Android | Technology Bloggers

Online data backup using cloud computing technology

17th February 2012 10 Replies Christopher Roberts

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Bulldog Backup. To find out more about sponsored content on Technology Bloggers, please visit our Privacy Policy.

In the past I have written about cloud computing and how cloud data storage is the future, and at the moment it is playing a key part in backup technologies, as it is now easier than ever before to backup your data online.

One firm that offer online backup services are the Glasgow based Bulldog Backup, they were founded in 2010 and offer backup solutions for both domestic and business users.

I read a statistic the other day that almost 50% of businesses reported a loss of important data in the last two years, probably why more and more firms are investing in online data backup systems!

The good thing is, online backup solutions are getting easier and easier to use, another reason why more and more people are using them. For example, with Bulldog Backup, all you need to is select the package you want to buy, you will then be emailed with your login credentials, then all you need do is login and download the relevant backup client – either Windows or Mac.

When you install your backup software you are asked what you want to backed up, you can choose your entire hard disk, or just a few files – say pictures and music for instance.

Now you may be thinking that online backup storage is a great idea for most people, but you are on a connection which has a limited monthly allowance – say 40 gigabytes, you can’t afford to run the backup system, in fear of going over your allowance.

There is a solution to this too. With most good backup systems nowadays, you can configure how much bandwidth is used for backups, therefore you never go over your limit. You can also choose which files the software should prioritise the backing up of – e.g. give pictures and documents high priority, whilst don’t worry so much about music.

Select how much bandwidth online backup can use

Select how much of your bandwidth Bulldog Backup can use

The best thing is, once you have backed up your files, you can easily access them from anywhere, using your own personal web portal. Bulldog Backup’s portal has a clean layout and is designed to make listening to audio files and viewing images as easy as possible, all as standard. Therefore you can access all your albums whilst out and about, how cool is that! You can also install mobile apps for both iOS and Android, making it even easier for you to access your files on the move.

If you want to go up a level Bulldog Backup offer a ‘Pro’ account which has all of the standard features, with the addition of a ‘SmartDrive’ allowing you to sync files across multiple computers. A SmartDrive is basically a drive that appears like any other hard disk on your computer, only anything you store in it is automatically uploaded to the cloud – a pretty cool bit of tech don’t you think?

A screenshot of what the Bulldog Backup SmartDrive looks like – just another hard disk

Okay, so you like the idea of online backup, you can see the potential and benefits, but, what about the costs? Well you may be pleasantly surprised, you can start backing up online with Bulldog Backup from only £2.95 a month ($4.63) with a 1 Terabyte Protect account.

Think that is a good price? I have managed to get a discount promo code which makes the same account cost just £1.25 ($1.96) a month, and that price is fixed for 5 years! Visit the site bulldogbackup.com and use the promo code ‘bullbonanza00’ at the checkout before the 29th of February (this year) to take get started at that rock bottom price 🙂

What do you think about online backup? Will you be investing in it in the near future?

Eight tips to consider before building a mobile websites

24th January 2012 8 Replies Kevin Ashwe

With over 75 million Americans accessing the web through mobile phones, we can conclusively say that mobile web browsing has come to stay. comStore statistics recently reported that 50 million people in the United States have an Android, iPhone or a BlackBerry phone.

What these huge numbers clearly mean is that your business can not afford not to provide a mobile website for a convenient browsing experience for your customers. Mobile websites are starting to become a ‘must have’ for any kind of business today.

The rate at which people are accessing the web today throughout the world from their mobile phones is becoming increasingly clear that any business that wants to remain in business must leverage the opportunity of mobile browsing. It is easy, cheap and quick to do it today; in fact, some web design companies render this service for free. But before you decide modifying your existing website to make it compatible for mobile handsets, put these things right:

1. Page Size

It is important to assign a simple style for all mobile websites, the page size also small. Remember that 20KB is the maximum page size for all mobile friendly pages. If you can use less than 10KB making everything nicely fitted for any kind of phone, considering that users are charged per KB of mobile data you will be doing your business good.

2. Coding

There is actually no special coding required for mobile websites. Using XML or XHTML for your mobile friendly site is much easier and faster. Using basic HTML and CSS is also good. Carefully craft with target key words the filenames, title tags, heading tags and description meta tags to fully maximize the optimizable content present.

3. Content

There is actually no special way to arrange content for mobile websites. The rule is simply-all mobile websites should be readable and easy to navigate, since your visitors are on the go and may not want to waste time on something difficult to read or surf. As for the content typography, it is preferable to use headings to control the font size.

4. Images

Most mobile phones take longer time to load images. Use graphics and images as little as possible only where necessary, this will aid easy navigation for your mobile website users. Jpeg, gif or png are best formats for mobile images because they are very much light–weight. Compressing your pictures to avoid zooming is something you must not forget.

5. Layout

Mobile browsing is quite time consuming, so ensure you put all the most important information you want your mobile website users to see on the top of the page your company logo should be included as well. Left and right navigation should be minimized because it is difficult navigating with a phone.

A better option is to arrange all your content in a single column. Tables should not be used, but if necessary no more than 2 columns, rows and column merging should be avoided.

6. Page links

Back buttons and links are features of all good mobile websites. Providing them will help visitors escape dead ends, though, not all phones are designed with back buttons.

7. Domain Choice

Ensure to use a mobi domain which clearly indicates a mobile friendly experience instead of .edu, .com, .org etc, which generally stand for desktop browsing.

8. Test Run

Your mobile website should be tested on multiple devices. This will help you know if your site will provide a good mobile experience for users.

Weight loss apps

2nd January 2012 21 Replies Christopher Roberts

I understand that app reviews are usually Ron‘s territory, however I thought that as it is anew year I should try some thing new. What better to write about than something which is currently very topical: New Year’s resolutions!

As we enter 2012, it is predicted that the majority of resolutions made will focus on either loosing weight or quitting smoking. Therefore to try and help people stay on track to keep their resolution, I am going to review some weight loss apps.

Here we go then, a review of 2 really useful weight loss applications!

Lose It! iPhone and Android Weight Loss App

The first weight loss app is called ‘Lose It!’ and is available the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android smartphones. Lose It! is free, so it costs nothing to download, which is always a bonus 🙂

The app lets you set goals, and then through daily calorie rationing, helps you work towards achieving them.

The app comes hand in hand with a site called Loseit.com which if you create an account, can help you track the food you are eating, and the exercise you are doing, calculating what you need to do to achieve your goals!

If you sign up for an account (which by the way is free) you can also see how your friends are doing, meaning that it could be very helpful if you are a bit of a competitive person!

An example of what the LoseIt! account home login screen looks like

Now the big question, does it actually work? Well, over 95% of users who used the app for 4 weeks lost weight, so it would seem that this is a weight loss app that works!

Give this app a go, it is free, and from the reviews I have read, it works! You can find in the Android Market and iTunes.

Nike Training Club iPhone Weight Loss App

The next app is called Nike Training Club, and is primarily aimed at women, although reading reviews about it and reading up about the app myself, there is nothing really to stop men using it too.

A screenshot of the apps interface

Like LoseIt! the Nike Training Club app is free to download, but is only available on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, not Android.

Nike’s app focuses mainly on the exercise part of weight loss, rather than the food you eat. What the app basically does is provide you with your own personal trainer from your phone, iPod or tablet.

The app has 130 different exercises/drills that you can do, and it times you whilst you are doing your workout. You can track your overall training time, and the more you train, the more rewards you can get, which can help motivate you to keep going!

The feedback is again very good, many people are saying that because of the fantastic guidance from professional athletes that the app can gives you access to, there really is no need to hire a personal trainer.

Download the app via iTunes for free and get your workout going 🙂

So, what do you think of the apps, are they useful and do they help you keep your New Year’s resolution?

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