Mozy coupon code: 20% off on online backup

Posted by kent on March 18th, 2010

Mozy, one of our favorite online backup services, is offering 20% off until the end of March. This Saint Patrick's Day inspired coupon code is GOLD. Just enter that code in at checkout to receive 20% off; this comes on top of Mozy's discounted annual plans. A one year plan will come in at a low $43.57, and a two year plan comes in at $83.16. Usually these plans are offered at $46.01 and $88.36, after our exclusive 15% discount.

To read more about Mozy, and see how it stacks up against other online backup service, check out our online backup reviews and comparison chart.

Does the Carbonite remote access feature allow me to view any file or email individually from any computer, similar to the GoToMyPC program?

Posted by kent on March 16th, 2010

The following is an actual user submitted question:

Q: I am considering buying Carbonite and would like to know if I still need GoToMyPC remote access program if Carbonite allows for remote access? Does the Carbonite remote access feature allow me to view any file or email individually from any computer, similar to the GoToMyPC program?

A: Thank you for the question; it's a good one. Both GoToMyPC and Carbonite are invaluable tools for people who are frequently away from their main computer. Both programs allow you to access files remotely, they just do it in different ways. What you're suggesting would absolutely work; Carbonite backs up your emails (at least with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook express and Windows Mail) and you can use the remote access feature to read them. We just tested it, using a Mac to retrieve backed up email on a PC.

There is something to keep in mind, however. Since Carbonite's remote access is only about file retrieval and not remote control, you'll have to leave your email program up and running when you're away from it if you want access to your latest emails. The advantage of a true remote access program like GoToMyPC is that you can check your mail in real time. The other thing we found with our test is that emails are pretty deeply buried in the Windows file structure, so you have to navigate a little way down into the tree.

SugarSync discounts personal plans

Posted by kent on March 11th, 2010

We reviewed SugarSync for Business on Monday. Today we're reporting that the online backup service is offering exclusive 15% discounts on its 60GB and 100GB plans. It's a limited time offer; in fact customers have until March 31st. We really liked SugarSync when we reviewed it. It's a fun and feature-rich service that's particularly useful for those with smart phones. It does not, by default, back up as many files as Mozy or Carbonite (users must manually select email and system preferences, and Microsoft Outlook backups are not supported), but it really excels at file-sharing and syncing between computers.

To read our thoughts on SugarSync, check out our review. If you like what you read come back here and click the links below; you must use the links in this blog post to get the discount.

15% off 60GB annual plans ($84.99 per year)

15% off 100GB annual plans ($127.49)

SugarSync for business reviewed

Posted by kent on March 9th, 2010

We really liked SugarSync's personal backup service when we tested it, so we were eager to see how its SugarSync for Business plan differs. Strangely, the biggest difference seems to be in the price, and not the functionality; from a price perspective, that's a very good thing.

The base price is currently $29.99 per month for three users who will share 100GB of storage. Additional users can be added for $9.99—per user, per month—and an extra 100GB of storage is $29.99 per month. Signing up for an annual plan with give you two months free. This is introductory pricing, and may well go up to $49.99 with subsequent years.

With SugarSync for business, each user can keep the files on their own machines synced to each other, but still separate from other users. For instance, users can edit their work documents from their computers at home; when they come into the office, they'll find the documents updated with the latest changes. Users can share folders with others users, and manage which users are allowed to see which folders.

SugarSync for Business allows an administrator to set up accounts, set storage limits, remove users, and even create other administrators. Strangely, it does not easily facilitate collaboration between users. Really it's like shared disc space, but not a collaborative platform. There are manual workarounds: you can save documents in a shared folder, and two people can work on them alternately. While there's no real management of the collaborative process, you can view all versions of a document. The Mac version does include support for a live Java-based syncing app, which helps the process.

We should say that SugarSync for Business is not aimed at medium to large companies looking to backup their mail servers; organizations that use a service like Gmail, storing their communications in the cloud already, will be fine.

By default SugarSync backs of documents, photos, and your desktop. It will not, by default, back up your email or preferences. You can have it do that by locating these assets on your hard drive and selecting them. It's our one regret about SugarSync; we'd like to see it more easily configurable to those categories.

The other thing you get with SugarSync's business plan is telephone support. The friendly, non-outsourced support is available seven days a week, from 6am to 7pm (PST) on weekdays, with slightly shorter hours on the weekends.The other advantages of SugarSync are all there: an online photo album, music streaming, file sharing via links, all accessible via smart phone apps. We tested the iPhone app on the SugarSync personal plan, and loved it.

So, is SugarSync for Business right for your business? For document backup and sharing coupled with administrative capabilities, it's great. For full backup of your preferences, emails, and bookmarks, it can take a little work. But it's a lot fun to use, particularly if you have a smart phone.

Exclusive Mozy Promo Code

Posted by kent on February 9th, 2010

We are very happy to bring back the exclusive 15%-off Mozy promo code. This brings the price of this excellent online backup service down to $4.21 per month. Put that together with Mozy's yearly discounts and you can receive a year of safe, secure online backup for $46.01, or two years for $88.36. This is the cheapest way to secure your important documents, pictures, and other important data against accidental loss. You must use the coupon code NEXT at checkout, and you must follow a link from NextAdvisor.com.

We liked Mozy a lot, but to see how it stacks up against other online backup services, take a look at our reviews and comparisons.

The New York Times ponders the plight of the Internet user

Posted by Caitlin on January 25th, 2010

In this day and age, even the Fashion & Style section of The New York Times is worried about Internet security issues. This weekend, the Times recounted the experiences of Allan Goldstein, a 60 year old college professor who uses the Internet, but does so a bit nervously. He worries that NYU's online system will crash, and that he'll lose his syllabus and grades. He uses online banking, but draws the line at automated payments.

A few years ago, Mr. Goldstein was a victim of a rather low-tech variety of identity theft: dumpster diving. Mr. Goldstein believes the thief or thieves found discarded receipts and bank statements in his building's trash before changing the address associated with his credit card. Mr. Goldstein responded to the situation by purchasing a shredder.

In December, Mr. Goldstein opened a new American Express credit card account, but the first time he logged in to check his balance, he found himself in a different account, one belonging to a woman in Florida. He could see her purchase history and all of her personal information. His first move was to call American Express's customer service department and explain that he'd "hacked into someone's private account by mistake."

After a month of being brushed off by six American Express customer representatives who seemed less than concerned about the issue, Mr. Goldstein contacted The New York Times, which finally got American Express's attention. It turned out, there was no hacking or security failure going on. Mr. Goldstein's user name and password were nearly identical to those of another customer, and he had typed his own information incorrectly, which led him to accidentally sign into her account.

Sadly, the incident shook Mr. Goldstein's already tenuous faith in the Internet to such a degree that he responded by moving his savings from an online savings account to a standard account with a lower interest rate.

Clearly, American Express should have responded to Mr. Goldstein's concerns more quickly. But while Mr. Goldstein's trepidation about Internet services is understandable, he would be far safer if he did his research. While shredding sensitive documents is a good move, it is not an adequate defense against identity theft. And if Mr. Goldstein's banking user name and password were nearly identical to those of another customer, it is likely that both were using a popular and weak password.

Instead of avoiding Internet services, learn to use them safely. Protect yourself from identity thieves by investing in an identity theft protection service, or at least a credit monitoring service. Use strong passwords, with a combination of upper and lowercase letters and numbers. Be sure to install Internet security software on your PC, and set it to update automatically. Don't be afraid of online savings accounts, which generally earn higher interest rates than standard accounts. And if you're nervous about losing files, invest in an online backup service.

Online backup services and the value of version histories

Posted by kent on December 17th, 2009

Last month, someone asked a question about file corruption. They wondered if their online backup service could restore working versions of files that had become corrupted on their hard drive. I suggested that "versioning" or "file history" might come to their rescue. This feature, offered by most online backup services, holds on to a certain number of past iterations of your files. It's a powerful tool that can do more than save you from corrupted files; it can save you from your mistakes.

We all know the power of the "undo." You write a bad sentence, and you can undo it. You accidentally crop your significant other out of a photo, and you can undo it. If you happen to flatten a multi-layered Photoshop file that took you weeks to create, well, you can undo that too. But if you should save the file after doing any of those changes, you can't undo them anymore.

That's where online backup comes in. By choosing to restore to an earlier version of a file, you can often recover it in a pre-changed state. It's like a master undo command. How well it works depends a lot on when you last saved your file, and when your online backup service last ran its backup. If you created the file this morning, and your backup ran last night, it won't help. But if you have a long-term project (or if you use a service like SugarSync that runs a file backup every time you save), it can be a real life saver.

The last time we checked, Carbonite, SugarSync, Mozy, and IDrive, all offer some kind of version history functionality.

I am a Carbonite subscriber. My computer recently crashed. I changed from Windows to a Mac. How do I get my service changed to my new computer?

Posted by kent on December 3rd, 2009

The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.

Q: I am a carbonite subscriber. My computer recently crashed. I changed from window to A Mac. How do I get my serviced changed to my new computer?

A: We've had a number of questions about transferring Carbonite accounts. We covered that a while ago, and you can read our post on that here. According to Carbonite's tech support, you can use your remaining subscription on your new computer.

Your question did get us thinking about whether you could restore your previously backed-up PC data on your new Mac. After all, Macs and PCs have fundamentally different system architectures. It turns out that it presents a problem for data restoration. According to Carbonite's help section:

Due to the differences between PCs and Macs, Carbonite for Mac handles files and subscriptions in a different way than our PC-compatible products do. That means that users unfortunately cannot restore files between PCs and Macs…

We are working to add support for cross-platform restores and subscription transfers in future Carbonite releases.

Don't worry, you're not totally sunk. Until Carbonite works out that detail, you can use a little work around to restore your important PC documents on a Mac:

1) Log onto the Remote Access section of the Carbonite web site.

2) Manually restore your documents, music, videos, etc. using the web interface.

This is not as effortless as the one-button restore you get when you're restoring to the same platform, but at least you can get your important documents back. You probably won't get preferences back, since they're managed rather differently on a Mac.

Mozy discount for Black Friday: Save $15-$20

Posted by kent on November 25th, 2009

Mozy is making dramatic price cuts on its annual online backup storage plans for Black Friday. Until November 30th you can save $15.00 off of the single year plan, and $20.00 off of the two-year plan. That brings the prices down to $39.49 and $73.96, respectively. It's a really great deal for unlimited online storage for one computer. You must use the coupon code: MOZY at the time of checkout.

See how Mozy stacks up against similar services with our online backup services reviews and comparison chart.

Should you manage your own online backup encryption key?

Posted by kent on November 12th, 2009

When you use an online backup service like Mozy or Carbonite, your data is encrypted before it leaves your computer. This makes your data essentially indecipherable to hackers, should they somehow be monitoring your Internet connection. The software itself manages the encryption and the service will have your encryption key. Now according to Carbonite's Help section they keep: "your encryption key in a database that is itself encrypted, isolated, and accessible only to a handful of trusted employees."

If you don't like that idea, there is another option: your own private encryption key. You create it, you maintain it, you keep it. This is different from a password; it's the virtual 'secret decoder ring' that turns the encrypted gobbledygook into readable data. While this sounds more secure, and really it is, there are disadvantages. The first one being the line above: "You create it, you maintain it, you keep it." In other words: if you lose it, you're sunk. Really sunk. Irrecoverably so. There's no option to have the key reset or sent to you. No one has it but you.

This is why Carbonite recommends against it for most users, and why they say that if you do want to manage your own key you should "store at least two separate copies of the key on removable media, and store at least one copy of the key in a separate physical location, such as a safe deposit box."

Another disadvantage is that it can limit your ability to access your files remotely from a web browser.

Of course there could be legal reasons why you need your own encryption key. Perhaps you backup sensitive customer data for your business such as medical records or credit card numbers (in which you case, you might want to look at IBackup). Or maybe you're an international secret agent. Or a criminal. People have their reasons. We don't ask.

Still, for most people the trouble of creating the key, and risks of losing it, probably outweigh the advantages. So when you're installing your online backup service, chose to let the service manage the key for you. Of course you can always change your mind later (though you'll have to run your entire backup again).