But the experience did remind me of the value, no, the critical importance of backing up all your data. Had this been my business computer, (and if I had no backup for it) it would have been an unmitigated disaster.  My whole business would have been put at risk.

However, with the proper forethought and preparation, needing to recover any application and its data doesn’t have to be tragic.  May I suggest that if you have a business, and you need to look into backup services, check out Nexsan’s Disk Backup service.  They are experts in backup and recovery storage solutions, and they provide ultra-reliable data protection.  They have flexible options for storing / archiving your data, backing up cloud data, or just about any sort of digital media that you use.

The best part is that they have a fully managed backup service.  You don’t have to spend time managing it.  You can have backups going 24/7; just set it up, and let it take care of itself. It allows you to grow, without having to rip out the old system. And their service is top-notch.  Such quality is rare, so if you have not totally protected your data, check them out.

(Now, not later.  You’ll be glad you did.)

We’ve all heard it.  It sounds like a near miracle.  You can access information, videos, movies, data, everything, “from the cloud”.  Cloud computing is one of the best inventions to date.

Businesses are actively looking into cloud computing, and virtualization.  There are so very many benefits from cloud computing.  It reduces IT costs, and increases flexibility in the workplace.  It also allows for scalability from small to the very large.

However, one main concern for all businesses is security.  After all, if your information is “out there” somewhere, how do you know that it is safe?   How on earth could it be possible to secure the cloud?  What kind of cloud to you need or want- public?  Or private?  How can you even decide what kind of security you need, or what concerns you need to address?  What sort of advantages could there be for cloud-based security?

And if you do have stolen data, who is responsible?  What about being EC2PCI compliant?  Whoa, lots of questions about cloud security.

One place to begin finding answers is on Trend Cloud Security Blog.  There, you will find posts and comments about an extensive variety of topics.  You can get answers to questions about the cloud, what it is, how you can use it, etc.  There are posts on upcoming events, like the Cloud Security Symposium that just happened on April 26^th.

Often there are really useful resources, like the Replay of the Privacy and Security Panel from Cloud Computing Conference at NAB 2012 . The audio of the entire panel discussion is there for you to gleen information from.  There is information there about HIPAA issues, or even problems with data loss and Mobile Apps.  You can even find info on where to store your cloud encryption keys.

One thing Trend Micro knows about is cloud security, so by going to Trend Micro Cloud Security Blog, you can get all the information that you need to make intelligent decisions about your business virtualization.

Now, the question, what to do with the old phones?  My son gave me one of his old phones about 6 months ago, and I’m still trying to figure out all the things it can do, so I’m not in the running for a brand new one, no, not yet!

All those phones can really pile up in the corners of your house, if  you don’t have a plan for getting rid of them.  They’re way too good to throw away; besides you don’t want to do that- bad for the environment.  There are metals and chemicals in those phones that are really not at all good for dear Mother Earth.

So, what to do?  Here’s a great solution, that is good for the house, good for the environment, and good for the wallet-  sell the old phone!

But where, and to whom, you say?

Try these people out: sell mobile .

They can give you a really good price, and its a win-win-win for everyone!  How’s that for a good idea?

By mid-morning every day I am beyond ready to break free from my leg cast and run a streak around the world. Having a cast on your leg is a lot like being trapped in an animal cage. It takes loads of effort to do my everyday normal activities. I am in week six now and I’m going a little nuts. So in order to try to hang on for a few more weeks without totally losing it, I logged onto www.directstartv.com and switched over our cable system for a satellite one. I am bored beyond belief with reading books which is shocking, I never thought this would happen to me, so I decided to purchase the entire movie package and begin catching up on some blockbusters. Anything to get me out of my own head for a little while seems like a good investment to me. So now my mornings are filled with routine for the kids, then it’s time to prop the leg up and see what movies I can watch before they get home. I am feeling like this change of pace might actually keep me sane for the next two remaining weeks.

In the course of events, I also learned a lot about how complex it is to run a warehouse, or any kind of business that has to intake, store, and then ship out product or materials to the customer.  It can be quite a daunting task.  However, the latest innovations in  warehouse management software
have helped make this nightmare considerably easier.  Now, you can fully customize the software for your needs, right down to your business logo.  And you don’t have to pay for extra stuff you don’t need. The software is web-based, so there is no software to install, maintain, or update.  You can keep your clients happy with real-time information, and  you can add and in-activate customers on the fly right in the warehouse!

We’ve come a long way, Baby!

As I washed dishes the night before, I just happened to be in bare feet, since Spring has sprung here in the south of the good ol’ USA.  Anyway,  I felt dampness, then real water on my little tootsies, if you know what I mean.  Opening the cabinet, I saw water just streaming out from under the sink.

Well, it had been leaking just a little bit.  I knew that.  But this was new.  This was much more water than I could tolerate.  I had someone come over and look at it, and sure enough there was an actual hole in the pipe.  I guess since my house is about 60 years old, it had to happen sometime.

The whole kitchen seems to need remodeling anyway.  I mean, everything in it is still the original.  Now that I think about it, it does look old.  Really old.  Remodeling is a good idea.  I need new cabinets, new sink, new flooring, the works.  While searching for a good company to help me out with this, I ran across Neff Kitchens . They know what they’re doing. I’ll be contacting them soon. Well, right after I sop up some of this water.

Time for some serious dreaming.  Where would I rather be?  Well, that’s not a hard question- in the Bahamas!  Isn’t that everyone’s dream?  Seems like it is, but you never really hear about anyone moving there…  perhaps they think it’s too expensive, and they would be right- almost.

Right now, the real estate market is favorable to the buyer.  There will probably never be a better time to buy that dream house.  Just imagine, clear blue waters… warm white sand… soft ocean breezes… smell of shrimp beginning to boil… you don’t even have to blow out a flip-flop (tipping my hat to Jimmy Buffet).

Just look at this picture of Schooner Bay on Abaco Island!  Wouldn’t you love to spend hours and hours right there?  Look at that crystal water!  Wow.  And that sand- so perfect.  Shoot, even the clouds are perfect.

I’d like to live there.  I’m going to go down there and check the place out just as soon as I can.  I think I’ll take my next 3 (or 4 ) vacations there, and rent different places on the island, so I can get a feel for the place, then I’ll know exactly where to buy.  I’m sure I can find just the perfect piece of Abaco Real Estate .

I might  visit Atlantis Resort and play with the dolphins for a while.  For sure I’m going to spend a lot of time on the sand, with my feet in the warm water.  Hmmmm…… I’m thinking I’ll need to take a few friends along for company.  Who’s up for a quick trip south?

Have you ever noticed the little tricks they use to try to get you to buy things? There are so many marketing tricks that prey on our subconscious desires and convince us to buy things we don’t really need. It’s really interesting, if you ask me. I’d love to go into marketing because I’m real interested in psychology and persuasion in general. You’d be surprised to learn the simple little word choices and color choices made, and how they affect us. For example, the words “part of a healthy breakfast.” What they don’t tell you is that healthy breakfast would be healthy enough with or without the poptart they are trying to sell you. Also, every notice the words, “hurry!” and “act now!” Like at expertsatellite, they act like the clock is ticking and there is only a few seconds left to get the deal, pushing you into an impulse buy. Or how about, “tastes like real…” It can trick your mind into thinking they said the product actually contains real fruit, or whatever.

Does your business need its own private server?  Do you have a complex system that needs to have separate divisions run their own operating system independently from the others?  Sometimes it is necessary to have these systems have the ability to reboot independently (as many times as needed) and to run their own software. 

With a VPS, or Virtual Private Server, you can separate these various parts of your business, by dividing a physical server into multiple virtual servers, each of which is very powerful on its own.  The business will have access to the root level of admin, and will be able to install any software needed.

One of the great things about this setup is being able to combine the self-service functionality, with the ability to rapidly scale up.  As your business changes, and the dynamics of the web change, your business stays agile, and flexible, able to adapt and adjust as quickly as the tech world demands.

Along with being able to establish and configure any software that you need, the VPS can host a large number of websites.  It also has the possibility to host additional web sites, including mail servers, FTP servers, or just about any other website that you might need.  You can freely use the VPS server to back up all your websites, or to store any type of files.

  FK VPS   is a company of FK TECH SRL, with experienced programmers and administrators.  They serve not only individuals, but small and medium businesses. Their plans are adjustable, and reasonable, and allow the user to handle all their own administrative tasks, but in the event that help is needed, they are responsive, and available 24/7.  Since they own all their own equipment, they have physical access to all of the hardware, and can resolve problems quickly.

Right now, they are offering a 50% lifetime discount on their services, so if you are thinking about getting a virtual private server, now would be the time to check them out.

Still, I have literally boxes and boxes of pre-2004 photos that have yet to be sorted, or even looked at again, because they are so unwieldy.  I just don’t have the time to go through them, and take them to the nearest photo-service, and scan them in , one by one, not to mention that people behind you in line get pretty upset when you stand there for an hour at a time.  Who wants that?

So, I was delighted when I discovered that there are photo scanning services available.  They can take all your photos, and transfer them to CD for you.  Who wouldn’t want those boxes all reformatted from physical photos to CD ?  Once company that makes this super easy is ScanDigital.  You don’t even have to sort your photos before you send them.  You can just box them all up, send them off, and ScanDigital will do all the photo scanning, and send them back to you on a CD.  They also check each one, correct for minor issues like dust and color correction.  They can even crop and rotate them for you!  Shipping is tracked, so your precious memories are safe.  And when you get them back, you can share them with your friends and family via email, FaceBook, or whatever digital form you like, well, because you can!

Oh, yes, and they will absolutely return your originals, so if you do decide to go through them and make that photo scrapbook, feel free.