GeekSugar

5 Facts About Americans and Tech Maintenance

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:11:48 PDT

National Backup Day was just last week, but how many of you actually backed up your computer data? How many of you perform routine maintenance (like software updates) on your computers on a regular basis? According to a new study performed by Zogby International and Staples, not many! Get the details on how Americans feel about their tech IQ, and how to overcome your fears in this slideshow.

Ask a Geek Girl: What's With Carbonite and Should I Sign Up?

GeekSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:05:32 PDT

Dear GeekSugar,
My mom called me the other day freaking out about a Carbonite commercial, saying I should back up my photos before disaster strikes. I've actually seen the commercials late at night (I have to admit, I find them pretty funny), but can't really wrap my mind around why the service is. I have thousands of photos stored on my laptop and do worry it will quit on me one day and I will be left without copies. Should I use this service? Thanks for your help.
- A Fellow Geeky Gal

Dear Fellow Geeky Gal,
I pleased to hear I'm not the only person who is endlessly entertained by late-night cable commercials! You ask a great question because I've been seeing the company name everywhere. Carbonite is a web service that claims to "automatically and securely back up the irreplaceable contents of your computer" for the yearly cost of about $55. It works for PC and Mac users, but has slightly different set up depending on your system. To find out if I think you - and other readers like you - need it,

read more. Before you sign up, I'd suggest perusing the Carbonite website and looking at the demos to see if it fits your lifestyle. Everyone's backup needs are unique. I like to be selective about which files I backup (I only save the most important stuff like pictures, a small number of documents, and music I can't live without), so I don't need the "automatic" program to do it for me. Given you seem most concerned with backing up your photos, I think you should investigate a photo-hosting service before you back up your entire computer and then come up with a plan for backing up your important files. I adore Flickr ($25 a year) for its networking, geotagging, and general photo fun, but also use Picasa for its free simplicity. If you want to back up more documents, check out my guide to backing up data for a peek at a few devices that may be more cost effective for you. You might also check out MobileMe, a service that allows you to sync all your photos, email, calendar, contacts from your Mac (iCal, iDisk, Address Book, and Mail) or PC (Microsoft Outlook) to your iPhone over the air (it costs about $100 a year). Cheers to planning to back up your data, not matter which route you pick! Anyone who has ever lost their hard drive or even a few files can tell you it's a devastating experience. Even the geekiest of us have technical breakdowns. There's no question too easy or too techie, so join our Ask a Geek Girl Group and share your concerns and quandaries. Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

How Many Flash Drives Do You Own?

GeekSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:05:26 PDT

I'm all "keyed up" over this keyring flash drive. Get it? Keyed? Anyway, I have a thing for flash drives, but my problem (which I'm sure most of you can relate to), is that the things are so small that I end up misplacing them. And let's face it - if I've backed up some important docs on there, that's really not a good situation to be in.

But if I had this LaCie Iamkey 4GB flash drive, then I could back up that important content from my laptop and I'd always know where it is. Well, unless I lost my keys that is.

I know I've got a whole drawer full of flash drives just waiting to be used, so it had me wondering - how many flash drives do you own?

One of the Best Geeky Scenes From Sex and the City

GeekSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:02:05 PST

Did you know that Tuesday was "National Clean Out Your Computer Day"? The day devoted to deleting old emails, cleaning up your desktop and backing-up old files to make room for new ones?! Considering backing-up my data made my New Year's Resolutions list this year, maybe it's time I put my new eGo Portable Hard Drive to the test and "back-up!"

The other day Yum reminded me of this hilarious clip from Sex and the City and it brought me back to the good (or not so good) days of laptops crashing and zip drives. The best quote would have to be at the end of the scene with Carrie saying, "After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breathe and reboot. And when that fails a little gizmo called a zip drive can provide a surprising amount of comfort." Ain't that the truth?!

And so, I must ask, when was the last time you backed-up?

Use Microsoft SyncToy to Backup Your Data

GeekSugar — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 00:08:34 PST

Just picture it... You are up in the middle of the night finishing off a project, which of course is due tomorrow. All of a sudden, your screen goes blank. You ctrl+alt+del a hundred times, restart your laptop and there it is... the infamous blue screen. Remember when Carrie's laptop crashed on Sex and the City? Heart wrenching! With so many sources feeding your laptop with data (your digital camera, e-mail, cell phone, portable media player, camcorder, PDA) it is essential to use a program such as the SyncToy for Windows XP, which can help you copy, move, and synchronize different directories.

Download the SyncToy PowerToy from the Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP website.

3 Ways to Protect Your Mobile Phone During Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:39:30 PST

Mobile shopping is on the rise. In fact, nearly 60 million users will shop on their mobile phone for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year. Just because you might be using your smartphone to shop for gifts this year doesn't mean you aren't at risk for hacking, viruses, malware, or identity theft (especially if you're an Android owner, just sayin').

Since we increasingly put more personal information on our phones, including photos, emails, current location, and finances, you might want to consider downloading these services to protect your cell phone from malicious hackers. It's better to be safe than sorry!

McAfee VirusScan Mobile - Protects against viruses, worms, spyware Trojan horses, and battery-exhausting malware. In addition, it offers security for email, instant message, and Internet downloads.
Lookout - An award-winning mobile security service for Android, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry to scan and detect viruses, malware, and spyware. Lookout also acts as a backup system to restore data.
Norton Mobile Security - Offers protection against cell phone loss, theft, and malware for Android.
In addition to these, AT&T is working with Juniper Networks to release an antivirus and antimalware app for mobile phones, especially for Android, BlackBerry, and Windows phones. The scheduled release is for 2012.

While iPhones tend to be safer than Android phones, iPhone users aren't out of the clear. As people start to use their phones as a wallet and way to manage their money, iPhone hackers will start to creep up. Do you plan on investing in mobile protection, or do you think that it's unlikely that your phone will be hacked into?

Download iOS 5 Today!

GeekSugar — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:30:06 PDT

Friday marks the day for the iPhone 4S, but you can download the latest operating system, iOS 5, today! First, download iTunes 10.5 to get your system ready for update. Be sure to back up all your iPhone data - contacts, apps, and music - while you're at it. Once iOS 5 goes live, sync your phone and away you go!

Wondering what all the fuss is about? ICYMI, here are some of the awesome features coming with iOS 5:

iMessage - Integration of a messaging service in iOS 5 gives all users text message capabilities via WiFi or 3G. Whether you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, you can now send unlimited text messages to other devices using iOS 5. It includes group messaging and automated syncing across all your iOS devices. Hopefully this will be the end of pricey texting plans.
Notification Center - Android users are already familiar with a similar Notification Center feature, which sends all push notifications into one central location on your device. Any new notification appears as an animation at the top of the screen and can be swiped down for more details. Notification Center even shows up on the lock screen so you're always in the know.

Four more cool features of iOS 5 after the break.

3 Ways to Keep Cell Phone Hackers at Bay

Anna Monette Roberts — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:40:33 PDT

We protect our house with keys and an alarm system, our banking with passwords and pin numbers, and our computers with spam and virus filters, so why do we leave our cell phones open and exposed? Celebrities like Scarlett Johansson, Prince William, and Blake Lively are just a few unlucky victims of cell phone hacking. Since we increasingly put more personal information on our phones, including photos, emails, current location, and finances, you might want to consider downloading these services to protect your cell phone from malicious hackers. See how to protect your phone.

How to Keep Your iPhone and iPad Location Data Private

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:27:45 PDT

We heard earlier that iPhones and iPads are silently and consistently tracking our locations, and logging the info when we perform syncs or backups. While this fact may be kind of scary on its own, the worst part is that the data is totally unencrypted and available to anyone who gets their hands on your devices or backup folders on your laptop. As of now, there's no way to stop your iOS 4-running devices from logging this data, but you can keep it on lockdown with a simple click.

Want to know how to keep this data private? Just keep reading.

Geek Tips For Extreme Weather Conditions

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:10:00 PDT

Harsh Winter weather may be a thing of the past for many of us, but Spring ushers in the start of "tornado season" in the central US. Of course, your tech may be the last thing on your mind when a twister strikes, but what about when a severe thunder, electrical, or rainstorm hits? The savvy geeks at DriveSavers Data Recovery shared a few tips on how to keep your gadgets safe during extreme weather. Check them out below!

Unplug your hardware during an electrical storm - Make sure that your laptops, hard drives, gaming consoles, and other electronic equipment are unplugged during severe weather. If lightning does strike, you could experience a power surge that could knock out and/or fry your gadgets from the inside out.
Use surge protectors, and replace them every few years - Don't just plug your expensive equipment into any ol' power brick! Make sure your extension cords and power adapters have surge protection to ensure that any power spikes won't destroy your machines.

Get one more important tip after the break.