Carbonite Blog

Don’t let university get your back up

astempel — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:18:09 GMT

Starting university is a snowball of preparation. Along with the usual staples of books, folders and highlighters, you’re likely to have eagerly torn the wrapping from a new computer or laptop, courtesy of your parents. Some of you will stay at home, while others will move out or even emigrate to begin those crucial years of higher education. Whichever university, whichever country, and whichever year you are embarking upon, one fact remains unchanged: coursework, projects and dissertations will inundate your hard drives.

With all the work you’re doing on your computer, it’s important to keep in mind that computers crash, and what you lose could spell disaster. That important essay you’ve spent the last few weeks researching could be gone for if your hard drive were to crash or laptop get stolen. What’s more, the majority of universities will no longer accept a hardware failure as a reason for missing a deadline. And it’s not just your work that your hard drive holds either. Potential life-long friendships begin at university, documented by photos and videos with classmates and housemates – all on your computer. These memories are as irreplaceable as your typed up notes and meticulously updated coursework.

So this semester, make sure you are backing up your files to avoid losing your hard work and cherished memories. Carbonite Online Backup automatically backs up your computer’s files, resulting in a reliable alternative to having them scattered across Internet sites and on removable hardware. Should your hard drive crash or laptop be stolen, you can quickly recover your due essay - even with the deadline only hours away. Backing up is both a necessary precaution and highly reassuring protective measure for today’s computer-centric university experience.

Are your memories of summertime fun safe?

todd — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:23:46 GMT

It’s September and there are already signature signs that summer is truly over: the suitcases, tents and hampers are back in the attic; and the days are becoming shorter. During the peak sunshine, our cameras and smartphones were always out, capturing and recording moments to wistfully cherish. The most organised will have them filed and named in a folder, ready to glance upon once again when nostalgia hits. For the rest of us, it’s now time to wipe the memory cards and get ready for autumn birthdays, frightful costumes and firework displays.

As studies, the school run, commuting and work timetables take priority again, backing up our summer memories quickly get put at the bottom of the ‘to do’ pile. But if you were to lose those digital memories from the summer season, you won’t get them back even when the sun is shining again.

As effortless as it was to unwind by the sea and in the parks, Carbonite Online Backup keeps photos, music and any other irreplaceable files accumulated, ready to revisit.

Carbonite easily handles this task for you automatically, without you needing to do any more than have the software downloaded and Internet connected. It may not be time for spring cleaning, but it is time to get your backup in order.

Is Backup on your Back to School Checklist?

todd — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:30:17 GMT

It may only be August, but the supermarkets and clothes stores already have their ‘back to school’ ranges in stock. Along with ill-fitting uniforms and uncomfortable new shoes, parents will also be forking out for new laptops and equipment for their children's education.

For total preparation pupils need to safeguard their hard drives. It’s a classic nightmare for school children and parents alike – you’ve been working on a project or assignment for hours, then all of a sudden your computer crashes and you lose everything.

This back to school season, we’re offering you a chance to win a full year subscription to Carbonite Online Backup. By automatically backing up your computer’s hard drive, all homework and coursework will be protected from hard drive failure or data loss – from the first day of term to the summer holidays next year.

For your chance to win, simply follow the Carbonite Twitter handle (www.twitter.com/carbonite) and re-tweet our competition tweet “Keep all your homework and coursework safe this school year with Carbonite Online Backup” to be automatically entered to our prize draw.

The competition opened 22nd August and has been extended until 7th September 2011. Good luck!

Half of small businesses in the US have lost data

todd — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:46:04 GMT

Recently, we conducted some research into how frequent data loss is among small businesses in the US, where our headquarters are based. The results were staggering; out of 125 small businesses surveyed 48% of employees had experienced data loss, up from 42% in December 2010.

The survey also revealed physical devices were the most prominent backup methods used in small businesses, with 41% relying on external hard drives, 36% on CDs and DVDs and a further 36% using USB sticks as their preferred backup.

It’s clear from the findings small business owners are aware of the value of their employee’s data, but are put off for reason such as time constraints, and cost of investing in an online backup solution.

This is why Carbonite offers an unlimited online backup option, with users paying a flat fee of £41.95 per year for backup, not per GB of space needed on our servers. Seeing as the top causes of small business’ data loss include hardware/software failure (54%), accidental deletion (54%), computer viruses (33%) and theft (10%) it’s an investment worth making.

Festival Fever

todd — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:20:50 GMT

You might not have heard, but there was a relatively small music festival in the UK last weekend, a little gathering that’s more widely known as Glastonbury? With headliners like U2, Coldplay and Beyonce, it kick-started the summer’s festival season with a bang. There’s nothing like seeing your favourite band perform live to encourage you to embark on a music download frenzy, and Glastonbury is no exception. In the UK HMV and Amazon are both already reporting a surge in sales of those acts that performed over the weekend.

So, here’s a gentle reminder from us to protect all your new tracks and albums, and any other data, with online backup. Even if they’re on a CD, make sure to rip it and back it up. With Carbonite, not only can you restore any piece of data in three simple steps, but you can also access your data remotely through any device connected to the Internet. Meaning if you happen to uncover an unknown band you can then share your discovery with your mates wherever you are. The perfect complement to the festival season!

Happy Father's Day

todd — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:30:26 GMT

This Sunday is Father’s Day in the UK, where nationwide dad’s will mark the occasion by being allowed to watch sport on the TV, have control of the remote and drinking beer. Just an average Sunday then.

All the mags are brimming with possible gift ideas to show your dad how much he’s appreciated and a great number point towards gadgets. Whilst we’re always pro technophile family members; the purchase of MP3 players, smartphones and digital cameras can lead to the long and winding road of data loss.

So this Father’s Day, if you’re generous enough to splash out on the latest hot gadget, just make sure you make your dear old dad’s aware of the benefits of online backup. What’s more with a subscription to Carbonite, the next time your dad’s out on the town with his golfing buddies, he can use Carbonite Access to share his music, photos and documents on his iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry or Android device.

Just make sure if you treat your dad to a bit of technology, you mention about protecting data using online backup, otherwise there may be tears before bedtime!

Carbonite: The Stealthy Backup Ninja

todd — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:27:45 GMT

One of the reasons we’re so enthusiastic about Anytime, Anywhere Access is it ensures Carbonite is always accessible wherever you are. So it pleases us when we read reviews that enthuse about the benefits as much as we do, which is why we want to draw your attention to a review on Mobot.net.

After installing Carbonite for Mac, the first thing to strike reviewer Lewis Curdle is Carbonite is "possibly the least intrusive software he’s come across. Ever." Our aim is to be an unnoticed piece of software chugging away in the background, so it’s great to see this appreciated - and being called "some sort of stealthy backup ninja."

Of course, Carbonite doesn't just sit quietly in the background keeping your files safe. As Lewis points out "the free apps for Android and iOS add another level of functionality", with one of the main perks is being able to access more music than you can store on your phone.

But don’t just take it from us; or Lewis even, why not download the free trial from our website and see for yourself. Once you’ve experienced the pros of Carbonite, anytime, anywhere there’s no turning back.

Memory Marvel

todd — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:18:48 GMT

We often write about memory loss, so it’s a rarity for us to write a post focusing on a memory genius; let alone one that’s only two years old!

According to recent reports, Rockford Ramirez of San Diego has already memorised all 44 American presidents in order as well as every US state and its capital. What’s more his knowledge is self taught from a smartphone!

The toddler was only 18 months when he picked up his parents’ iPhone and began to memorise information contained in a selection of apps. His mother, Raquel Ramirez, says the tiny genius breezed through the apps helping him accelerate his learning.

Unfortunately the majority of us aren’t blessed with a photographic memory and in a bid to dispel popular belief, neither are our computers. It’s all very well to save data to your hard drive, but this doesn’t mean it’s imprinted permanently. As we all know, an accidental wipe of a hard drive can leave you facing extreme data loss.

That’s why it’s always smart to protect yourself with an online backup service, like Carbonite, to ensure that you never fall foul to data loss. You don’t even have to be a boy wonder like Rockford to work that out!

Carbonite Celebrates Silver Surfer Day

todd — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:00:09 GMT

As you’ll know from our recent blog post "Calling all Silver Surfers", we’ve been very vocal about Silver Surfer Day that recently happened on 20th May. To celebrate the national campaign, which aims to promote the use of digital technologies by older people, Carbonite has teamed up with Saga.co.uk to offer five lucky readers the chance to win a full one year subscription.

Whilst we’re always 100% behind encouraging the older generation to make the leap online, we think it’s worth highlighting your computer could be vulnerable to data loss from computer viruses or accidental damage. The risk of data loss isn’t restricted purely to online, as we all know there are a number of ways to accidently wipe your hard drive and lose all you precious digital files.

Although Silver Surfer’s Day has passed, you can still be in with a shot of winning. All you need to do is email your name, address, and phone number to prize.draws@saga.co.uk by midday on Friday, 17th June 2011.

Another simple entry process brought to you by Carbonite!

Holidays, weddings and cats chasing torches...all videos you won't want to lose

todd — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:00:02 GMT

We know there’s a whole host of you out there with hard drives chock full of video content. As well as your favourite TV programmes and films, you may have a large stock of your own original recordings of holidays and important events – or maybe the odd clip of your cat chasing a torch light around the living room.

Hosting sites such as Youtube, Vevo can be used to store your videos, but such sites designed more for storage rather than backup are not always fool proof. All it takes is for a site to go offline and all your videos will disappear into a digital void. At the least, you’ll have a short amount of time to pull them down and get an alternative backup sorted.

Even big names like Google are not immune to such instances, as the search giant has announced the Google Videos service will be shut down in May, taking any unsaved videos with it.

As CNET UK put it, "...can we expect our Web to live forever and preserve our stuff online?" It’s a tough question, but installing online backup means you should never have to answer it.

But CNET pulled out the moral of this story nicely, and we thoroughly agree "Moral of the story: always backup."

Calling all Silver Surfers

todd — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:33:04 GMT

With Silver Surfer Day approaching us on 20^th May, it was recently reported the number of silver surfers is on the up. What’s more, last year eWeek Europe revealed the older generation is moving online faster than the rest of the population.

Whilst it’s great to see such an increase, we’d like to take a quick second to warn of the dangers of data loss. We all know that being online can make you more vulnerable to losing data due to things like computer viruses, which is why we advise all first time surfers to protect themselves with an online backup solution.

As a result, we’ve once again teamed up with our good friends at Sixty Plus Surfers to offer one lucky silver surfer the chance to win a full one year subscription. All you have to do to be in with a shot is tell us why you think it’s important to back up your data. Simply email your answer to carboniteuk@racepointgroup.com, making sure you fill in the subject box of your email with the title: "Carbonite Competition (Sixtyplussurfers)".

The entry process really is that simple, but what more would you expect from Carbonite!

Return of the Mac

todd — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:43:16 GMT

You may remember our previous blog post about a University professor who fell foul to a light fingered fiend. The thief’s guilty conscience led him to post the entire contents of a stolen laptop back to the anxious academic on a USB stick. This time we’ve come across another incident where backing up data came in handy.

About a month and a half ago, when a student at Boston Massachusetts had his Mac Book Air stolen, he was determined not to let the thief get away with it.

Instead, 18 year old Mark Bao wisely recognised that by accessing his online backup service, he would be able to monitor any new files uploaded by the thief. It turns out that he was in luck, as the thief uploaded photos and a video of some fancy dance moves using the laptop’s web camera, which Mark promptly uploaded to YouTube.

Mark was then able to trace the thief’s Facebook page using the device’s browser name, which provided him with both the thief’s name and residential area.

After the YouTube video went viral, (it’s currently standing at over 1,400,000 views) the thief contacted Mark to apologise and inform him that the Mac Book had been handed in to the police. Amusingly, he even had the cheek to request for Mark to remove the video.

Whether Mark adheres to the thief’s request is yet to be seen, but we think it’s a great example of why investing in a reliable backup online solution, such as Carbonite, is a must. Aside from the obvious pros of protecting your digital contents from data loss, it can also be used as a crime solving solution. We’re waiting for the phone call from Jessica Fletcher as we speak.

An "Apple" A Day Keeps Data Loss At Bay

todd — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:10:03 GMT

If you’re a regular visitor to our blog, you’ll know Carbonite provides access to your data whilst on the go. Our applications provide users of iPhones, iPod Touches, BlackBerry smartphones and Android devices with access to their files on the move. Our remote access feature also allows access to your backed up files from an Internet connected PC.

This is why we’re delighted to announce another addition to our “anytime, anywhere access” line-up with the release of Carbonite Access for iPad.™

The app is available for free from the App Store℠ and provides all iPad owners with Carbonite accounts the ability to browse, view and share all their backed up files. Using the app, backed up photos can be previewed either in full-screen or thumbnails through Carbonite’s integrated image gallery, whilst music lovers can instantly access their backed up music, without waiting for the songs to download!

We’ve also released updated versions of our apps for iPhone, iPod Touch and BlackBerry devices. So if you fancy having “anytime, anywhere” access to your data, without maxing out the storage space on your device then visit the AppStore^SM, BlackBerry App World™ or the Carbonite website, where you can download any of the applications.

How to Avoid National Panic Day

todd — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:38:55 GMT

It was recently National Panic Day – the day to let out all your panicked thoughts and share them with the world.

While National Panic Day is mostly harmless fun, it does remind us just how panic stricken you can get when suffering from data loss.

It happens to everyone once in a lifetime. You go to open that lengthy work document you’ve laboured over to get perfect, only to be greeted by an unknown error message or corrupted file. You could vent your frustration by using some of these suggestions on making the most of National Panic Day, or you could take measures to avoid panic altogether.

To to avoid panic all together, back-up your data with Carbonite Online Backup. With Carbonite, your files are automatically backed up to our secure servers, ready to be downloaded in a few clicks should the worst happen. With our mobile apps, for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, and web access you need never panic as your files are always accessible.

So instead of panicking, you can grab your lost file from the device you have to hand, or by logging on to another computer. Sounds pretty calming to us.

Award Winning Advice

todd — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:13:30 GMT

The 15th February 2011 brings the annual return of the Brit Awards, a night when the music industry’s cream of the crop face off against one another in the UK’s biggest award ceremony.

This year’s popular artists include Tinie Tempah, Plan B, Mumford and Sons and Take That, who are leading the way with multiple nominations.

As more people now turn to digital downloads when increasing the size of their music library, every year there is a huge spike in digital downloads of the nominated and eventual winning artists. So we thought we’d stick our nose in and offer a word of friendly advice.

A couple of weeks ago we blogged about how a number of insurance companies do not cover computer data in their policies. This means the cost replacing your entire music collection if your computer is stolen or damaged falls on your own pocket. The best advice is to keep this in mind when embarking on a download frenzy during Brits season. To avoid throwing a (Tinie) temper over data loss for just £41.95 Carbonite Online Backup will provide you with a year’s protection for your data. What’s more as all your music will be backed up in the cloud, you can access your songs when on the go and play them on a mobile anywhere, anytime.