Mozy
Latest
Transporter: Network attached storage with flair
The Transporter from Connected Data offers a new generation of network-attached storage (NAS). This technology allows you to connect a hard drive to your router, access it from anywhere and share its stored files. It is a bring-your-own drive alternative to the cloud. Units cost US$199 for a supply-your-own drive system (the company recommends any major brand 2.5" drive) or ships with 1 TB ($299) or 2TB ($399) ready-to-go drives. The drives sit inside the Transporter enclosure, making the system both compact and clean. Just connect to your Ethernet router and power, and you're ready to rock and roll. Net-connected drives offer all the cloud-like convenience of data-anywhere without the monthly or yearly costs you'd fork over to Dropbox, Google, Box.net, Amazon or SkyDrive. You supply the disk, so accessible storage expands as much as needed. What you get is privacy. Many users cannot use Dropbox-style storage due to HIPAA or legal concerns. Sending data to third-party sites in the cloud can contravene security. With NAS, you own and control your data, ensuring you limit who can access it remotely. There are drawbacks to these systems as well. Because they physically sit near your home computer, they're not really suitable for cloud backup. A fire that destroys your computer will also destroy your Transporter. (You can, of course, buy one for your office and another for your home, sharing data and helping to mitigate this limitation.) And, they don't offer the kind of server-based redundancy guarantees that many online services like Dropbox provide. That's why I was so disappointed that the feature I was most hoping to use the Transporter for has not yet shipped, specifically buddy-based private offsite backups. Mark Fuccio of Connected Data Marketing told me that while the company is definitely committed to rolling out encrypted folders, the option won't be available for at least three to six months. With encrypted off-site folders, you'd be able to share, say, half your drive, with a friend. You could then store data there providing the offsite component that's missing from most NAS installs. Right now, if someone physically steals a drive, all bets are off -- the data is readable. What's more, any data you place on a buddy's Transporter is also readable, making you rely on, as Fuccio put it, the "honor system" for the near future. The Transporter is not meant for use as a Time Machine destination. Its focus is on providing a turnkey solution with a well-controlled sharing experience. If you're looking for an offsite backup solution, you'll probably do better subscribing to one of the dedicated services like Mozy, Crashplan, Carbonite or Backblaze. In our testing, the Transporter basically did what it promised. We easily shared data locally and remotely, with a dedicated web interface to manage the drive. The software felt a bit first-generation, but that's what you normally expect from early access. We ran into one major problem when files I shared to Steve Sande initially overwhelmed his network -- but we quickly found the online bandwidth limitation options and restored his network to reasonably working order. Transporter seemed to measure up well against the NAS field and I particularly liked the unit with the built-in drive enclosure. Anyone looking for this kind of off-site data access should be pleased with the hardware and performance it offers.
Mozy releases iOS client
There are any number of online file storage and backup options these days -- Amazon's new Cloud Drive, perennial favorite Dropbox and Mozy, which I've been using for simple backups. So it's good to hear that Mozy has now released an iOS client that will allow you to view your files stored on its servers. The app has some limitations, unfortunately. Most notably that it's restricted to the US and Canada, although a worldwide version has been promised. Also, it only works with MozyHome accounts (a version for MozyPro is on the way), and can't decrypt any backups you've encrypted with your own private key. If you use Mozy in North America, give the free iPhone or iPad app a try and let us know how you get on with it in comments.
World Backup Day: Mozy app puts backed-up files at your fingertips
Here's another product for World Backup Day. Mozy, a well-respected and veteran cloud backup solution for Mac and PC, has delivered Mozy to the App Store. This app, which is a free download that works with any iOS device, gives you access to all of those files from your computer that have been backed up to Mozy's servers. If you're a subscriber to Mozy's service, you can view files from any of the computers backed up to your account. The app tells you when the last backup was completed, and navigating to the individual folders is a matter of a few taps. Once you've found a file that you're interested in using, numerous actions are available -- with a tap, the file can be emailed or opened in a compatible application on your iPhone or iPod touch. Photos stored on your computer can be published to Facebook, viewed in high resolution, or saved to your local camera roll as well. What's cool about this is that it provides much of the functionality of Dropbox (cloud storage) while ensuring that your Mac or PC is being backed up at the same time. Of course, the Mozy app doesn't provide the offline access that Dropbox for Mac and PC does, but neither does the actual Dropbox iOS client. (Update: According to commenter Rdnymllnsktr, it is possible in the Dropbox app simply by tapping the star below a viewed file. That downloads the file as a Favorite, and it is then available to open in a compatible app.) If you have 2 GB or less of critical data that you need to back up, Mozy provides a free account. This is also a great way to try out the backup service. Paid accounts are available over the 2 GB limit for US$5.99 a month for 50 GB (and one computer) or 125 GB (and up to three computers) for $9.99 monthly. Here at TUAW, we're trying to get out the word about World Backup Day to make sure that you're not part of the estimated 80% of computer users who don't have current backups of data. As I always tell computer users, if you haven't lost data yet, you will. "Set and forget" backup services such as Mozy, Backblaze, BackJack, CrashPlan and Carbonite are a low-cost and simple way to keep a copy of your data offsite in case of a local catastrophe.
Mac 101: Backup basics with Time Machine and more
Did you get a new Mac for Christmas? Before you go too far in loading your Mac with software and files, make sure that you have a backup strategy. As a certified Mac consultant, I can tell you that there are two kinds of computer users: those who have lost data through error, hardware failure, or accident, and those who are going to lose data in the future. Most of the bloggers at TUAW are backup fanatics, and many of us have multiple backups using Time Machine (the backup app built into Mac OS X), cloning applications like Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper!, and online backup services like Carbonite, Mozy, and BackBlaze. In this edition of Mac 101, I'll take you through the basics of setting up your Time Machine backup to a local hard drive, explain the power of cloning apps, and tell you why off-site backups are a good idea.
Mozy 2.0 for Mac is faster, more Mac-like
Mozy, the cloud-based backup service for both PC's and Macs has just released version 2.0 of its Mozy for Mac software. Lifehacker reports that while most users won't notice anything other than the shiny new Mac-native appearance, Mozy also added a new query builder to make creating advanced backup rules easier, improved performance and stability, increased backup speed, and added an easy on/off switch for setting up automatic backups. In other words, they have attempted to make it even simpler to use than it already was. Mozy 2.0 for Mac is available for download now and just as before the first 2GB of online storage is free while monthly prices vary for larger home or corporate accounts. It's interesting to see how far they have come since the first version of Mozy for Mac came on the scene. I saw firsthand the value of having an offsite backup system in place when a buddy of mine lost both the internal drive on his iMac AND his external backup drive at home on the same day. He was a Mozy user and had them send him his complete backup on DVDs which he then used to import his data onto his new computer. Regularly backing up your machine (both local and in the cloud) is one of the most important things you can do as a computer user, and I myself have been a longtime user of backup service from BackBlaze. For $50/year, the expense of paying for an online backup is totally worth the safety net it provides. [via Lifehacker and Online Backups Review]
Ask TUAW: Automatic file sorting, Disk Utility, iPod battery replacement, and more
Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we've got questions about automatically sorting downloaded files, using Disk Utility to change partitions and format external drives, using a KVM in a multi-platform environment, replacing an iPod touch battery, and more. As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify), or if it's an iPhone-related question, which iPhone version and OS version you have.
Mozy fixes issue that affected Time Machine / Time Capsule users
Users of the MozyHome and MozyPro online backup services who also use Apple's Time Machine and a Time Capsule for onsite backups were dismayed to find last week that their Time Machine backups were not working. A bug in version 1.4.1 of the Mozy software caused Time Machine backups to Time Capsules and other network drives to pause, and then freeze up. A user quoted on the Computerworld website last week noted that Time Machine would no longer mount his MacBook Pro's sparse bundle file while running Mozy offsite backups, and that he had to wipe the Time Machine backup in order to get the Time Machine / Time Capsule combination working again. The problem did not affect Mozy users who were backing up to a locally attached hard drive. Part of the issue was that Mozy was attempting to back up the large Time Machine sparse bundle files. Engineers at Mozy's parent company, Decho, worked with Apple to gain resolution to the issue, and a fix was made available for download last Friday as version 1.4.3 of the Mac software for MozyHome and MozyPro. [via Macworld and Computerworld]
Ask TUAW: Online backup, Bluetooth with iPod touch and OS 3.0, converting DVDs for iPhone, and more
In this round of Ask TUAW we've got questions about connecting a MacBook to a plasma TV, using a Bluetooth headset with an iPod touch, backing up online, ripping DVDs to watch on an iPhone and more. As always, your suggestions are welcome. Questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X (we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions!
Backblaze for Mac officially launches
Back in December, online backup company Backblaze launched a private beta of its service for Mac users. Like its Windows counterpart, the Backblaze subscription service is $5 US a month (or $50 US a year) for unlimited backup space. Today, the company is officially launching its service for Mac users, along with an updated client, better support for external drives and enhanced recovery options. Configuration and setup Just like in the beta, Backblaze remains extremely easy to set-up and use. You just install the program (by default it will run in the background, though you can change this), enter in your e-mail address and password, and it will start backing up your files. The default setting has Backblaze running any time it finds an available internet connection. The backup process is constant and Backblaze stores multiple versions of a file for 30 days (so if you are frequently changing a document or spreadsheet, 30 days worth of revisions are saved to Backblaze). If you want to remove Backblaze, the company has made the uninstall process easier and more intuitive. There is now an uninstaller built into the install DMG image, just double-click on Uninstall (right next to the install option) and you can take Backblaze off your system. If you trash the DMG, just download it again off the Backblaze web site for easy removal. Backblaze won't backup your Applications (thought it WILL backup stuff in your User/Library folder, so many of your application settings will remain backed up), but it will backup your photos, movies, audio files as well as things like your iPhoto or Aperture database, various documents, and more. By default, .ISO, *.exe and *.DMG files are excluded from the backup file type list, but you can remove most of those extensions (*.ISO cannot be removed) if you want to backup that information. The maximum single file size is still 4 GB, but keep in mind this doesn't mean your iPhoto or Aperture databases won't be safe. Those databases are actually just folders with lots of smaller individual files, that's fine. If you have individual files over 4 GB in size, those won't be backed up with Backblaze. You'll need to split the files into smaller segments or make alternate arrangements.
Backblaze beta launches for Mac: We have invites!
Update 4:Backblaze worked out the registration server issues and is now taking more users for the beta! If you already downloaded the program and had problems logging in, try again. If you want to try it out, visit http://www.backblaze.com/tuaw_mac to sign up!/updateBackup your data. It's the one piece of tech advice that just can't be given enough. Backup your data. At this point, I think most computer users know that it is important to backup. Mac users running Leopard have it even easier, thanks to Time Machine and devices like the Time Capsule. Still, for whatever reason, there are plenty of people, smart people (though we hear Scott is finally backing up properly now) -- who don't have an adequate backup solution. If the geeks can't do it, how can we expect our parents to? This is why online backup systems are so intriguing. With internet access being pretty much ubiquitous and getting faster and faster and data storage getting so cheap, it makes sense to consider backing up to the cloud. Not only does it free you from having to be connected to a hard drive, in the event of a true data disaster, the data is someplace else. As someone who backs up her backup drives, this is an enticing possibility. Today, Backblaze, who has already had a subscription backup service available for Windows users (see Download Squad's take) is launching a private beta for its Mac backup service. For $5 a month (or $50 a year), you get unlimited backup space. And unlimited is really unlimited. I asked Gleb Budman, the co-founder and CEO of Backblaze, and he assured me that there are no arbitrary data limits. Although the service is in private beta, Backblaze was nice enough to give TUAW readers 300 invites so that you can try out the service for yourself. Just go to http://www.backblaze.com/tuaw_mac and you can try the service for free for two weeks. If you decide you like it, it's $5 a month (or $50 a year). Read on for more details about the service and my take on it as a backup strategy...
Backing up iTunes
Just like every machine with moving parts, the hard drive that holds your iTunes library will eventually stop working. Read that line again - I didn't say might stop working, but will stop. It's going to happen, so be prepared.Mark Nichols at zanshin recently wrote about his own experience of swapping and burning CDs and DVDs to back up iTunes purchases (something we blogged about awhile ago). That got me thinking about strategies for iTunes backups. Time Machine and SuperDuper make it easy to execute local backups at regular intervals, but that's only half the battle. A good off-site backup of your mission-critical files (and I don't know about you, but for me, music is definitely considered mission-critical) is essential. You can go with services like Mozy or CrashPlan.Personally, I've been very happy with Bandwagon. For only $12US per month, they provide the means to backup to either Amazon S3 or your own FTP server.So, what's your solution? Please share in the comments, and save Mark another day of swapping discs in and out of his optical drive.
Mozy 1.0
A little over a year ago we wrote about back up purveyor Mozy's beta Mac client, and many people were quite excited. Time passed, the seasons changed, and the Mozy folks were quiet. Quiet until today, that is. That's right, Mozy 1.0 for the Mac is now available for download.In a nutshell, Mozy is a backup application which backs up your files to Mozy's servers. As you might guess, this requires the use of the Internet, and perhaps just a little magic. The backups are encrypted, so you don't have to worry about someone peeking at your files or taking some of your MP3s for their own collection. Mozy also ships with 'Backup sets,' which are predefine file locations and the like to make backing up easier. For example, the iTunes Library Backup Set will target your (shockingly) iTunes library, while the Desktop Backup Set makes sure all the files on your Desktop are backed up. You can even create Backup sets of your own, which I did to backup only those items that I bought via the iTunes Store.The application itself is free because Mozy makes their money charging for the storage your back ups use. A free account will get you 2 gigs of back up space, while $4.95 per month will get you unlimited space (and if you pay for a year or two in advance you get a few months for free).I signed up for a free account and took Mozy for a spin. Overall, the application is just what you want from a backup app: unobtrusive and easy to use. The downside to Mozy, and this is true of any system that backs up over the network, is speed (I know that the topic of upload/download speeds is fertile ground, but that discussion is outside the scope of this post). I backed up 1.4 gigs using Mozy and it took 4.5 hours.Check out this gallery for lots of screenshots of Mozy, as well as a look at how one restores files from back up.%Gallery-21935%
Will the iPhone 3G frolic in the summer sun?
Way back last year, Steve Jobs mentioned that a 3G iPhone would debut some time this year. Then we started seeing iPhones being clearanced. And now, Yahoo reports that the 3G iPhone is on-track for, um, real soon now -- as early as Q3 2008 with a possible Q2 launch. Everyone and their brother has been waiting for the 3G iPhone. So is this report reliable? AT&T declined to comment on specific launch dates. Apple declined comment. Yahoo bases its article on a report by Bank of America analyst Scott Craig. But it fits into what (a) everyone expects and (b) we already know. Is there anything new here? Possibly not. More from Apple Insider and iPod observer about possible Hon Hai 3G contracts and Kevin Rose's 3G iPhone predictions. Does this spin & speculation make any difference to your purchasing plans for the iPhone of today -- buy now, or wait until something better comes along? Let us know.
Beta Beat: Mac Mozy Online Backup opens public beta
Mozy is a secure online backup service from Berkeley Data Systems. Today, Mozy introduced a public beta for Mac users, offering a Universal binary that runs on both Power PC and Intel systems. Mac Mozy provides both full- and incremental-backups and allows you to schedule those backups for specific times or to wait for when your computer is idle. Berkeley offers two basic plans to choose from. You can store up to 2 GB of data for free or, if you need more space, $5/month provides unlimited backup space. Most importantly, the data is stored securely. Mozy uses 448-bit blowfish encryption on your data and you select your private encryption key. No one at Berkeley has access to that key. If you'd like to give Mac Mozy a spin, stop by their free registration page, answer some personal questions and wait for an e-mail with a link to their download page.
