Thursday - Apr 26, 2012
In light of the observance of Preservation Week, I want to shift gears a bit for this week’s post and talk briefly about a topic dear to me: saving your data.
The Internet age has brought with it many changes to how we use and share information. Rather than writing information in notebooks and letters, we now write digital books and e-mails. Additionally, media like music, photos, and videos are commonplace in the digital realm, replacing shoeboxes of photos and cabinets of VHS tapes and CDs.
What gets forgotten at times, however, is not only how easy it is to lose digital data, but also how quickly media formats change. With this digital revolution of information comes the need for a “preservation revolution,” one that allows us to easily and quickly store and convert digital media so it may live on as part of our rich digital culture.
That said, here are four groups of Internet services that are key to helping you save your digital data.
Online data storage
Relying solely on the hard drive of your computing device to securely save your data isn’t the best idea. Hard drives fail and data can become corrupted. Thus, a better storage plan is necessary to minimize the chances of losing your data. External hard drives and flash drives make for useful backup options. Another viable option is online data storage. Enter services such as Carbonite , CrashPlan, and DropBox.
The main idea behind these services is to allow you to upload your files and sync them to your computing devices. Say, for example, changes to a file on your home desktop are uploaded to one of these services. You then can go somewhere else with Internet access and access the file, update it, and have the file on your desktop at home also be automatically updated.
All three services have similar features, with some imposing different limits on file size and file type depending on what kind of account (free or paid) you have. I recommend comparing the prices and features of the services to find the one that suits your needs best. Having the peace of mind your files are backed up in an additional location is worth the effort.
Online profiles
Whether you’re new to the Internet and share information like hugs, or you’re a grizzled veteran of the online world and consciously limit your sharing habits, you’re likely to leave a digital “fingerprint” on the Web. That fingerprint may come in the form of shared photos, videos, and blog posts, or it may take the shape of anonymous posts on a private forum. And with the surge in number of social media tools, information sharing is occurring in ways previously not thought possible. Tweets shared on Twitter, conversations had on Facebook, contacts made on LinkedIn, and blog entries posted via WordPress: these all are examples of data you may wish to preserve.
Several catch-all options exist for collecting your online data from social media and e-mail accounts. Backupify allows users to back up and retrieve information via two separate plans: one for social media accounts (as well as Gmail) and another for Google Apps accounts. The social media plan has a free option for up to three accounts and one gigabyte of information, as well as several paid account options. The Google Apps option starts out at $3 per month, per user. Both plans allow users to back up their accounts on a weekly basis, browse archived content, and even download it for personal use. In some cases, data can also be restored. A competing service BackupMy offers similar services, though it’s not clear if they also allow you to download the archived information. BackupMy also adds blog and photo archiving services to the mix, with a free trial to all backup services.
Images and videos
When it comes to backing up your images and videos online — while also allowing them to be shared with the rest of the world — Flickr remains a strong option. The site is constantly evolving, allowing users to share and store their media in new ways with whom they wish. Yet even more sophisticated options exist in the form of 1000memories and LiveOn. Both sites are designed to allow users to archive their digital photos for family, friends, and future generations.
What makes 1000memories stand out is its “shoebox” feature, which allows users to group photos into definable themes, all for the low cost of free. Its downside for now seems to be that video uploads aren’t an option. As for LiveOn, in addition to free photo and video uploads, it gives users the option to create a “timeline” on their account, allowing for a more chronological categorization of content. However, I’m a little skeptical of how often they state they’ll guard your information “forever.” Nothing lasts forever, including businesses.
Legacy information
Speaking of things not lasting forever, we humans tend to have this habit of ceasing to be, sometimes without much warning. Enter online services which preserve and pass on your vital “information assets” to one or more beneficiaries. Usernames and passwords, financial information, and digital documents are all options for storing, not only for now, but also for a future when you may not be around. This also aids others who may need to tend to your online accounts after you die.
Two major online entities for these services are Legacy Locker and SecureSafe. Both have similar features and offer a free version as well as paid options. Legacy Locker seems to be somewhat less expensive though perhaps less comprehensive than SecureSafe. One interesting feature that seems to be exclusive to Legacy Locker is the “legacy letter,” one or more prepared letters or videos which can be sent to assigned recipients upon your passing. SecureSafe seems more formal, though it boasts iPad and iPhone support.
Photo via woodleywonderworks, Flickr Creative Commons
Wednesday - May 18, 2011
Take a look at picture on the left. Looks like a laptop, right? It is, but with a 21st century twist.
Google has reimagined the personal computer. The search giant’s theory is that since we spend so much time online, why not design a device that harnesses the power of the Web. Good point, but possibly a fatal flaw.
Called the Chromebook, the laptop runs one software program–Google’s Chrome web browser–relying on online applications, like Google Docs, Gmail and Picasa and lightweight web apps (similar to ones for smartphones) for its computing muscle. Since it has no internal hard drive, all your files are stored in the cloud.
Some of you may remember “dumb” terminals–computer screens and keyboards networked to mainframes. Without the connection, though, the terminal was useless, just a putty-colored paperweight. How will the Chromebook function without Net access? Google claims to have devised a way to work offline using the features of HTML5. If you’re technically inclined, here’s a video that explains the process. How well it works remains to be seen, since Chromebooks won’t be available for another month.
Leaving that question aside, the bigger issue is this: Do you feel comfortable giving Google control over your computing environment, the programs you use and access to all your data? In other words, how much can you trust them?
The recent outcry over location tracking with Android smartphones underscores the problem. With Chromebook, Google will have a record of everything users do. How will Google use it? Can they keep this data secure? Given the epidemic of hacking and data breaches, storing sensitive information online poses a serious risk.
With notebooks, netbooks, tablets and smartphones, there’s no lack of mobile devices for working and playing on the go. So why is Google introducing yet another gadget?
Since the invention of the personal computer in the early 1980s, there’s been a battle for control of the desktop. The chief combatants, Microsoft and Apple, have reaped rich rewards from powering PCs. Now Google wants to cash in. Just as its Android operating system now controls 1 out of 3 smartphones, it wants to do the same with Chromebooks.
A great feature for non-technical types is that the messy task of updating and upgrading software will all be accomplished behind-the-scenes. Just leave it to Google. For the cost-conscious, there won’t be new software to buy.
But all new technology comes with bugs. Google is a culture of engineers who aspire to automate everything. Although the company employs over 26,000, try reaching one of them on the phone for advice. If you need tech support, email or check out a message board.
Last year Google launched a new smartphone, the Nexus One. The Android operating system generally got good reviews; product support didn’t. Early adapters howled their disapproval. Will Chromebook support be any better? Maybe.
The Chrome website indicates that you can schedule a phone appointment. How long it takes is anyone’s guess. Are you willing to wait for an appointment with a mission-critical task to complete? Personally, I want tech support NOW.
Finally, Google faces huge competition. Chromebooks will reportedly sell for around $500. For somewhat less, you can buy a netbook; for around the same price, a laptop or tablet PC. Will business and consumers embrace this new product? Will you?
Wednesday - Jun 16, 2010
If you use webmail, Google docs, Facebook, Flickr or similar online services, you’re already using cloud computing. For those of you not familiar with the concept, here’s a brief overview. Last week the Pew Internet & American Life Project released its latest report on the future of the Net. According to a majority of tech experts, we will “live mostly in the cloud” by 2020. It’s a radical departure from the way things are today, but one fraught with risk.
Most of us run programs like Microsoft Office on desktop or laptop computers, storing our data locally on the hard drive. With cloud computing, you access many of the same programs with a web browser, then store your files on a server. In fact Microsoft just rolled out Office Web Apps, a free online version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.
While there are many advantages to this scenario, the greatest risk, in my opinion, involves data security. Sure, someone can hack into your computer and access your files, but as far as I know, it hasn’t happened to me yet. But if your files are stored in some “cloud,” who knows who may be accessing it. The government? Your competitors? A bored teenager? Law enforcement? Political rivals? Call me paranoid, but you get the idea. Who can you trust with all your personal and private information? No one, from government agencies like the Department of Defense to multinational corporations like AT&T, has been able to prevent data breaches.
While it would certainly make life easier to never have to upgrade software or backup files, until a system is in place that can reasonable assure the security of online data, I’m sticking with my hard drive. What about you?
