Omega Scientific

You know that you need to have online backup to safely store and secure your priceless photos and data in case of a computer failure or other disaster – but with so many services available, how do you know which one to choose? 

• Available Storage – How much storage does the service provide?  If it’s limited, research companies that offer unlimited storage for a base fee (there are plenty of them out there).
• Automatic or Manual? – Make sure the service you select has automatic backups that you can schedule at your convenience.  Simply select the files you want backed-up and how often, and the program will backup them up “behind-the-scenes,” when your computer is in sleep mode or not in use. If you have manually backup anything, chances are you won’t do it as often as you should.
• Price – When it comes to online backup, you don’t always necessarily get what you pay for – and you certainly don’t want to overpay.  There are many reputable and first rate backup companies that offer low monthly packages, starting at just $4.95.
• Encryption – While this should come standard, make sure the service offers data encryption on transmission.
• Speed – On average, how fast can they recover your files if something were to happen to the originals?  You’ll want to know this before disaster strikes!
• Customer Service and Support – Find out what kind of customer service and support platforms they offer, in case you ever need to utilize such services.
• Consumer Reviews – Do some homework online to see what other users of a service you’re interested in are saying – they’ll be honest, candid, and the best source to find out how the company really does perform.

This past May, Consumer Reports conducted a study which found that the recent spate of airline groundings is occurring despite a high number of carriers outsourcing aircraft maintenance – something that should be disconcerting to fliers everywhere.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for airline safety in the U.S. and is the governmental agency which inspects planes and regulates American carriers.  When maintenance work for a carrier is done by an outside company (as opposed to the company’s own facilities), it becomes much more difficult for the FAA to regulate airplane maintenance.  As a result, licensed mechanics may not be doing the actual maintenance work (even though one has to sign the work off).  Even more worrisome is the work may not be thoroughly checked – anything from faulty wiring to obscure technical problems may be present despite an approved “check.”

Aside from bringing more maintenance in-house, industry experts suggest that airlines should utilize new, beneficial maintenance technology (such as an arc fault breaker) and require more thorough, scheduled maintenance checks to avoid grounding.  Further more, the FAA is being pressured to increase certification requirements for licensed mechanics.  

Mac users rejoice!  Industry leader Mozy, Inc. has finally unveiled their Mac backup software application, so now you can protect your photos, music, documents, and other important computer files for as little as $4.95 a month.  It is the first unlimited backup service that caters to Mac users and is available for Mac OS x 10.4 or 10.5  As Mozy says, “backing up your stuff has never been so sexy!”