This simple yet innovative USB Clip design provides a simple method of keeping data files together with hard copy documents.

The design by Emamidesign has won a 2010 Red Dot product design award and became a Best of Best winner.

The coloured flash USB drives simply clip onto letters and documents and are designed to replace CD or DVD-ROMs for archiving or transferring data. The bright colours make sure that the drives are not lost or missed by the recipient of the brochure or document. Once received simply remove from the document and insert into your USB port for easy access to data.

Too bad, it is only a concept at this time.

(via Design Fetish)

Imagine if you will, you are huddled over your computer early one morning, plowing through your overstuffed inbox. In a distracted state, you reach for your hot, steaming mug of coffee. Without looking, you bring it to your lips. Then, suddenly, for just a split second, your fingers loose their grip. As if in slow motion, the mug jerks sideways and a wave of muddy brown liquid sloshes all over your computer. After a moment of frantically trying to sop up the mess you realize, there’s no hope. You hear a strained clicking sound from the guts of the machine and watch helplessly as a once bright light fades to black.

Are your palms sweaty at the mere thought?

Assuming the physical computer is covered by insurance, the real issue this hypothetical situation reveals is the critical importance of backing up your data. While the chances of having a catastrophic event like the one described above may be low, the chances of data loss due to computer or hard drive failures are quite high. In fact, the average life expectancy of a hard drive is only 3-5 years.

If you do not yet have a back-up system in place, it is only a matter of time until you lose all of your data; your photos, your movies, your important documents, and your music.

Happily, back-up technology has come a long way in the past few years. It has never been easier to secure your precious memories and documents. There are essentially two different approaches to backing your data: storing the information “in the cloud” and on an external drive. We take a look at the pros and cons of each approach and outline some services and products in each area that make the whole process pretty darn effortless.

Saving Your Information in “The Cloud”

As this approach implies, rather than backing up your files on your computer or on a hard drive that you own, you store them virtually via a paid, online service. Because it is their job to ensure the long-term security of your data, which they do with things like redundant data centers, storing your data in the cloud is one of the more expensive options. That said, compared with the cost of trying to recover lost data, it’s a pretty cheap insurance policy. Here are three excellent, fairly-priced data-storage services.

Dropbox. This simple online file storage service with a very intuitive interface enables busy people to backup without thinking much about it. It works whether you use a PC, a Mac, or a Linux machine. There are also versions for mobile devices as well, from Blackberrys and iPhones to Androids. The service is free for the first 2 GB. Then there are paid plans for 50GB ($9.99/mo) and 100GB ($19.99/mo). Just download the app, make the dropbox your main “virtual filing cabinet” (using any filing names and conventions you want) and you never have to think about backing up again. The program will automatically update and sync files between the cloud and your computer whenever it’s online. So those vacation pictures you just uploaded to your computer, yes, they’re backed up too. Side bonus: you can access files from any computer (or smart phone), anywhere. So you’re never without a file when you need it.

Windows SkyDrive. If you are one of the millions currently using Hotmail, Windows Messenger, or Xbox Live, you already have access to use Windows SkyDrive. This online file hosting service allows users 25GB of free space to upload their files to a cloud storage that can be accessed from any computer. You may keep the files private, share them with contacts, or make them public. One great feature unique to SkyDrive is group integration, which allows users to create groups and use up to 5GB to share, modify, and delete files (ideal for that photo book you and your siblings want to put together for your parents). You can also subscribe to RSS feeds of the content of public folders, which contain image previews and download links if you need an easy way to keep up to date with friends or acquaintances.

Box.net. Similar to the other two options listed here, the box.net file hosting service enables users to manage their documents, media, and online content virtually. But unlike the other two options, this service is specifically geared to business users. It boasts features like online workspaces that enable multiple users to view and edit a file, comment, and even assign and manage tasks within one folder. It integrates with business programs like Salesforce.com and Google Apps. And its integrated content viewer and the ability to embed these files anywhere on the web make it ideal for creative professionals. You can get a personal account for free (5GB of storage), but the premium service levels offered are: Businesses ($15/user/month) and Enterprise (custom pricing).

Saving Your Information “Automatically” On External Devices

Both PCs and Macs have sophisticated backup software that is built right in to your computer’s operating systems. Unlike the services that store your data in the cloud, these programs have the ability to backup your entire system image, which is an exact copy of your drive (including system settings and programs, not just your files). If you ever need to restore a computer that’s crashed, this makes the process much, much easier. We strongly recommend this approach for anyone who lacks confidence in their program installation skills.

In an ideal world, you should use these programs in combination with an external hard drive. You could certainly partition a portion of your computer’s hard drive to use as your back-up, but, if your hard drive fails, your backup partition is likely to as well.

PC Users – Backup and Restore. If you have Windows, you already have Backup and Restore. Windows Backup and Restore allows you to make copies of data files for everyone who uses the computer. It’s very customizable, as you can let windows choose what to back up, or you can select the individual folders, libraries, and drives you want. By default, your backups are created on a regular schedule, but you can always change the schedule or create a backup manually at any time. The program automatically keeps track of which files are new or modified, and adds them to your backup.

Mac Users- Time Machine. Time Machine is basically the Mac users’ equivalent to Backup and Restore. It allows you to automatically back up your entire system, and keeps an updated copy of everything on your Mac, including application programs, files, photos, music, movies, emails, calendars, and contacts. It allows you to restore items, or even entire systems with ease, and all you need is a backup drive.

Here are three external devices that are worth considering if you are going to go this automatic back-up route.

Western Digital Elements External Hard Drive. Western Digital offers External Hard Drives in 6 different sizes ranging from 500GB ($59) to 3TB ($119) in space. They are eco-friendly, and already formatted to work with Windows, for easy plug-and-play access to your extra storage (they can also be reformatted for Mac). Find them on Amazon.com

Toshiba Canvio Basics Portable Hard Drive. This sleek hard drive comes in four different sizes, ranging from 320BG ($54) to 1 TB ($89) on Amazon.com. Its attractive, compact design will look good on any desk and makes your files truly portable.

SanDisk Cruzer. Flash drives are an excellent way to store extra files. They plug right into your USB drive, and are compatible with all computers, and even some photo frames, cars, and TV’s. They’re compact enough to fit in your purse, being only a few inches long, and you can purchase 16GB of extra storage for only $19.61. This nifty version, which has a retractable USB, is available at Amazon.com.

Your Question:

You sound busy…good! Ok, since you have the tech background…I , too like IPhone. I have an insatiable drive to get REALLY organized so I have adopted Evernote as my can’t live without. Have been using it for about a year or so with good results. I have recently added as Scan Snap scanner and want to set up an EFFECTIVE DIGITAL file for all of the stuff currently living in my hard copy files. I’m having trouble setting up the digital files in a way that I can just GO TO quickly and find what I need. I can’t seem to set up an orgazinational tree…if the file is labeled Home Essentials…I don’t seem to be able to ad sub categories. How do I do that. I’m tired of searching through the hard copy stuff, I just need the basics. What do you do with things like warranties, etc.

Take a look at Evernote. You might find it will work hand in hand with Button Up. Also I use an integrated note called Awsome Note which works well with Evernote. But I just can’t figure out a workable Digital File System. Ideas?

I like the Buttoned Up site, have just discovered it and think it will help me consolidate some “stuff” . Have signed up for the Newsletter. Used the ICE tip for the IPhone and forwarded it to friends. As a former ER/Critical Care Nurse, I would have found this invaluable. Just look under Contacts for ICE and get the emergency info you need. Great Tip!
Babs

Dear Babs:

Thank you for your Guru question! We Love Evernote as well – check out our Tools & Giveaway page on our site (http://getbuttonedup.com/tools/) you will see an entire section devoted to Evernote and its many uses!

I am not sure if you are asking us about Scan Snap, or setting up general digital files. So we’ll assume you mean setting up digital files.

So how do you begin? Draft a list of all possible files based on what you have on your hard drive. Look closely at them and group similar files together (on your list). Now what general categories pop out at you (work, family, house essentials, photos, bills, etc.)? Those are your main file folders, and the specific documents and files go under the general categories you choose.

Naming your files: In this case, it’s the key to the contents. Nobody is judging your file names so make it something you’ll know and understand. Try employing a system that you use across all platforms, so your Excel files and Word documents are all saved as “date created, file name.” It doesn’t matter what your system is as long as you do it consistently.

Clear out your files weekly and discard ones that you really don’t need. Then BACK UP! It doesn’t matter what tool you use to back up (thumb drive, CDs, etc.), but DO IT. If you get in the habit of weekly clearing out your files and backing up your hard drive, you are way ahead of the game – AND you will quickly realize if the system you set up still works for you. Just because you set it up one way, doesn’t mean you can’t tweak down the line.

Afraid you will forget where a file is located? You can do a search on your hard drive to find a file. If you follow the system for naming your files, they should be very easy to find.

We hope this helps you get your digital files set up! Let us know how it worked out!
-Anne Marie

Yesterday, at approximately 11:37 am, my entire calendar was just somehow deleted.  Every, single appointment just.went.poof.

 After numerous conversations with multiple kinds of tech support, and much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I have learned that there is nothing to be done except recreate my calendar.  God help me – why did I ever switch from paper?!  

I’m the kind of person who puts everything, including my to-do’s, in my calendar as appointments – it keeps me honest about time management. So this was a total disaster. I felt lost at sea. And before you jump to the “why didn’t you have a back-up of your files” question, know that I’m fairly anal-retentive about backing up! A few years ago I had a hard drive fail and learned the hard way that you can’t trust your computer as a storage device. In fact, I’m so anal about it that I store all of my files virtually, via a service called Dropbox.com (I highly recommend it – not only do I always have the peace of mind that my files are backed up, but I can also access them from wherever I am, on any computer).

So, I had backups of my contacts and all of my email already. And at 11:35 I decided it would be a good idea to back up my calendar as well. I wanted the master-calendar to sync with all of my devices (iPhone, computer, etc). so I chose a little service called Me.com, which promises to do just that. Sort of like Dropbox, but for calendars. Sadly, that’s where my troubles began. I must have inadvertently pressed the wrong button – and the blank calendar on Me.com over-wrote the calendar on my desktop.

The lesson: if you are going to sync your calendar with any device, virtual or physical, be sure to select MERGE appointments.

That way no appointment will be deleted. And even if you have to clean up duplicates, you won’t be left like I was, trying to recreate everything from scratch.

OR – you could just go back to paper. If I honestly tallied up all of the hours I lost (and gray hairs I gained) from yesterday’s debacle, I am sure that it wiped out (and then some) any efficiencies I gained from going digital. I’m going to do both.

On the positive side, this disaster prompted me to send an email blast to my contacts asking them to help me rebuild my calendar and I’ve gotten to say a virtual hello to hundreds of people I haven’t spoken to in far too long. There’s always a silver lining, right?