backups

When it comes to storage, you definitely don't want to risk getting stuck with a lemon. That's because, unlike other commodities like a car or a TV, when a storage device breaks down, chances are you lose a lot more than just the drive itself. It's a painful experience to see your invaluable data vanish. Take my word for it on this.

But you likely don't want to spend too much, either, and want your storage device to be easily accessible, especially on the go since there's not much use for your data if it always has to stay at home.

Bearing that in mind, compact and portable external hard drives are arguably the most popular form of storage. They have room to hold lots of data, often more than your laptop or ultrabook can, without being big or heavy. Following is the list of the top five portable USB 3.0-based drives that are the best among their peers, offering great performance, large storage space, compact design, and sometimes even the kind of toughness that will withstand drops and submersion in water. Most importantly, you can easily find them for less than $100. Have more to spend? You can get larger capacities that cost more.

Note that these drives also work with USB 2.0 (MacBook Air owners, you're included here) and they are all bus-powered, so you don't need a separate power adapter to use them.… Read more

How's the security on your PC? Is your current software's subscription coming to an end? Are you unhappy with the performance hit it imposes? Do you feel your system is underprotected?

Whatever the case, this might be just the deal you need: Newegg has Norton 360 6.0 3-user edition for $0 shipped. That's after applying coupon code EMCNDHJ227 at checkout and redeeming a $50 mail-in rebate (PDF). (Also, you need to be a Newegg newsletter subscriber.)

True to its name, Norton 360 protects you against just about everything: viruses, spyware, phishing threats, spam, identity theft, and … Read more

Today marks the summer solstice; it's the longest day of the year and the midpoint of the summer. No doubt many of you are planning to enjoy those extra hours of sunshine by dropping the top on a convertible (or maybe just opening the windows or a sunroof). However, with open air motoring comes increased wind and road noise, which can all but drown out the sound from some low-powered OEM audio systems.

That's why this week I'm helping a CNET reader to boost the audio quality and quantity of his drop top's stereo system with … Read more

How much are your digital backups worth?

According to one one British Columbia man, copies of data from his two computers and an iPhone that were being stored on an Apple Time Capsule that went kaput, are worth $25,000.

That's the amount Perminder Tung, a resident of Surrey, B.C., seeks from Apple after the Time Capsule he was using ceased to function, taking his files with it.

In a filing (PDF) made against Apple in a Canadian small claims court earlier this week, and picked up by CBC News today, Tung accuses Apple of being in breach … Read more

Cloud Engines' Pogoplug devices have evolved from basic network-attached-storage tools into full-fledged streaming, backup, and sharing systems. Pretty cool ones, too.

Want a state-of-the-art model for a standard-edition price? While supplies last, Best Buy has the Pogoplug Series 4 for $49.99 plus sales tax. That's half off the list price, and about $30 less than you'll find it elsewhere.

The only catch? It appears to be sold out online. You'll have to hit your local Best Buy store. (Call or check online first to make sure they're still in stock.)

The Pogoplug works like … Read more

Seagate today launched a new family of external hard drives that's a continuation of its popular GoFlex line-up but now with a completely different name: the Seagate Backup Plus family.

While the GoFlex name is now in the past, the flexibility remains with the external hard drives. The new Seagate Backup drives come in both a portable version, called Seagate Backup Plus, and a desktop version, called Seagate Backup Plus Desk. The former are bus-powered drives that are compact and don't require an external power adapter. The latter are larger drives, both in terms of physical size and … Read more

It's practically impossible to overstate the importance of backing up your critical data. For the smart user, that means a full backup that can restore your whole system when disaster strikes. We've always advised users not to scrimp when it comes to backup software, and we suggest using Windows Backup as a minimum. A growing number of free backup solutions offering different levels of protection, though; some of them create full backups you can use to restore your system, while others simply back up and restore data. Ocster Backup Freeware is the latter type. It's a freeware … Read more

Car technology: it's a bit of a double-edged sword. With one edge, it can be harmful, creating a distraction to drivers. The 15-year-old Antuan had a hard-enough time operating a CD player while driving without running into everything in town. Young drivers today are expected to deal with browsing MP3 catalogs, navigation, touch screens, and incoming calls, and that's just the tip of the tech iceberg. And they must do this while resisting the siren call of texting, tweeting, and Facebook.

With its other edge, however, cabin technology can actually cut through distraction and make the vehicle safer … Read more

Areca Backup is a free, open-source, Java-based backup utility. It's designed to be extremely easy to use for backing up files, directories, and settings. It supports incremental, differential, and full backups. But it's not designed to be a primary system backup tool like Windows Backup or Acronis. It's a fast, lightweight, and easy-to-use tool for backing up, recovering, and searching your archives. It requires an up-to-date version of the Java Runtime Environment, a free download.

Areca Backup's user interface has a familiar layout and look. A left-hand sidebar let us select an archive to display, and … Read more