backups
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Google Takeout promises radical left wing-themed data extraction for Circles, more (video)
A team of khaki-clad Google engineers, calling itself the Data Liberation Front, has taken up the cause of freeing your data from the restrictive confines of El Goog's servers. Google Takeout, as the program has been billed, rips your various stashes of data from Buzz, Circles, Picasa, Contacts, and your Google Profile, and quickly bundles them in a zip file for download. The resulting booty is yours to do with as you choose. Takeout was announced the same day Google's latest social initiative sprung to life, offering an alternative to the notoriously hard to transfer data of its obvious competitor. But we're sure that was just a coincidence. Right? A hilariously nerdy promo video awaits you after the break.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me move my iOS devices to a new computer
Dear Aunt TUAW, I just bought a brand spanking new iMac. Since I want a clean slate, I am moving everything over manually from my old MacBook. So far so good, except for my iPhone, iPod touch, iPad etc. How do I switch my iOS devices over without the loss of my apps and their saved data. (I have put many many hours into Infinity Blade on long flights.) Thanks! Your loving nephew, Henry
Dear Aunt TUAW: How do I restore an iPad backup to a new device?
Dear Aunt TUAW, I've searched your site for information on this to no avail, and I suspect several others will be faced with the same dilemma. Seeing that you are the authority in the field, I thought I'd ask you. Here goes... I've recently sold off my iPad 1 on the used market in favor of getting the iPad 2. Prior to selling it, I applied the iOS 4.3 update and performed a full backup on the device using iTunes. And so to my question: Will I be able to perform a restore by use of my [iPad 1, iOS 4.3] backup onto my new iPad 2 in order to smoothly get all my settings and apps up and running on the new device? Hugs, Your nephew Jimmy
Macworld 2011: Dolly Drive syncs Time Machine to the cloud, creates bootable backup
We're finding many useful solutions here at Macworld Expo, and among them is Dolly Drive. This new solution (they just launched this week) offers encrypted Time Machine sync to the cloud and even creates a bootable version of the local drive you've been using for Time Machine thus far. I spoke with Anthony about the product, how it works and what the future holds. There are three interesting things about Dolly Drive. First, it allows Time Machine to behave just like Time Machine. The primary difference is that your backups live out in the cloud instead of locally. The benefits are obvious. Let's say you're at a meeting in the field, only to realize that an important file is corrupt or missing entirely. If it lives on an external drive back in your home or office, you're out of luck. Dolly Drive lets you restore it from the cloud, using Time Machine's familiar UI, getting you back in business. Check for more and our video of Dolly Drive in action after the break.
Xbox 360 mandatory update restores boot to disc, detains Call of Duty pirates for a tad
The story of the Trojan Horse must be a favorite among video game console manufacturers, because software updates these days often come with more than bargained for -- today, Microsoft issued a mandatory Xbox 360 update, reportedly for a single bugfix, but which seems to have coincidentally halted scores of pirates and hackers from playing Call of Duty: Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 on the console. Members of the Xbox-Scene forums noted the update was taking suspiciously long to download, discovered that backup copies of these games ceased to work, and presently believe that Microsoft included a patch for these two games to enable an anti-piracy feature that specifically targets burned copies. What does the mandatory update do for you if you're not part of the hacking scene? It merely enables the console to automatically boot a pre-inserted game when you power it on, a feature that was accidentally disabled in November. [Thanks, Brian]
Dear Aunt TUAW: Will my jailbroken iPhone back up?
Dear Aunt TUAW, I want to jailbreak my 4th gen iPod touch, but there is something I'm unsure about. If I want to unjailbreak it (because of performance issues, etc.), is there any possible way for me to do that without losing all of my data? I have scoured the internet, and I haven't been able to come up with a concrete answer. Thanks for your help. Love & kissies, Your nephew, Luke
Clickfree Wireless hands-on (video)
We went out on the CES show floor to find the clickfree Wireless Backup and all of its wireless backing-up power. Coming in two versions -- 500GB or optional 1TB capacities -- the Wireless Backup seems to be a fully capable backup option, competing with other wireless solutions like the Apple Time Capsule and the LaCie Wireless Space. It includes the company's patented AutoRUN feature that takes care of the initial setup, which is simple enough that even non-Engadget readers would be able to plug in and start backing up their files through the waves of the WiFis. After the software is configured for one or more computers, all that is required is a standard outlet for some juice and you're rolling. There's a number of options for those who want to choose specific files for backup and restore. While the clickfree Wireless is certainly competitive and one of the smallest backup solutions we've seen, comparing in size to an Apple TV or a Roku XD, it certainly doesn't share some of the features of being a NAS and WLAN router like the LaCie Wireless Space, nor does it have USB support. Video after the break. %Gallery-113425%
Time Machine holds a place in my heart, and it should in yours too
One of my TUAW colleagues who shall remain nameless revealed to us yesterday that he doesn't use Time Machine. "Don't talk to me about Time Machine," he said. "I hate it!" My goodness, I thought. Is that even possible? I cannot recount the number of times that Time Machine has saved me from thoughtless text edits or file deletions that I later regretted. Surely that has happened to you too -- you edit something in-place without saving an unmodified original. That's the way most people work. Few are diligent, methodical, and neurotic enough to save every state along the way as they work, version numbering and backing up as they go. There's pharmaceuticals for those people. There's Time Machine for the rest of us.
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.
PS3 jailbreak adapted to Nokia N900, Palm Pre in wake of Australian ban (video)
Two weeks ago you'd have to pay an Australian importer for a specialized USB key. Four days ago open-source software let you roll your own. Today, there's no need for any of that -- you can hack your PS3 with a tethered smartphone. Working closely with the PSGroove team, hacker Kakaroto adapted the same jailbreak to the Nokia N900, and the open-source community lost no time porting it to the Palm Pre as well. If the videos after the break are any indication, both versions work just as well as the original, and you too can get your game on with downloads and detailed instructions at the source links below. Sadly, the aforementioned Australian importer OzModChips is a casualty of this little story, with all its shipments of the PS Jailbreak dongle seized (and the item subject to injunction) by an Australian court, but we suppose knowing its product has enabled the hardware hacking community thus might somewhat soften the blow. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
PS3 modchip claims to finally allow backing up games without invasive console surgery (video)
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation/PS3_modchip_claims_to_finally_allow_backing_up_games_without'; Who needs George Hotz anyway? A USB modchip for the PS3 has emerged from the mists this morning, purporting to allow the dumping of games onto nearby storage -- the console's internal HDD and external drives are both a-ok -- as well as the subsequent playing of said games without the need for the original disc. Could it be the backup/piracy nirvana Sony loyalists have been awaiting for so long? Well, there's a video showing the little USB device apparently working, and the PSX-Scene team say they have personally verified that it does what it claims to do, but skepticism remains advisable here. The PS3 has been a fortress of hacker unfriendliness, so we'd rather kick back, relax, and wait for some braver souls than us to do the testing. For now, the video awaits after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
New Xbox 360 hacked to play 'backup' discs, public release underway? (video)
If you're looking for video proof of the latest and greatest Xbox 360 firmware mod, you won't find it in the video after the break, but we're almost willing to take it on Team Xecuter's word and long-standing reputation that they've hacked the new Xbox 360. Banding together with Team Jungle and commodore4eva -- the hacker who brought backups to the original console in 2006 -- the group says they've successfully patched the DVD drive to play burned discs. Better still, they're promising that a public release of said patch "will be available shortly" to help you unlock a Stealthbox by your lonesome. Just remember, kids, circumventing DRM isn't always legal, even if you're copying games that you bought right off the shelf. [Thanks, Tito]
Palm and Sprint issue statement acknowledging Profile backup issue
Even in a world full of racket, it seems that the squeaky wheel still gets the grease. In yet another blow to this whole "cloud" agenda, a vocal segment of Palm users began to notice that information transferred from their online Palm Profile was only a fraction of what it should have been. Today, both Palm and Sprint have issued a joint statement acknowledging the issue and promising to work much, much harder in order to avoid having something like this ruin your life once again. To quote: "We are seeing a small number of customers who have experienced issues transferring their Palm Profile information to another Palm webOS device. Palm and Sprint are working closely together to support these customers to successfully transfer their information to the new device." Between this mess and the T-Mobile fiasco, we're pretty certain we're being forced to stay on the manual backup bandwagon for the foreseeable future. [Thanks, Mike]
Apple quietly updates AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, promises improved performance
Just as it did in March, Apple has subtly updated both the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, this time improving performance on both. According to new testing between today's model and yesterday's edition, the AE Base Station (which ships within three days for $179) can hum along at up to 25 percent faster thanks to undisclosed tweaks to the antenna design, while the Time Capsule's improved antenna promises the same. Just as before, both of these devices support dual-band 2.4GHz / 5GHz transmissions, though we can't seem to find an "802.11n draft" phrase anywhere on either page. Apple hasn't gone out of its way to say that both of these are certified with the final specification, but it's certainly a possibility. Finally, the new Time Capsule promises Time Machine backups in Snow Leopard that are some 60 percent faster than before; we're not sure whether to celebrate with new buyers or weep with existing ones, but it should ship within three days for $299 (1TB) / $499 (2TB).Read - Updated AirPort ExtremeRead - Updated Time Capsule
Add Apple's free Backup.app to your backup toolbox
When most people think about Apple and backups they probably think about Time Machine or perhaps even Time Capsule. But Apple has a lesser-known application which you might consider using. The app, simply named Backup, was originally available only to .Mac users, but is now openly available on Apple's website. It lists "MobileMe account" as one of its requirements. If you do not have a MobileMe account, each backup is limited to 100 MB. The good news is that for what I am suggesting, 100 MB will be completely sufficient for most people. Follow along as I use Backup to create a complete and scheduled backup of personal data and settings on my Mac. First, install and launch the application. Choose Plan > New Plan from the menu. If you have a MobileMe account, choose the "Personal Data & Settings" option (second from the top), click the "Choose Plan" button, and then skip the next paragraph.
Slim your 1Password 3 Backups
1Password is one of my very favorite and most essential Mac utilities. Combined with Dropbox, I can have all of my login information synced to all of my Macs. The other day I noticed that 1Password had gained a lot of weight, specifically around the backups area. I'm not usually one to comment on such things, but we weren't talking about "love handles," 1Password's backups had gone from 1MB to 21MB literally overnight. On August 28th, the backups were 1MB, and on August 29th, the backups were suddenly 21MB. Wait? Did you say August 28th? Isn't that when Snow Leopard was released? Yes it was. And wasn't that when you switched from 1Password version 2 to 1Password version 3? Yes it was. Could that have something to do with it? I contacted 1Password's excellent support staff who correctly diagnosed that the increase was related to the preview images which are used for Login and Software License icons. (These can be found in the 1Password.agilekeychain/a/default/thumb folder.) Each preview image take about 100K. With 600+ items in my agilekeychain, this quickly added up. Fortunately, this is easily fixed. If disk space is a concern, the icons and previews can be deleted using 1Password > Preferences > General > Remove all icons and previews. I also unchecked the box next to "Automatically download icons and previews for new Logins." After I did that, the backup size went from 21.5MB to 889KB! Why worry about space with today's hard drive spaces? I have 1Password set to backup to my Dropbox account, which is limited to a total of 5GB. Plus this meant having to upload 20+MB every day versus <1MB. Personally I neither use nor need the icons, so it's no loss to me, and it makes a big difference. Many thanks to the 1Password folks for helping me get to the bottom of this mystery!
OWC announces portable, bus-powered external SSD drives
I'm pretty paranoid about making sure that backups are done on all of my Macs. That's why I carry a small Western Digital MyPassport hard drive with me wherever I go with my MacBook Air, since I do at least one Time Machine backup a day -- even when I'm on the road.This is my second MyPassport drive. That's not saying that anything is wrong with the Western Digital drives; it's just that the first one I owned fell off of a classroom desk while a backup was in progress, pulling out the USB cable and dropping about three feet onto a hard floor. The drive appeared to be OK, but never worked again. That's why I was happy to hear that OWC announced the Mercury On-The-Go Pro series of portable bus-powered SSD drives yesterday. Solid-state drives, since they have no moving parts, can put up with a lot more abuse than traditional platter-based drives. They also offer better read performance than regular hard drives, and are often less power-hungry. The drives come in three different capacities -- 64 GB (US$279.99), 128 GB (US$449.99), and 256 GB (US$729.99) -- and all offer 64 MB of cache, as well as Firewire 400/800 and USB 2.0 interfaces. Being bus-powered, they don't need an AC adapter, making the On-The-Go Pro series perfect for road trips.While SSD drives are still more expensive than traditional hard drives, they're definitely more rugged, and in the long run that might be less costly than replacing a dropped hard drive. I've had extremely good success with OWC's products in the past, making this a doubly-attractive proposition. Of course, making sure my students don't cause my drives to take a dive off of a desk is a cheaper solution!
WiiGator Backup Launcher released, makes chipless GameCube backups on Wii a reality
It's out, and it works; the WiiGator GameCube Backup Launcher we mentioned last week has been released to the open arms of a community of incredibly clumsy gamers. Yes, you who can't possibly keep your discs from getting scratched or cracked or covered in peanut butter by your two-year-old sibling can now play backups of GameCube games on your Wii without having to install any modchips or void any warranties. The app, available with source at the read link, runs in the Wii's Homebrew Channel and enables the playing of GC games from a DVD-R (demonstrated in some incredibly dramatic shakeycam footage below). There are some issues with save games on certain types of memory cards, and not all titles work, but before you complain feel free to crack open those C files and try fixing things yourself, Mr. Critical.[Thanks, Omega]
PSP 3000 finally, inevitably hacked by Datel's Lite Blue Tool
Hacking the PSP has long been a popular pastime, but the 3000 model has proven a tough nut to crack. Don't pop open the champagne just yet, though, Sony -- Datel has revealed a special battery peripheral called the Lite Blue Tool that boots the handheld console into service mode, where downgrades to earlier, cracked firmwares are possible. Of course, most older PSPs could be downgraded without any additional hardware and you only needed a battery like Pandora if you failed the idiot test and bricked your system, but be patient, pirates totally legit homebrew types -- Rome wasn't burnt in a day. Lite Blue is priced at an affordable $29.99, not bad for an interim solution if homebrew and "backups" are your thing.
PlayStation Home hacked, the search for backup exploits begins
Hackers, like life, will find a way. Sony knows that all too well thanks to the PSP, but so far the PlayStation 3 has stood strong in the face of legions of nerds trying to find a way to exploit it. A potentially major breakthrough may have been made, though, as well-known PS3 hacker StreetskaterFU (we've no idea what he's going for with that name -- really) has managed to decrypt the beta client for Sony's PlayStation Home service. Curious devs can now poke around in the files looking for a way to exploit the newish in-game XMB functionality, potentially allowing homebrew apps and game backups without hard drive swapping. There's no guarantee it will lead anywhere in the end, but you don't care either way, right? Our upstanding readership would never participate in such heinously illegal activities.[Thanks, James]
