The computer upgrade process has officially started for IS and library staff! If you haven’t done so already it’s time to back-up your data to prepare for the move. It’s also a good time to get into the habit of regularly backing up your data. As staff we all have access to 1gb in Netfiles, however you may find it’s not enough to meet your needs. Past TechTips have suggested different tools for this purpose. Today I’m going to provide you with a few more options.
Last year I posted this piece about Microsoft Skydrive. Shortly after that post the kind folks in Redmond bumped the storage from 5gb to 25gb. I love the service but the downside is that you have to use the web interface to upload individual files. One way around this is to create a zip file of the documents you want to backup and upload the single zip file, but this is a hassle if you only need to get to one of your documents. However, there is another solution. Those of you with Windows systems who are particularly adventuresome will want to checkout the starter edition of Gladinet. After installing it lets you mount SkyDrive (and other storage options) as local drives allowing you to drag-n-drop till the cows come home.
Another service receiving positive reviews is Mozy. Mozy offers free accounts which include 2gb of storage with Windows and Mac clients available. They also offer unlimited storage, available for $4.95 per month per computer you use to access their service.
The last service, one I personally really like is Jungle Disk. If you have A LOT of data that requires save and secure storage you’ll definitely want to try it. The service works by providing local clients for Windows, Mac and, Linux which you use to access your files. The storage component is handled by Amazon’s S3 cloud storage service (S3 stands for Simple Storage Service). Jungle Disk offers unlimited storage for $2.00 per month plus $.15 per gigabyte of data. There are also fees for data transfer ($.10 per gb uploaded / $.17 per gb downloaded). Here’s a possible pricing scenario: if you had 5gb of data including 1gb of photos recently uploaded, your monthly fee would be $2.85 ($2.00 monthly fee + $.75 for 5gb of storage + $.10 for 1gb data upload).
Bonus Tip!
Re-live a little history with the very first television spot for cellular service from Centel! You’ll want to note two things. First, compare the size of your current phone to those shown in the ad. Second, look for all the fun and adventure the early adopters had (look for jeep at 15 seconds in).
See it at YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptbJZ9HBw2k
So, your mission for the weekend is to get out there and live it up! Afterall, you own a cell phone!
Services: SkyDrive | Gladinet | Mozy | Jungle Disk