Facebook Login Button For a Drupal website

8 October, 2014 | Drupal Development | 42 seen

<p>So - another request come from a client - to add a Facebook login button for a Drupal website.</p><p>As for a start it might sound like easy to handle a task - I spent about a week to figure out the best possible solution for this.&nbsp;</p><p>At first we must understand what does - <strong>Facebook login button stands for</strong>?</p><p><em>Is it for user mapping - is it getting some fields from users Facebook's profile?</em></p><p>Anyway - I found 3 possible implementations on Drupal Module's world:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/simple_fb_connect">Simple FB connect</a></li><li><a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/fboauth">FB Oauth</a></li><li><a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/fb">FB</a></li></ul><p>Now let's break each and everyone down:</p><p><em>Simple FB connect seems the easiest one to install and setup:</em></p><h2>Simple FB connect</h2><p>Simple FB Connect is a Facebook Connect LOGIN/REGISTRATION for Drupal Sites</p><p><strong>What does this module do?</strong></p><ul><li>Allow users to register with FB, their profile pic can be synced to their Drupal account&nbsp;</li><li>Allow users to login with FB</li></ul><p><strong>How it works:</strong></p><p>User can click on the "Register / Login with FB" tab on the user login page You can add a button or link anywhere on the site that points to /user/simple-fb-connect. So theming and customizing the button or link is very flexible.</p><p>When the user opens the url /user/simple-fb-connect link, it automatically takes user to Facebook and asks for his permission. Once granted the module checks the users email. If the email address is found on the Drupal Site, he is logged in automatically. Otherwise a new user account is created with the email address and the user is logged in.</p><p><strong>Sounds like a great module - i actually installed and used it - didn't like &nbsp;that couldn't find an easy way to implement Facebook connect button on Ajax Popup form, don't like the path for user linking - /user/simple-fb-connect</strong></p><h1 id="page-subtitle">Facebook OAuth (FBOAuth)</h1><p>Now - this module, brought to us by Lullabot seemed like the one I need - it gives a plenty of flexibility:</p><p>This module provides authentication services and an API to perform actions against Facebook. This module allows users to login to Drupal through the service commonly known as "Facebook Connect". This module is built with simplicity and flexibility in mind, it provides login services (and does it well), and an API for performing any other actions you may want to write yourself to query against Facebook's APIs.</p><p><strong>Features:</strong></p><ul><li>One-click login through Facebook.</li><li>Automatic import of user e-mail and profile information during initial login.</li><li>Integration with Profile module to map Facebook data to Profile fields. (Drupal 6)</li><li>Integration with Field module to map Facebook data to fields on users. (Drupal 7<span style="line-height: 1.538em;">) </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">A flexible and direct API for modules to get authenticated and query Facebook's APIs (plus extensive documentation).</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"> Extensive permission settings for Facebook data retrieval. </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">The ability to de-authenticate or unlink a Facebook account from a Drupal account.</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"> Does not require any external libraries or downloads.</span></li><li><a href="http://drupal.org/project/fboauth_profile2&quot; rel="nofollow">Facebook OAuth Profile2 Integration</a>:&nbsp;</li></ul><p><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">If you use Profile2 for user profiles, this lets FBOAuth populate Profile2 fields.</span></p><p><strong>This module seemed the most promising - it gives Oauth Profile2 integration, field mapping and more.</strong></p><p><strong>The problem? It has not been updated since 2012 - and I jut couldn't get it work - mainly because of changes in Facebook API</strong></p><h2>Drupal for Facebook</h2><p>I found a solution in this module, although it offers much more we actually need on our site - and it might be a little heavy to keep such a module, just to handle a simple Facebook login/register option. But it works perfectly fine.</p><p>This set of modules turns Drupal into a platform for developing&nbsp;Facebook Applications. This allows you to embed your content and features within facebook, or allow facebook users onto your site via&nbsp;<a href="https://developers.facebook.com/docs/guides/web/#login&quot; rel="nofollow">Facebook Connect</a>.</p><p>With&nbsp;<a href="http://www.drupalforfacebook.org/&quot; rel="nofollow">Drupal for Facebook</a>, you can harness all the power of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.drupal.org/&quot; rel="nofollow">Drupal</a>&nbsp;in you Facebook App. If you already have content in Drupal, you can expose it on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/&quot; rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>.</p><p>The Drupal for Facebook philosophy is that the functionality already built into Drupal should be used to create Facebook Applications. Where possible, we use Drupal's user management, permission schemes, blocks, views, etc. to implement the Facebook App. Experienced Drupal users will find it very straightforward to build a Facebook App. Facebook developers new to Drupal should spend some time browsing Drupal.org to learn best practices.</p><p><em>Drupal for Facebook</em>&nbsp;contains several sub-modules. Enable just those that you need. For example if you need Social Plugins, enable just fb.module. For Facebook Connect, enable&nbsp;<code>fb_connect.module</code>; Canvas Pages,&nbsp;<code>fb_canvas.module</code>; wall posts and status updates, the&nbsp;<code>fb_stream.module</code>; and so on...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Bonus - How to change Facebook login image in Drupal for Facebook module</h2><p>Yeah - I hear you &nbsp;- the pain with default Facebook login button - I spent couple of hours to figure this as well.</p><p>Found solution to make a changes directly in Drupal for Facebook module fb.theme.inc file</p><p>Line: 77</p><p>Change:</p><pre> // No text, use default image.<br> $markup = '&lt;div class="fb_login_button_wrapper"&gt;&lt;a href="#" onclick="FB.login(function(){}, {scope : \'' . $scope . '\'}); return false;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img src="//www.facebook.com/images/fbconnect/login-buttons/connect_light_medium_sh…; alt="fb connect" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;';</pre><p>to:</p><pre> // No text, use default image.<br> $markup = '&lt;div class="fb_login_button_wrapper"&gt;&lt;a href="#" onclick="FB.login(function(){}, {scope : \'' . $scope . '\'}); return false;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img src="/sites/all/themes/&lt;yout-theme&gt;/images/&lt;your-button&gt;.png" alt="fb connect" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;';</pre><p>Works fine with Ajax popup forms as well:</p><p><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/popupform.jpg&quot; width="344" height="264"></p>

Drupal Menu Badges + Views + Flags + Rules = Counting Messages

8 October, 2014 | Drupal Development | 18 seen

<p>The Drupal project I'm currently working with get's complicated each and every day - so for a start I faced a problem to display dynamic content as menu items - i found a great not to say one of the greate findings this years in field of Drupal development - <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/drupal-create-dynamical-menus-menu-views&q…; target="_blank">Drupal &nbsp;Menu Views</a> , then I faced a problem to display tokens in Menu paths - again a superb solution with help of <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/menu-tokens-module-drupal-site&quot; target="_blank">Menu Tokens module</a>.</p><p>Finaly I faced another Drupal Menu related problem -<strong> to display a comment count in a Dynamical Menu with menu tokens enabled.&nbsp;</strong></p><p>I must admit - I was lucky enough to solve this problem as well - <strong>The Solution</strong> comes from another great Drupal module - Menu Badges</p><h2>About Menu Badges</h2><p><span>Provides a method for adding iOS-style badges to menu items.&nbsp;</span></p><h2>Adding Badges to Menus</h2><p>Once enabled, go to Administration &gt; Structure &gt; Menus, and click "list links" next to the menu containing the target item. Click "edit" next to the item and select the badge to display with the Display Menu Badge select box.</p><h2>Adding Badges to Tabs</h2><p>For adding badges to menu tabs, there is a tab under Administration &gt; Structure &gt; Menus called "Tab Menu Badges". Search for the menu router path of the tab you want to alter, then select a badge from the corresponding select box.</p><h2>Badge Types</h2><p>The module includes five example badges, and new badges can be created easily with&nbsp;<a href="http://drupal.org/project/views&quot; rel="nofollow">Views</a>. See this screencast for instructions:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AoZQNg5QOI&quot; rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AoZQNg5QOI</a&gt;. Modules can also supply their own badges with a hook implementation. See the&nbsp;<a href="http://drupalcode.org/project/menu_badges.git/blob_plain/refs/heads/7.x…; rel="nofollow">README.txt</a>file for details.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This is what I got after a couple of minutes playing with views and Menu badges</p><p><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/menubadges.jpg&quot; alt="Menu Badges Example" title="Menu Badges Example" width="440" height="82"></p><p><em>Menu Badges Example</em></p><p>Now - as you can see from the above screen - this small element actually takes a lot views and a lot custom CSS - but it does well what it must to do.</p><p>Now the tricky part was to setup a view - which actually counts items, to be displayed on Menu Badges.</p><p>I created a view with Menu badge display counting all comments published on site (this is the behaviour customer is looking for)</p><p>To get a count out of Drupal views - we must turn on Aaggregation and add a NID field and set it to count (use aggregation)</p><p><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/menubadgeview.jpg&quot; alt="Menu Badge View" title="Menu Badge View" width="1172" height="600"></p><p><em>Menu Badge View</em></p><p>As you can see from screen above - I'm using Flags Relationship, to count kinda only those comment's logged in user hasn't read yet (the tricky part here - I have not yet figured out how to decrease counter).&nbsp;</p><p>Flags are created by using another module: Drupal Flags.&nbsp;</p><p>Nothing fancy there - download that module, create a new comment type flag (is_new), now to get things more complexed you will have to add Drupal Rules (again, there is Drupal Rules module, you can use).</p><p>I created a new rule - which basically does following - <strong>after comment is saved it's flagged as is_new</strong> (so I can use this flag in my views)</p><p>What I haven't yet figured out is how to create a rule, which removes flag <strong>is_new</strong> after user has viewed particular comment.</p><p>Anyway - we have fully functional views, flags and we have menu badges module.</p><p>What we do now - we go to our Menus and add a menu badge to links - menu badges are created from view we made before</p><p><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/menubadgeslink.jpg&quot; alt="Menu badges link" title="Menu badges link" width="1200" height="352"></p><p><em>Menu badges link</em></p><p>That's all - you can use CSS to style your badge icon.</p><p>P.S. If you have some idea how I can create a Drupal rule, to remove is_new flag after comment has been viewed - please drop me a comment!</p>

17 Best ACER Laptops You Can Buy Online on Amazon

6 October, 2014 | Laptop Reviews | 31 seen

I still remember days when I bought my first Laptop - it was ACER Travelmate laptop about 12 years ago - it served me for some 2 or 3 years, then I bought my first HP laptop. Good old days.

Now - on this BEST SELLING ACER list you will find 17 great ACER laptops, based on actual user purchases and reviews on Amazon.

Best Selling Acer Laptop Notebook Computers 2019

A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from that. Prices for laptops listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product Advertising API and is updated daily. For actual prices please refer on the product page on Amazon.

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6" Full HD IPS Display, AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, Vega 3 Graphics, 4GB DDR4, 128GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 10 in S Mode, A515-43-R19L

Powerful and portable, the Aspire 5 laptop delivers on every aspect of everyday computing. Housing the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Mobile Processor, this Aspire 5 can tackle any job no matter how complex. Creativity soars to new heights with sharp, crisp visuals showcased on the 15.6" Full HD IPS screen, while the thin bezel provides you more space to work with wherever inspiration strikes. It’s the perfect companion to take with you wherever you go!

• AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Dual-Core Processor (Up to 3.5GHz) | 4GB DDR4 Memory | 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display | AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics
• 1 - USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port, 2 - USB 2.0 Ports & 1 - HDMI Port with HDCP support
• 802.11ac WiFi | Backlit Keyboard | Up to 7.5 Hours Battery Life
• Windows 10 in S mode. Maximum Power Supply Wattage - 65 W

List Price: [amazon B07RF1XD36 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6" Full HD IPS Display, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 Home, A515-54-51DJ

Powerful and portable, the Aspire 5 laptop delivers on every aspect of everyday computing. Housing an 8th Gen Intel Core Processor, this Aspire 5 can tackle any job no matter how complex. Creativity soars to new heights with sharp, crisp visuals showcased on the 15.6" Full HD IPS screen, while the thin bezel provides you more space to work with wherever inspiration strikes. It’s the perfect companion to take with you wherever you go!

• 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8265U Processor (Up to 3.9GHz) | 8GB DDR4 Memory | 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display | Intel UHD Graphics 620
• 1 - USB 3.1 Type C Gen 1 port, 2 - USB 3.1 Gen 1 Ports (one with Power-off Charging), 1 - USB 2.0 Port & 1 - HDMI 2.0 Port
• 802.11ac WiFi | Backlit Keyboard | Fingerprint Reader | Up to 9.5 Hours Battery Life
• Windows 10 Home

List Price: [amazon B07RF2123Z listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i3-8130U, 6GB RAM Memory, 1TB HDD, 8X DVD, E5-576-392H

The new Aspire E Series laptops provide a comprehensive range of choices for every-day users, with many appealing features and an attractive design. Incredible performance, fast 802.11ac wireless with new MU-MIMO technology and great battery life make the Aspire E series shine in any situation.

• 8th Generation Intel Core i3 8130U Processor (Up to 3.4GHz)
• 15.6 inches Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED lit Display
• 6GB Dual Channel Memory, 1TB HDD and 8x DVD
• Up to 13.5 Hours of battery life
• Windows 10 Home

List Price: [amazon B079TGL2BZ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop PC, 15.6" FHD IPS w/ 144Hz Refresh, Intel i7-8750H, GTX 1060 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, Aeroblade Metal Fans PH315-51-78NP

Designed for those with a need to speed, the Predator Helios 300 gaming notebook combines powerful 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with high-performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics driven by the new NVIDIA Pascal architecture. Two all-metal AeroBlade 3D Fans and stellar audio capabilities support intense gaming sessions while the sporting red accents and black chassis with geometric lines adds to the drama.

• 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.1GHz) with Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Overclockable Graphics with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display (144Hz Refresh Rate, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC )
• 16GB DDR4 2666MHz DRAM Memory & 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD | Extra empty accessible slot for 2.5 inch hard drive or SSD
• Gigabit Wi-Fi |Backlit Keyboard | USB 3.1 (Type C) | Dual All-Metal AeroBlade 3D Fan Cooling | Metal Chassis.Battery Capacity:3320 mAh
• Up to 7-hours of battery life

List Price: [amazon B07CTHLX8C listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i3-8130U, 6GB RAM Memory, 1TB HDD, 8X DVD, E5-576-392H

The new Aspire E Series laptops provide a comprehensive range of choices for every-day users, with many appealing features and an attractive design. Incredible performance, fast 802.11ac wireless with new MU-MIMO technology and great battery life make the Aspire E series shine in any situation.

• 8th Generation Intel Core i3-8130U Processor (Up to 3.4GHz)
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-lit Display
• 6GB Dual Channel Memory, 1TB HDD & 8X DVD
• Up to 13.5-hours of battery life
• Windows 10 Home

List Price: [amazon B079TGL2BZ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire 1, 14" Full HD, Intel Celeron N3450, 4GB RAM, 32GB Storage, Windows 10 Home, A114-31-C4HH

The Acer Aspire 1 laptop will inspire you to be more productive at work, school or play because it’s super user friendly, ultra-portable and offers great performance. In fact, this little dynamo is the perfect companion to easily accompany you throughout your day. Lightweight and stylish, the Aspire 1 features a beautiful 14” Full HD screen and the latest WiFi for fast connectivity and reliability that you can count on wherever you venture.

• Intel Celeron N3450 Quad-Core Processor (Up to 2.2GHz)
• 14" Full HD 1920 x 1080 Widescreen Display. 300 Kilopixel (Front camera)
• 4GB Onboard Memory, 32GB Internal Storage
• 2-cell Li-Ion (4810 mAh) Battery, Up to 9 Hours Battery Life
• Windows 10 Home

List Price: [amazon B0746NCNSG​ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 8GB RAM Memory, 256GB SSD, E5-576G-5762

The new Aspire E Series laptops provide a comprehensive range of choices for every-day users, with many appealing features and an attractive design aesthetic that exceed expectations. Incredible performance, fast 802.11ac wireless with new MU-MIMO technology and great battery life make the Aspire E series shine in any situation.

• 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U Processor (Up to 3.4GHz)
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-lit IPS Display
• 8GB Dual Channel Memory & 256GB SSD
• Up to 15-hours of battery life.Adapter: 65 W
• Windows 10 Home

List Price: [amazon B075FLBJV7​ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop, 15.6" Full HD IPS, Intel i7-7700HQ CPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD, GeForce GTX 1060-6GB, VR Ready, Red Backlit KB, Metal Chassis, Windows 10 64-bit, G3-571-77QK

Designed for those with a need to speed, the Predator Helios 300 gaming notebook combines powerful 7th Gen Intel Core processor with high-performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics driven by the new NVIDIA Pascal architecture that is VR Ready. Dual-Fan cooling fans and stellar audio capabilities support intense gaming sessions while the sporting red accents and black chassis with geometric lines adds to the drama.

• Latest 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor 2.8GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.8GHz | Windows 10 Home 64-bit
• Latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen IPS display, Red Backlit Keyboard
• 16GB DDR4 DRAM Memory & 256GB SSD | Extra empty expandable hard drive slot for 2.5" hard drives
• Up to 7-hours of battery life

List Price: [amazon B06Y4GZS9C​ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop, 15.6" Full HD IPS Display w/ 144Hz Refresh Rate, Intel 6-Core i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Overclockable Graphics, 16GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, PH315-51-78NP

Designed for those with a need to speed, the Predator Helios 300 gaming notebook combines powerful 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with high-performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics driven by the new NVIDIA Pascal architecture that is VR Ready. Two all-metal AeroBlade 3D Fans and stellar audio capabilities support intense gaming sessions while the sporting red accents and black chassis with geometric lines adds to the drama.

• 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.1GHz) with Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Overclockable Graphics with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display (144Hz Refresh Rate, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC )
• 16GB DDR4 2666MHz DRAM Memory & 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD | Extra empty accessible slot for 2.5 inch hard drive or SSD
• Gigabit Wi-Fi |Backlit Keyboard | USB 3.1 (Type C) | Dual All-Metal AeroBlade 3D Fan Cooling | Metal Chassis
• PredatorSense gaming control panel, providing customization and control of gaming features, including system temperature, CPU fan speed and system fan speed.
• Up to 7-hours of battery life

List Price: [amazon B07CTHLX8C​ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

​Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-53V6, 15.6" Full HD, 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U, Amazon Alexa Enabled, NVIDIA GeForce MX150, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Obsidian Black

The Aspire 5 is so cool that it has its own personal assistant inside—as in Amazon Alexa—an exciting new way to communicate and interact with multiple voice services to accomplish thousands of tasks. The Aspire 5 supports Amazon Alexa and responds to voice commands quickly while offering high-fidelity audio without impacting system performance. It packs a beautiful 15.6" Full HD screen and solid performance into an attractive design that's easy to place in a backpack and take to class.

• 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U Processor (Up to 3.4GHz)
• NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
• Amazon Alexa Enabled
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED-backlit Display
• 8GB DDR4 Memory & 256GB SSD

​List Price: [amazon B07BRGR426​ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM 15.6-inch FHD Notebook (Intel Core i3-7100U 7th Generation , 4GB DDR4, 1TB 5400RPM HD, Intel HD Graphics 620, Windows 10 Home), Obsidian Black

The new Aspire E Series laptops provide a comprehensive range of choices for every-day users, with many appealing features and an attractive design aesthetic that exceed expectations. Incredible performance, fast 802.11ac wireless with new MU-MIMO technology and great battery life make the Aspire E series shine in any situation.

• 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7100U Processor (2.4GHz, 3MB L3 cache)
• 15.6" Full HD Widescreen ComfyView LED-backlit Display supporting Acer ColorBlast technology
• 4GB DDR4 Memory, 1TB 5400RPM HDD
• Windows 10 Home
• Up to 12-hours Battery Life

List Price: [amazon B01K1IO3QW​ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire One Cloudbook, 11.6-inch HD, Windows 10, Gray (AO1-131-C9PM)

• Intel Celeron N3050 1.6 GHz
• 2GB of DDR3L Onboard Memory
• 32 GB Internal Storage
• 11.6-Inch HD Screen, Intel HD Graphics, 8-hour battery life
• Windows 10, Microsoft Office 365 Personal 1-Year Subscription

List Price: [amazon B0149QDD1S listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-709L 17.3-inch Ultra HD Notebook (Windows 10)

• Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6 GHz (6MB Cache)
• 16GB DDR4 Dual-Channel Memory
• 1TB 5400RPM Hard Drive, 512GB Solid-State Drive
• 17.3-inch Ultra HD Screen, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M with 4GB GDDR5 VRAM
• Windows 10 Home, Up to 7-hour battery life

​List Price: [amazon B0161BJGOM listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

2015 Newest Acer Windows 10 Aspire High Performance Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i5-5200U, 15.6-Inch FHD 1080P Display, 8GB DDR3L, 1TB HDD, GeForce 940M 4 GB Dedicated Video Memory, 802.11. AC WiFi

Designed to Accelerate With premium performance and stunning visuals, the new 5th gen Intel? Core? i5 processors has the power to take your computing to a new level. Equipped with the latest 802.11ac wireless technology, experience up to 3x faster performance, when connected to an 802.11ac based router, making everything from online gaming to streaming video both faster and more reliable.

Affordable all around gaming laptop. NVIDIA? GeForce? 940M graphics with 4GB of discrete video memory gives games an adrenaline shot with incredible performance and futuristic, visually-stunning graphics. Experience heart-pounding, cinematic visuals on your favorite games!

• 15.6-inch Full HD Widescreen Display (1920 x 1080), NVIDIA? GeForce? 940M Graphics with 4GB Dedicated DDR3 VRAM
• Latest Intel Core i5-5200U 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.70 GHz;
• 8GB DDR3L 1600 MHz SDRAM, 1TB 5400 RPM HDD, 720P HD Webcam, HDMI, VGA
• 802.11AC WiFi featuring MIMO technology (Dual-Band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), 3 USB 3.0, LAN (10/100/1000)
• Genuine Windows 10 64-bit preinstalled, Bluetooth 4.0, Battery life up to 5 hours

List Price: [amazon B015XPEFXO listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire One Cloudbook, 14-Inch HD, Windows 10, Gray (AO1-431-C7F9)

• Intel Celeron N3050 1.6 GHz
• 2GB of DDR3L Onboard Memory
• 64 GB Internal Storage
• 14-Inch HD Screen, Intel HD Graphics, 12-hour battery life
• Windows 10, Microsoft Office 365 Personal 1-Year Subscription

​List Price: [amazon B014YN6YZ8 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this Acer laptop on Amazon

Acer Aspire R7-572-6423 2-in-1 15.6-Inch Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel CoreTM i5-4200U processor/8GB Memory/1TB Hard Drive/Windows 8.1/ Silver

This Acer Aspire R7-572-6423 laptop's 15.6" 10-finger multitouch screen simplifies navigation and features CineCrystal and IPS technologies for image clarity. An Ezel hinge enables 1-handed conversion between notebook, Ezel, tablet and display modes.

• Screen Size: 15.6"
• Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Operating System: Windows 8.1
• Processor Model: i5-4200U
• Processor Speed: 1.6GHz

Acer Aspire V3-731-4439 17-Inch Laptop (2.4 Ghz Intel Pentium 2020M Processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 Home Premium)

• Intel Intel_Pentium_Dual_Core_2020M 2.4 GHz
• 4 GB DDR3
• 500 GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive
• 17.3-Inch Screen
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Acer Aspire ES1-511-C59V 15.6-Inch Laptop (Diamond Black)

Get the power and useful features you value with the Aspire E 15 Series Notebook. This practical yet stylish PC has solid performance, handy multimedia tools and convenient connectivity that make everyday activities like web browsing, communicating, and digital enjoyment an easy-going pleasure.

• Intel Celeron N2830 2.16 GHz Processor (1 MB Cache)
• 4 GB DDR3L SDRAM
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive, DVD Drive Sold Separately.
• 15.6-Inch Screen, Intel HD Graphics
• Windows 8.1, 4.5-hour battery life

Acer P2020M NX.MGAAA.004;E1-731-4699 17.3-Inch Laptop

With the Aspire E Series, everyday activities like web browsing, communicating and playing videos are effortless with Intel or AMD processing. NVIDIA or AMD graphics deliver fine visual detail. Plenty of memory means you can launch applications quickly, and a large hard drive provides more space for your media. Get the power and useful features you value with the Aspire E Series. Solid performance, handy multimedia tools and convenient connectivity make daily computing an easy-going pleasure. This notebook's practical yet stylish design comes in 14.0" and 15.6" screen sizes pick the model that's just right for you.

• Intel Intel_Pentium_Dual_Core_2020M 2.4 GHz
• 4.0 GB DDR3
• 500.0 GB 5400.0 rpm Hard Drive
• 17.3-Inch Screen
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Acer Aspire ASV3-731-4634 17.3 inch Intel Pentium B960 2.2GHz/4GB DDR3/500GB HDD/USB3.0/W7HP Notebook

• Intel Pentium 2.4 GHz
• 4 GB SDRAM,500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• DVDRW, Intel HD Graphics, 1600 x 900 display
• 18-Inch Screen
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Acer Aspire V5-531-2489 NX.M1GAA.005 15.6-Inch Laptop

Windows 7 Home Premium - 64-bit version - Intel Celeron 1017U processor (1.6GHz) - 4GB DDR3 memory - 500GB hard drive - 15.6" CineCrystal LCD display (1366 x 768) - Intel HD Graphics - Mobile Intel HM70 Express chipset - DVDRW DL - webcam - Wireless - Bluetooth 4.0 - HDMI - USB 3.0 - card reader - 4-cell battery - 1-year limited warranty. Color: Matte Blue

• Intel Celeron 1007U 1.6 GHz
• 4 GB DDR3
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 15.6-Inch Screen
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Acer Aspire V5-561P-6869 15.6" LED laptop Intel i5-4200U 1.6GHz 4GB|500GB Win8.1

Versatile touch-screen display for easy, intuitive finger-touch control. 10-finger multi-touch support lets you use tap, swipe and pinch gestures. The 15.6" diagonal screen also features LED backlighting, permitting a thinner and more energy-efficient screen.

• Intel® CoreTM i5-4200U processor 1.6GHz
• 15.6" HD widescreen Multi-touch display (1366 x 768)4 GB DDR3 memory
• 500 GB HDD
• Intel HD 4400 graphicsWindows 8.1 - 64-bit version
• Built-in Webcam

Acer Aspire V7-582PG-6479 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Cool Steel)

Meet the Aspire V7 Series Ultrabook™ combining slender-light mobility with impressive performance in four personality-exuding colors. Its HD touch display enhances your entertainment and work with vibrant true-to-life splendor - even at wide viewing angles, while four integrated speakers sweeten your enjoyment with great sound.

• Intel Core i5-4200U 1.6 GHz Processor (3 MB Cache)
• 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 15.6-Inch Touchscreen, NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M
• Windows 8.1, 6.5-hour battery life

Acer Aspire E1-572P-6403 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U Processor, 6GB DDR3L, 750GB HDD, Windows 8.1) Clarinet Black

The Aspire E1 Notebook delivers all the essentials and more for an excellent mobile PC experience at a real value. Incredible performance, handy multimedia tools, and convenient connectivity make daily tasks an easy-going pleasure. The practical yet stylish design comes in various screen sizes so you can choose the model that fits your lifestyle best - and it now comes with TOUCH!

• Intel Core i5-4200U Processor 1.6GHz (3MB Cache)
• 6 GB DDR3L SDRAM
• 750 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 15.6-Inch Screen, Intel HD Graphics 4400
• Windows 8.1, 4-hour battery life

Acer Aspire V5-131-2629 11.6" Laptop (Black)

• Windows 7 Home Premium - 64-bit version
• 1.5GHz Intel Celeron 1007U processor, 4GB DDR3 memory, 500GB hard drive
• 11.6-Inch LCD display (1366 x 768), Intel HD Graphics, Intel NM70 Express chipset
• Webcam, Wi-Fi, 10/100 LAN, Bluetooth, HDMI, USB
• card reader, 6.5-hour battery, 1-year limited warranty

Acer Aspire E3-111-C5GL 11.6-Inch Laptop (Cool Silver)

Be cool on the move with the Acer Aspire E 11 featuring the smart new FlowCurve design, making it a stylish option that stands out in a crowd of traditional notebooks. It doesn't need a fan, so it's whisper-quiet and runs cool. The Aspire E 11 is slender and light featuring an 11.6" screen and 5 hours of battery life for portable computing with all of the Windows tools for work and play. 

• Intel Celeron N2830 2.16 GHz Processor (1 MB Cache)
• 2 GB DDR3L SDRAM
• 320 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 11.6-Inch Screen, Intel HD Graphics
• Windows 8.1, 5-hour battery life

Acer Aspire E1-731-4656 17.3-Inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Pentium Processor 2020M, 4GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, Windows 8) Steel Gray

The Aspire E Series delivers an excellent mobile PC experience for real value. Solid performance, handy multimedia tools, and convenient connectivity make daily computing an easy-going pleasure. The practical yet stylish PC makes everyday activities like web browsing, communicating, and playing videos effortless.

• Intel Pentium Dual Core 2020M 2.4 GHz Processor (2 MB Cache)
• 4 GB DDR3 RAM
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 17.3-Inch Screen, Intel HD Graphics
• Windows 8, 3-hour battery life

Acer Aspire V5-572G-6679 15.6-inch Laptop (1.8 GHz Intel Core i5-3337U Processor, 6GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M, Windows 8) Polar Black

The new Acer Aspire V5 Notebook puts inspiring performance in a thin and light laptop. The choice of up to four suave colors adds to the personal charm. A HD display makes this the perfect Windows 8 companion breathing life into your entertainment, while four integrated speakers sweeten your enjoyment with great sound.

• Intel Core i5 3337U 1.8 GHz (3 MB Cache)
• 6 GB DDR3
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 15.6-Inch Screen, NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 720M
• Windows 8, 5-hour battery life

Acer Aspire NX.MFVAA.005 E1-532-4870 15.6-Inch Laptop

The Aspire E Series delivers time-tested technologies for excellent productivity, entertainment and communication. These affordable notebooks are slim enough to carry, yet pack the latest processors plus discrete graphics1 to handle all of your daily tasks. With 14", 15.6" and 17.3" HD touchscreen1 options, you'll enjoy incredible visuals and intuitive control.

• Intel Pentium 3558U 1.7 GHz
• 4 GB DDR3L SDRAM
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 15.6-Inch Screen
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Acer Aspire E1-572-6870 15.6 Inch Laptop Intel i5 4200U 1.6GHz Processor, 4GB Ram, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 8 (Clarinet Black)

The Aspire E1 Notebook delivers an excellent mobile PC experience for a real value. Incredible performance, handy multimedia tools, and convenient connectivity make daily computing an easy-going pleasure. The practical yet stylish design comes in various screen sizes so you can choose the model that fits your lifestyle best.

• Intel Core™ i5-4200U 3 MB Cache processor (1.6GHz/2.6GHz w/ Turbo Boost), Windows 8 64 bit
• 4 GB DDR3 Memory, Maximum Memory support 8GB
• 500 GB 5400rpm Hard Drive
• 15.6 Inch HD Widescreen CineCrystal™ LED-backlit display (1366 x 768) - Intel HD Graphics 4400
• webcam, HDMI, USB 3.0, card reader up to 4 hour battery(2500 mAh Lithium Ion 4 cell)

Acer Aspire E1-531-2686 15.6" Laptop (1.9 GHz Intel Celeron 1005M Processor, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive, DVD±RW DL Drive, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit) Glossy Red

• Intel Celeron 1005M 1.9 GHz
• 4 GB DDR3
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 15.6-Inch Screen
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Acer Aspire E1-531-2438 15.6" Laptop (1.9 GHz Intel Celeron 1005M Processor, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD - DVD plus/minus RW DL Drive, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit) Glossy Black

• Intel® Celeron® 1005M processor
• 4 GB DDR3
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 15.6-Inch Screen
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Menu Tokens Module for Drupal Site

5 October, 2014 | Drupal Development | 92 seen

<p>On the project I'm working lately there is need for many not so simple solutions - one of them involves using Profile2 module, for creating a multi level user profile page - like there is one page for e-mail and password, then there is second profile page for personal information and more.</p><p>To handle this tasks, I'm using Profile2 module, what works 90% great - the rest 10% that doesn't works includes - it doesn't integrates well with Panels module - speaking of Panels -<a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/drupal-panels-when-best-used"&gt; I literally avoid them as far as I can</a>. Unfortunately I'm using Panels in this project - not much, but still.</p><p>I already faced a problem of displaying dynamic content in views- then I found an awesome solution - <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/drupal-create-dynamical-menus-menu-views">… Views</a>.</p><p>Today I found another great module - Menu Tokens.</p><h2>So back to the subject</h2><p>So there is need to provide a menu for logged in users, with links to their profile pages.</p><p>Default Drupal menu - doesn't offer use of token, I mean you can use - <em>user, user/logout</em>.. if you will try to use user/edit - things will break up... so we need to insert a custom token in that menu - for example <em>user/[uid]/edit</em> (what actually is default path for user profiles)</p><p>But again - default Drupal menu - doesn't allow (offer) to use tokens - and there is need for another implementation.</p><h2>I found a working solution - Menu Token</h2><p>Menu Token module provides tokens, that could be used in title or in path of menu items (links). For example, if you create a menu item with path: "user/[current-user:uid]", the url will be changed "on fly" to: "user/1" (assuming you are user 1).</p><p>Tokens are provided by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/token&quot; rel="nofollow">Token</a>&nbsp;module. Menu Token allows to use both global tokens and entity ones: node, user, term, etc. Entity tokens have several methods of substitution: from context, random and user defined.</p><h3>Menu token Resources</h3><p>Menu token functionality can be extended gracefully. Following some examples:</p><ul><li>Menu token module implements&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/ctools&quot; rel="nofollow">Ctools</a>&nbsp;plugin system and allows to plug in new token handlers.</li><li>Use&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/path_alias_xt&quot; rel="nofollow">Extended path aliases</a>&nbsp;to automatically translate paths like 'user/1/mycontent' to 'users/admin/mycontent'. Just need to create a 'root' path alias: 'users/admin'. See<span class="project-issue-issue-link project-issue-status-info project-issue-status-7"><a title="Status: Closed (fixed)" href="https://www.drupal.org/node/1320842">#1320842: Work with the Path Auto module</a></span>.</li><li><a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/superfish&quot; rel="nofollow">Superfish</a>&nbsp;integrates jQuery Superfish plugin with your Drupal menus. Use Superfish 1.9-beta5 or greater.</li><li><a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/menu_item_visibility&quot; rel="nofollow">Menu item visibility</a>&nbsp;exposes configurable and extendable visibility settings for menu links. You'll need to set module weights so that Devel node access &gt; Menu item visibility &gt; Menu token.</li></ul><h3>Known issues</h3><ul><li>There are modules that use same hook as Menu Token, they need to be executed in proper order. For example:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drupal.org/project/menu_per_role&quot; rel="nofollow">Menu per Role</a>&nbsp;works well with a weight of 5.</li><li>Some weird behavior happens when not using absolute paths, please help us solve it once and for all!&nbsp;<span class="project-issue-issue-link project-issue-status-info project-issue-status-1"><a title="Status: Active" href="https://www.drupal.org/node/2099623">#2099623: When do you use [site-url] token?</a></span></li></ul><p>How I did setup a Menu tokens for me?</p><p><strong>Menu link title</strong></p><p><em>Messages</em></p><p><strong>Path</strong></p><p><em>user/[current-user:uid]/messages</em></p><p><span><span><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/menutokens.jpg&quot; alt="Menu tokens" title="Menu tokens" width="1200" height="518"></span></span></p><p><em>Menu tokens</em></p><p>As you can see from screen above, after enabling menu tokens module you can use tokens in menu's.</p><p>Depending on complexity of your Drupal site - menu token can be a real time saver.</p><p>Though I haven't explored full potential of Menu Tokens module - I can admit - I'm glad it exists, and in one project I will use it for sure.</p>

How To Display Drupal nodes You Created 1 Year Ago?

4 October, 2014 | Drupal Development | 6 seen

<p>It turns out - yesterday on October 3d - my blog had a birthday - it was exatly one year since my first blog post appeared on reinisfischer.com</p><p>On that day I created 2 posts:</p><ol><li><a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/baltics-vs-caucasus-gdp-2012&quot; target="_blank">Baltic's vs Caucasus by GDP 2012</a></li><li><a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/can-you-blog-365-days-row&quot; target="_blank">Can you blog 365 days in a row?</a></li></ol><p>Speaking of the second (Can you blog 365 days in a row) post, that's what I said a year ago:</p><blockquote><p>I think the answer is yes, you can. But still?</p><p>This question is more for me myself. Reason I'm asking this question is - when starting something new - it all seems so exciting, so adventurous. But then comes routine, especially for blogging thing - you see that results are not so great.</p><p>By saying results, I mean - statistics. I'm person who loves data, statistics, and it's hard to continue the work when there is bad or no results at all.</p><p>Well about results, we must ask ourselves (Or in this case, I must ask myself) what is the goal, we are trying to achieve? Is it truly huge amount of traffic? Or it's the quality of content we are giving away - knowledge sharing?</p><p>In theory it sounds - do, and everything else will come. So we must do small things (which is routine) and everything (huge traffic and recognition) will come.</p><p>The purpose of this blog article is not to try to prove that in 365 days I'll get huge amount of traffic. Purpose is to do small thing (blogging) everyday, so it became a habit.</p></blockquote><p>Now - purpose of todays post is not about my goals and blogging habbits, but since I started to speak (celebrate) my first blogging birthday, I would like to mention - that I'm very happy and proud of myself - I managed almost completelty to blog everyday 365 days in a row (<a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/i-failed-blog-365-days-row&quot; target="_blank">except there were 2 days - when I was on such place where there were no internet connection</a>).&nbsp;</p><p>I even managed to attract <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/blog-statistics">some modest decent traffic</a> and I actually I earned some <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/online-income-reports">money from blogging</a></p><p>So there are no regrets so far</p><h2>Now - back on the subject</h2><p>To celebrate my first blogs birthday - I decided to create a simple Drupal views block - to display nodes I wrote 1 year ago</p><p><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/drupal1year.jpg&quot; width="982" height="197"></p><p><em>Drupal views block - <strong>I wrote this 1 year ago</strong></em></p><p>I'm displaying title, date and total views count</p><p>Basically - create a new view with block - add fields, style it if you wish.</p><p>To limit nodes for 1 year I'm using</p><p><strong>Filter Criteria</strong></p><p><em>Content: Post Date &lt;= (is less than or equal) - 365 days (An offset)</em></p><p><strong><em><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/viewsblock.jpg&quot; alt="Drupal Views Filter with Offset value" title="Drupal Views Filter with Offset value" width="728" height="331"></em></strong></p><p><strong><em>Drupal Views Filter with Offset value</em></strong></p><p>Save your view and a block to your theme</p><p>Now - there is another block I'm displaying on my themes sidebar - <strong>Related Items</strong>.</p><p>You can find an article here on <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/related-nodes-based-taxonomy-terms">how to create related nodes based on taxonomies</a></p><p>This time I decided to apply the same Filter criteria on related items as well - I don't wan't to show related nodes older than one year:</p><p>So here is my basic settings for that:</p><p><img src="http://www.reinisfischer.com/sites/default/files/filternow.jpg&quot; width="795" height="167"></p><p>As you can see - I'm using two Post date Filter Criteria&nbsp;</p><ul><li>First one (&lt;=now) is used to limit nodes that are not with the future dates (You can read an article here, <a href="http://www.reinisfischer.com/drupal-developer/drupal-views-filter-futur…; target="_blank">how I'm using Drupal to schedule my posts in future</a>)</li><li>Second one (&gt;= - 365 days) limits those nodes not older than one year</li></ul><p>Hope this helps, and yes - first year in my active blogging career has finished - looking into coming years!</p>

My Online Income Report - September 2014

3 October, 2014 | Blogging | 11 seen

This is already my 9th Online Income report, now covering my earnings in month of September 2014.

For a start - I must admit - September did break a bank and outperformed results of previous 8 months counted total. 

So how much did my blog earned in September?

• In total I earned $287.25  what is a 202.27% growth if compared with last month ($95.03). I earned $192.22 more than in previous month.
• $287.25 makes average a $9.75 a day what is a huge leap compared to previous month ($3.06)
• September was second month in a row, when I earned more than in all months if counted together. I mean if in month of August I earned more than January-Jully counted together, in September I earned more than January-August counted together?

What else can I add to this? AWESOME

Now - following my discoveries few month ago - main income source generator is Amazon Associates program. Google Adsense? Who are you trying to kid? Google Adsense makes pennies. Though realy valuable pennies. If counted together - in month of September Google Adsense earned me about 5% of total income.

5% still are 5% and there is no need to not take this serious.

I really like to compare my online income with minimum or average wages somewhere in earth.

So this months earnings made me around the same as minimum wage in Romania.

While minimum wage is just a minimum wage. The amount of $287 is pretty serious to have an AVERAGE salary in Moldova.

By the way they both are neighbouring countries - should I plan a trip there?

I was and still are so amazed of such positive results from Amazon Associates - I did setup an affiliate site at the last days of September. Unfortunately I didn't managed earn a dime from that site, so basically all of the earnings in September comes from this blog. But I have hopes to earn some money in October from my second affiliate site.

I'm looking to build a stable $500 in a month revenue site. For the first month (not counting last days of September) I'm looking for some $50 in revenue.

I'm hopping for something more in Christmases season, my goal could be reach $500 with this affiliate site in month of December

You can read more on my attempts building Amazon affiliate niche site here.

Returning on September results, there are one more thing I would like to mention - at the of August, making my forecast for this month I said:

My overall prediction for September is modest - anything above $45 will be a great result.

Speaking of longer term goals - one of them is to get over $200 in this year. For 2015 I'm already fantasying of goals like $500 and $1000. Hope this September will give a good results and my "dreams" won't be wiped away.

As you can see - it was easy to overpass first goal- $45, and I even managed to break one longer term goal - to get over $200. 

I'm still fantasying of $500 and $1000

That's said - as usual I will make my forecast/goals for month of October:

Again, and again - despite I had a very good growth in September, I will stick with very modest goals and even forecasts: to get over $100 is my goal this month!

Drupal: Create Dynamical Menus with Menu Views

3 October, 2014 | Drupal Development | 81 seen

Today working on a customer's Drupal project, I found a kind of strange need - to display for authenticated users their flagged content in a drop-down menu - kinda Facebook, LinkedIn behavior, when you click on gear icon and magic happens - you see your latest messages, invitations, and e.t.c.

So I must admit - at the start I didn't have an idea - how actually to flag content. But luckily for me, a few years ago - I was playing with Flags Module and working on this project I decided flags will do exactly what we need - they are going to flag nodes.

First problems arise - we actually have two flags - Add to Favourite and Add to Complete. The problem arises - how to display both of these flags on a single views block and enable user to flag each of them.

The solution is quite  simple: add two Relationships on the same view:

Flags Relationships

Now - the flags is just a first stage of this task. Next task is to display flagged content in a nice drop-down menu.

My first idea was to create some views blocks and then to use CSS ul li to hide child item while parent item is not hovered (usual menu trick - which doesn't involve the use of any superfish or other menu modules), and display a drop-down menu (views block) when parent item is hovered.

The bad thing is - I didn't find a parents item :(

Few hours latter I found something great brought to us by LevelTen - Menu Views

About Menu views

Allows menu items to render views instead of links. This is useful for creating "mega-menus".

What Menu Views Does

Menu Views is a utility module. It provides back-end support for replacing a standard menu item link with a menu item view. Menu items (in any menu) now have the option of toggling between two different menu item types: link or view. Depending on which option is selected, the appropriate configuration form is displayed on the admin side and the appropriate type of item is rendered on the front-end.

What Menu Views Does NOT Do

Menu Views is NOT a theming/styling module for mega-menus. As stated above, this module is strictly a utility module for replacing menu item link with a view. Once the HTML markup is there, Menu View's job is done! Read#1794010: Menu Views is not working.

Depending on how a theme renders the primary and secondary navigation, this module may not work because the parent items may not ever be extended (regardless whether they are checked as such in the menu item). It is strongly recommended to use one of the following modules in your theme's menu region instead (see: Use menus in Drupal 7? You need Menu block module.).

Sponsorship

This module is sponsored and developed by LevelTen Interactive. LevelTen is a full-service interactive agency focused on building online brands by integrating digital strategy, Drupal development, and internet marketing.

Thank you LevelTen for this great module - you solved me a lot of time.

For now - I'm already seeing more places where menu views could be added.

Blog Traffic Report - September 2014

2 October, 2014 | Blogging | 10 seen

Welcome to my monthly blog traffic report. This month it's kinda special it marks 12 months since I started to blog. Though the full one year of blogging will be marked on October 10th.

A year ago - I started my blogging adventure, and one of my goals was to achieve around 6,000 unique visitors in month till the end of September/October (2014).

So, for September it's for sure, I didn't reached my goal - 6,000 unique visitors a month..

How my blog performed on month of September?

I got 3,364 unique visitors, what is a 30.19% growth compared to August traffic

September blog traffic report

• I have managed to attract 780 more unique visitors if compared to previous month (2584)
• 3,384 unique visitors makes average 112.13 unique's day, what is up by 28.78 a day (previous 83.35)
• The least visitors as usual I'm getting on weekends, the day with less visitors sent me 74 unique visitors

I did fail of writing a minimum 500 words per article per day, but I didn't fail to write every day. Main issue with minimum 500 words per article - 10 days travel abroad, and acquiring a new customer on large scale Drupal projects, which literally takes off almost all of mine free time. Good for my job, bad for my blog.

Unfortunately it seems  I will not be able to complete this month (October) with minimum 500 words per day as well. I'm still working on my main job, and I have a 7 days travel to Spain planned at the middle of October. 

To not to miss a day in my blogging career I'm using a few "cheats" one of them is writing in form of future. I have built some Drupal magic to help me publish content in "future". I will definetly use this tactic this month as well. The problem - I still don't have much free spare time for writing stuff :(

Power of Google Search

Trend which started last month, continued in September as well. My primary traffic source is Google search engine. September marked a record high number of organic search making it total in 84.76% from all traffic.

If honest, I'm a bit scarred... I mean to relay on Google for 84.76% might be dangerous. Unfortunately I didn't perform much social media activities last month, though I have a pretty solid Twitter followers base (more than 13K)

Now, in overall I'm happy with September traffic results, though I didn't achieved a goal I set about a year ago - to reach 6,000 unique visitors. There still is time to complete this goal in October, but if honest, I doubt it will happen so soon. I believe it's achievable in next 3 months though. Probably I will achieve 6,000 mark by end of this December.

Speaking of my forecast for this month (October) - i will keep my forecast modest - I'm looking for 10% growth. 3,700 - 4,000 is my forecast and goal for this month.

P.S. When I forecasted results for September, this is what I said:

To get above 3,000 unique visitors.

Well, that's done.

And again I'm very pleased with results, but most interesting will follow tomorrow, when I'll share my Online Income Report for month of September. 

Building a Savings Account in Georgia (2014)

30 September, 2014 | Living in Georgia | 7 seen

n September 2014, I started a journey to build a savings account in the fast-developing economy of Georgia.

With a strong command of the Georgian economy, I saw the potential to grow my income from my online sources and put it to work for me in the form of savings.

My Income Sources At the time, I was earning my income solely through the internet. My primary sources of income were Google AdSense and affiliate marketing, with the latter accounting for about 90-95% of my total income.

Starting My Savings Account The first step in my journey was to open a bank account in Georgia. The second step was to open a savings account with that same bank. With both of these requirements fulfilled, I deposited my first amount of money into the savings account on September 29th, 2014. The starting deposit was 300 GEL, which equates to approximately $170 or 131 EUR.

Tracking My Savings Progress To keep track of my progress, I created a table to follow my savings. The table includes information such as the deposit amount in GEL, the annual and monthly interest rates, and the actual interest rate. Additionally, the table includes the exchange rates for both USD and EUR on the deposit date.

My Savings Goals My short-term goal for the next six months was to save 300 GEL ($170) per month. Beyond that, I wasn't sure what my plans would be. However, I was open to re-investing my saved money into higher risk opportunities if the opportunity presented itself.

Concluding Remarks This article serves as my first savings report, and I plan to add a follow-up post after each subsequent deposit. By sharing my journey of building a savings account in Georgia, I hope to inspire others to take control of their finances and reach their own savings goals.

16 Best Sony Laptops You Can Buy Online - Amazon

29 September, 2014 | Laptop Reviews | 44 seen

Sony has been known for producing top-quality laptops with excellent design and features. While Sony no longer produces laptops, there are still many great options available for those who are looking for a reliable Sony laptop.

In this article, we have compiled a list of the 16 best Sony laptops that you can buy online from Amazon (Though it gets harder and harder)

The Sony VAIO SVP13213CXS is a sleek and lightweight laptop that comes with a 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen display. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-4500U processor and has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.

The Sony VAIO SVE15135CXS is a stylish laptop with a 15.5-inch Full HD display. It comes with an Intel Core i5-3230M processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 750GB hard drive.

The Sony VAIO SVF15218CXB is a powerful laptop with a 15.5-inch Full HD touchscreen display. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-3537U processor, has 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive.

The Sony VAIO Pro SVP1321BPXR is a lightweight and ultra-portable laptop with a 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen display. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-4500U processor and has 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

The Sony VAIO E Series SVE1511K1EW is a budget-friendly laptop with a 15.5-inch display. It comes with an Intel Core i3-2330M processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive.

The Sony VAIO Duo SVD13213CXW is a hybrid laptop with a 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen display. It is powered by an Intel Core i5-4200U processor and has 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD.

The Sony VAIO Fit SVF15215CXB is a versatile laptop with a 15.5-inch Full HD display. It comes with an Intel Core i5-3337U processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 750GB hard drive.

The Sony VAIO T Series SVT13136CXS is a lightweight and compact laptop with a 13.3-inch display. It is powered by an Intel Core i5-3317U processor and has 6GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.

The Sony VAIO SVD13225PXB is a high-end laptop with a 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen display. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-4500U processor and has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.

The Sony VAIO E Series SVE1511M1EW is a stylish laptop with a 15.5-inch display. It comes with an Intel Core i5-2450M processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 640GB hard drive.

The Sony VAIO T Series SVT13114GXS is a lightweight and portable laptop with a 13.3-inch display. It is powered by an Intel Core i5-3317U processor and has 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.

The Sony VAIO Z Series VPCZ21BGX is a high-end laptop with a 13.1-inch display. It is powered by an Intel Core i5-2410M processor and has 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD.

The Sony VAIO E Series SVE14A1HFXBC is a stylish and powerful laptop with a 14-inch Full HD display. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-3632QM processor and has 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive.

The Sony VAIO S Series SVS1512ACXS is a high-performance laptop with a 15.5-inch Full HD display. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-3632QM processor and has 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive.

The Sony VAIO Duo 13 SVD13223CXB is a versatile and powerful hybrid laptop with a 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen display. It is powered by an Intel Core i5-4200U processor and has 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD.

The Sony VAIO T Series SVT14122CXS is a lightweight and portable laptop with a 14-inch display. It is powered by an Intel Core i5-3317U processor and has 6GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.

In conclusion, even though Sony no longer produces laptops, there are still many excellent options available for those who are looking for a Sony laptop.

These laptops offer a wide range of features and are available at different price points, making it easier for you to find one that meets your specific needs and budget.

Highest Deposit Interest Rates in Europe

28 September, 2014 | Macroeconomics | 453 seen

When it comes to choosing where to invest your money, finding a high-yield savings account is a priority for many. Across Europe, there are numerous banking institutions offering competitive interest rates on deposits. In this article, we will compare the highest deposit interest rates in both European Union (EU) member states and non-EU countries, so you can make an informed decision about where to save your money.

European Union Countries with the Highest Deposit Interest Rates

Currently, the EU member state with the highest deposit interest rate is Bulgaria, with an average rate of 0.41% for a 12-month deposit. This is followed by Greece with an average rate of 0.38%, and Portugal with an average rate of 0.36%. Other EU member states with relatively high interest rates include Romania (0.27%), Latvia (0.24%), and Malta (0.23%).

Non-European Union Countries with the Highest Deposit Interest Rates

Several countries in Europe that are not part of the EU also offer high deposit interest rates. These countries include:

It's important to keep in mind that these interest rates are subject to change and may vary depending on the bank and type of account. It's always a good idea to do your own research and compare interest rates from different banks to find the best option for your personal financial situation.

When it comes to the highest deposit interest rates in Europe, many people would likely first think of countries within the European Union (EU). However, there are several countries in Europe, including Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, that offer attractive interest rates on deposits.

In Georgia, deposit interest rates are among the highest in Europe. As of February 2023, the average interest rate for a 1-year time deposit in Georgia is around 9%, according to data from the National Bank of Georgia. Some banks, such as JSC TBC Bank and JSC Bank of Georgia, offer even higher rates for longer-term deposits, with rates reaching up to 13% for a 5-year deposit. It's worth noting that Georgia is not a member of the EU but has been seeking closer ties with the bloc.

Moldova is another non-EU country that offers relatively high deposit interest rates. According to data from the National Bank of Moldova, the average interest rate for a 1-year deposit in Moldova is around 6%. However, some banks offer even higher rates, with some reaching up to 9% for a 5-year deposit. The country has been making efforts to join the EU, but its progress has been slow.

In Ukraine, deposit interest rates are also relatively high compared to other European countries. As of February 2023, the average interest rate for a 1-year deposit in Ukraine is around 12%, according to data from the National Bank of Ukraine. Some banks, such as PrivatBank, offer even higher rates for longer-term deposits, with rates reaching up to 16% for a 5-year deposit. However, the country has been experiencing political and economic challenges in recent years, which has affected its progress towards closer ties with the EU.

It's worth noting that higher deposit interest rates often come with higher risks, and potential depositors should carefully research and evaluate their options before making any decisions. Additionally, the stability and security of a country's banking system should also be taken into consideration.

In summary, while some non-EU countries in Europe may not receive as much attention as their EU counterparts, they can still offer attractive deposit interest rates to potential investors. Countries like Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine have relatively high deposit interest rates compared to other European countries, making them potential options for investors seeking higher returns on their deposits. However, as with any investment, it's important to thoroughly research and evaluate the risks before making any decisions.

Conclusion

Whether you're looking to save money for a short-term goal or a long-term investment, finding a high-yield savings account is essential. From Bulgaria to Serbia and beyond, Europe offers a range of high deposit interest rates for both EU and non-EU citizens. With this information, you can make an informed decision about where to save your money and take advantage of the best deposit interest rates in Europe.

Boosting Your Financial Future: How to Open a Savings Account in Georgia with ProCredit Bank (2014)

27 September, 2014 | Living in Georgia | 6 seen

For many years, I have been envisioning how to optimize my personal finances. Despite my aspirations, I have never established a savings account. However, I have decided to rectify this situation. A savings account serves as a secure repository for one's funds, and numerous options exist for opening one. For example, a compound interest savings account will provide earnings on deposited funds.

While residing in Georgia, I opted to focus my search for savings accounts within the country. Fortunately, I did not need to search far. After recently opening a bank account with ProCredit Bank, I decided to entrust them with my savings as well.

One noteworthy feature of ProCredit Bank is their provision of information in English. According to their website, the bank offers two options for savings accounts: a Savings Account and a Savings Plan. Although similar, they vary in certain respects.

Savings Account

The Savings Account allows you to deposit and withdraw any amount of money at any time and earn high interest.

Advantages of the Savings Account:

• Flexible access to your money;
• Access to the deposit account is possible via Internet Banking without having to visit the bank;
• Savings Account deposit has a favorable method of interest accrual-Interest rate is accrued on a daily account balance with capitalization at the end of every month

• Minimum initial amount requirement - 200 GEL, 100 USD/EUR;
• The minimum amount to be accrued with the interest - 200 GEL, 100 USD/EUR;
• The maximum amount to be accrued with the interest - 200.000 GEL, 100.000 USD/EUR;
• Deposit period - Savings Account is opened for unlimited time;
• Interest rate accrual - interest is accrued on the Savings Account at the end of every month. Interest will be added to the principal amount and then to the increased amount in the subsequent period. 

Interest will accrue on savings deposits, or on current accounts. 

Interest Rates (p.a.)G USD EUR

• The maximum interest will be accrued if you do not transfer money from the deposit during each month period starting from the opening of the deposit. Otherwise, the minimum interest rate will be applied.
• If the interest accrued on the savings deposit is to be capitalized, the operations, which volume in money terms do not exceed the amount of the last placed interest income, will not be considered as debit operations.

Note: the bank reserves the right to change the interest rate for the Savings Account.

Savings Plan

Savings Plan is the best way for you to save money by putting aside a certain amount every month.

Advantages of Savings Plan:

• Savings Plan provides for the possibility to accumulate savings step-by-step
• Monthly payments can be made via Internet Banking or standing orders, without visiting the bank
• You can take a deposit-backed loan on preferential conditions

Conditions:

• Initial minimum deposit requirement - 100 GEL/USD/EUR
  (For salary recievers - 10 GEL/USD/EUR);
• Minimum monthly deposit - 10 GEL/USD/EUR;
• Minimum period - 6 months;
• Maximum period - 24 months;
• Interest income can be withdrawn at  maturity.

Interest Rates (p.a.):

Withdrawal of interest at the end of the term

• You may skip monthly payment only twice during the term of the deposit, otherwise the agreement will deemed void.
• Early termination of the agreement - f the agreement is terminated prematurely, the deposit is accrued with 0.75% p.a. for the actual term of the deposit agreement.

What am I planing to save

Basically I'm planing to save all my spare funds. Most of the my spare funds come from affiliate marketing. So I decided - hey what a great idea - instead of spending my hard earned dollars in Tbilisi restaurants I could save this money - and what's better even increase it's value, by using compound percentage savings. 

Well - I doubt I will get rich, but I agree that we must work with our personal finance.

One of the neat features of ProCredit bank, it does offer to put your money aside by using an internet bank, so you don't have to visit a branch.

How to solve Nginx: 413 Request Entity Too Large error

26 September, 2014 | Servers | 60 seen

If you have ever encountered an error message that says "Nginx: 413 Request Entity Too Large", you know how frustrating it can be. This error message usually pops up when you try to upload a file that is too large for your server to handle. The good news is that it is possible to fix this error message.

In this article, we will discuss some methods you can use to solve the "Nginx: 413 Request Entity Too Large" error.

Here are some solutions to fix the "Nginx: 413 Request Entity Too Large" error:

client_max_body_size 100M;

This will increase the client_max_body_size limit to 100MB. You can increase or decrease this limit to suit your needs.

upload_max_filesize = 100M

This will increase the upload_max_filesize limit to 100MB. Again, you can adjust this limit as needed.

client_body_buffer_size 128k;

client_header_buffer_size 1k;

client_max_body_size 10m;

large_client_header_buffers 2 1k;

These lines will increase the client body buffer size, client header buffer size, and the maximum size of the client request body. You can adjust the values as needed.

In conclusion, the "Nginx: 413 Request Entity Too Large" error can be frustrating, but it can be fixed. By following the above solutions, you can increase the file upload limits and get your server working properly.

Drupal Panels: A Powerful Tool for Layouts, But Are They Too Complicated?

25 September, 2014 | Drupal Development | 10 seen

As a content management system, Drupal offers a range of powerful features that make it a top choice for developers and businesses alike. One such feature is Drupal Panels, which allows you to create custom page layouts without needing to write any code.

However, some developers and website owners find that Drupal Panels can be complicated and time-consuming to use. In this article, we'll explore what Drupal Panels are, how they work, and some common concerns that people have about using them.

What are Drupal Panels?

Drupal Panels is a module that provides a visual layout tool for creating pages and managing their content. The module allows you to create custom layouts for each page or content type on your website, without having to write any code.

With Drupal Panels, you can create pages with multiple regions, each of which can contain different content, such as images, videos, or text. You can also use Drupal Panels to create custom templates for different content types, such as blog posts, news articles, or product pages.

How do Drupal Panels work?

To use Drupal Panels, you'll need to enable the module in your Drupal site and create a new panel. You can then add regions to the panel, and use the Layout Designer to arrange the regions and add content to them.

Drupal Panels also includes a range of built-in plugins that allow you to add additional functionality to your panels. For example, you can add a Views plugin to display a list of blog posts or products or add a Contact Form plugin to allow users to contact you directly from the page.

What are some concerns about using Drupal Panels?

Despite the many benefits of Drupal Panels, some people find that they can be complicated and time-consuming to use. For example, creating a custom panel can require a significant amount of time and effort, especially if you're not familiar with Drupal or web development.

Another common concern is that Drupal Panels can be difficult to maintain over time. As your website grows and changes, you may need to update your panels to accommodate new content types or features. However, making changes to a custom panel can be challenging, especially if you don't have experience with Drupal or web development.

Should you consider using Drupal Panels?

While Drupal Panels can be a powerful tool for creating custom page layouts and managing your website's content, they may not be the best choice for everyone. If you're new to Drupal or web development, you may find that Drupal Panels are too complicated or time-consuming to use effectively.

However, if you have experience with Drupal or web development, Drupal Panels can be an excellent choice for creating custom page layouts and managing your website's content. And if you're looking for a potential Drupal developer, someone who has experience with Drupal Panels could be a valuable asset to your team. Hire me for your Drupal project. 

In conclusion, Drupal Panels can be a powerful tool for managing your website's content and creating custom page layouts. While they can be complicated to use, they may be a good choice for experienced Drupal developers and website owners who want to create a highly customized website. And if you're looking for a potential Drupal developer, someone with experience in Drupal Panels could be a valuable asset to your team.

How to Install ownCloud on Linode - Ubuntu 14.04

24 September, 2014 | Servers | 10 seen

OwnCloud is a self-hosted, open-source file sharing and cloud storage platform that allows individuals and organizations to store, access, and share files securely from any device. With OwnCloud, users can create and collaborate on documents, calendars, and other digital assets, while keeping full control over their data and privacy.

OwnCloud offers a range of features such as file synchronization, version control, encryption, and integration with third-party apps, making it a popular choice for businesses, schools, and individuals looking for a flexible and customizable cloud storage solution.

Find my first impressions with the ownCloud server here. 

 I decided to create a simple tutorial where I have noted have one (perhaps you) can install his/her own file-sharing server - ownCloud. I'm going to use Linode VPS, Ubuntu 14.04, and Apache

Actually, I tried to set ownCloud on Ngnix, but there were some problems with it, so i stuck with Apache

• At first, I bought a new VPS from Linode.
• Quickly deployed a new Ubuntu 14.04 server
• And rest was handled using SSH (Putty)

And voilà - a new self-hosted ownCloud installation was born. Literally in a matter of few minutes (Though I performed a test for a few hours before, by trying to put ownCloud on Ngnix)

Though I prefer Nginx over Apache, in this case, this is not about Nginx or Apache, this is about the solution I could deploy quickly.

Now, as tempting might look just a few rows of code to execute to install an ownCloud server, here are a few more things you should take into consideration:

Remove root from SSH

One of the biggest security holes you could open on your server is to allow directly logging in as root through ssh because any cracker can attempt to brute force your root password and potentially get access to your system if they can figure out your password.

Create a new admin user on your server (change admin to something better)

The visudo command will open up the /etc/sudoers file. All you need to do to grant sudo privileges to admin is to add a line beneath root’s, so that it looks like this:

Now exit your SSH connection as root, and re-login as admin

Turn off root login

Now go ahead and restart ssh.

Now,you have secured your SSH a little bit.

Secure IP tables

Setting up a good firewall is an essential step to take in securing any modern operating system. Most Linux distributions ship with a few different firewall tools that we can use to configure our firewalls. 

Follow this guide on Digital Ocean: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-set-up-a-firewall-using-iptables-on-ubuntu-14-04

Use SSL Certificates (HTTPS)

TLS, or transport layer security, and its predecessor SSL, secure sockets layer, are secure protocols created in order to place normal traffic in a protected, encrypted wrapper.

Follow this guide on Digital Ocean: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-create-a-ssl-certificate-on-apache-for-ubuntu-14-04

One thing to mention - you should search for some reputable and trusted SSL vendor. Self created certifictes can do a damage for your company - leaving to think your customers your server or worst you are not trustable.

About ownCloud

ownCloud is an enterprise-grade file sync and share solution that is as easy to use as consumer-grade products, but is hosted in your data center, on your servers, using your storage. ownCloud integrates seamlessly into your IT infrastructure, allowing you to deliver file sharing services that conform to your data security and compliance policies. Your employees will love ownCloud’s clean, professional user interfaces; you’ll enjoy peace of mind, knowing that your data is under IT control at all times.

With over 1.3 million users, ownCloud is the preferred file-sharing solution for enterprises everywhere. 

Visit ownCloud to find out more.