| We often don't realise how heavily reliant we are on | | | | size, is that they're almost infinitely re-writable and |
| technology until we lose it. If your cell phone goes | | | | flat, meaning they can fit into practically any wallet, |
| missing, laptop is stolen or Internet connection goes | | | | purse, envelope or book.Removable Hard DrivesOne |
| down for a day, that's when you realise how | | | | of the most popular forms of removable hard drives |
| vulnerable you are to human imperfections. I say | | | | are what many call "flash drives" or "USB drives." |
| human imperfections because machines are not | | | | While they are currently the "coolest" around, we |
| perfect because they are built by humans. Data is | | | | don't like them very much unless the sole reason |
| entered into machines by humans and humans make | | | | you're getting them is to be able to sit at the |
| mistakes. So while the machine may be doing what it | | | | lunchtable of cool people. |
| is told to do, without someone to tell it, it really can't | | | | Now, don't get me wrong, they work fine but in our |
| do anything.Back up your lifeHurricanes and other | | | | opinion there are much better media when it comes |
| natural disasters have taught many people that | | | | to resilience and ease of use. I would use these |
| sometimes it's not only your gadgets that need | | | | detachable drives really for only two reasons: (1) if I |
| backing up. Sometimes your life needs to get backed | | | | were working between two computers and (2) if I |
| up too. So while this article will focus on backing up | | | | wanted to work in two different operating systems |
| your website and e-mail, you may want to also use | | | | and needed to boot from a different drive each time. |
| the opportunity to back up other items that are | | | | The major advantage of flash drives, I suppose, is |
| crucial to your life. A photocopy of your passport, | | | | that practically any computer, and in some cases |
| bank accounts, deeds, serial numbers and other | | | | multi-media projectors, carry USB ports. So I suppose |
| documents are good to keep in a different | | | | that could be a third reason to carry a USB drive: if |
| geography. One of the lessons preached following | | | | I'm going to deliver a presentation.Marketers of flash |
| the infamous Hurricane Katrina was precisely that. | | | | drives have done a great job at getting people to |
| Should a natural disaster decide it's going to pass | | | | have flash drives hanging around their necks. While it |
| your way, you would have a back up of important | | | | is said to be hot-pluggable, meaning all you have to |
| documents stored safely in a different geography. A | | | | do is stick it in and yank it out, I've seen instances |
| friend, relative or even a company that specialises in | | | | where drivers had to be installed first and where |
| storage might be a wise choice to leave in charge of | | | | 'yanking it out' has caused it to burn or auto-erase |
| these photocopied documents.Having said that, let's | | | | itself. However, if you have one already, it is not a |
| look at how you can back up your website and | | | | bad place to backup your website or e-mail. The |
| e-mails by going through some easy-access back up | | | | other big plus is that they are infinitely re-writeable. |
| media:CDsThey are now extremely cheap retailing for | | | | Other removable hard drives include external cases |
| only a couple of cents and can be found anywhere. | | | | attached to your computer through a USB or firewire |
| The even better news is that it seems everyone | | | | cable. These are the worst, if you ask me. They're |
| now has a CD-burner. You can save your entire | | | | usually very fragile and sometimes need special |
| website, plus important e-mails on CDs by simply | | | | software. |
| "saving as..." on each file. CDs are resilient, | | | | On the other hand, the huge advantage of these is |
| waterproof, easy to access and easy to burn. By | | | | that they usually offer hundreds of GB of disk space. |
| "CDs" we of course include CD-R and CD-RW. Be | | | | You can't beat them for space! This is a good option |
| careful though because something called CD+R and | | | | if what you want to do is back up your entire office |
| CD+RW also exist. Nothing is wrong with those | | | | or important videos.Remote ServerMost webhosting |
| media but check your burner before you | | | | companies also claim to offer back up of your |
| buy.DVDsDVD-burners are becoming increasingly | | | | website and e-mail but I would never rely on that, |
| common and the advantage DVDs have over CDs is | | | | especially not for e-mail. I would download e-mail and |
| of course that they have greater capacity. Whereas | | | | back it up myself. The time alone it would take to |
| a CD may hold up to 700 MB, a DVD can hold 4-8 | | | | recover files from a crashed server would not be |
| GB. That's a lot of storage space! Make sure your | | | | worth it. That doesn't mean, though, that you |
| next computer comes with a DVD-burner if it doesn't | | | | shouldn't look for a webhost that does offer back |
| have one already. DVD burning software like Nero or | | | | up. The more places your data is securely backed up, |
| even Roxio do a good job at helping you to compile | | | | the higher your chances of recuperating vital |
| DVDs in a very user-friendly fashion.Hard | | | | information if lost from your base of operations.Online |
| DriveAlthough you may not see it like that, you | | | | Storage CompaniesNow, personally, I would never |
| should consider your hard drive a backup source as | | | | use a storage company because they can't do for |
| well. For example if something happens to the CD or | | | | me anything that I can't do for myself. I can burn my |
| DVD you can still have the contents on your hard | | | | own CDs and store them in a safe place. So unless |
| drive. Be sure to re-back up if that happens though. | | | | you really don't have the time, don't know how or |
| If you're going to remove important files from your | | | | have money to burn, never mind the storage |
| hard drive permanently, then you should consider | | | | companies. On the other hand, if this entire article has |
| backing them up in at least two of the other media | | | | sounded like nothing but mumbo-jumbo to you, you |
| on this list.SD CardsYou thought the next medium I | | | | need a storage company. Trust me, you do. |
| was going to talk about would be removable hard | | | | :-)PaperPaper, yes, paper. A well-known bank, whose |
| drives? Well, I decided to put this first because | | | | name begins with the letter 'R' backs up everything |
| increasing numbers of computers, especially | | | | on paper - in addition to the electronic methods of |
| desktops, are now coming with "card readers" built | | | | course; and with good reason. True, it may be |
| into the keyboards.There are many different formats | | | | difficult to have to type over an entire address book |
| but we recommend SD cards because they're small | | | | but it's better to have a percentage of something |
| and resilient. An SD card can take a lot of "jamming" | | | | than all of nothing. Computer viruses can't attack |
| as we would say in the local isles. As they're so small, | | | | paper and depending on the quality of paper you use, |
| they can also be easily shipped to other locations. | | | | it might well outlive you. So in addition to the |
| Now, you'll hear all kinds of names for these cards. | | | | electronic methods, do consider printing. |
| Some people call them memory cards while others | | | | Our bottom line is (1) back up everything that is |
| say memory sticks. Basically, each manufacturer | | | | important to you on at least two media (2) send an |
| came up wth a name of its own for its kind of card. | | | | extra copy to a different geography i.e. city or |
| The common denominator though is that they're all | | | | country if possible (3) do it now!Aleem Khan is an |
| cards. They're very popular in digital cameras but | | | | accredited Internet Expert with the International |
| that's not all they're good for. They're also good for | | | | Internet Authority, a safe and reliable place to |
| storage. Some cell phones also carry them too. One | | | | getYourNAMEin. |
| major advantage of these cards, apart from their | | | | |