Thursday Tech You Can Use: Back, Back It Up

Your humble blogger, in a former life, used to work in a local Apple computer reseller. One of my least favorite parts of the job? Having to utter these words:
"I'm sorry - your hard drive is dead. Nothing on it can be rescued with our technology." And just like that, I saw people lose their graduation photos, their music, and work they could never get back. And I had to say that a lot.
( There are a few very expensive ways to recover data off broken drives. I've always used DriveSavers. Here are a few other options. )
Here's the truth: It's easier than you think, and probably less time consuming, to back up those invaluable digital photos, videos, and documents. Start with this article (from our Bulletin) for a rundown. If you've got an Apple computer you bought in the last few years, it's extremely easy - watch this video for a great tutorial. Or if you bought a Windows machine in the last year - or run the new operating system (Windows 7) - this is a great tutorial video for setting up your backup.
(Photo: One supposed "trick" for broken hard drives: putting them in the freezer. It didn't work for this one. Via smaku.)