Month: December 2013

What is backup really worth to you? Top 5 Backup software!

Paul

Via Wikimedia.org

We’ve all had that done to us!

In the last few months we have had this very bad ransomware called Cryptolocker, and just how many people don’t really back up their important files.   I am going to alliviate some of this by talking about a few of the ways you could prevent this from happening in the first place.

This is not going to be a why it happened sort of blog post but more to the point of which backup software works best to help keep thos jpegs, and video files save from malicious acts.   Even the best security advise can not help you if you don’t help yourself so this is not a 100% guaranttee but at least it will head you in the right direction.

  • Mozy comes with both a trial version and even a free 5 gb version.   Each of these can help you save you files.   I personally have tried the free version and love it.  Although it isn’t my current backup plan.  I’ve used it in the past and still think it is better than nothing!
  • Google Drive comes with 15 gb free space and can let you share files to other people easily and simply.  I have this one with a 100 Gb plan for 2 years due to my Acer Chromebook.  That is one of the perks of buying a Chromebook.  You get free space for two years.  It also allows me to use this as a mapped drive.  
  • Carbonite which I haven’t used for a long time, has been vetted by tons of experts.   It also has a 15 day trial for one computer unlimited space.   It has helped some people with keeping it in the cloud storage solution.
  • Dropbox is another Good service.   It allows you to share files quite easily and securely.   I haven’t used this service because I don’t need to.   I however have used it in the past and it works really well.
  • Just Cloud is the last one I would recommend visiting.  It can be used on any system and has unlimited storage.  Free Apps and multiple computer backups and shares files with friends.

On a side note, I use Always Sync with Google Drive to keep all my files sync with my laptop.   It however doesn’t need to be used with my Google Chrome. A simple 16 gb to 32 Gb SD card or USB drive can keep your files backed up on your Chromebook.   Some of these do not need to use Always Sync but in most cases unless you have a way to do an offline back up then your still vulnerable.   You can always buy a 500gb Hard Drive to a 1 Tb hard drive and then use Always Sync from time to time to keep it backed up!

You should always have more than one type of backup in case the unthinkable actually happens.   This post is to help you find out how to keep those valuable files from being ransomed and encrypted illegally.   Once a week you should plug in that drive and sync your files with the hard drive.   Do not keep it plugged in because that will not prevent the problem.   It has to be offline to prevent problems like this ransomware!

More Mobile Phones than Clean Toilets?

Paul


 

Photo by Yuichi Shiraishi / Flickr

 

On World Water Day, the United Nations released a very interesting, and possibly disturbing, factoid: “There are now more people with mobile phones (six billion for world population of seven billion) on earth than there are with access to clean toilets (4.5 billion).” Wow.

Things That Make You Go, Hmmm…

This statistic points out that developing countries still lack basic sanitation. But apparently do not lack phones. Or phone infrastructure. Again, wow. What is going on here? What’s next?

What’s Going on?

So how has the world come to a level where cell phones are so easily distributed, mobile phone service is so widely available, yet about 2 billion people do not have access to basic human civilization level of potties? How did we get here? And do we all fully understand the situation?

Sanitation issues extend beyond being unpleasant and uncomfortable. This isn’t like having to use a Port-o-John at a festival and being inconvenienced for the afternoon. Disease from poor sanitation reportedly kills over 4,000 kids per day. PER DAY.

But, Why?

  • Greed: The profit margin for installing sewers, plumbing, and bathroom facilities is significantly less than the profit margin in the mobile phone world. Greed motivates people. Hence, lots of phones. And on the toilets for everyone, not so much.

  • No Infrastructure: Many developing nations are only vaguely titled as such. In fact, it is development in specific that is lacking. Many countries simply have no infrastructure for sanitation. No pipes to bring clean water in. No sewers to take tainted water away. No treatment facilities to keep the cycle going.

  • Broken Infrastructure: In many countries the infrastructure that is present is aging and broken, leaking pipes and the like. Particularly in nations where a colonizing force installed the infrastructure and then a people’s revolution took over, which had no clue on what the former rulers had going or how to keep it going.

  • Government Sucks: Often in developing nations the government is so unstable or corrupt that serving the needs of the masses with sanitation services is either not on the agenda, or hasn’t been reached yet. Corruption often brings the developing part of a nation to the leaders of the nation first. Like we said, greed.

  • Corporations Rock: Yeah, not usually our first thought. But, greed can also bring the good. Granted, choosing between mobile phones and sanitation is not possible, but if you’re not going to have one, you might as well have the other. And the spread of mobile devices also brings the spread of social networking which brings exposure to things like a lack of sanitation.

FTW

While these mind-blowing statistics appear disheartening at first read, the spread of mobile phones is a positive development for developing nations. Mobile phones bring connectivity on more than just a cellular grid, but also between people and causes and even more people to help with those causes. Maybe the concept of clean toilets just needs a really good KickStarter campaign.

 

Written by: Adam Prattler knows that 001flowerflower.com is a high quality website. When not  buying flowers, he likes to write content for marketing purposes online. He thinks he’s pretty good at it.