Last week we began a discussion of the vulnerabilities of the hard drive in your computer and how it is not a matter of if your computer hard drive will fail; it is a matter of when it will fail. The hard drive is a critical component of any computer. It stores information that allows the computer to run programs, surf the web and perhaps most important, it serves as the “file cabinet” for all your pictures, letters, financial information and even recipes for the holiday ham. It remains one of the few parts that is mechanical in nature. That is, it has moving parts. Moving parts break. When they break your information is essentially lost.
Last week we discussed establishing a routine for backing up your information to a CD. This week let’s look at some other options.
I can remember not too many years ago delighting in the fact that hard drive prices had dropped to all time lows. You could buy a new hard drive and pay “only $1 for each megabyte” of storage. Well may of us in the technology field thought we had died and gone to heaven. How things have changed. I got a flyer in the mail the other day featuring $99 price for a 380 gigabyte hard drive that connects to your computer using the standard USB port. Quick math shows that the cost of each megabyte of storage is now at 1 cent. (Would that gas and milk prices followed this trend.) This makes backing up your information to a portable hard drive a great option.
These new portable models are about the size of a small paper back book and need no power other than what it gets from your computer’s USB port. You just plug it in and you can copy valuable data to the drive and put the drive away for safe keeping. Keep in mind that this portable hard drive is a mechanical device prone to failure, but since you will not be using this drive for other tasks, its innards should last a lot longer than the hard drive in you computer.
Another simple and quick back up strategy is to keep one of the inexpensive “memory sticks” dedicated to backing up selected data. This is not a good solution for long term storage as there is a finite number of read/write cycles these little plug in devices can handle. Since they are cheap and hold lots of information, they do provide some level or peace of mind.
So there are many options for “where” to keep your back up information files. The real issue lies in having the discipline to actually do the backing up. As discussed last week, for financial information it is good to back up each session. For other information most of us will just not take the time to weekly or even monthly back up even though we know we should. Well Internet comes to our rescue again. There are on line services that will do all of this for you.
There are several inexpensive on line services that you can subscribe to that will do all your backup up for you. Once you subscribe, you identify what files you want to have backed up. Software downloaded from the back up web page is installed on your computer. Each hour or minute, or day or week, etc., (you decide) your computer sends copies of the selected files to this back up service where they are stored and available for retrieval if you need them. Most services charge by the amount of data you have stored on their system. You will need to have an internet connection and if your files are large, this connection should be a broadband. (e.g. RoadRunner or Cincinnati Bell DSL. Some that are popular are: www.datadepositbox.com , www.carbonite.com and www.mozy.com. ) Since I have not used any of these services I can not recommend any of these but they are all reputable companies.
Whatever way you choose to do it, you do need to back up your valuable information. The amount of time, frustration and money that you will spend to try to recover lost data is significant and in many cases you will not be able to get it back.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
When Your Computer Info Vanishes
There is a saying in “geek” circles. “It is not a matter of if your computer hard drive will fail; it is a matter of when it will fail. Few components in today’s desktop computers get more wear and tear than the hard drive and few components are more important. The hard drive in a desk top computer runs whenever the computer is turned on. It adds and deletes information to its “innards” hundreds, even thousands, of times during a single hour of operation. Designers and engineers make them smaller and smaller with their storage capacity larger and larger. The dirty little secret is that this is one of the few components in a computer that is mechanical in nature. That is, it has moving parts. Moving parts break. When they break your information is locked forever in the recesses of this little box with very little probability that it can ever be retrieved, at least for us mere mortals without pocket protectors and with finite pocketbooks.
Not too many years ago when the capacities of hard drives were much less robust, we were forced to remove information stored there in order to have space for new stuff. We may have copied the information on to floppy discs or some other media. Today, when the standard hard drive in the most basic computer can hold enough information to fill a small town library, it is easy to forget about it. You will forget about it at your peril. The drive will fail. Perhaps not today or tomorrow, but it will fail.
There are simple things you can do to protect your information. Here are some examples.
If you use your computer to manage your finances and use software like QuickBooks®, Quicken® or Managing your Money®, you can establish a simple routine. Each time you make changes to your data (i.e. pay bills, write checks, do online banking, etc.) go ahead and save your data to the hard drive, but before you exit the program, back up that data. All these software packages have simple back up commands. Once you get into the routine this adds less than a minute to your work.
I suggest that the best media to back up to is a simple CD data disc. Most new computers have a CD drive that will record data to a CD. You must have a blank CD that is formatted to READ and WRITE data. The blank discs will have printed on the package “CD-R/W.” CD-R discs can only be recorded on one time; CD-R/W discs are just like floppy discs or memory sticks, you can record on them many times
The same should be done each year when you do your taxes on your computer. Rather than keeping all the data on the hard drive, copy it to a CD and put it in a safe place. Hopefully you will never need to use it again. If Uncle Sam calls, you will have it ready.
Many of us now use our computers as family photo albums. Again, to have all your photos stored on the hard drive is very dangerous unless you plan to get into the “witness protection program” and don’t want pictures of you to exits. If you group your photos in file directories by date or subject matter, it is an easy task to make copies of those directories on CDs.
There are services that will do all of this for you if you have internet access. We will look at these services and other back up tips next week.
Not too many years ago when the capacities of hard drives were much less robust, we were forced to remove information stored there in order to have space for new stuff. We may have copied the information on to floppy discs or some other media. Today, when the standard hard drive in the most basic computer can hold enough information to fill a small town library, it is easy to forget about it. You will forget about it at your peril. The drive will fail. Perhaps not today or tomorrow, but it will fail.
There are simple things you can do to protect your information. Here are some examples.
If you use your computer to manage your finances and use software like QuickBooks®, Quicken® or Managing your Money®, you can establish a simple routine. Each time you make changes to your data (i.e. pay bills, write checks, do online banking, etc.) go ahead and save your data to the hard drive, but before you exit the program, back up that data. All these software packages have simple back up commands. Once you get into the routine this adds less than a minute to your work.
I suggest that the best media to back up to is a simple CD data disc. Most new computers have a CD drive that will record data to a CD. You must have a blank CD that is formatted to READ and WRITE data. The blank discs will have printed on the package “CD-R/W.” CD-R discs can only be recorded on one time; CD-R/W discs are just like floppy discs or memory sticks, you can record on them many times
The same should be done each year when you do your taxes on your computer. Rather than keeping all the data on the hard drive, copy it to a CD and put it in a safe place. Hopefully you will never need to use it again. If Uncle Sam calls, you will have it ready.
Many of us now use our computers as family photo albums. Again, to have all your photos stored on the hard drive is very dangerous unless you plan to get into the “witness protection program” and don’t want pictures of you to exits. If you group your photos in file directories by date or subject matter, it is an easy task to make copies of those directories on CDs.
There are services that will do all of this for you if you have internet access. We will look at these services and other back up tips next week.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Ten Things you need to know about Digital TV
There is a lot of misinformation about Digital TV and what the new system means to the average viewer. While I have covered these things in past post here is a summary. Print it and take it with you when you shop.
1. On February 17, 2009, all analog TV broadcast channels (e.g. locally in Cincinnati, CET, WCPO, WLWT, WKRC, WXIX, etc.) in the United States will cease operation. The stations and programs will still exist, but on new digital channels.
2. The US, like the rest of the world, is converting to an all digital system that enhances the quality of the picture and sound and makes a much more efficient use of the scarce electromagnetic spectrum (i. e. available TV channels.)
3. Eventually you will have to buy a new digital TV since analog sets are no longer manufactured, but will be able watch most of your favorite programs on your old analog set.
4. There are ways to use your old set after February 2009. 1. You can get an inexpensive digital converter that will capture the digital signals off-the-air and convert them to signals your old (analog) TV can display. 2. You can pay for a cable or satellite service. The cable and satellite set top boxes already convert digital signals to analog signals.
5. If you keep your old TV and use a converter, cable or satellite you will not enjoy the vastly superior picture and sound of High Definition TV nor will you have a wide movie-like screen.
6. Your VCR and DVD player will still work with your old analog TV as will the tapes and DVDs that you now have. You will be able to connect your current VCR and DVD player to most new digital TV sets, but they will not give you a HD experience.
7. TV stations will continue BROADCASTING through the air, and using an antenna you will still be able to get local stations on a digital TV without cable or satellite.
8. The new digital TVs come in many sizes. The sharpness of the picture is a product of screen size and resolution. TV’s are available in CRT (picture tube), LCD, and plasma and DLP. Shop with your eyes.
9. Digital over-the-air channels may provide more than one program at the same time. For example, CET’s digital channel has both High Definition Programs and a separate CET World Channel.
10. The prices of new digital sets are becoming comparable to the old analog sets. Be sure your new set has an ATSC (digital) tuner!
1. On February 17, 2009, all analog TV broadcast channels (e.g. locally in Cincinnati, CET, WCPO, WLWT, WKRC, WXIX, etc.) in the United States will cease operation. The stations and programs will still exist, but on new digital channels.
2. The US, like the rest of the world, is converting to an all digital system that enhances the quality of the picture and sound and makes a much more efficient use of the scarce electromagnetic spectrum (i. e. available TV channels.)
3. Eventually you will have to buy a new digital TV since analog sets are no longer manufactured, but will be able watch most of your favorite programs on your old analog set.
4. There are ways to use your old set after February 2009. 1. You can get an inexpensive digital converter that will capture the digital signals off-the-air and convert them to signals your old (analog) TV can display. 2. You can pay for a cable or satellite service. The cable and satellite set top boxes already convert digital signals to analog signals.
5. If you keep your old TV and use a converter, cable or satellite you will not enjoy the vastly superior picture and sound of High Definition TV nor will you have a wide movie-like screen.
6. Your VCR and DVD player will still work with your old analog TV as will the tapes and DVDs that you now have. You will be able to connect your current VCR and DVD player to most new digital TV sets, but they will not give you a HD experience.
7. TV stations will continue BROADCASTING through the air, and using an antenna you will still be able to get local stations on a digital TV without cable or satellite.
8. The new digital TVs come in many sizes. The sharpness of the picture is a product of screen size and resolution. TV’s are available in CRT (picture tube), LCD, and plasma and DLP. Shop with your eyes.
9. Digital over-the-air channels may provide more than one program at the same time. For example, CET’s digital channel has both High Definition Programs and a separate CET World Channel.
10. The prices of new digital sets are becoming comparable to the old analog sets. Be sure your new set has an ATSC (digital) tuner!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
It’s the DVD Code not the Da Vinci Code
The swiftness that DVDs have taken over the home video marketplace is nothing short of unprecedented. Not only has this format changed the way movies and TV programs are delivered, it has changed the economics of an entire industry. Prices for DVD movies and TV programs continue to drop. The prices of DVD players also continue to plummet. You can find full featured DVD players in discount stores for as little as $19.00. It looks like the prices for these machines are following in the footsteps of hand held calculators. They are commodities.
A few weeks ago someone asked me why they could not get a DVD that they received from a friend to play on his machine. After some discussion I found that the DVD in question was sent to him by a friend who lived in Japan. My friend was aware that there are different TV standards in some parts of the world, but was confused since Japan and the United States share the same VIDEO standard called NTSC.
Well, my friend was half right. It is true that the United States and Japan share the NTSC Video standard unlike the UK and some other parts of Europe that use a format called PAL. There are others video formats used in other parts of the world. That is too much info right now.
What my friend did not know is that DVDs carry with them a Regional Code or LOCK. There are six geographical codes and two specialized codes now in use. What this means is that you must have a DVD player that is set up to play the right code. For example, Region #1 DVDs can only be played in the United States and Canada. If you have a DVD manufactured for use in Mexico, it is Region # 4, and it will not play on your DVD player purchased in the United States.
While there are Region # 0 coded discs that can be played on any player in any part of the world, most distributors of movies and TV programs use the regional code to restrict the free trading of content. The idea was to make it possible to release a movie on DVD in the United States before releasing it in another part of the world or visa versa. As you might have guessed, there is a cottage industry of hackers who can remove the code or alter the software in the DVD machine to accept any code. Most of us mere mortals have to live with the restrictions.
If you look on the DVD package you will find the regional code marked so you will know if it will play on your machine. Likewise the box containing your new DVD player should have its Regional Code marked. In most case this is not a problem since only Region #1 players and DVDs are sold in the US. It is interesting to note that if you have an older model DVD player built into your computer, it may play all DVDs without a problem. The older DVD drives have older software that does not recognize these codes. This may be one of the few times when older technology is actually a good thing.
A few weeks ago someone asked me why they could not get a DVD that they received from a friend to play on his machine. After some discussion I found that the DVD in question was sent to him by a friend who lived in Japan. My friend was aware that there are different TV standards in some parts of the world, but was confused since Japan and the United States share the same VIDEO standard called NTSC.
Well, my friend was half right. It is true that the United States and Japan share the NTSC Video standard unlike the UK and some other parts of Europe that use a format called PAL. There are others video formats used in other parts of the world. That is too much info right now.
What my friend did not know is that DVDs carry with them a Regional Code or LOCK. There are six geographical codes and two specialized codes now in use. What this means is that you must have a DVD player that is set up to play the right code. For example, Region #1 DVDs can only be played in the United States and Canada. If you have a DVD manufactured for use in Mexico, it is Region # 4, and it will not play on your DVD player purchased in the United States.
While there are Region # 0 coded discs that can be played on any player in any part of the world, most distributors of movies and TV programs use the regional code to restrict the free trading of content. The idea was to make it possible to release a movie on DVD in the United States before releasing it in another part of the world or visa versa. As you might have guessed, there is a cottage industry of hackers who can remove the code or alter the software in the DVD machine to accept any code. Most of us mere mortals have to live with the restrictions.
If you look on the DVD package you will find the regional code marked so you will know if it will play on your machine. Likewise the box containing your new DVD player should have its Regional Code marked. In most case this is not a problem since only Region #1 players and DVDs are sold in the US. It is interesting to note that if you have an older model DVD player built into your computer, it may play all DVDs without a problem. The older DVD drives have older software that does not recognize these codes. This may be one of the few times when older technology is actually a good thing.
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