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Carbonite Mobile backs up the contents of your phone, Android version supports remote wipes

Before today, Carbonite had a few mobile apps, but the backup process was something of a one-way street: you could access content on your handset, but you couldn't back up the contents of your phone. That changes today with Carbonite Mobile, a free app for iOS and Android that allows you to upload photos and other files to Carbonite.com. In addition to backup, though, the Android version offers some features typically reserved for standalone mobile security apps -- things like remote wiping and the ability to reset the phone to factory settings if it falls into the wrong hands. Additionally, you can use the app to locate your lost device on a map, and you can also set off the ringer, even if you had set the phone to vibrate. In the case of the Android app, the software will run in the background; due to Apple's different set of APIs, it won't run 24/7. However, all you iPhone owners out there can program the application so that it backs up the device automatically when you get home. Curious? We've got screenshots below along with download links in Google Play and the App Store.

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Carbonite Mobile App Launches to Help Safeguard Mobile Content and Devices

September 20, 2012

Boston and New York – September 20, 2012 – Carbonite, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARB), a leading provider of online backup solutions for consumers and small to medium sized businesses, today announced a new mobile app that extends Carbonite's signature data protection capabilities to mobile devices. Carbonite Mobile allows users to back up the photos and videos on their mobile devices to the cloud, and also includes features that protect a user's mobile device and personal data in the event of loss or theft.

A recent study from Wakefield Research and Carbonite* reveals that 57 percent of Americans have lost mobile phone data and 51 percent have accidentally deleted photos from their phone. Carbonite Mobile was designed to help solve these common problems while offering increased protection for the personal data on mobile devices, which is vulnerable to theft, loss and damage to the device or accidental deletion.

"Carbonite is a brand consumers trust to protect their valuable, often-irreplaceable digital files. With the Carbonite Mobile app, we are using our backup and protection expertise to ensure mobile device users can also protect their important photos and videos – no matter where they are created or stored," said Swami Kumaresan, EVP of New Ventures, Carbonite. "Each day, more and more of us are storing our priceless photographs and once-in-a-lifetime video moments on our mobile devices, and now Carbonite makes it very easy to protect this content as well."

The new Carbonite Mobile app includes three distinct features to make it simple and quick for mobile device users to maintain and protect their mobile devices:
Backup - This feature lets users back up the full resolution photos and videos located on their iOS or Android device securely to the cloud. Carbonite Mobile also archives any photos and videos accidently deleted from the mobile device so the user can download them back to their phone through the app.

Device Protection - This feature - available exclusively for Android - allows users to protect their mobile device and personal data in the event of theft or being misplaced by locating, locking, ringing or "destroying" the device.
- Locate: Uses the Android device's built-in location services to track its approximate position
- Ring: This "scream" feature causes the Android device to emit a sound, even when set to silent or vibrate, so a user can find it when it's within earshot
- Lock: Adds a passcode to the Android device for additional security
- Destroy: Remotely wipes a user's personal data (include SD card) from an Android device, restoring it to factory settings

Access - This feature enables users to view the files backed up from each of the devices (mobile, PCs and Macs) that Carbonite protects. For example, a user could access videos on their iPhone from their iPad or Android tablet using the Access feature. Carbonite Home online backup customers can view and share their backed up computer files from their mobile device as previously, but now can access their mobile photo and video backup as well.
"For years, our customers have enjoyed peace of mind knowing the contents of their computers are protected. Now they can feel the same way about their mobile devices, which is especially important due to the personal nature of smartphone content. Carbonite Mobile users can take additional comfort in the fact that we can help them easily locate, lock or wipe their devices," continued Kumaresan.

Surprisingly, the survey from Carbonite also revealed that many mobile device users (33%) stated they are not backing up their mobile photos because they "don't know how to or it's too complicated" and 20% stated they "don't have time." The survey further revealed how valuable mobile content is to today's smartphone users:
Mobile Cameras Create More Precious Memories: Today, 56% of smartphone owners use their phone's camera more than their actual camera, yet 62% with camera phones don't back up their photos to another device, leaving them at risk to loss from deletion, device malfunction or even theft.

Mobile Content is Worth Safeguarding: Twenty-five percent of those surveyed would be willing to pay more than $100 to find their mobile device and get back all of its contents – from photos to personal information, noting that contacts (58%) and photos and videos (34%) would be more upsetting to lose than downloaded content such as apps and music (8%). Additionally, 23% would be embarrassed if their mother were to look through their device's photos or texts.
Device Users will go to Extremes: Users indicated it's not about the phone itself; it's what's on the phone that they care most about. In fact, 3 in 5 adults with camera phones (60%) are willing to give up at least one thing to clear their phone of personal photos, texts and information if their phone was lost or stolen – those under 40 are most willing to give up Facebook for a month (32%) or alcohol for a month (31%) to clear their phone of personal items.

Availability
Carbonite Mobile is available now for free for iOS and Android devices and can easily be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play Store. For current Carbonite Home online backup customers, the App will also allow them to access their protected Carbonite files.

Additional Resources
About the Carbonite Mobile Apps – http://www.carbonite.com/mobile
Carbonite Mobile for Android
Carbonite Mobile for iOS
Carbonite Mobile Content is Valuable Infographic – http://cbnt.it/mobile_infographic

*Study conducted by Carbonite and Wakefield Research in Q2 2012.