Computing

The database is an important web development component that stores all of your project's files and information.

However, choosing the best database application is not easy. There are many factors to consider, such as features and price. 

So, if you are looking for the best database application that is suitable for your project, this article will go over some options you should consider.

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What are Databases?

Before discussing the list of the best database applications currently available, we should first understand what a database is and what it does.

The good news is that we've already discussed what a database is in our previous article. To refresh your memory, here is a brief explanation.

A database is a collection of data and information stored systematically on a computer or network. All data and information are organized to allow users to easily access and process the data they need. 

Generally, most databases are managed through a database management system (DBMS). 

There are different types of databases, including relational databases, object-oriented databases, NoSQL databases, and cloud databases.

Databases are generally accessed and managed through a special database programming language such as SQL and XML or through a database application.

5 Recommended Database Applications

Database applications allow users to access and manage a database quickly and easily.

Currently, there are many popular database application options to choose from. But to choose the most appropriate for your project, here are some of the best options!

1. MySQL

Our first choice of database application falls on the classic option used by many IT experts and database admins to manage relational databases, MySQL.

MySQL is an open-source relational database application developed by Oracle Corporation, a well-known database software company today.

This application can be used for free and easily. In addition, users also do not need a high specification device.

With only 1GB of RAM, you can use this software for your database. But of course, this estimate is dependent on your requirements and the size of your database.

If you need more storage, you can add MySQL storage capacity up to 1TB. 

This database application also supports various programming languages. Starting from C, C++, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, and many more.

Another feature that you may need to pay attention to is the query cache which will store all queries in the cache for a faster loading process.

2. Microsoft Access

Our second choice of database applications the Microsoft Access, one of the oldest application software released in 1992.

Even though it's too old, this database software from Microsoft is very popular among many developers, from beginner to advanced levels.

The reason is that Microsoft Access's features are quite simple and easy to use, starting from the report wizard, templates, and anchoring, to pdf reports.

In addition, this database also has a visual table feature that will make it easier for you to create, edit, delete, and check data tables.

The Microsoft Access database application has only a capacity of 2GB. However, this database is sufficient for personal and small business projects.

3. MariaDB

Apart from the two options above, another database application is MariaDB. Like MySQL, this application is open-source and can be used completely free of charge.

The features of this application are quite impressive. One of them is ColumnStore which makes it easy for users to increase storage capacity.

In addition to these features, there are also columns with 10 times compression to help users process and analyze large data faster.

MariaDB can be used on several operating systems and also supports various programming languages ​​such as PHP and many more.

4. Redis

If you plan to develop a website, chat platform, or games, Redis is one option you should consider.

This application, also known as Remote Dictionary Server, is a non-relational database with high performance and cache features.

The features offered by this database application are very many. They include the in-memory data feature, pub/sub, and the Redis sorted set.

The scalability of this type of database application is also quite good. You can easily add nodes to distribute the workload to make performance more stable.

In addition, Redis also has many security features that make it more secure, such as Network Security, Protected Mode, Authenticator, etc.

Redis is integrated with many programming languages ​​such as Python, Java, PHP, Perl, Go, Ruby, and C+.

5. Oracle

Another relational database application that is quite popular and known to be stable is Oracle. Not only stable, but this application also has a high performance even with high workloads.

In addition, this application also has a multi-user feature that allows it to be accessed and used in conjunction with other users.

Oracle has a Real Application Clustering feature that automatically increases storage capacity and data speed as needed.

Other excellent features of this application are high transaction processing performance, user manager, etc.

Unfortunately, you can't use this database application for free. Currently, this premium application is priced around $350 (standard) to $950 (enterprise)

Conclusion

The database is indeed one of the important components in web and app development. Without a database, the development process would be more complicated.

So in this article, we have discussed several database applications that you can try for your project, along with a brief review and the price.

If you still have more questions about the database application, please leave a comment in the column below. 

If you deal with web and application development, you would surely know what a database is. In short, a database is a collection of digital data and information.

All this data and information is stored on a server or computer in a systematic and structured manner so that it can be managed easily and quickly.

Generally, databases are used to store website files so that they can be available on the internet. However, because there are so many different types of databases available, their functions vary as well.

If you want to learn more about a database, you are reading the right article! Here we'll cover everything you need to know about databases. Starting from the definition, types, and functions to the benefits. Let's just get started!

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What is a Database

A database is a collection of digital data stored systematically on a computer. This data set can be accessed and processed using a program.

All data in the database is generally stored in a structured manner to make it easier to access and process according to the project needs.

Data collections in databases are usually categorized into rows and columns in a series of tables to make data processing more efficient.

In this way, the collection of data in the database can be more easily accessed and managed by the user and the application that uses it.

In essence, a database is a place where a collection of data and information is stored so that it can be accessed and managed by a computer system.

You can also think of a database as a public library filled with books of various genres and other information. In this example, the public library acts as a database or container where data (various kinds of books & information) are stored in a neat and structured manner.

So, as a database user, you can easily select the books and information you want to read and retrieve them from the shelf where the data is stored.

Most of the existing databases are managed using a database management system (DBMS). 

Currently, the database is one of the most important aspects of technological development. Without it, there would be no platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

Because the database is stored on a computer network, you must understand the database management programming language to be able to access and manage the data.

Components of a Database

The database consists of several mandatory components, which are:

• Hardware — consists of electronic devices in physical form such as computers, servers, hard drive storage, etc.
• Software — any program or system used to access and manage a database, including the operating system and others.
• Data — information and data stored in databases can be in the form of files, videos, pictures, facts, observations, perceptions, numbers, characters, symbols, images, etc.
• Procedure — consists of a set of instructions and rules that help you use and manage a database management system (DBMS).
• Database Access Language — the language and commands used to access and manage all the data in the database.

Types of Database

Here are some of the most popular types of databases:

• Relational databases 

The relational database type uses a set of tables with various columns and rows to store and access data.

Relational database is one of the most popular database types widely used today. Examples of these databases are MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL.

Generally, relational database systems use SQL (structured query language) as the main programming language for managing data and queries.

• Object-oriented databases

As the name implies, all information and data stored in an object-oriented database type are in the form of an object, just like object-oriented programming.

Objects stored in the database have attributes and methods that determine the data function. One example of this type of database is PostgreSQL.

• Distributed databases

This type of database stores data on various devices or computers. These devices can be located in the same location or spread across different networks.

Although stored in different places, all the data in this database are interconnected. Examples of distributed databases are Apache Ignite and Amazon SimpleDB.

• NoSQL databases

NoSQL databases or non-relational databases allow unstructured and semi-structured data to be stored and managed easily. 

In contrast to relational databases, NoSQL databases are increasingly popular because many web applications are more complex and have unstructured data.

• Open-source databases

As the name implies, an open-source database is a database system that has a public source code. This means that everyone can use and develop it as they wish.

Types of open source databases include relational or non-relational databases. Examples of open-source databases are MariaDB, MongoDB, and Redis. 

• Cloud databases

A cloud database is a collection of structured or unstructured data stored on a private, public, or corporate cloud computing platform.

There are two types of cloud database models: traditional and database as a service (DBaaS). With DBaaS, the cloud service provider performs administrative and maintenance tasks.

Some of the other types of databases include: 

• Multimodal databases — a collection of several types of database models integrated into a single management backend. This type supports a wide variety of data types.  
• OLTP databases — OLTP databases are a type of database that is capable of fast query processing and maintaining data integrity in a multi-access environment.
• Graph databases — this type stores all data and information in the form of entities and relationships between entities themselves.
• Document/JSON databases — databases designed to store, retrieve, and manage information in the form of documents. The modern way to store data is in JSON format rather than columns and rows.

Functions of Database

Now that you know the meaning of a database, here are some of its functions:

• Collect and classify data and information systematically so that it is easier to access and manage.
• Reduce data redundancy or data repetition.
• Prevent duplication and inconsistent data and information.
• Provides extra protection through integrity constraints of all data stored in the database. 
• Reduce application and website development time and increase the platform's efficiency.
• Simplify the data management process (saving, updating, and deleting data can be done quickly and easily)
• Improve the performance of applications, platforms, and websites that require data storage.

Conclusion

The database is one of the most important aspects of information technology development today. Without a database, the data management process will take more time. Of course, this will affect the performance of applications, platforms, and sites that deal with a lot of data.

After reading this article about databases' definition, types, and functions, we hope you have gained sufficient knowledge about databases.

Innovation in digital technology continues to move rapidly, so you will inevitably be encouraged to follow the growing trend so that the business you run remains relevant and competitive with others. 

One of the digital transformations carried out by many companies around the world is the use of cloud computing services. 

Previously, most people who wanted to use a system or application had to download it onto a computer or physical server in their building. However, with cloud computing services, people no longer need to bother downloading the various applications they need.

On the other hand, you and other users can use the same service online from anywhere with cloud computing.

Various types of businesses have used cloud computing services and have provided numerous benefits. So, what is meant by cloud computing? Here's the explanation for you.

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What is Cloud Computing? 

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence over the internet or the cloud.

This technology is called cloud computing because the information accessed by users can be found remotely in the "cloud" or virtually. So when you use cloud computing, you will store and access data via the internet and not from your computer's hard drive.

With this cloud computing system, you can run applications, store and process data virtually using the server's internet connection. Furthermore, all data and information will be stored on a single server and can be accessed at any time and from any location as long as the device you are using is connected to the internet. 

Until now, cloud computing has been used by various types of businesses. For example, video game development companies use cloud services to deliver online games that can be used by millions of players around the world. 

Cloud computing is also used to develop CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems where customer data can be collected from various sources into one system. With this service, companies can access information related to customers wherever and whenever they want. 

Types of Cloud Computing Services

Cloud computing services are available in various types according to user needs. The following are some types of cloud computing services you can use:

1. Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a cloud computing service for cloud-hosted software applications that can be accessed via a web browser, a dedicated desktop client, or an API that integrates with your desktop or mobile operating system. As a result, users can access software applications without downloading, installing, or storing the software and its various components on their devices or hard drives.

SaaS is also known as cloud-based software or cloud applications. Most of the software using this SaaS service is on a subscription basis with an annual or monthly fee.

2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud computing solution that provides an on-demand environment for developing, testing, running, and managing software applications. 

With PaaS, cloud providers will host everything in their data centres, including servers, networks, storage, operating system software, middleware, and databases.

PaaS is specifically designed to allow the development team to quickly create a website or mobile application. This service is also provided so that the development team does not have to worry about the server, storage, network, and database infrastructure needed in the development process.

3. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a cloud computing service that provides enterprises with fundamental computing, networks, virtual machines, storage, operating systems, and other infrastructure.

IaaS is becoming the most common computing service model because it offers the underlying infrastructure. This service also offers a pay-as-you-go basis. 

5 Most Popular Cloud Computing Service Providers

Once you understand what cloud computing is, you may be interested in using it. Currently, there are various cloud computing service providers that can help small, medium, and large business owners.

With the existence of cloud computing service providers, companies can focus more on their core business matters such as developing service application software, carrying out marketing activities, producing and distributing goods, developing and operating services, and business support activities. They no longer need to build and invest in their own cloud computing IT infrastructure because they can leave the matter to cloud computing providers.

A cloud service provider is a third-party company that offers a cloud-based platform, infrastructure, application, or storage service. Instead of having to purchase, own, or maintain your own physical data centre and servers, you can access technology services, such as computing power, storage, and databases, as needed from a cloud computing service provider. 

Here are the 5 most popular cloud computing providers that you can use.

1. Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud web hosting platform from Amazon that offers a fast, flexible, reliable, and cost-effective solution. 

Many people believe that AWS is now the leader in public cloud computing and has become a strong player in AI, database, and machine learning technologies.

As a leader in cloud computing, AWS offers more than 200 full-featured services. Some of these services include Amazon EC2, Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), web application firewall (WAF), VPN, Key Management Service (KMS), and many more. 

With hundreds of products or services on offer, AWS can provide you with various solutions for your company's cloud computing needs.

2. Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform launched by Microsoft in February 2010. Currently, Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing service provider that is growing quite rapidly. In fact, most people think that Azure is a head-to-head competitor with AWS because it performs equally well. 

Azure offers solutions for development, data storage, service management, and hosting solutions. 

Azure provides more than 200 products and services to meet the needs of its customers for cloud computing. Some of the products and services they provide include virtual machines, Azure SQL, Azure Cosmos DB, Content Delivery Network, VPN Gateway, etc.

3. Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Google Cloud Platform is also one of the popular cloud computing providers widely used. GCP has a wide range of products or services to help you solve all kinds of business challenges with ease. 

Like AWS and Azure, Google Cloud Platform also offers similar services for various categories. Examples include computing services, storage, security, databases, AI, etc.

4. Alibaba Cloud

Alibaba Cloud was established in 2009. Initially, Alibaba Cloud was created to meet the needs of Alibaba's own e-commerce ecosystem. However, along with its development, Alibaba Cloud services are now available and can be used by the general public.

Alibaba is currently based in Singapore and is a strong player in Asia. To meet customer needs for cloud computing services, Alibaba offers a variety of products and services. Some of them are elastic computing, networking, database services, security, monitoring and management, middleware, Internet of Things, etc. 

5. IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud was developed by IBM and offers cloud computing services for businesses. In addition, IBM also has advantages in providing services related to data analytics and machine learning that operate on its cloud platform.

In order to demonstrate their commitment to building their cloud infrastructure, IBM acquired Red Hat in 2019.

Conclusion

The explanation above can guide you to better understand what is meant by cloud computing. Basically, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and others via the internet. 

With this cloud computing service, you can store programs or data over the internet and not on your computer or hard drive. 

In the digital era like today, more and more companies are switching to cloud computing and are getting numerous benefits.

In recent years, various images and videos created with deepfake technology have enlivened social media. There are an increasing number of applications available that allow you to manipulate an image or video.

Nowadays, technology has become more sophisticated. You can find various fake pictures and videos that look very real. 

From the digital content, you can understand that deep learning technology can really help in the filmmaking process. Nonetheless, the majority of people are concerned about this technology. If used by irresponsible people, deepfakes can be misused to create realistic-looking engineering videos for negative purposes. 

There have been numerous cases of this technology being used to damage someone's reputation.

This article will explain everything you need to know about deepfake.

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What are Deepfakes?

Deepfake is a photo or video manipulation using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled technology to unify a person's likeness to another person's face. In other words, this deepfake technology can manipulate a person's image or video to appear as if they are doing or saying something that never actually happened.

The word deepfake combines two terms together, "deep learning" and "fake". So simply, a deepfake is a fake video or image created using Artificial Intelligence deep learning technology.

This technology can seamlessly incorporate anyone's face into a video or photo. This technology is used in the Fast & Furious 7 movie, where actor Paul Walker was "revived" again.

Some examples of applications or software that use deepfake technology are:

• Faceapp
• Faceswap
• MyHeritage
• DeepFaceLab
• Zao
• Reface
• AvengeThem, and many more

How are Deepfakes Made? 

There are various methods that can be used to create deepfake videos. However, the most commonly used method relies on Deep Neural Networks (DNN) involving autoencoders with face swapping techniques. 

A Deep Neural Network is a collection of algorithms designed to recognize patterns and process data in complex ways.

To create a deepfake, you must provide a target video that will be used as the basis for the video. Then you also need a collection of clips from someone's video that you want to include in the target video. Please note that these videos do not have to be related. 

With autoencoder technology, the AI ​​deep learning program will be tasked with studying the video and understanding the person's looks from various angles and environmental conditions. 

After that, other machine learning technologies will be added to the video again. The technology is called Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN), which can detect and fix flaws in deepfake videos. 

Generative Adversarial Networks are also used as a popular method for creating deepfakes that rely on studying large amounts of data to learn how to develop images that mimic the real thing. 

After several detections and fixes by the GAN, the deepfake video will be completed. Many people assume that Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) will be the main framework for developing deepfakes in the future.

When this technology first appeared, it took experts a long time to produce the effect. But now, deepfake technology has advanced to synthesize images and videos faster.  

What Are the Risks of Using Deepfake Technology?

Although making videos with deepfake technology looks interesting, this technology has a negative side that attracts the attention of many people. 

After the invention of this technology, Reddit was flooded with fake pornographic videos featuring the faces of famous politicians and celebrities. 

Along with the advancement of deepfakes, today's AI technology allows for the creation of not only fake faces but also fake voices. This condition heightens the dangers of creating videos to spread false information.

If used by people with malicious intentions, this technology can be a "tool" for destroying someone's reputation. 

There have been many cases where this technology has been used to spread false information that damaged someone's reputation. For example, in 2018, there was a video of Donald Trump calling on Belgium to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. In fact, Donald Trump never gave that speech, and after research, it turned out that the video was made with deepfake technology.

Many experts believe that deepfakes will become so much more sophisticated that they can pose a more serious threat to the public in the future.

On the other hand, nowadays, most people do their activities online through various digital platforms. If fake videos continue to be widespread, the long-term effect could be a growing distrust of audio and video evidence in general.

Is There a Way to Detect Deepfake Videos?

Since deepfake videos are now becoming more and more common, as internet users we have to be more careful and smarter in detecting fake videos. Here are some indicators of deepfake videos:

1. Check the color of the skin, hair, or face of a person in the video. Usually, a fake video will show a person with a face that looks more blurry than the image of the surrounding environment. In addition, the focus of the video also sometimes looks unnatural. 
2. Check the lighting in the video. Does it look unnatural? It's worth noting that often deepfake algorithms will still use the exposure from the video clip of the person you're trying to add. So, the exposure will look out of proportion to the exposure in the target video.
3. You can re-examine the audio in the video because deepfakes often feature mouth movements that look unnatural. This is often found especially when the video that is manipulated using audio is not edited properly.

In addition to observing the indicators above, there are currently several applications that can be used to detect deepfake videos. Some of them are:

1. Sensity

Sensity works like an antivirus that can detect deepfakes. This software can protect you from the threat of visual evil.

Sensity was developed by Machine Learning researchers and threat intelligence specialists to protect individuals and companies from threats posed by fakes and other forms of harmful visual media. 

When used, Sensity will send a notification via email when users see something that shows synthetic media created by AI technology.

2. Operation Minerva

This software uses digital fingerprinting to identify and find fake videos created without your consent. On its web page, Operation Minerva mentions that they also provide a service to remove the fake video.

Conclusion

In recent years, deepfakes have become one of the new technologies in demand by many people. Social media is often enlivened with various images or video content that is manipulated so that someone can look older or younger.

In fact, many people use various applications and try to change the face of their favorite actor with their own face.

Deepfake videos created with widely available apps in the app store are easy to identify as fake. However, it will become increasingly difficult to detect if they are carefully created using advanced technology by highly skilled individuals.

If you are using a deepfake app, you need to be careful when using it. Read the terms and conditions of the application first before using it. Also, don't let your videos be used by bad people to make fake videos that damage your reputation.

The more digital activities you do, the more your sensitive data will be exposed on the internet and fall into the hands of irresponsible people. 

To overcome this, you can use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). 

What is a VPN, and how can it protect you online? See the full explanation in this article. 

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What is a VPN?

VPN is a technology that can protect you while surfing the internet. The trick is to encrypt internet traffic and hide the IP address that acts as your online identity.

In addition, a VPN also prevents you from leaving traces on the internet, such as search history and cookies. 

So, you are protected from third parties who want to steal important data such as credit card numbers, marketplace passwords, bank account details, etc.  

In addition to security, VPNs are also often used to access content restricted by geographical rules. For example, Nigerian internet users can access internet content from the United States territory.

A Brief History of the Creation of VPN

The project to create a VPN was first started in the 1960s with the involvement of the United States Department of Defense. 

The project then produced a technology called TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). TCP/IP consists of 4 layers which are link, internet, transport, and application. 

At the internet layer, local networks and computer devices must be connected to a universal network. During the process of connecting to the network, a person's online identity can be clearly exposed to the internet. 

So in 1993, a team from Columbia University and AT&T Bells Lab created the first version of VPN known as swIPe or software IP encryption protocol. 

As the internet became more popular for commercial use by the general public, internet users and companies requested software that could be used to hide their browsing history from the internet.

As a result, in the early 2000s, VPNs were developed and were solely used by companies to protect the security of their data.

In 2010, VPNs began to be used by the general public, and the number of users increased significantly in 2016 and 2018.

How VPN Works

The way a VPN works is called tunneling, where it will form a special tunnel (virtual secure tunnel) in the main internet network. 

1. First, a special tunnel will be used to send all internet traffic from your computer device. 
2. To ensure that the dedicated tunnel is completely secure, the VPN client and the VPN server will encrypt your online data in real time using a shared key. This encryption process makes any data you send through a special tunnel unreadable by your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and other third parties.
3. When the data has passed through the internet network and reaches its destination, the data is then rearranged into readable content. 

VPN Types

Broadly speaking, VPNs are grouped into 3 types, they are:

1. SSL VPN

SSL VPN is widely used by companies to allow employees to access the company network remotely. This type of SSL does not require the installation of VPN client software on the end-user computer.

To use an SSL VPN, the browser must be able to access the HTML5, which is used to load the corporate login page. From the login page, the user must enter the specified username and password.    

2. Site-to-site VPN

A site-to-site VPN is a private connection designed to hide the intranet and allow other end-users of this VPN to access each other's resources. 

Usually, this type of VPN is used by large companies with many branch offices to facilitate communication between departments.

This type of VPN is also often referred to as a router-to-router VPN. 

3. Client-to-server VPN

Client-to-server VPN allows users to connect directly to the provider's VPN server rather than going through the ISP first. This makes the virtual secure tunnel phase shorter.

This type of VPN can be used to access sites that are blocked or censored by ISPs. 

To use a client-to-server VPN, you must first install a VPN client and configure it. 

Benefits of Using VPN

Here are the benefits you will get when using a VPN:

1. Protects Every Data Exchange Process

Any kind of data exchange will be instantly encrypted by the VPN. 

Data can only be read by end-users who have access to the VPN network or have an encryption key. 

Without an encryption key, it can take millions of years for a computer to be able to decipher the encrypted data, even if it manages to perform a brute-force attack.  

2. Protecting Data in Public Networks

When using a public network, your data is vulnerable to being snooped and taken by third parties. 

VPN will protect data exchange carried out on public networks such as cafe Wi-Fi, libraries, offices, etc.

3. Access the Internet Anonymously

With a real-time encryption process, VPN can make you surf the internet without being recognized. Only the IP address and server location of the VPN provider you are using can be detected.

4. Bypassing Regional Restrictions

The content of a site subject to regional restriction rules will be inaccessible to internet users outside the designated area.

VPN is a technology that has a location spoofing feature that can be used to change your location so that you appear to be in a region with access to a site that has regional restrictions.

Conclusion

VPN is a technology that can hide all your Internet activities by masking the IP address of your computer device. 

You can also use it to bypass various restrictions when you want to access a site. But keep in mind that it also has several drawbacks, which include:

• Slower connection
• Unstable connection 
• Difficult manual configuration
• Usage limit, etc. 

Some free VPNs are prone to piracy and data theft. Therefore, it is recommended to be careful and observant when choosing a VPN provider. 

Make sure you use a provider with a good reputation, both for paid and free services.