New whitepaper – the DevOps Guide to database backups for MySQL and MariaDB

This week we’re happy to announce that our new DevOps Guide to Database Backups for MySQL & MariaDB is now available for download (free)!

This guide discusses in detail the two most popular backup utilities available for MySQL and MariaDB, namely mysqldump and Percona XtraBackup.

Topics such as how database features like binary logging and replication can be leveraged in backup strategies are covered. And it provides best practices that can be applied to high availability topologies in order to make database backups reliable, secure and consistent.

Ensuring that backups are performed, so that a database can be restored if disaster strikes, is a key operational aspect of database management. The DBA or System Administrator is usually the responsible party to ensure that the data is protected, consistent and reliable. Ever more crucially, backups are an important part of any disaster recovery strategy for businesses.

So if you’re looking for insight into how to perform database backups efficiently or the impact of Storage Engine on MySQL or MariaDB backup procedures, need some tips & tricks on MySQL / MariaDB backup management … our new DevOps Guide has you covered.

via Planet MySQL
New whitepaper – the DevOps Guide to database backups for MySQL and MariaDB

Marvel just released 5 hours of superhero holiday fireplace videos

If there’s one thing I consistently love and can be trusted to both enjoy free or even pay money for, it’s fireplace videos. Sometimes called yule log videos, too, these are those things you see on Netflix, in the Apple TV App Store and on YouTube that just show a fireplace for a long period of time, often looping a clip and sometimes including music or sound effects. They’re arguably the best televisual content currently available, and Marvel wants in on that red-hot market.

The Disney-owned superhero brand behind favorites including The Avengers, Iron Man and Mrs. Marvel released five separate fireplace videos in 4K resolution on its YouTube channel, each around an hour in lengthy. The Coca-Cola-sponsored clips also include an “up close” variant in 1080p HD, since the 4K originals are way zoomed out to give you a sense of the surrounding environment, each of which ‘belongs’ to a specific Marvel superhero or super team.

There are videos for Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, Thor, Ms. Marvel and Captain America, and each contains some set dressing unique to the character, as well as background audio that will make you feel like you’re right there next to these heroes enjoying their hearth.

Some of the videos also appear to contain brief Easter Eggs, but not that are particularly revelatory about plot points or aching like that, unfortunately. There’s a dancing baby Groot in the Guardians one that is shamelessly adorable, though, if you’re looking for that sweet, sweet sap.

All of the fireplace videos are included in the YouTube playlist embedded above, so go ahead dim the lights, mull some wine and enjoy the vibes.

via TechCrunch
Marvel just released 5 hours of superhero holiday fireplace videos

Designer’s Resource: Here’s How You Can Search a Massive, International Design Patent Database for Free

Have you ever wanted to search for existing or expired design patents not only in your own country, but in the countries where you’d like to sell your designs? A website called DesignView has wrangled together the design patent databases of 45 countries, plus the ARIPO (African Regional Intellectual Property Organization), EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), and lets you search all of them at once with a single search box.

Even better, the service is completely free, and they claim the databases they have access to are updated daily.

Just out of curiosity, I typed in "waffle irons" and got 97 results from a host of countries. I then discovered that the 2003 patent on Philippe Starck’s waffle iron design has expired, meaning this is a prime time for me to swoop in and produce a too-close-for-comfort competing product.

Here’s a complete list of the countries and organizations covered:

Albania
ARIPO
Austria
Benelux
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
EUIPO
Finland
France
FYROM
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Mexico
Morocco
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Korea
Romania
Russian Federation
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Tunisia
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States

WIPO

Get started here.


via Core77
Designer’s Resource: Here’s How You Can Search a Massive, International Design Patent Database for Free

Ruger 10/22: A Rifle Everyone Should Own (PATRICK IS BACK!!!!)

Today we are going to take a close look at one of the most popular rifles in the world, the Ruger 10/22. We chose to review the standard carbine configuration because it is the most commonly seen, but there are hundreds of factory variations. The 10/22 can offer shooters a ton of fun  for just […]

Read More …

The post Ruger 10/22: A Rifle Everyone Should Own (PATRICK IS BACK!!!!) appeared first on The Firearm Blog.


via The Firearm Blog
Ruger 10/22: A Rifle Everyone Should Own (PATRICK IS BACK!!!!)

MySQL InnoDB Cluster – A Hands on Tutorial

Traditionally, setting up high availability (HA) in MySQL has been a challenging task, especially for people without advanced knowledge of MySQL. From understanding concepts and technologies, to the tooling, specific commands and files to execute and edit, there’s a lot of things you need to know even when planning a test deployment (the Quick Start Guide for Group Replication should give you an idea).…

via Planet MySQL
MySQL InnoDB Cluster – A Hands on Tutorial

Door Monkey

My wife and I have been using Door Monkeys for 2+ years to keep our (now 3 year old) child and cats in or out of various parts of our apartment. At our peak, we had 6 of them active and they travel with us when we visit the grandparents. It is a temporary, instant door “lock” that can be left in-place and is very easy for an adult to use or remove. They are great because they can positioned at any height and even a toddler can learn to use them. They hold the door open about 1” and resist moderate pulling.

They are a parenting life-saver — from what I can tell, keeping a toddler on-task is dependent on cutting their options. I get a little hit of dopamine every time I latch a door and KNOW I’m not going to be beat by a mad dash.

If your a systems-thinking nerd: this tool trivially cuts the “life with a toddler” problem space. The blurb on Amazon says: fits standard 1-3/8″ thick interior doors, requires standard rectangular door stop moulding (see photos), rounded or beveled door stop moulding requires the Optional Catch (sold separately)”

Issues: They break – a guest didn’t realize we had Door Monkey on and pulled hard enough to break it. They’ll take a 3’ drop okay, but can get messed up if dropped from higher or thrown. On a bigger drop, the internal spring has popped off. I was not able to get it back on, but used a strong, short rubber-band on the outside to take its place. Those are my favorite, because they grip the door really tight. They absolutely chip paint and leave minor dents in molding. For us it’s worth it for the certainty they give. Maintenance: Silicone spray lubricant few months prevents them from sticking.

— Tony Hansmann

Door Monkey Door Lock and Pinch Guard ($10)

International Amazon link

Available from Amazon

via Cool Tools
Door Monkey

Researchers Successfully Fight Colon Cancer Using Immunotherapy

Slashdot reader schwit1 quotes the New York Times:
The remarkable recovery of a woman with advanced colon cancer, after treatment with cells from her own immune system, may lead to new options for thousands of other patients with colon or pancreatic cancer, researchers are reporting. (Shorter non-paywalled version of the article here). Her treatment was the first to successfully target a common cancer mutation that scientists have tried to attack for decades… so resistant to every attempt at treatment that scientists have described it as "undruggable"… The researchers analyze tumors for mutations — genetic flaws that set the cancer cells apart from normal ones. They also study tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, looking for immune cells that can recognize mutations and therefore attack cancerous cells but leave healthy ones alone. The patient, a 50-year-old database programmer in Michigan, is now cancer-free, according to the article. "Researchers twice denied her request to enter the clinical trial, saying her tumors were not large enough, she said. But she refused to give up and was finally let in."
The treatment ultimately eliminated six of her seven tumors, and because it targeted a cell mutation that’s common in colon cancer patients, "Researchers say they now have a blueprint that may enable them to develop cell treatments for other patients as well."



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via Slashdot
Researchers Successfully Fight Colon Cancer Using Immunotherapy

How To Ensure Your Startup’s Survival

How To Ensure Your Startup’s Survival

You are just getting started with the plans to build your business into the next big thing. The enthusiasm with which every startup commences is palpable. Every founder has a solution they plan to offer the world to fix a want or a need somewhere. With that said, it is important to note the statistics on startups can be bleak. Statistics report as many as 90 percent of them failing in their first year of operation. With numbers like that, it is critical you have a great business plan, marketing strategy and adequate cash so that your business will be one that thrives and soars!

No one but you will be responsible for the success of your business. It important you know that going in. You will have to work longer and harder than you ever have before to make a go of it. But when you do, imagine how wonderful your success will feel.

One of the biggest hurdles to starting a new business can be start up capital. Not only will you need start up cash, but you will also need adequate working capital along the way. There might be some decisions that call for instant cash (like large orders) or emergency cash if a piece of equipment breaks down. Let’s hope you get an urgent need to fill an order that could potentially land your business a solid, long-term contract. If you don’t have the money at hand, the potential to miss out is high. One suggestion might be to take out a quick cash loan to help you fulfill the order.

How You Can Stay Ahead of Competition

Brand loyalty is a major determinant for how your company will survive. Around 83 percent of customers say that their trust for a brand is what keeps them loyal. So how can you establish trust and loyalty with your customers?

Quick Responses To Consumers

Present day consumers don’t have the patience to wait for you. They only give you minutes before they dismiss you for lack of response – on social media for example. They are only too happy to move on to your competition who is only too willing to shower them with attention. Just a few bad mentions on social media can place you on a downward trend that is difficult to rectify. So be sure your site is running well, you are answering customers quickly, responding on social media and overall running your business well.

Stock Up

Few things irk customers as much as not having a product when they want it. If you are going to grow your brand, you need to be stocked up at all times. No one will give your site a third chance if they visit twice and find that your best sellers are out of stock. Your suppliers should be reliable and able to fill your orders. Remember, if cash is your problem, quick cash loans do not require any form of security and they make decent amounts of money available to you at short notice. So when your credit cards or business lines won’t cut it, check out quick cash loans. There is never an excuse for running out of inventory.

Timely Delivery

Customers will shop online and expect delivery within the timeline agreed upon. Best practice dictates that you deliver the goods within that time or communicate if there are glitches likely to hinder you from fulfilling your end of the bargain. When you go quiet and fail to get the goods in the agreed time, you could lose a valuable client and you don’t want that.

Bottom Line

When your brand earns customer loyalty, your customers will be faithful to you for a long time. Your reputation at the beginning can determine your future. To build a strong brand, begin with a smart plan, good business procedures and access to capital…any way you can get it.


via Business Opportunities Weblog
How To Ensure Your Startup’s Survival