Making backup copies of files is one of those plain common sense things that few of us regularly do. The problem is that hard drives now contain increasing amounts of irreplaceable files – photos, home movies, critical business documents – which make the pain of hardware device failure all the more acute.

The irony is that backing up files has never been easier or cheaper than it is today. For starters, most PCs bought within the last five years have a CD or DVD writer built in. If your PC has one of these, you can buy a stack of writable discs for less than a dollar each and burn a couple of copies of your important information (e.g. photos). Another option is to pick up a USB “thumb drive” or memory stick – a 1GB memory drive will only cost around $30. These devices are excellent for keeping a “briefcase” of important documents and emails that you want to have on hand at all times.

The most comprehensive method is to buy an external hard drive that stores hundreds of gigabytes of information for only a couple of hundred dollars. These plug into your PC and often come with software to make the whole backup process even easier.

Speaking of software, the big operating systems manufacturers are taking backing up seriously now, and are engraining it into the very software that makes your computer tick. For example, Apple’s new “Leopard” OS (on all new Macs) includes the Time Machine which automatically backs up everything in the background while you work.

The fact is that hard drives are mechanical, and it is not a question of if yours will fail, but when. And when that happens, the quality of your backups will be the difference between a minor inconvenience and potential emotional devastation.

Previously on Catholic.Geek, we talked about how there’s an abundance of alternative TV available to Kiwis prepared to roll up their sleeves and get experimental. Now let’s take this a step further. Have you ever had the problem that there’s a TV show on while you’re at work (say, the reruns of MacGyver?) With modern technology, you don’t even need to know how to program a VCR! There are 3 easy options to consider:

1) MySky – this is the easiest route to take. MySky will allow you to record your favourite shows with the mere click of a button. The inbuilt TV guide can be set to record all the episodes of a show that come on with one button push. The obvious drawback of MySky is that it necessitates having a subscription to Sky in the first place. Which brings us to…

2) Generic Personal Video Recorder (PVR) – this is for the more adventurous spirit. PVRs will do the same sort of stuff as MySky will, without having to pay a monthly fee (however you don’t get access to all the Sky channels, obviously). For these, see websites like www.freeviewshop.co.nz for more information.

Finally, there’s option number …

3) Media Center PCs – These are for the real do-it-yourselfer Kiwis. Media Center PCs are computers with a bit of extra software and hardware added to them to allow you to record and watch TV. The advantage of these systems is their flexibility – not only can you (with a bit more work) book and record TV, you can watch YouTube, browse the internet, and even play games – all from the comfort of your lounge! See websites like www.mypvr.co.nz for some of the options.

So, armed with this knowledge, you can too can free yourself from the shackles of horrible TV programming, and control your own entertainment destiny! Let us know how you get on and fire any questions at us at www.catholic.geek.nz.

Previously on Catholic.Geek, we talked about how there’s an abundance of alternative TV available to Kiwis prepared to roll up their sleeves and get experimental. Now let’s take this a step further. Have you ever had the problem that there’s a TV show on while you’re at work (say, the reruns of MacGyver?) With modern technology, you don’t even need to know how to program a VCR! There are 3 easy options to consider:

1) MySky – this is the easiest route to take. MySky will allow you to record your favourite shows with the mere click of a button. The inbuilt TV guide can be set to record all the episodes of a show that come on with one button push. The obvious drawback of MySky is that it necessitates having a subscription to Sky in the first place. Which brings us to…

2) Generic Personal Video Recorder (PVR) – this is for the more adventurous spirit. PVRs will do the same sort of stuff as MySky will, without having to pay a monthly fee (however you don’t get access to all the Sky channels, obviously). For these, see websites like www.freeviewshop.co.nz for more information.

Finally, there’s option number …

3) Media Center PCs – These are for the real do-it-yourselfer Kiwis. Media Center PCs are computers with a bit of extra software and hardware added to them to allow you to record and watch TV. The advantage of these systems is their flexibility – not only can you (with a bit more work) book and record TV, you can watch YouTube, browse the internet, and even play games – all from the comfort of your lounge! See websites like www.mypvr.co.nz for some of the options.

So, armed with this knowledge, you can too can free yourself from the shackles of horrible TV programming, and control your own entertainment destiny! Let us know how you get on and fire any questions at us at www.catholic.geek.nz.