Wirelessly Backup your Cell Phone Photos/Videos with DropBox

If you use DropBox, you can backup or sync your cell phone's photos/videos to your computer. Its an effortless way to transfer your photos/videos automatically without having to use a physical wire.

Instructions:

1. Press on the image icon in DropBox on your phone.
2. Press "Enable Camera Upload" button.
3. Choose "Only Wi-Fi" or "Wi-Fi + Cell".

Now every time you take a new picture, it will automatically upload to a folder in your DropBox and thus sync to your DropBox on your computer.

Tips:

• I would recommend first downloading all of your photos/videos to your computer first and delete them from your phone. Otherwise, DropBox will start uploading your entire current collection. And if you dont regularly back up and delete photos/videos on your phone, that can be a lot of files.
• Now every couple of months, on your computer, you would transfer (cut and paste) all of the photos/videos in your DropBox folder to another folder on your local hard drive. This will free up space from your allotted DropBox storage limit. (e.g. 2GB for free account).
• In Step 3 above, I would recommend choosing "Only Wi-Fi". That way, it wont use up your phone's data plan. However, keep in mind that the uploading will only occur when you enable your wi-fi at a later time.

Hard Drive Encryption

Do I need to encrypt my hard drive? Unless your hard drive contains lots of private information that you wouldnt want an identify thief to have, you could just manually encrypt some of your personal files. Let's say someone breaks into your house and steals your computer. What information on your computer would you be most afraid of if it got into the wrong hands? For myself, it would probably be my tax files as they contain SSN information and other sensitive information. So I just encrypt it using 7zip. 7zip is an open source archival tool (like Winzip) which I use all the time for creating zip files, but it conveniently has an encryption tool built in. For instructions on how to encrypt files using 7zip, read the article below.

http://www.medicalnerds.com/how-to-encrypt-zip-files-securely-using-7zip/

My Raptor Hard Drive died

Original Post Date: 3/5/09

I turned off my computer when I left for vacation. When I got back a week later, my computer wouldnt boot Windows XP. I opened up the case and I heard the infamous clicking sound that came from my Western Digital Raptor X hard drive. Definitely not a healthy sound, but at least I knew for sure that it was just the hard drive which should be fairly easy to replace.

Did I lose all of my data? No way. I had my "flawless" back up plan in place. Remember that I have 2 hard drives. I use the Raptor hard drive to hold just my Windows XP operating system. My 2nd hard drive has all my real data on it. So basically, I just lost all of my software applications and would just to have to reinstall them all over again. But wait...no I dont need to do that because I have kept a back up image of my Raptor drive. An image is like taking a snapshot of your current computer settings and applications. So all I need to do is restore the image and Im up and running again like nothing happened. So I had thought. More on this later.

I purchased the Raptor drive on 4/17/2007 (thank you gmail for keeping a record of all my purchases), so I was quite surprised that it only lasted under 2 years. Coincidentally, my brother's Raptor drive died recently as well and his Raptor was only a year old. Fortunately, there is a 5 year warranty on these drives.

To get the hard drive replaced, WD gave me 2 options. The website stated that they can immediately send me a replacement hard drive first, and then I can send in the broken hard drive afterwards. The only catch was that they required my credit card information and that they would charge me for the full retail price of the drive if they did not receive the broken one within 30 days. That sounded fair to me. The other option would have me send my broken drive first and once they received it, they would send me my replacement drive. Of course, I chose the 1st option because it was faster even though it still took about a week to get it.

I received the new hard drive and restored the image using Acronis True Image 11 which is a highly rated and very popular imaging software application. Wohooo...it worked! I didnt have to reinstall the 50 software applications I had. Wait a second...why did my computer just reboot all of a sudden? It turns out that the image was unstable and my computer kept rebooting by itself every so often. Unstable image!? Are you kidding me? Geez, after all that work and excitement of maintaining a backed up image. Maybe its because I had over 50 applications installed but that really shouldnt matter. That really chaps my hide.

The Bottom Line:

1. WD Raptor X drives dont last very long, so be prepared to have it replaced more often than you think. But man they are fast!
2. Even though Acronis True Image failed me this time, I will still maintain a backup image and be confident (or hopeful) that it will work the next time.
3. I dont use Carbonite to back up anything on my primary drive because all of my data is stored on my secondary drive. But the one set of data that my wife kindly reminded me about are the fonts. The fonts live in the Windows/Fonts folder and therefore it seems that Im unable to configure Carbonite to back up those files. I guess Carbonite cant touch Windows system files for obvious reasons. In any case, I was luckily able to retrieve my fonts directly from the image. And now I back them up on my secondary drive.

10/17/10 Update:So my hard drive crashed again. This time the replacement drive WD gave me only lasted about a year, but luckily, I am still under warranty. This time I was able to successfully restore using the backup image I made a couple of months ago. It only took about 20 minutes! But I also learned to keep a recovery boot disc in handy. Using the Acronis True Image installation cd worked for me. However, if you dont have the install disc, make sure you create your own recovery boot disc using the software. The reason for having a boot disc is so that you can restore your backup image directly from boot up. Otherwise, you would have to reinstall Windows, reinstall the imaging software, then restore the backup image.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are using an imaging software and Carbonite, you will have to disable Carbonite BEFORE taking the drive's image. If you dont perform this step, then Carbonite may not work anymore when you restore the image. Carbonite did not work after my image restore. Booo!

This will be my 3rd hard drive within the 5 year warranty. Let's hope this will be the last one for a while.
Hard Drive Replacement dates
1. 4/17/07
2. 2/12/09
3. 10/14/10

A Guide on How to Get Rid of Spyware

Some things to keep in mind before starting. Disclaimer.

• Reboots galore - you will probably need to reboot at least 5 times if not more.
• Backup - You should already have a back up of all of your files just in case as your system might get to an inoperable state. Always hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
• Time - At least 2 hours, but it all depends on how badly infected you are.
• Newbie - If you are a newbie when it comes to computers, you really shouldnt be doing following these steps. I'd recommend having someone more computer savvy doing it for you.

1. Clean out your system
The first thing you need to do is to try to clean up your system. This will help you get rid of all the unnecessary garbage on your computer. CCleaner is very safe as by default it only cleans up files that you really dont need like temporary browser or system files that are harmless to remove.

2. Uninstall
You most likely have some bad software recently installed on your computer. Check the 2 places. Click on Start-->Programs then you will find the most recent applications installed on the bottom of the list. Look for unfamiliar items. The next place is to go to the Control panel-->Add/Remove Programs. Review the list of applications and see which ones may be unfamiliar to you as well. After compiling a list of unfamiliar or strange items, use Revo Uninstaller to uninstall those applications. Revo Uninstaller will completely remove all traces of the program.

3. Control your startup
Windows has a list of items to launch or auto start when Windows starts say from after a reboot or turning on your computer. Spyware is notorius for adding unwanted items there. So even if you remove spyware by using antispyware programs, you can easily get infected all over again after a reboot. Use Quick Startup to view and remove any unwanted items. Pay close attention to the items that have a strong red rating. Keep in mind that these ratings come from other users who have had the same program start up. They also provide viewable comments that specify why they gave that rating and tell you why you do or do not need it. Be careful not to remove a program that is necessary for Windows to start up. Also, if you are not sure, you can always google the item to see if its safe to remove or not.

4. Install Microsoft Security Essentials
Install Microsoft Security Essentials and then perform a scan to get rid of the bad stuff. Continue to use MSE as it will actively monitor your system for threats. More Info

5. System Restore
If none of the above seems to work, you can try to think back to the last time when you felt that your computer was stable and normal. Then you can system restore back to that point. More Info

6. Start Fresh
As a last resort and a 100% method to get rid of any virus or spyware is to reformat your hard drive and reinstall Windows.

The 10 commandments of Safe Computing

This is probably one of my most important blog entries as I have consolidated all of my computer security tips into a single post. Please take the time to read through it all as it has valuable information that will help to prevent any harm to you and your computer.

1. Thou shall not visit any unwholesome websites.
Gambling, Porn, and Illegal sites are such a few examples. If you ignore this commandment alone, then there really is no use following the rest of the commandments as infection is almost inevitable. Visiting these sites is like strolling through the ghetto and hoping that nothing bad will happen to you. In other words, you are asking for it. I hate to break it to you but most of the Internet is not safe. And even sites that ought to be safe might not be because they themselves might have been unknowlingly compromised or hacked by some bad guys. Nowadays, your computer can get infected by merely visiting a site versus downloading and installing a malicious program.

2. Thou shall not click on pop ups.
Im sure you are familiar with those annoying pop up ads as they seem to pop up everywhere. Some pop ups are really sneaky and evil. There are pop ups that tell you that your computer is infected and you have to click on them to perform an emergency scan to get rid of it. You then proceed to install a software program that is more often than not a spyware program. No matter how convincing they are, do not click on them.

3. Thou shall not click on links...
in emails, IM clients or URL shorteners. (ie. Tinyurl.com)You have to be 100% sure that the link is legit and safe. Most people think that if the link is from someone you know, then you can assume that it will be safe to open. WRONG. The problem is that your friends computer could be infected with viruses. These viruses can use your computer to automatically send out harmful emails to everyone in your address book. Even the buddies on your instant messenger program can unknowingly send you instant messages that say "hey, check this out!" accompanied by a harmful link. And im sure you've seen urls created by url shorteners (ie tinyurl.com/adwtud) in which you have absolutely no idea where they will direct you to. Emails in html format might display the url address but dont be fooled. Just because it spells out the full url, it doesnt necessarily mean that you will visit that site by clicking on that link. However if you hover over the link, you will be able to see the true url address in the status bar located on the bottom left hand corner. If you dont see a status bar, make sure to enable it in the browser. Next try to examine the "true" url displayed in the status bar. Does it look fishy? Why doesnt it match the address displayed in the email? Why does it display an address that does not look familiar to me? Why does it contain a website that is familiar to me but has a bunch of unecessary characters preceding it?

4. Thou shall not open attachments.
This is probably the oldest trick in the book. If you fall for this one then shame on you. If you want to open an attachment from someone make sure that its one that you are expecting instead of receiving one out of the blue one day. In gmail, you can preview most files within the browser. So if you are not sure what the attachment is then previewing the contents would be a safe way to see whats inside. You can also use an antivirus program to scan the attachment before opening. Lastly, you should never open a file with a .exe extension. There arent too many cases whereby someone would send you a .exe file as an attachment.

5. Thou shall not commit a typo.
Be very careful as there are domain names out there dedicated to catch you. They take advantage of the most common mispellings. Most of these dummy sites take advantage of all the hits they get by putting up advertising that may be related to the correctly spelled website. For example, just imagine how many hits amazan.com (note the mispelling) gets if amazon.com get millions of hits per day. But there also can be malicious sites set up whereby you might get infected with a virus or spyware merely by visiting the site. All because you made a typo.So what can you do to prevent this? For one thing you can use open dns which filters out a large portion of bad sites from there database. Click here for more info. Another thing you can do is install a browser plugin which will help prevent you from visiting bad sites. Lastly, instead of typing the url directly, just type it into the google search engine. Google does a pretty good job of knowing which site you want to visit. And it will offer appropriate (Did you mean?) suggestions, if you happen to mispell a websites name.

6. Thou shall keep your software updated.
ie. Windows, Web browsers, Flash player, Acrobat Reader, etc. Make sure you enable the Windows automatic updates so you dont have to always remember to update Windows and Internet Explorer. Firefox auto downloads the update in the background when you are using it. You can tell because it will ask you if you want to update Firefox when you launch it. Flash player has its own standalone upgrader and should prompt you automatically when an upgrade is available. Acrobat Reader uses the general Adobe upgrader which is used for all Adobe products. No matter how annoying and obtrusive these upgraders are, just remember to let it do its thing. There is a software program that manages all software updates on your system, but I forgot what its called and never used it before.

7. Thou shall use wireless security.
Always use the highest encryption possible (ie. WPA2) in your wireless router settings along with a password Never leave your wireless network open. Leaving your wireless network unsecured is like leaving the front door of your house open. Anyone willing can easily get access to all of your files. Also, remember to change your default router password. More info

8. Thou shall not memorize passwords.
Use a password manager. Dont store your passwords in some text or Word file on your computer as anyone can easily steal them.Dont create unsecure passwords.Dont use the same password for all of your sites. More Info

9. Thou shall turn off your computer.
If your computer is off (ie. Standby, Hibernate, Shutdown), then it is essentially unplugged from the Internet. Therefore, it would be impossible to get infected or hacked. More info

10. Thou shall use a antispyware/antivirus software.
You might be wondering why I placed this commandment last. Most people use this as their first line of defense, however it should really be your last. I highly recommend Microsoft Security Essentials.

Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free Anti-virus and Anti-Spyware/Malware software program that is surprisingly receiving great reviews. Surprising because it comes from Microsoft, but if you think about it, who knows more about viruses and spyware infections more than Microsoft itself? The program not only monitors your computer but can also perform scans to remove viruses or spyware.

I've been trying it out for the past couple of months and its been pretty quiet. What I mean is that, I dont notice it even though its always running in the background. Many other virus programs may bother you or bog down your system's performance. Sometimes, I dont even know if its even working, but I guess thats a good thing. Not to brag or anything ;), but I take so many preventive measures on my computer that I rarely ever get any viruses or spyware. So for me, a virus/spyware monitoring program is my last line of defense whereas for most people, it is the first line of defense.

Bottom Line

There are 2 things I look at in an antivirus/antispyware program. Number 1 - It doesnt bother me. Number 2 - It has to work. Microsoft Security Essentials seems to cover both quite nicely.

How to maintain your computer

Like a car, your computer needs routine maintenance. I highly recommend performing the following 3 steps on a quarterly basis. Not only will this increase the longevity of your computer but will also make your computer healthier and faster.

1. Ccleaner - Clean up temporary and unecessary files.

2. Quick startup - Clean out unwanted applications that automatically start when you startup your computer.

3. Auslogics Disk Defrag - Reorganize and optimize your hard drive. If you are too lazy to install this program, you can use the Windows default Disk Defragmenter. Start-->Programs-->Accessories-->System Tools

You can also find these programs in the Free Downloads section on my site located on the right hand side.

Carbonite Remote Access

Finally, the one feature that I've been waiting for that was lacking in my online back up provider. Carbonite now has the feature to access ALL of my backed up files online! Now I can grab any of my computer files anytime remotely when I need it.

Secure Password Management

So how do you manage all of your passwords? Do you write them down on a post it note? Memorize them? Store them on your computer?

Here's a better question. How secure are your passwords? Do they contain words in a dictionary? Do they contain a mixture of numbers and letters and symbols?

Im afraid to say it, but Im willing to bet that none of you securely manage your passwords. But dont fret as I will show you how. But before that, here are some password tips.

1. Passwords should not be a word in the dictionary.


2. Passwords should use a random mixture of lowercase and uppercase letters plus numbers plus symbols. ie. Ws4d!y1d#


3. Use a password manager to manage your passwords.


4. Do not enter passwords on unsecure public computers. For example, I wouldnt dare to check my online banking balance at the library.


5. Make sure your browsers are up to date with the most recent patches and updates.


6. Dont use the same password across different accounts.


7. Do not use browsers to store your passwords.


8. Do not write down your passwords on paper.


9. Do not store passwords in a Word or text file.


10. If you memorized all of your passwords, then most likely they are not that secure.
    

Here's how I do it which was taken from this Lifehacker article using Keepass to manage my passwords and Dropbox to sync my passwords across multiple computers. Basically it goes down like this. I store all of my passwords and account info in Keepass. Keepass will not only encrypt my data, but will only open my list of passwords with a master password(in which I initially set). Therefore, I only need to memorize 1 password to unlock all of my passwords. I store my Keepass password file in a Dropbox folder. This special folder gets synced to all Dropbox folders that I install on any other computer. For example, if I add a new password to Keepass on my home computer, Dropbox will automatically detect the change and perform a sync to my other Dropbox folder on my work computer. That means not matter which computer I am currently on, I will always have my most recent passwords available to me. The only caveat is that I must have both Keepass and Dropbox installed on each computer.

The Bottom Line
You might say thats a bit troublesome and probably not worth the hassle. I agree, its a bit inconvenient. But did you know that there are bad guys out there who's full time job is to steal your information? How many of you had your identity stolen or even had credit card/banking information fall into the wrong hands?

Usually, there is an inverse relationship between security and convenience. The more you want to secure something, the more inconvenient it will be to access it. So the question is how important is your personal information to you? Are you willing to take that risk?

Tivo + iPhone = :)

Time is a luxury these days, especially with 2 needy boys. No more time to sit on my couch and watch my HD shows on my Tivo. But now I have a solution - watch my Tivo recorded shows on my iPhone during my weekday commutes to work.

Setup

1. Tivo Series 3 - to record TV shows.


2. Tivo Wireless Adapter - to send shows wirelessly to my computer.


3. Wireless router - to receive shows wirelessly.


4. Tivo Desktop Plus - to manage/transfer and convert shows to compatible iPhone format.


5. iTunes - to sync shows to iPhone.


6. iPhone - to watch shows.

Now you might think this is a big hassle, but I already had most of this set up already. The only new thing I added was the Tivo Desktop Plus Software to make this entire process complete. The software unfortunately is not free ($24.95) but is well worth it as it does practically everything automatically. Believe it or not, the only manual thing I do is sync my iPhone. Dont believe me? Well, let me explain.

First of all, I just configure Tivo Desktop Plus to download to my computer any TV show on my Tivo ie. Heroes, Prison Break, Terminator. These are .TIVO files. Secondly, I tell it to convert the .TIVO files into the iPhone format .mp4. Lastly, it adds the shows into my iTunes library. Keep in mind that all of the above is only a one time set up. So now, whenever a new episode of Heroes has been recorded on my Tivo, it will also be waiting for me in my iTunes library in which I just have to sync my iPhone. Major kudos for Tivo for simplifying such a complex process. The Tivo software doesnt work 100% of the time. Sometimes, it doesnt transfer over the recording automatically. Or it transfered the recording, but didnt convert it to mp4. Had some issues with some Heroes episodes. But maybe its because NBC adds some DRM into its shows. Who knows.

Not only can I transfer my Tivo recorded shows, but I can also transfer Caden's as well. ie. Teletubbies, Wiggles. Now Caden can watch his TV shows when we're on vacation like when we're on an airplane OR in the hotel room. Huh? Yes, Apple sells an iPhone AV cable in which you can hook your iPhone up to a TV. But Im still debating whether or not to spend $49 on it. Yes, Apple is charging $49 for that stinkin' cable! What a ripoff.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4)

It has arrived! Learn more.

Remote control a PC anytime...anywhere

Sometimes, I need to troubleshoot my parents computer when something goes wrong. The best way to do that is to remotely control the computer. Im going to show you the most effective way to remote control another PC for free. Keep in mind that this method is only for circumstances in which you would like take total control and have instant access to the host computer whenever and wherever you want.

Requirements:

1. Both computers need to be connected to the Internet...duh.


2. DSL or higher internet connection

Instructions:

Host PC (computer you wish to control)

1. Sign up for a free no-ip.com account



2. Click Add under Hosts/Redirects.



3. Enter a hostname and choose any domain name. For example, mydadscomputer.no-ip.org.
   Choose something easy to remember as this will be part of your login.



4. Install the Dynamic Update Client.
   This software ensures that the host computer ip address is always current and updated for the mydadscomputer.no-ip.org host.



5. Install VNC (free edition). During install, choose the server version.
   Run VNC and in the options, specify a password.
   
6. Turn off Windows Firewall in the Control Panel.



7. That's it. Both the Dynamic Update Client and the VNC server should automatically run in the background from now on.

Controller PC

1. Install VNC (free edition). During install, choose the client only version.



2. Launch VNC.



3. Enter "mydadscomputer.no-ip.org" for the server name and the password that you set in step 5 above.

Voila! Now I can control my dads computer wherever and whenever I want with a click of a button. My dad doesnt even need to be at the computer when I take control as long as the computer is on.

Now you might ask, why not just use something like crossloop to remote control another persons computer. The big difference is that I wanted full control of the host computer without having to call my dad every time I wanted to do so. With crossloop and most other remote controlling software, there has to be physically someone sitting at the host computer.

Verizon Wireless - Transfer your contact list to your new phone for FREE!

I just got a new Motorola KRZR K1m phone. I wanted to transfer all of my contacts on my old phone (Chocolate) to my new KRZR. What's the cheapest and easiest way? I found a way that is free and you dont need any cables. At a Verizon Wireless store, they will charge you $10.

1. Go to verizonwireless.com and sign up for a my account.
   
   
2. On your existing phone, follow the 4 steps in the image above. It will prompt you to accept a $1.99 monthly charge. Go ahead and accept it, because if you created a Verizon Wireless my account (step 1), they will NOT charge you. I know its scary to accept it, but just check your monthly statement to make sure they are not charging you. That's it. So from now on, your contacts will be backed up daily.
   
   
3. On your new phone, follow the same 4 steps (in the above picture) and it will prompt you to download your backed up contacts.

Check out https://www.getbackupnow.com/ for more details.

My Favorite Free Software

Antivirus

Im currently using Clamwin which is open source. I've used all of the programs below and you should be fine installing any one of them to protect your computer.

• Clamwin
  
  
  
• AVG
  
  
  
• Avast
  

Firewall

Before I used ZoneAlarm, but now I use Comodo. Whenever there was a software update for Zonealarm, I would have to reinstall the entire application. That's just too much work for me.

• Comodo
  



• ZoneAlarm
  

Office Productivity

I've personally never used it but heard good things about it. If you dont have Microsoft Office, I'd defnitely try out this replacement.

• OpenOffice
  

Antispyware

I've used these to clean out some spyware, but if you really have a spyware problem, I highly recommend spysweeper, even though it is not free.

• Adaware
  




• Spybot
  

Instant Messaging

Using Trillian and GAIM, you can log into multiple IM accounts all at once. If you are on a public computer, you can use a web based instant messaging site that also allows you to log in to multiple IM accounts called Meebo.

• Trillian
  

• GAIM (Pidgin)
  

• AIM
  

DVD Backup

Paired along with Slysoft AnyDVD (not free), you'll have the ultimate dvd backups.

• DVD Shrink
  

Utilities

This program cleans up all the unnecessary junk that starts to pile up on your computer when surfing the internet. After performing the cleanup, your computer will run faster.

• CCleaner
  

Remote PC Management

If you need to troubleshoot a problem on another persons' computer, the best (and coolest) way is to take control of their computer. This program is by far the simplest and easiest. Just install this lightweight program on the host and the remote pc and have your friend/family just give you the access code.

• Crossloop
  

File Compression

Need to open a .zip file or to zip files up and send them? If you are going to send someone 10 files, please dont attach all of them in an email. Zip them all up and then send 1 zip file.

• 7-zip
  

File Shredder

If you are selling your computer or you want to permanently delete private files make sure you shred them. That way no one will be able to retrieve them.

• File Shredder
  

Uninstaller

Use this program to completely remove or uninstall programs and leave no trace behind.

• Revo Uninstaller
  

Preinstalled Software Remover

Bought a new PC or laptop and have lots of unwanted software applications preinstalled? Want to get rid of that crap?

• PC Decrapifier
  

Other

Going on vacations, I would always bring my laptop to watch movies on the plane or at the hotel. I would lug around a couple of dvds with me. When I was done with one movie, I would have to swap the dvd out and put the other one in.

But nowadays, I dont need to lug around dvds with me because of a software I found called Alcohol 52%. Dont ask me how they came up with their name. I just extract all the dvds I want to watch onto my laptop before I go on vacation. It only takes about 10 minutes for each extraction and each file takes up about 5gb of space. I extracted a bunch of Wiggles dvds for Caden which is totally a lifesaver. I think it also saves laptop battery life, since it doesnt have to use the dvd player. No need for fumbling around with dvds when you're in economy class and you have Caden sitting on your lap.

• Alcohol 52%
  

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Online BackUp - Carbonite

I finally decided on online backup as a method of backing up my computer data. I never thought I would pay a subscription fee for any internet service, but it is well worth it. I was pretty good about backing up my data on hard drives and DVDs, but as gigabytes of Caden's photos started to accumulate, I started to worry. A while back, a bunch of Caden's photos were on my compact flash card and somehow the card got corrupted. We were so sad because those pictures meant a lot to us and there was no way to get it back. We would do (or pay) anything, just to get those pictures back. Luckily, it seems that memory flash cards crash frequently and there was software out on the internet that tries to rescue those files. It took many hours, but I was able to restore 99% of the photos :)

So I thought about all the ways to backup my data since they are more precious to me than anything.

1. External Hard Drive - Very fast and convenient. But what happens if my internal drive gets larger than my external drive? Then I would have to keep buying larger and larger external drives. Also, what would happen if I connect my USB external drive to back up my internal drive and something happens? Like a power outage or whatever. It could damage BOTH my external and internal drive in which my data would be lost on both drives. What if there was a fire?

2. DVD - Inexpensive. But a lot of my data is growing larger than the 4GB capacity. Therefore, I have to span my backup across several DVDs. And what happens if I change a file on my computer after I already backed it up on DVD? I would have to do burn another back up. You have to be diligent when it comes to backing up your data on DVD. You have to know what you have or have not backed up and you have to back up often. Also, I heard that DVD media just like CDs dont last forever. I just cant imagine that after my PC crashes, I would go into my binder full of DVDs and find out that they all arent readable. All that work for nothing. Again, what if there was a fire?

3. Online Back Up (Carbonite) - Let me just list some of the PROS that I experienced thus far with this service:

• Unlimited Storage: Go ahead and store you're terabytes of data. All other online backups have a limit.
  
• Set it and forget it: You dont have to manage it at all. It will automatically backup whatever you specify. It will do it in the background and will NOT slow down your internet connection. Its smart enough to detect that if you are using the Internet, it wont do any backup transfers.
  
• Inexpensive: The price is just right. $5 per month. Its actually cheaper than $5 in their 1 or 2 year subscription. So instead of buying that external hard drive or all your DVD media or paying someone to retrieve data on your crashed hard drive, use the saved money on the monthly fee.
  
• Restore deleted files: Ever delete a file and then empty the recycle bin and then wish you could take that back?
  
• Restore files easy: When you install the software, it will add a Carbonite drive in your my computer, just like your C: drive and your dvd/cd drives. Just double click it and you'll be able to navigate through your already backed up files. Then just right click the file or folder you want restored and select "restore". That's it. Just wait and presto, the file is back on your computer in it original location.
  
• Fire proof: So let's say that you have a fire and your computer is burnt to a crisp. No problem. When you get your new computer, just install the software and download all the files that were on your burnt computer.

Now you might ask, what can go wrong? Okay let me tell you how you can lose all your data even with Carbonite. All of the following need to occur at the same.

1. Your hard drive crashes
2. Carbonite's server hard drives crashes.
3. Carbonite's backup data center crashes.

If only 1 of the above occurs, you still have your data right?
If your hard drive crashes, your data is still safe with Carbonite.
If Carbonite crashes, well duh, you still have your data on your computer.

I just signed up for a 2 year term. I highly recommend them.
For more info, click here to go to their website.

Haha, as I was finishing up writing this post, I blew a fuse at my house and my computer shut off instantly. Luckily, my computer survived. Phew.

Free AVG Antivirus no longer free

AVG antivirus was the free program I used on all my computers. Starting January, it is no longer free.

So I found another free antivirus program that I've been using to replace it.

Its called Clamwin.



UPDATE: Looks like AVG was trying to trick us into upgrading to a paid version with all of its warning pop up messages. But in fact, AVG will still be offering a FREE 7.5 version.
Available at www.free.grisoft.com
For more info, check out the forums

Spy Sweeper

I just bought Webroot Spy Sweeper 4.5 for free after rebate (FAR) last week. It's an anti-spyware removal and protection software. I purchased it because it has excellent reviews, won many awards, and cleaned out over 90% of spyware (and did I mention that it was FAR?). Compared to like 60% with other programs like adaware and spybot. A lot of times I have to use multiple programs to remove spyware. Anyways, my take on it the internet these days is that its not safe anymore, unless you are SUPER careful. I've been SUPER careful and Spy Sweeper still found some spyware on my computer. And trust my I've cleaned out many machines already to prove it. I know its not me to suggest buying something that's not free, but Im going to do it anyways. Buy this program, you wont regret it.

Macromedia Studio 8 Now Available

The newest versions of our products are out.
Macromedia Studio 8 which includes Flash Professional 8, Fireworks 8, Dreamweaver 8, and Contribute 3.

Free Opera browser

The Opera browser is now free, meaning no more ads. Its another alternative to Internet Explorer or Firefox. It has some pretty cool features and is very fast.