04 | August | 2011 | Advocate's Studio

I have had people ask me about the best options for backing up data and media. Invariably, the discussion centers around local storage versus cloud storage and some combination thereof. Studio readers know I am a big fan of cloud storage (particularly if it is free), and that I use DropBox quite a bit to manipulate my content in the cloud. But I don’t really use DropBox for online backup – I tend to use it more as a way station and sharing option when I need to use certain files across devices or work with someone else on something. The free limit is rather small to be used to backup tons of data.

Cloud Experience is a great cloud option for online backup. The service starts at 10gb for free for both consumers and developers, as well as quite reasonably priced for added storage if the 10gb is insufficient. You can sync documents, photos, calendars, contacts – pretty much any data worth saving in multiple locales. You can sync these backups across a plethora of devices, so you need not wring your hands when your trusty smartphone bites the dust or you find yourself remote from your main address book needing to call that contact whose number you haven’t memorized. Files can also be shared with lots of networks, including the social ones.

There is no harm in adding a layer of protection to 10gb of your content when the price is free. Check out Cloud Experience – you may find yourself thanking me.

Everyone is pinching pennies these days. What, with gas prices hitting $4 per gallon, and flight prices hitting the roof, sometimes it is hard to say whether your next business trip should be a flight or a drive. Enter BeFrugal – a website devoted to all sorts of ways to save money. Of particular use in addressing this question is their Fly or Drive Calculator – a handy tool for figuring out whether it costs more or less to fly or drive to your destination. Simply enter your start and end points, your travel dates, the number of travelers and whether one way or round trip. Then, enter the type of vehicle you will be driving, your anticipated driving amount each day, hotel costs per night and tolls. Then, enter the start and destination airports and your anticipated time checking in and leaving the respective airports. Then, enter how you plan to get to and from the airports, estimated plane ticket cost, baggage fees and means of transportation while in your destination locale. You will then get a comparison between the costs and time expenditure for both flying and driving to your desired destination, as well as the carbon dioxide impact on the environment associated with your choice. For comparison’s sake, I entered a roundtrip from Boston to Chicago for five people and found that driving resulted in a money savings of over $800 and a CO2 savings of over 5,000 pounds. I also got detailed time and cost breakdowns for my options. And, because everything is social these days, I could even share my results on Facebook. Pretty darn snazzy.

Next time you have a business trip, or even a trip for fun, check out the calculator before you decide how to get there – you might be surprised at the results.