May 17, 2011

1and1 and PHP5

While using Wordpress with 1and1, I wanted to enable the use of PHP5 for a plugin. Couple of mistakes on my part was that I named .htaccess incorrectly as ".htacess" in the folder of my site.

Then after getting PHP5 recognized on my site, I had to uninstall the plugin. Reinstall, and then re-enable, then lastly all was well.

From 1and1:

Enabling PHP5
With 1&1 Linux hosting packages you have the choice between PHP 4 and PHP 5. To distinguish a script as PHP 5, simply name the script with the file extension .php5.

While the PHP developers have done their utmost to ensure compatibility, we cannot guarantee that PHP 4 scripts will function 100% correctly under PHP 5.

Please note that in contrast to PHP 4, the default for the variable RegisterGlobals and allow_url_fopen is "off".

By default Apache uses PHP 4 for .php extension. If you don't want to rename all your scripts to .php5 you can do the following:

Create a .htaccess file and place the following line:

AddType x-mapp-php5 .php 

This will tell Apache to use PHP 5 instead of PHP 4 for the extension .php in the directory the .htaccess is placed and all sub-directories under it.

Checking your PHP version
One way to find out what version of PHP is currently being used by one of your sites is to create a PHP page with the phpversion(); function. Save this file as phpVersion.php to the same folder where all of your site files are located. Then access this page in a browser such as http://domain.com/phpVersion.php and view the output.

<?php 
echo "The current PHP version being used is: " . phpversion ( ); 
?> 

May 15, 2011

1and1 Webspace Explorer Error


Looks like 1and1 just recently changed their "1and1 Control Panel" interface. Probably, many were used to using Internet Explorer with "1and1 Webspace Explorer" because it was compatible, before the 1and1 interface change, whereas Google Chrome was not. As of 5/15/11, when attempting to use Webspace Explorer with Internet Explorer 9, commands clicked end up with an error being displayed.

The fix would be to switch to another browser like Google Chrome, which is faster anyway and more secure. You could try Firefox or Opera, but I haven't personally tested those browsers. For me, I will continue to develop in Dreamweaver, test in multiple browsers, and use Google Chrome for any 1and1 Webspace Explorer interactions.

May 13, 2011

DIY $10 GoPro Chest Mount w/Sample Vid :: HD


Quick and simple DIY GoPro chest mount. Can be had for even cheaper if you visit your local plastics store for some scrap lexan.

Time:
10~15 minutes

Tools:
Drill and drill bit

Materials:
1 1/4" thick rectangular piece of polycarbonate lexan (I'm using a scrap piece of aluminum layered plexiglass)
2 lashing straps (bought at walmart - Outdoor Products Lashing Straps)
1 flat gopro mount
1 curvy gopro base attachment

Tips:
From what I've read, sticking some electrical tape between the gopro mount and case may further reduce camera shake. Will try this on my next outting.

Disclaimer: Demonstration purposes only. Please use safety precautions whenever working with power tools. Do it at your own risk.