So here's the scenario: You are in college and you are trying to get an internship in Alaska. You've maintained much contact with them over the past 3 to 4 months and the deadline date for your internship packet is due tonight at Midnight. This includes your resume, application, cover letter, your references, and two recommendations. You’ve got everything ready, but you just want to go over it one more time and then send it off. But, there’s one catch. It’s your laptop. See, your battery in your HP laptop is shot so for your computer to be on it MUST be plugged in. You were just somewhere on the internet with your laptop doing some work, but for some reason the power cord wasn’t connecting right, so you didn’t have long until your battery died. You go home, open up your computer again and plug your power cord into a reliable source of power. Nothing. Your computer battery is dead. Now your power cord isn’t working. You try several things, but nothing fixes it. There are your files, on your computer, finished and ready to be sent, but your laptop is dead and no way to power it up with a broken power cord. So long internship!
This exact experience happened to me, but it had a little happier ending. However, it could have easily ended like this. Luckily for me, I had my files backed up to “the cloud”. When I say “cloud”, I mean the internet. The cloud is where all the services like Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Amazon and so many others live. Believe it or not, there are good, reliable and free services available to backup your precious files from disasters like the one above. Whether you have documents for work or school, pictures of friends and family, home or purchased videos or all of the above (which is what I have), online backup can be a valuable tool and is an essential one to everybody. You can never anticipate a crash or data loss and although I didn’t loose my data, I would have been unable to access it. So how did I do it?
At the time I was using a backup and sync program called Live Mesh. Live Mesh is a service offered by Microsoft that would sync multiple folders on your computer with the web. It is still available, but it’s getting replaced by Microsoft Live Sync, unfortunately. Live Mesh currently supplies 5GB of free online storage. I was able to go on another computer connected to the web, log into the Live Mesh website and download the files I needed. It was simple, it was quick, it was secure and it was a life saver. My whole college degree practically depended on it! Since Live Mesh is soon to be gone and Microsoft Live Sync (its replacement) doesn’t provide the features I need as of now, I have been working with other applications that suit me better. The two are called Dropbox and SugarSync. You may have heard me talk about them before. I first started using SugarSync and then more recently started using Dropbox. SugarSync, for me, is the best. It has so many features that can be utilized and the interface is super easy to navigate through. Below is a screen capture of SugarSync’s recently updated interface allowing you to take advantage of it even more.
There are some unique features of SugarSync that set it apart from the pack.
- Sync with Windows, Mac OSX, Blackberry, iPhone, iPad, Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian and the web making you completely mobile with your files. (Open documents on your phone, laptop or friends computer when you’re away from your home).
- Share any-sized files and folders, even to Facebook.
- Sync files with multiple computers and upload and sync through email.
- Backup any folder in real-time and restore files to previously saved versions.
- Stream backed up music to web browser, iPhone and Android.
- Magic Briefcase. This is a folder installed on all of your devices synced with SugarSync. Any file placed in here will be synced to all at once!
- Get 500MB bonus when signing up under someone else, instead of 250MB like others. (Minor, but space makes all the difference)
- Best of all SugarSync is free and I feel it offers the most “bang for your buck”… except you have no “buck” – Just free software saving you from stress and heartache time after time!
- View the complete list of features and how SugarSync stacks up to the rest.
You can try it out here and get 500MB for free and also help me too. It’s a win-win. I wouldn’t use it if it wasn’t!
Some more tips:
- Use your iPod Touch to access the web interface of SugarSync
- Get more space through the referral program and share links with your friends just like I am. They’ll thank you later!
- Eliminate the use of a flash drive and stay more secure.
- When on campus I simply go to the computers, log into my account and print off my paper. I save time, money (paper and ink) and don’t need to worry about it loosing my paper because it goes straight to the class room.
- Save emails and their attachments by forwarding them to your own private SugarSync email.
- Backup, Sync, Share, Access and mobilize all with one app. For Free!
Note: If your a Linux user, the next best is Dropbox as SugarSync doesn’t offer a Linux program yet.
And for crying out loud back up your stuff! It’s free! I hear way to many people complain of loosing important files because they didn’t. I’m not going to put up with my friends, family and others going through that too! Feel free to message me regarding any questions or comments you have!