Do you backup your cell phone data?
I, for one, remember no phone numbers. Or appointments. Or anything really. My phone does it all. I am also lucky…my phone is using Microsoft ActiveSync to keep tasks, calendar, contacts, and email current with the exchange server. Sweet for me.
Lots of phones support this (iPhone, any Windows Mobile device, Android) but the “gotcha” is that you need an exchange server on the other end…so basically that is only available if your employer provides it, except for a handful of overachieveing or thieving individuals out there.
But for those of you without this option, or with a standard cell phone, what do you do? Do you periodically back up you phone? Do you pay $2-$7 a month to have your mobile carrier do it for you? Let me suggest that you should do something…it stinks to lose all your numbers.
An old article, but it may help you:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/125519/dialed_in_back_up_your_cell_phones_address_book.html
Sometimes, go with what you know
Sometimes, it is important to remember that backups are never out of reach. For example, windows 7 has them built in this way:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/backup-and-restore.aspx
and, don;t forget about system checkpoints and restore options.
the Mac OS has Time machine:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/what-is-macosx/time-machine.html
And Linux has…well, linux may or may not have something built-in, depending on your build and version and what day it is. so, go to sourceforge.net and search for open source backups…but nobody on linux will read this anyway.
Backing up Media files
There have been a number of devices in the past year that provide streaming media “home server” type options. A really interesting one is the Pogoplug, which released some new features today. Among them: streaming to XBOX 360 and PS3, and the ability to backup media files. It brings to mind the question of the worth of backing up media. Pictures, sure, but mp3s, movies, etc? It would be nice if there were, ahem, some sort of perpetual license that precluded the need to back these up. I wonder about the global cost and resources eaten up by having millions of copies of the same songs floating around, clogging network drives, being backed up, etc. When LaLa first came out, it seemed like a solution. But when Apple bought it, well, that was the last I’ve heard of it.
Also in the news today: Exagrid appliances are validated to backup and provide dedupe for NetBackup.
Also, Backup Exec 2010 was released last week, check out this review…
And last but not least, The Back-up Plan Movie, Release Date 4/23/2010 – check out the blog about it
Backup Evangelism Conitnues
The evangelism continues. There are quite a few folks writing articles promoting backups, and this is a good thing. I have a vision of a world in which no data is accidentally lost, and if everyone learns to back up, it may some day be a reality.
Jerry Osteryoung, writing for his blog and a local newspaper, uses personal anecdotes to illustrate the need for backups. He touches on some important points, including the need for a geographically removed archive in the case of a true disaster (something that is often on the minds of Gulf area residents).
Bill Husted, writing for The Columbus Dispatch, leans on the idea that there is little excuse not to put forth the relatively light effort required to have some form of backup.
Lincoln Spector, for PC World, writes an excellent article about different backup strategies. He covers a lot of ground, and it is a great article.
Keep speadin’ the word!
Free Data Storage & Online Backup to 300 Top Students
The Wall Street Journal carries a summary of a pretty savvy marketing move by EMC. EMC, which is one of the biggest players in backup and data management, is celebrating their 30th anniversary by offering free data storage and backups to 300 top students from around the world. This is one of those brilliant marketing moves. If all goes well, those 300 students will be loyal customers for life. Gievn that they are top students, it stands to reason that they will be influential, decision-maker-types in their future jobs, and given their loyalty to EMC, may recommend EMS soultions in the future. Add to that lots of excitement at schools, with folks nominating their favorite picks or trying to win the prize, lots of free press and writeups of…hey, wait a minute…