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