Backup... And Backup the Backup

Today I got a message from my Mac Time Machine that it couldn't verify my backup, and wanted to start over. Since all is working fine on my computer right now, no big deal, right?

Well, no big deal, comparatively. I lose all the versions of all my documents and files, dating back many many months. Not a killer, I guess. But what if something goes wrong (or is wrong but I don't know it yet) while that new backup is being made? If my hard drive dies or my computer crashes before I have a new backup, that would be a problem.

Think of your backup as a safety net. Think of your data as you on a high wire. There you are, a few hundred feet up in the air, when your assistant hollers up, "Hey! The safety net just frickin' disappeared! I'm going to go get a new one. I'll be back in a few hours, maybe a day or so."

It would be nice to have a spare safety net, no? You didn't even know your thesis, dissertation, priceless photos and rare bootleg recordings were engaged in regular death defying feats!

Hard drives are big and cheap these days. That's good and bad. Good because they're affordable, bad because they aren't as dependable as they used to be and because you can store so much stuff on one of them that the loss of a drive is almost always catastrophic.

Develop a daily backup strategy. On a Mac, Time Machine is good. Then, backup the backup on a regular basis. Carbon Copy Cloner, Crash Plan, and Mozy are all excellent ideas. And don't forget Drive and Dropbox. They are both excellent places to stash your documents. Don't forget that photos and music can take a lot of space.

The best backup strategy is the one you use. Don't wait. If you don't have a backup plan, do it now. If you need help, I can set up one that you will use, in about an hour.

Keep Your Feet on the Ground and Your Stuff in the Clouds…

The cloud... the cloud... everybody's talking about the cloud. What's the deal?

The cloud is basically a short way to say, a big hard drive that somebody else takes care of, located somewhere I don't know, that I connect to through the Internet but it kind of feels like it's right on my computer or phone (and it kind of sort of might be).

Much easier to say the cloud. What's so good about the cloud?

• you can use it from anywhere there is Internet
• it doesn't take up space at your place
• it is always backed up so you won't accidentally lose your stuff
• it is never fills up (although you might have to pay for more space)
• a whole lot of it is free

Free, you say? Absolutely. Google Drive and Dropbox are two of the leading providers of cloud services whose basic package is free. Just click on the links above to start the sign up. Apple's iCloud is also a cloud service (duh) but works a little differently.

Both of Drive and Dropbox will install special folders on your computer. What's cool about the folder is that anything you put in it is automatically copied to the cloud. You can install this special folder on your home computer, your office computer, your phone... and automatically, you'll have access to everything that's in the folder. Change a file at the office. Open it up later on your home computer, make more changes, and find the changes waiting for you at the office the next day. You can also share whatever is in your folder with any one else! No more e-mailing giant picture or music files!

Apple's iCloud, although free, is only useful to people who use an iOS5 device, or an OS X 10.7 Computer. You can install iCloud on a Windows 7 or Vista computer as well, but if you don't have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, there's not much point. Not a storage option like Dropbox or Drive, iCloud is the little bit of Apple magic that keeps all your contacts, calendars, music, and photos synced between all of your computers and iDevices. iCloud replaces MobileMe, which will disappear for good on May 30. If you use MobileMe, now is the time to move to iCloud or consider some other alternative.

Setting up Dropbox and Drive are fairly straightforward. I encourage you to give it a try. If you need help transitioning from MobileMe to iCloud, the Apple tutorials and assistants will lead you through it step by step. It is almost always smooth as silk, but there have been some snafus. As always, if you would feel better having a professional take care of any of this, or your having a hard time deciding just what to do, I'm just a phone call or e-mail away.

Pageonce - I Love This App!

Pageonce - for the iPhone and the iPad, makes keeping track of your credit cards, regular bills, and bank accounts fun. Or, at least as much fun as it can be. Once you enter your usernames and passwords into its relatively simple interface, Pageonce keeps track of your balances, payment due dates, and any unusual activity in all of your accounts.

But, the real beauty is that Pageonce sends me alerts a week, and then again a day before my payments are due. It let's me know when a new bill is ready for review. And, it let's me know if there are any problems like an unusually large transaction. You really need to get this app and set it up to fully understand the value it adds. Because it aggregates all this info for you, there's no more logging in to 5 sites or running the bank app, the discover app, the Visa app, phone company app, the whatever app just to know how things stand.

I've been using it for over a year now and while it's not Angry Birds, I have to say, "I Love This App!" Originally worth it at $9.99, this app is available in the App Store at the remarkable price of FREE!

OS X: Safe for now

The patch released yesterday will stop new infections of Flashback.k. You should check to see if your Mac has already been infected. Instructions for how to check are found at this post.


Apple releases Java security updates | Macworld

Does the Apple Java Update Fix the Flashback.k Vulnerability?

Who knows? It probably does. The inscrutable folks in Cupertino never comment on their security updates. Just, download and install the update anyhow.

Bummer Dude... That's a Bad Flashback.k

Seriously, there's a malicious little Trojan going around the Mac world. It's known as Flashback.k

If you don't yet have it, the official word seems to be to disable Java in your browsers, until Apple publishes a patch. To do this in Safari go to the "Safari Menu," choose "Preferences..." and then select the "Security" tab and uncheck (if checked) the "Enable Java" box.

In Firefox, it's "Tools," "Add-ons," then choose the "plug-ins" tab and look for "Java Plug-in" and disable it.

But, Mr. Handyman, how do I know if I have it?

Fire up the Terminal application, found in your Utilities folder, paste in the following:

defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment (and hit Return)

The answer you hope to get is "The domain/default pair of (/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info, LSEnvironment) does not exist"

Then paste in the following:

defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment

The answer you hope to get is "The domain/default pair of (/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info, LSEnvironment) does not exist"

If you got anything else, Bummer, Dude. You've got Flashback.k. There's a fairly complicated explanation about how to get rid of it, found here. Do ALL of that, and then change all your Internet passwords, starting with Banks and Credit Cards.

Or call me. I can help.

iTunes Smart Playlists

If you haven't yet tried the "smart playlist" feature in iTunes, I highly recommend it. Smart playlists automatically update themselves based on rules that are easy to set up. One of my favorite smart playlists keeps 45 minutes of music that is made up 1/2 with songs from my most frequently listened to songs, and 1/2 with songs I haven't listened to in over a month. And, all of the songs on the list have just the right beat for me when I'm out running. This way, every time I run, I have a fresh mix of familiar and old favorites that works just right for me at exercise time. Smart playlist creation is just one of many features of iTunes that I can introduce to you during a one-hour "Making iTune MyTunes" class.