Software

Last month I wrote about the increasingly popular online backup business and reviewed AOL's X Drive. Since then, I have been testing Mozy Online Backup. Mozy offers home users 2 GB of free backup space and unlimited space for $4.95 per month. The setup and configuration is extremely quick and easy and shouldn't take even the greenest computer user long to setup. Once installed and configured, the backup system worked flawlessly and silently. I chose to have Mozy alert me when a backup was finished so that I knew when a backup had occurred.

Unlike the Xdrive system, I have never had to restart or troubleshoot Mozy. It truly turned out to be "set it and forget it" as advertised. Like all online backup systems, a high speed connection is required...no exceptions. Too much data gets transferred to make using anything less than a high speed connection. Mozy gives you good control of how often backups happen and what gets backed up. The customization tools for backup creation and scheduling include all the essential options you will need and nothing extra. Just the way I like my software to function...clean, simple and to the point.

All online backup systems guarantee the security and privacy of your backups with state-of-the-art encryption protocols. However, security starts with you creating a good password and  remembering it!

I tested the online access and restoration capabilities of Mozy, and like the backup system, they both worked well.

Overall, I give Mozy online backup a solid A. If you haven't started your own backup regime yet, Mozy would make a good place to start. Backup is like insurance, you hope never to use it, but are awfully glad when you do need it!

StumbleUpon is an excellent free add-on for Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer that brings the wonders of the Internet to you. Here's what to do:

1. Go to StumbleUpon.com and download the free toolbar.

2. Use the button on the toolbar to setup a free account.

We are really getting into video editing here at HelpMeRick.com. Now that we have our own YouTube channel we love playing with titles, transitions, effects and other cool home video editing techniques.

Corel and Ulead have been kind enough to let us evaluate two of their powerful video editing software programs Ulead DVD MovieFactory 6 and VideoStudio 11 Plus. Both programs prove that you don't have to spend a lot of money for great video editing features.

Professional photographers often call me and ask if I know of any good programs for making online photo albums or portfolios for their website.

One of my favorites is JAlbum . It is a free program that is used for making quick and easy online photo albums that look professional.

JAlbum is great for any photographer who already has their own website. It is a step up from Flickr or other web photo hosting services. It does require that the user understands ftp and a little about what Java and Flash do, but you do not need to actually understand Java or Flash.

I have said enough about Vista that I feel everyone has been forewarned. So, today I am going to write about Internet filters.

A client today wanted to filter the Internet so her kids couldn't visit MySpace any more. I did some quick research and found a great website comparing all of the popular Internet filters.

I downloaded and installed the full trial version of ContentProtect and I was very impressed. It was easy to setup custom filters for different users and each user was given their own user name and password.

If you read our newsletter this week, then you have already seen this article. For those do don't subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter (look in the bar to the left of this article to subscribe), I have gathered some of my favorite quotes from various Vista reviews across print and the web into a single article - as always - with commentary.

Let it be known that I am never afraid to share my opinion. However, let it also be known that I base my opinions on experience and research. Before I express my opinion, I try to always make sure that I can back it up with sources. This has been a habit of mine ever since I took a debate/social studies class in High School where we discussed the world’s problems and politics.

by Andy Cochran
Show writer

I recently went on a search for a program that would allow me to copy DVDs that I legally own onto my portable media player. I figured that since I own the media player and I own the DVDs, it should be legal for me to copy the movies to my device so I can watch them while on the road.

While there were a few products that worked, the vast majority were little more than gimmick products.

In the aisles of Best Buy, Circuit City and Office Depot there were a variety of software titles that bragged about transferring "your DVDs to your iPod, PSP or other portable device." That sounds perfect until you see the dreaded asterisk. The fine print (often on the side or bottom of the box) reads, "This products does not allow the transfer of copy protected DVDs."

by Adam Cochran

June 2006

Video editing used to be something that only audio video enthusiasts could do. The process used to require a monster computer and a lot of extra hardware. Not any more.

While video editing is still one of the most resource hungry projects you can do with your computer, almost all computers with a 2Ghz processor or better and 512MB of RAM can can manage the basics of video editing.

As long as you have a powerful enough computer and a firewire port you can create some fantastic professional quality video.

Ulead's Video Studio 10 is a major upgrade from previous programs available on the market. Video Studio 10 comes in three versions, the upgrade ($60) for previous Video Studio users, a standard edition ($80) and a special Video Studio 10 Plus edition ($99) that allows MPEG4 compression, HD capabilities and 5.1 surround sound editing. I strongly recommend going with the Plus edition even if you don't own an HD camera.

Home Data Bank provides computer users with a tool to store, recall, and backup important data like photos, receipts, tax documents, birth certificates, home mortgage and ownership information and more. The software is designed to work directly with your scanner to pull in documents you want to backup and your digital camera to document your belongings.

It takes a few minutes to get up and running with the software, but once you figure it out, you can quickly document everything from your outdoor grill to your socks. Space is provided to write notes about each item, list the price you paid, record serial numbers and brand names and more. You can use either your scanner or digital camera to insert pictures of your home inventory items. For recording paper documents, however, a scanner is a must.

Road warriors who travel between corporate offices or even different family homes will appreciate this software. Migo allows computer users to 'synchronize' one or more computers to a USB flash drive. The software copies selected folders, files, email (must use Microsoft Outlook), Internet favorites (Internet Explorer only), and desktop settings. 

Setup is pretty easy to follow but does take some time. By default, the software will backup everything in the My Documents folder. This can pose a problem if you have a lot of data in that folder because it will not fit on most flash drives. I would like to see the software walk the user through the selection process that is available in the options area of the program at startup. By navigating to the options and preferences area, a user can select specific file types, exclude directories and choose files by date.