTTP Referrer Protection is disabled for every Pull Zone Record / your Account, but you can enable it anytime, if you think your hosted files on MaxCDN Server are plagiarized somewhere else (on some other domain name).
• Query String: This option when enabled treats every Query Strings (a part of URL which contains data meant for various types of web applications like web based CGI application etc.) as different cacheable item.
• Content Disposition / Forced File Download: This option, when enabled, forces each and every file to be downloaded on ones computer, instead of opening them in browser. For example, if you are hosting a PDF on MaxCDN Server and whenever someone tries to access this PDF file, it will directly start downloading onto your visitor’s computer.
• Custom robots.txt: If you are already using a robots.txt file meant for various web crawlers, then it’s suggested to keep this option disabled. Not of much use! But, if you intend to use this option, it will add a robots.txt to the root directory of your WordPress Blog which restricts / disallows page crawl by search engine like Google, Yahoo!, Bing etc.
• Override Cache-Control Header: This feature ignores the origin Cache Control Header and sets every request to have a Maximum Age of: 1 day, 7 days, 1 Month or 12 Months. The default value is: No Override.
• Default Cache Time: This feature sets any request with a no Cache Control header from the origin to stay on the server for 1 day, 7 days, 1 Month or 12 Months. By default, it is set to 1 day for every account

7. SSL Tab

If you want to use HTTPS / SSL for serving secure content from MaxCDN servers to your visitor’s browser, than you need to enable this feature. If you opt to use this feature, keep in mind, your Personalized / Temporary CDN URL will change from abc.xyz.netdna-cdn.com to abc.xyz.netdna-ssl.com and then you need to configure CNAME accordingly.

For using this feature you need to either have a shared SSL certificate or Custom SSL Certificate for your account. It’s suggested to directly contact MaxCDN support department, if you want to use their SSL Feature.

Hope this guide helps many webmasters in configuring MaxCDN at its best for their WordPress Blog. If you have any doubt, feel free to post it in the comments area below.

This Post: Configure & Install MaxCDN with WP Super Cache for WordPress was originally made on MrinTech

On 12th of November 2012, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (also known as VIIRS) mounted on Suomi NPP (National Polar Orbiting Partnership) satellite captured following image of India / Southeast Asia at Night Time:

In above image, the bright areas are actually the cities and towns in India. You can also see Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan near the edges of above image.

From past few years following image has been constantly circulating on the internet:

The above satellite image claims to be taken on Diwali Day, but it is actually a composite of satellite photos of India created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2003!

The above image was meant to show population growth in India over time, but it got huge popularity on the internet as Diwali Day Satellite Image of India! In this image white lights depicts where population was centered in India before 1992, while different colors depicts the movement of people!

You can download high-resolution of original satellite image of India a night before Diwali Day 2012 using THIS LINK

Credit for original satellite image of India a night before Diwali Day 2012 goes to NASA

This Post: Satellite Image of India a Night before Diwali Day 2012 was originally made on MrinTech

Let’s check out, what are the official prices of iPhone 5 in India and from where you can buy iPhone 5 in India?

Apple iPhone 5 Price in India

Before coming to pricing details, here’s the specification table of iPhone 5:

Apple iPhone 5 is available in 16 GB. 32 GB and 64 GB variants and following are the prices for the same:

• Apple iPhone 5 16 GB – 45,500 INR
• Apple iPhone 5 32 GB – 52,500 INR
• Apple iPhone 5 64 GB – 59,500 INR

Keep in mind, iPhone 5 uses Nano-SIM Card, which no other smartphone or tablet (except iPad Mini) currently uses. While writing this post, only AirTel, Aircel and Vodafone are the carriers which are showing stock availability signs of Nano-SIM Cards. So, if you are going to purchase an iPhone 5, make sure you first call your carrier and ask them whether they have Nano-SIM Card available or not?

Earlier Apple was distributing iPhone via telecom companies like AirTel and Aircel in India. But now, by partnering with Redington and Ingram Micro, other carriers will be able to extend their services for the new iPhone 5!

From where to Buy iPhone 5 in India?

Offline

Since, Apple has officially launched iPhone 5 in India, you can buy iPhone 5 from any Official Apple Store. Maybe you can also buy an iPhone 5 from your nearest mobile store or ask them to arrange one for you!

Just keep in mind, if you are buying iPhone 5 from a store other that Apple Store, make sure the iPhone have Apple India Warranty and doesn’t exceed above mentioned prices in any case.

Online

Apple iPhone 5 can also be bought online in India. As of now, it is available with following stores as pre-orders:

• Snapdeal
• Infibeam
• Saholic

The iPhone 5 purchased from above online stores comes with 12 months manufacturer warranty i.e. Apple India Warranty. Another online store is eBay India and if you are buying from eBay.in, just make sure that the iPhone 5 you are going to buy comes with Apple India Warranty and is not purchased from some other country like USA, UK etc.

This post will be updated with more stores, once iPhone 5 is available on other popular stores like Flipkart etc.

Hope you enjoy iPhone 5!

This Post: Official Launch of iPhone 5 in India: Prices & Where to Buy? was originally made on MrinTech

The eBook acts as a quick starter / reference guide, if you are using Windows 8 on your Desktop, Laptop, Netbook OR on any other touchscreen device!

Here’s the Table of Content (TOC) for Pocket Edition of Windows 8 for Dummies:

In order to download Windows 8 for Dummies (Pocket Edition), all you need to do is to fill out a small form available on THIS PAGE or simply follow this DIRECT LINK

The size of this eBook is around 11 MB, so have patience while it loads in your browser. Once fully loaded, save it onto your Computer Hard Drive and Enjoy reading it using any Free PDF Reader.

Courtesy: Dell Enterprise Team

Also See: Download Windows 8 Trial and Windows 8 Upgrade Offer

This Post: FREE PDF Download: Windows 8 for Dummies eBook was originally made on MrinTech

The final version of Windows 8 is available for public purchase and download on the official website of Microsoft. Let’s check out in this post from where Indian users can easily Buy, Download & Install (or Upgrade) Windows 8 on their personal computers?

Before going into purchase and download details, here are some things you should know before your upgrade to Windows 8:

1. As of now your personal computer MUST be running either Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7. Only computers running Windows XP, Vista and 7 are eligible for upgrade to Windows 8.

2. If you have bought or are going to buy a Windows 7 PC in between 2nd of June 2012 to 31st of January 2013, then you can upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8 PRO for INR 699/- ($14.99) Only – Full details here

Other users need to pay INR 1,999/- ($39.99) for Windows 8 PRO Edition.

Important Note: While writing this post, Microsoft is running an upgrade offer for Windows 8 PRO edition upto 31st of January 2013. Under this offer, anyone can upgrade to Windows 8 PRO Edition for INR 1,999/- or USD 39.99. This offer is limited to five upgrade licenses per customer. Prices may increase after 31st of January 2013.

3. For running Windows 8 on your Personal Computer, your system should meet following system requirements – Maybe you want to try Windows 8 before purchasing it!:

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2
• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for running 32-bit (x86) version of Windows 8 and 2 GB for running 64-bit (x64) version of Windows 8
• Free Hard disk space: 16 GB for running 32-bit (x86) version of Windows 8 or 20 GB for running 64-bit (x64) version of Windows 8
• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

Windows 8 also consists of some additional advanced features. In order to use these additional features you need to have following:

• To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multi-touch. Multi-Touch hardware requirements can be found here
• To access the Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768.
• For snapping various apps, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366 x 768.
• Secure boot requires firmware that supports UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and has the Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database.
• Some games and programs may require a graphics card which is compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance.
• You need to have a Live/Microsoft Account for using and accessing certain features built within Windows 8.
• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive, if you are a Windows 8 Pro User.
• BitLocker requires either Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 or a USB flash drive, if you are a Windows 8 Pro User.
• If you are a Windows 8 Pro User, then for Client Hyper-V you need to have a 64-bit edition of Windows with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities and an additional 2 GB of RAM.
• A TV tuner card (internal or external) is required to play and record live TV shows in Windows Media Center. WMC is only available with Windows 8 Pro Pack and Windows 8 Media Center Pack.

Buy Windows 8 Online in India

You can buy and download Windows 8 from the official Website of Microsoft India. First you need to run a small utility known as Windows 8 Upgrade Assistance, which can be downloaded from here

Run Windows 8 Upgrade Assistance and the software will now analyze your PC Hardware and Apps:

If your PC Hardware is sufficient for running Windows 8, you will see following screen, along with List of Apps and Hardware that are compatible or incompatible with Windows 8:

Once you have reviewed the Hardware and Apps list which are compatible / incompatible with Windows 8, hit the Next Button and you will see following screen:

On this screen, you need to select what type of settings and files you want to preserve after your current OS have been upgraded. The best option to select on this screen would be Windows settings, personal files and apps. Now hit the next button and you will see Windows 8 Pricing details:

Click on the Order Button and the next screen will ask you to review your order:

Here click on the Checkout Button and the next screen will ask you to enter your Billing Address Information – Make sure you enter every information on this screen correctly and double check it:

Hit the next button and you will see the final payment screen. On this screen you can either select Credit Card or PayPal:

Once you have entered every payment related information correctly, hit the next button and you will see final purchase screen. If the payment information you entered is correct and is successfully processed by the server, Windows 8 will start downloading onto your machine.

Wait for the download to finish and Windows Upgrade Assistance software will upgrade your current Operating System (XP / Vista / 7) to Windows 8!

Buy Windows 8 Offline in India (Order Windows 8 Box Packed Backup DVD)

Downloading Windows 8 Digital Edition will be cheaper than ordering a Box Packed DVD! You need to pay around 1100 INR or $20 for getting Windows 8 DVD. Anyways, if you want a Box Packed DVD of Windows 8, than you need to check the Windows DVD Box on the Order Review Screen:

While writing this post, Microsoft will ship a Windows 8 Pro Edition Backup DVD to the Address you mention on the billing information screen.

Update: You can also purchase Windows 8 Professional DVD from Flipkart which is priced at Rs. 3499/- upto 31st January 2013.

Hope you enjoy upgrading to Windows 8 (Pro Edition)!

This Post: Buy & Download Windows 8 Online or Order Backup DVD in India was originally made on MrinTech

iCloud is a popular Cloud Storage and Cloud Computing service from Apple. It acts as a data syncing center for all your contacts, Emails, bookmarks, calendars, reminders, notes, documents and other apps data present in various iOS Devices like iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The general storage limit of a FREE iCloud account is 5 GB and by default, iCloud automatically synchronizes all your data to its cloud servers. This often leads to syncing of data that you do not want to backup. As a result, your backup size increases and your iCloud online storage space decreases. Let’s check out, How to reduce your iCloud backup size in iOS Devices viz. iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch?

Save iCloud Storage Space by Reducing Backup Size of various data in iPhone, iPod and iPad

In order to reduce the backup size in your iOS device, you need to follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings and select iCloud. Once you select iCloud, you can see many categories like Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders etc.:

Here if you don’t want to backup data of any of the above shown categories, simply turn it OFF!

2. Now, select Storage & Backup:

Under Storage & Backup, you can see following iCloud Account Storage details:

Storage:

• Total Storage – This is the Total Cloud Storage space available in your iCloud Account. For a FREE iCloud Account, it is 5GB, but you can always buy more storage space as per your requirements.
• Available Storage space – This shows the storage space (in GBs or MBs) left in your iCloud Account, after a successful Backup.
• Manage Storage – From here, you can get the information about Latest Backup (Date of last successful Backup), Backup Size (Size in GB or MB of your Last Backup) and Backup Options (Backup preferences).

Backup:

• iCloud Backup – If this option is ON, your iOS device data will automatically back up to iCloud servers (based on your device settings), whenever it is Plugged in/Locked and is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

3. Now, to reduce your backup size, select Manage Storage:

4. Here Select your Profile (Device Name). You can also see the current backup size (which will be uploaded to iCloud) in front of your Profile Name:

Under Backup Options, you will see an entire list of application data available for backup. By default, iCloud automatically backs up all your application data:

5. Now, select Show All Apps:

Once an entire list of applications is populated, you can now select which app you don’t want to backup. To do this, simply TURN OFF unnecessary App(s).

For Example, if you do not want to backup Images and iBooks data, simply turn them OFF. After you turn them OFF, Images and iBooks data will not be backed up and only data of those applications will be included in the backup, which are turned ON:

After this, whenever the next backup starts, Camera Roll and iBooks data will not be included in the iCloud backup. Similarly, you can turn ON/OFF any number of Apps, depending on your backup requirements. This way, your backup size is reduced and a lot of iCloud storage space is saved!

This Post: Manage & Reduce iOS Data Backup Size meant for iCloud was originally made on MrinTech

Microsoft is currently running a special promotion upto 31st of January 2013, under which you can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro Edition for a very small amount.

How to get Windows 8 for $14.99 or £14.99 or €14,99 or 699 INR?

Users who have  purchased / are going to purchase a Personal Computer in between 2nd of June 2012 to 31st of January 2013. which is pre-loaded with genuine version of Windows 7 are eligible to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro Edition for a very small fee. If you are interested in buying Windows 8 for your machine, simply follow these steps:

1. Go to Official Website of Windows Upgrade Offer and select your country exactly

2. On the next page, hit the continue button and you will see a small registration page.

On this page you need to enter your personal as well as purchase information viz. Name, Email Address, Telephone Number, Date of Purchase for Windows 7 PC, Name of Retailer, Brand and PC Model. For some countries, the page also asks for your Windows 7 Product Key for verification/validation purpose.

Once you have entered all personal and purchase related information accurately, complete the security check, Agree to Microsoft TOS and hit the Continue Button.

3. The next page will now show you your Registration Confirmation Number. In few minutes, you will receive 2 Emails from Mocrosoft which contains your Registration Confirmation Number and Promotional Code:

4. Now download, install and run Windows Upgrade Assistance and on the final check out page, enter the Promo Code you received from Microsoft and your final purchase price will be reduced to $14.99 or £14.99 or €14,99 or 699 INR!

Important Notes:

• This offer is valid for all purchases made between 2nd of June 2012 to 31st of January 2013. Full information here
• To view or update your registration information you need to go to My Order Page on official Website of Windows Upgrade Offer. Here you need to enter your Email Address and Registration Confirmation Number aka Registration ID or Reference ID.
• For getting Latest Drivers for Windows 8 either visit the manufacturer website of your PC or visit THIS PAGE
• For additional support, you can always check out the FAQ or Contact Microsoft

This Post: Windows Upgrade Offer: Get Windows 8 for $14.99 or 699 INR was originally made on MrinTech

If you are currently using Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 OS and are interested in buying Windows 8 for your Personal Computer (Desktop, Laptop or Netbook), then you may definitely want to try Windows 8 before you make the final purchase. Let’s check out in this post, from where to Download Windows 8 Trial / Evaluation Edition for Free?

Windows 8 Enterprise Edition is available for FREE download for developers from MSDN Website. But any user can download and try this version of Windows 8 for free before making the final purchase! The trial period for Windows 8 Enterprise Edition is 90 days and all activations are valid upto 15th of August 2013.

If you want to use this 90 days Trial (Evaluation) version of Windows 8 Enterprise, your Personal Computer (PC) should meet following minimum System Requirements:

System Requirements for running Windows 8

The minimum System Requirements to run this Evaluation edition are as follows:

Processor: 1 Gigahertz (GHz) or faster

RAM:

• For 32-bit (x86) version – 1 Gigabyte (GB)
• For 64-bit (x64) version – 2 Gigabyte (GB)

Hard Disk space:

• For 32-bit (x86) version – 16 Gigabyte (GB) of FREE Hard Disk space.
• For 64-bit (x64) version – 20 Gigabyte (GB) of FREE Hard Disk space.

Graphics Card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics with WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) Driver.

Additional Feature Requirements

If you want to experience additional features of Windows 8 on your machine, than you need to have following:

• In order to experience full Touch feature of Windows 8, you will need a Monitor or Tablet that supports Multi-Touch.
• If you wish to access the Windows Store and want to download and run Apps, you should have a Screen Resolution of atleast 1024 x 768 and an active Internet Connection.
• To use Snap-App feature, you need a native Screen Resolution of at least 1366 x 768.

Important Points to keep in mind before Downloading and Installing Windows 8 Enterprise Edition

• This Evaluation version of Windows 8 Enterprise will expire in 90 days from the date of installation/activation.
• This Evaluation Edition will EXPIRE and this version cannot be UPGRADED to the Pro version of Windows 8. Whenever you want to upgrade, you’ll have to first uninstall this Evaluation version and then install the Non-evaluation (Pro Version) of Windows 8.
• You can setup a Virtual Machine to use this Evaluation edition or run it alongside your original Windows in a Dual Boot Environment. This will help you to keep the data of your original Windows secure and will also save the hustle of installing/reverting your Operating System, after this trial version expires.
• You have to go online to Activate this Evaluation version, within 10 days of installing.

Important Guidelines before installing Windows 8 Trial Edition

• Before installing this Evaluation version, backup all your files and settings. While using this version, you should also perform the backup. This will ensure that you do not loose any data.
• After the installation is complete, Windows will prompt you to activate this edition online (However, No Product Key is required). Windows will automatically configure and activate your Operating System, when you are connected to the Internet.
• To use this Evaluation version of Windows, you’ll have to complete your activation before 15 August 2013.
• After the evaluation period is over, you’ll have to replace your Operating System and reinstall all your Programs again (If you are not using it in a Virtual Machine or Dual Boot Environment). This evaluation version cannot be upgraded to the Licensed version (Pro version) of Windows 8.

Download Details

Download size of Trial version of Windows 8 is around 3.3 GB and the download may take few hours to complete, depending on your Service Provider, Internet Traffic and Network Bandwidth.

NOTE: It is advised to use a Internet Download managers like Download Accelerator Plus (DAP) etc. when downloading this trial edition of Windows 8, so that there is no loss of data if the download gets interrupted.

Windows 8 Evaluation Edition is available in both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) versions.  Both the versions are available in many Languages like Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), English, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Korean and Portuguese.

Make sure to choose your Language correctly, so that you can use this Evaluation version in your native language and enjoy all its features. All downloads are provided as ISO Images.

Steps for Downloading

To download Windows 8 Enterprise Evaluation edition, you need to follow these steps:

1. Go to THIS PAGE and scroll down to the bottom of the page to get the download links.

2. Here you can download either 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) version depending on your system configuration and click on the respective links provided (You can refer to the System Requirements given above to choose the right version for your PC):

3. Once you click on the link, you will be asked to Sign in to your Microsoft Account. You can easily sign in using your Hotmail / Live / Outlook / Messenger / Windows Phone / XBOX Live Account. If you do not have a account in any of these services, then you’ll have to register a account with any one of them to proceed with the download:

4. After you have successfully Signed In, you will be asked to fill a small Form and provide general information like Name, Email Address, Country and the Language of your product download. Fill in the form and click on Continue:

5. As soon as you click on Continue Button, the server will process your request and your Windows 8 download begins instantly. Choose your Download Location and click on Save:

Now, wait for the download to finish. Burn the ISO Image onto a DVD (or mount the image using softwares like Daemon Tools etc.), then Install and Enjoy Windows 8!

This Post: FREE Download Windows 8 Trial Edition: Try before you Buy! was originally made on MrinTech

In simple words, private browsing enables you to surf the internet without storing any browsing session data. It prevents the browsers from storing your browsing history (pages you visit) , search history, download history, saved form information, passwords and other data like cookies and  temporary internet files. This means, there won’t be any traces left behind after you close any tab or close the browser!

Private browsing is particularly very useful when you are using any public computer or if  you share a computer with someone else. It also helps in protecting your online transaction information like credit/debit card numbers, URL of Payment Gateways etc. from others. Toolbar and Extensions are also disabled by default. However, only Bookmarks and Downloaded files will be preserved.

Private browsing is given different names in different browsers. In Mozilla Firefox it is known as Private Browsing, while in Google Chrome it is called Incognito mode and in Opera it is called Private Tab. The names are different, but the functionality is same in every browser.

Keyboard Shortcuts and Menu Commands to Start Private Browsing in different Browsers

When you launch your Web Browser in Normal Mode, you can start Private Browsing instantly using following commands:

Mozilla Firefox: Click on Tools menu (Firefox button) and select Start private Browsing:

Or simply press Ctrl+Shift+P together.

Google Chrome: Click on Wrench button (Tools icon) and select New incognito window:

Or press Ctrl+Shift+N together.

Opera: Click on Tools menu, then go to Tabs and Windows and select New Private Tab:

Or press Ctrl+Shift+N together.

In case, you want to use Private Browsing everytime as soon as your Web Browser starts, then you need to follow these steps:

Steps to start different Browsers in Private Browsing Mode in Windows by Default

Mozilla Firefox:

Follow these steps in order to enable Private Browsing in Mozilla Firefox:

1. Click on the Tools Button (Firefox button) and select Options:

2. Now, Go to the Privacy and and select the option Use custom settings for history from the drop-down menu given under History:

3. Now, check the box Always use private browsing mode and click on OK to apply the settings:

After applying this setting, Firefox will always open in private browsing mode as soon as it starts. If you want to quit private browsing, just go to the Tools button (Firefox button) and select Stop private browsing.

NOTE:

You can also check Tell Websites I do not want to be tracked. When you turn this feature ON in FireFox, all Websites and Advertisers will not be able to track your browsing behavior and data.

Google Chrome:

1. To begin, right click on the Google Chrome’s application shortcut (chrome’s desktop shortcut) and select Properties:

2. Now, go to the Target box (Target Text box) and give a space after the existing string (where the location string ends) and add -incognito:

3. Click on Apply to save your setting. Now, after this setting, whenever you will launch Google Chrome from this shortcut it will always start in incognito mode (Private Browsing Mode).

NOTE: Whenever you want to delete this setting, just remove the -incognito after the string and Google Chrome will start in normal window.

Opera:

1. Right click on the Opera’s application shortcut (Opera’s desktop shortcut) and select Properties:

2. Now, go to the Target box (Target Text box) and give a space after the existing string (where the location string ends) and add -newprivatetab:

3. Finally, click on Apply to save your setting. Now, whenever you will launch Opera from this shortcut it will always open with two (2) tabs: your default start-up page and a Private Tab. This is because Opera uses Per-Tab private browsing mode (Private browsing is activated in tabs instead of windows).

NOTE: Whenever you want to delete this setting, just remove the -newprivatetab after the string and Opera will start in normal window (not private tab).

Also See: Useful Addons for Firefox

This Post: How to Enable Private Browsing in Firefox, Chrome & Opera? was originally made on MrinTech