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20 Oct 2019 - Podcast #665 - (20:42)
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Acronis True Image has been a well regarded backup system for about 17 years and several new features that have been added to the 2020 version are likely to prove their value.
The first version of the application premiered around 2003 and the system administrator for several businesses told me about it. It was the backup application he told his clients to choose and, despite some installation problems in the early years, it has proved to be a reliable choice.
The 2020 edition adds what Acronis refers to as "Dual Protection", which is intended to replicate local backups in the cloud so that users always have an off-site copy of their backup. The problem with local backups is that they're usually stored in the same building as the computer they're backing up, sometimes in the same room, and possibly even as a separate drive inside the computer box. Anything that destroys the computer will probably also destroy the backup.
Acronis offers cloud-based backup, too, but many people will find the dual option to be appealing. If the local backup is available when needed, restoring files or entire systems will be faster; if not, the cloud-based safety net can be put in play.
The 2020 version also adds a notification center in the Tray, the ability to select the Wi-Fi networks for backups, and options to manage a backup when the computer is running on battery power. Overall, Acronis says that more than 100 enhancements provide for faster backups, better recovery from cloud backups, and more effective malware detection.
Acronis True Image can also be used to clone disk drives and it uses artificial intelligence to protect against ransomware and other threats. The ability to back up Android and IOS devices is also a plus and additional data security is provided by blockchain-based "notarization".
Stop for a moment to think about how much information is stored on your smart phone or your tablet. Is this information backed up anywhere? Some of it probably is, but having it all in a single location seems like a great idea. Although this is not a new feature in Acronis True Image 2020, it's one that will be invaluable if your mobile device is stolen, lost, or destroyed. And it's ridiculously easy to set up.
I'm illustrating the process with an IPad, but the process is identical for Android devices. Mobile backups can be sent to a desktop computer, to a network attached storage device, or to the Acronis cloud if you have a premium account. For this illustration, I'll set the mobile backup to place files on a desktop computer.
Start by installing Acronis True Image on the desktop computer, then visit either the Google Play Store or Apple's App Store to install "Acronis True Image: Mobile". Start the application on the mobile device and start the process of creating a backup: The choices are Acronis Cloud, Computer, or NAS. I selected "Computer". Make sure that the mobile device and the computer are on the same network.
Open Acronis True Image on the computer and select Add Backup. Initially the source will be shown as the desktop computer, so click the source icon and choose the option to change the source. This will open a new dialog box. Scroll down and select Mobile Device.
A QR code will be displayed on the desktop computer's screen. Use the mobile device to scan the code. And that's all there is to it. Really, it's that easy.
When the backup is complete, though, you might notice something that you don't like: The location of the backup files. By default, mobile backups are stored in C:\ProgramData\Acronis Mobile Backup Data. If your computer has a single disk drive, this location is fine.
My desktop computer has a relatively small solid-state drive and four huge mechanical drives that are used for data so I don't want to waste space on the SSD and would prefer to have the mobile backups, even though they're relatively small, on one of the other drives. At first I didn't see a way to accomplish that.
Then I noticed the disclosure triangle (1) beside the name of the backup. Clicking it revealed options to delete or relocate the backup, so I chose (2) Select Location and moved the backup to drive H.
When I added the Android phone, its backup was automatically placed on drive H.
The process of setting up both devices and running initial backups took less time to do than it took me to write about how to do it.
To examine the files that have been backed up, select the backup on the desktop computer and click the Browse Files button. Windows Explorer will open and you can drill down through the folders and files. If you look closely, you'll see that Acronis has mounted the backup directory as a drive that's not on your computer. In my case, that was drive M. The files are actually stored in a proprietary format in \acronis-local-data\ in the directory the user created on the drive specified for local files. If you didn't change that from the default, the files will be in C:\ProgramData\Acronis Mobile Backup Data\acronis-local-data\.
Acronis True Image can also be used to make an exact replica of a Windows system while it’s in use. This is useful, for example, if your computer has an older mechanical boot drive and you want to upgrade to a solid-state drive or if you want to replace a small SSD with a larger one. Cloning migrates the operating system, applications, files, and settings to the new disk.
The application can also create a "survival kit" on an external drive that contains everything needed to recover the computer from a catastrophic failure. An external USB drive that's bootable contains a system backup of the entire computer or a single disk partition.
Acronis has added a Tray ("Notification Area") component to this version of True Image. This makes it easy to monitor the status of backups or to respond to warnings from the application. You'll see a list of all recent backup operations and other messages to help with system security. Some of the messages may be from the Active Protection component.
Active Protection is intended to halt illicit service termination attacks, detect threats using improved detection heuristics, display the process names of any scripts that attempt to modify the computer's master boot record, and explain why a process has been deemed suspicious.
Dual Protection is the feature that Acronis is highlighting for this version and with good reason. A single backup is better than no backup but it's still essentially a single point of failure, particularly for those who store backups on site where the original data and the backup can both be destroyed by a single event. After setting up and running a local backup, select the Replica option at the top of the True Image screen. You can think of this option as a backup for the backup because that's exactly what it is. The complete backup file is copied to the Acronis Cloud and this of course requires purchasing the Premium version.
So now's probably a good time to explain the three pricing options: Standard, Advanced, and Premium.
Acronis is headquartered in Switzerland and has been in business since 2003, with initial work dating back to 2001. Acronis develops software for cloud-based and local backup, disaster recovery, and secure file synchronization and sharing. Cloud data centers are located in the United States, France, Singapore, Japan, and Germany. In 2012, Acronis acquired GroupLogic, which allowed Acronis to integrate mobile devices, including those from Apple, so that data from mobile devices could be backed up to the cloud.
Acronis True Image is an excellent choice for protecting valuable dataThe cost of an Acronis True Image Premium license is about equal to a CrashPlan
license and Acronis can back up the operating system, which CrashPlan isn't designed to do. The new and improved features and multi-computer licensing make Acronis an application that should be on your short list when you're evaluating backup options.
Additional details are available on the Acronis website.
Manufacturers of hardware reviewed on TechByter Worldwide typically loan the hardware and it must be returned at the end of the review period. Developers of software reviewed on TechByter Worldwide generally provide a free not-for-resale (NFR) license so that all features of the application will be unlocked.
Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements are designed for people who want to edit their photos and videos but don't want to expend the effort and take the time needed to master Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, Prelude, Premiere, and After Effects or any of the many competing applications from other software publishers.
Adobe refers to these people as "memory keepers" because they are more interested in results than in processes, so the Elements applications are for amateurs, not professionals. The 2020 versions of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements have, as usual, raised the bar for photo and video applications designed for consumers.
Adobe's artificial intelligence (Sensei) continues to push professional-level techniques into applications designed for consumers. Adobe says that the focus of this year's new and enhanced features are those that make it easy for new users to get started while offering flexible creative options for those who have used previous versions of Elements. There are five new guided edits to help users discover easy ways to add creative effects to photos and enhanced capabilities for for memory keepers of all skill levels to create and share memes, collages, and animated GIFs.
The 2020 version of Photoshop Elements includes photo effects such as Auto Creations with black & white selection, pattern brush, painterly, and depth of field effects. A new colorization option uses AI to add color to a B&W photo or enhance an existing color photo. A new one-click subject selection attempts to select the subject of a photo with a single click and gives the user the option to apply an effect or cut out the subject and add it to another photo. To enhance photos of individuals, Photoshop Elements 2020 uses a Sensei-powered skin smoothing effect.
There are now 55 guided step-by-step edits to walk users through "the steps that help you put the focus on your subject by easily removing distractions from your photos – from powerlines to pedestrians or selfie crashers."
Premiere Elements is intended to help users improve their videos without having to master video editing techniques. The 2020 edition can automatically remove noise from videos that have been captured in low light. The reduce noise effect can eliminate noise while retaining acceptable clarity and definition in the video.
There are now 23 guided edits in Premiere Elements. This year's three additions allow users to turn a series of photos or videos into a time-lapse that speeds up the action, animate skies by replacing static skies with moving ones that create an eye-catching effect, and teach users how to transform a vertical clip or photo into a horizontal video in a way that eliminates black bars on the sides or top and bottom of the video.
I'm working on a full review for the 3 November program, so check back then to see what's new.
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." That's a statement by New York Democratic Senator and Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy in the Nixon administration, Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Some people will discount Moynihan's statement because he was a Democrat. Others will discount his statement because he worked in the Nixon White House. I hope that there's still enough common ground in the nation for us to agree generally that most US citizens, whether Republicans or Democrats, want what's best for the nation.
If that statement is accurate, then most US citizens will also be in favor of basing decisions on facts, not beliefs. Every US intelligence agency has provided documentation that shows Russia meddled in the 2016 US election and it's clear that they're trying to do so again in 2020. Anyone who uses Facebook should know that Russian-based bots are actively trying to tear the United States apart. These efforts are based on spreading lies and it's important to consider the source before passing on something that seems plausible.
Facts matter and one of the best fact-checking sources is Snopes.com. However, some people have been convinced that Snopes.com is some sort of liberal front. That's absurd but the suspicion exists. So if you don't like Snopes, there are other sites that offer fact checking. Here are some that separate fact from fiction. The first is a source that rates fact checkers, the next seven have neutral ratings, and the final five have are rated as slightly right or slightly left. I have not included "fact checkers" that are anything but that.
Here's an example of how we can all be caught accidentally posting false information. A friend posted a message a few days ago on Facebook. Although the story fit my confirmation bias, something didn't look right.
Confirmation bias is the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.
So I looked a bit further: The site my friend linked to was registered to an organization in Panama. It had numerous broken links and other clues that the developer wasn't detail oriented. The copyright information led to a developer in Indonesia.
The story had a generic photo and no factural references. The website had no information about its journalistic mission. In other words, it appeared to be nothing more than click bait.
Had I depended solely on confirmation bias, I would have easily accepted the account. Because I took two minutes to investigate, I didn't embarrass myself by spreading a story that is almost certainly false.
Media Bias/FactCheck (RESOURCE CHECKER) https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/
This is more a resource checker than a fact checker, and one of its most useful pages lists more than 100 "news" sources such as "American News Hub" (right), "Political Inbox" (extreme left), "Act TV" (left), "Zoot Feed" (extreme right), and "Zox" (conspiracy, fake news). This is a good site to check before passing on what looks like a hot news story.
Check several of the sites. As Ronald Reagan might say, "Trust, but verify." As any good journalist might say, "If your mother says she loves you, check it out." If you find that two or more of the sources agree that a statement is accurate, there's a good chance that the statement is accurate, particularly if one of the sites you've checked leans conservative and the other leans liberal.
You want to jailbreak your IPhone and find a link to a site that promises success. You follow the link and instead of jailbreaking the phone, your phone is compromised and can be used in click-fraud operations.
Crypto-creeps are taking advantage of what's been described as an "unpatchable" bug in millions of IPhones. Its a fault in the device's read-only memory that's used at boot time. It's unpatchable because the boot ROM is read-only and so it cannot be updated.
Jailbreaking, if you're unfamiliar with the term, is a procedure that eliminates Apple's limitations on apps and code that can run on the phone. Users who want to install custom code or add features not provided by Apple often jailbreak their phones.
If you visit the fake site, some clues exist that should warn you away. The website says the "checkra1n" jailbreak works for devices running on the A5 to A13 chipsets, but that's wrong. Checkra1n works only on IOS devices running on the A5 to A11 chipsets. The website also says that the jailbreak can be accomplished without using a PC and that is wrong. The legitimate jailbreak code requires running the phone in device firmware upgrade mode and connecting it to a computer.
Oddly, the legitimate checkra1n doesn't have a security certificate, but the fake one does. During the process, the user is required to download additional apps that allow the phone to be used for click fraud. It also makes the device vulnerable to having other malware downloaded and installed.
In this case, maybe we need to rework Ronald Regan's statement: Trust nobody and verify everything.
Jam Audio has started shipping a $40 set of ear buds that are water resistant, claim three hours of play time, and can be recharged three additional times by a battery in the case.
The Live Loud (HX-EP410) ear buds are rated IPX4, which means that they have "limited ingress protection" according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association's Ingress Protection scale. The IP ratings typically have two numbers, the first for solids and the second for water. So IPX4 certifies no protection against solids (dust, for example) and protection from splashing water, no matter the direction. The liquid ratings range from 0 (no protection) to 9K (protected against close-range high pressure, high temperature spray downs). So a rating of 9K would allow the ear buds to survive even if your head didn't. In other words, the IPX4 rating means that the ear buds are more than adequate for use during a workout or a walk in the rain.
Jam says the small ear bud design and portable mini charging case are "small enough to fit in the coin pocket of your skinny jeans, while still providing big sound." Three silicone ear tip sizes provide noise isolation and comfort.
Check out the HX-EP410 ear buds on the Jam website.
In 1999, IBM announced a new line of processors, the Power4, to compete with chips from Intel and HP. I wrote "The Intel-HP chip that began life as 'Merced' but is now known as 'Itanium' will offer 64-bit processing and is the successor to Intel's x86 family of processors."
AMD had reported a 3rd quarter loss, but the loss wasn't as large as expected and AMD's Athlon processors are taking off. "IBM and Intel each hope to be the wave of the future. The new chips will have functionality that will take advantage of the Internet, but the companies are taking different approaches to chip design. IBM's approach tries to balance chip operation between processing and moving data. The goal is to avoid bottlenecks. Intel's approach is more complex and attempts to speed processing with parallel data transfer."
And from the perspective of 2019, the winner was .... Well, it wasn't IBM.