Post Syndicated from Natasha Rabinov original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/legal-hold-is-here-protect-your-business-when-it-matters-most/

Whether you’re navigating HR issues, facing down litigation, or ensuring operational readiness in the face of uncertainty, you need to be ready to preserve your data. When the stakes are high, Legal Hold, a new feature in Backblaze Computer Backup with Enterprise Control, can help you stay ready.

Available today, Legal Hold gives administrators the power to preserve every version of a user’s backup with a single click. No extra hardware, no new software—all at the same flat-rate pricing of Backblaze Computer Backup with Enterprise Control.

Let’s dig into what Legal Hold is, its importance, and how Backblaze implements it to meet enterprise needs.

What is Legal Hold?

A legal hold, also known as a litigation hold, is a process that organizations use to preserve electronically stored information (ESI) when they face actual or anticipated litigation, audits, or investigations. It ensures that relevant data—such as emails, documents, and file backups—is not deleted, altered, or lost. Once enabled, Backblaze Computer Backup’s Legal Hold feature will preserve a user’s entire backup, including every historical version captured, with a single click. 

A legal hold is typically triggered when an organization becomes aware of a legal claim or regulatory inquiry. Once in place, normal data retention policies are suspended for any affected data, ensuring it remains available for legal review.

How Backblaze Legal Hold helps you stay protected

At Backblaze, we’ve designed our Legal Hold for Computer Backup feature to be powerful, simple, and reliable. Here’s how it works:

• Instant activation: Instantly activate Legal Hold in the Enterprise Control console without additional hardware or software.
• Automated data preservation: Apply a Legal Hold to any user’s backup directly from your admin console. The backups are preserved in a fixed state, meaning no files can be altered or deleted—even by retention policies.
• Remote and silent enforcement: Legal Holds are applied remotely without disrupting the user’s work, alerting the users, or requiring their involvement. It runs silently in the background without downtime, throttling, or notifications.
• Retention beyond the device: Even if the original device is lost, stolen, or wiped, all held data remains safely stored in Backblaze.
• Secure by default: Encryption at rest and in transit with optional private key encryption available keeps data safe.

Why Legal Hold matters in 2025

In today’s landscape, Legal Hold isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s a must-have for almost every organization:

• Rising litigation and audits: Businesses face more legal scrutiny than ever—whether it’s an employee dispute, intellectual property (IP) protection, or a customer complaint.
• Remote and hybrid workforces: With data scattered across devices and locations, you need a solution that protects endpoint backups no matter where the user is.
• Cybersecurity incidents and data loss: Legal Hold ensures that even during a ransomware attack or internal breach, copies of critical data are preserved for investigation or recovery.
• Cloud-first operations: Legal Hold needs to work where your data lives—securely in the cloud, always ready when you are.

Ready when you need it most

Now, any business using Backblaze Computer Backup with Enterprise Control can implement Legal Hold in just a few clicks—making it easier than ever to stay compliant, reduce legal risk, and prepare for the unexpected.

Already a customer? You can start using Legal Hold today. See our docs article or log in to your admin console. 

Not yet on Backblaze? Reach out to our Sales team to start a free 15-day trial.

The post Legal Hold Is Here: Protect Your Business When It Matters Most appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from Yev original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/holiday-gift-guide-2024/

Ah, the holidays. They can be both fun and stressful for many of us—not least because we have to make so many decisions around gift giving. The plethora of cyber sales and new products on the market make this a great time to try out new products yourself or buy some for the loved people in your lives. To that end, I’ve followed tradition and asked some of my fellow Backblazers to submit their gift ideas for this year and we’ve compiled them into this 2024 gift giving list!

Reading, (w)righting, (a)rithmatic

Kindle Paperwhite

For the reader in your life, the Kindle Paperwhite is a great way to keep reading regardless of the conditions. It uses e-ink technology to avoid glare and allows for reading in both high and low light conditions!

ReMarkable Paper Pro

This is one of the coolest devices out there, and I can personally say that I desperately want someone to gift me one (although it’s a bit on the pricey side, so I get it). This uses similar e-ink technology as the Paperwhite and allows you to take notes using your own handwriting—which (at least in my case when I write in cursive) helps me remember things!

Tekfun LCD Writing and Doodle Tablet

Mixing writing and artistry, this doodle tablet is great for kiddos that are with you in a restaurant or long-haul flight. In fact, I just bought one of these for my nephew!

Klein Bottle

Some people are math people. I don’t get it, but this Klein Bottle is basically an inside joke to math nerds (something about Möbius loops) and can serve as a lovely table prop for the math lover in your life.

Sounds good!

HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless Gaming Headset

For the gamer in your life, these are some of the best headphones on the market. They’re wireless, they sound great, and the microphone picks up all of the positive (I’m sure) feedback for teammates.

Apple AirPods 4

The latest and greatest from Apple. These come with a new chip that helps with transparency mode so you can cross the street with confidence.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

If you’re an Android user (raises hand) you may want something built for your phone and the latest Pro version of the Pixel Buds are here for you. These come with little nubs for snug fit, meaning you can run or lift or meander without worrying that your tiny buds will fall out.

Experiences

Sur La Table Cooking Classes

Who doesn’t want to impress loved ones with delicious dishes? If you have a Sur La Table near you, these are great.

Airbnb Experiences

If you’re a fan of traveling you’ve likely stayed at an AirBnB. But even if you’re more of a homebase person, their Experiences tab is worth checking out. From cooking to glass blowing to cow cuddle therapy (yes, that’s a thing).

Odds and ends

theFube Fidget Cube

I have one of these in my car and, let me tell you, as a person who used to bite their nails out of boredom (gross, I know), it helps keep my mind and compulsions at bay! Highly recommend.

Under Desk Foot Rest

Many of us spend our day sitting, sometimes standing at a desk. Even when you’re sitting, though, ergonomics are a big deal and having an adjustable foot rest can help you get into a position that feels solid and sustainable for long stretches of time. I recommend getting up and stretching every now and again, but if you’re like me and have a bad back, these are great.

Leatherman ARC

Whether you’re outdoors or indoors, sometimes you need to cut or saw or screw or open or pry or file something, and for that, these Leatherman tools cannot be beaten.

Give the gift of Backblaze

And, of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you that Backblaze Computer Backup makes a great gift. Help your family and friends experience the sweet, sweet peace of mind that comes from a good backup strategy and make sure they never lose a file again. Bonus: you don’t even have to go to the store to get it.

Go forth and gift!

We hope this guide sparked some ideas and simplified some choices. We love hearing about what folks are excited about, so feel free to give us some more good options in the comments below.

The post Holiday Gift Guide 2024 appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from Stephanie Doyle original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/how-to-future-proof-your-archives-file-formats-that-stand-the-test-of-time/

You may have heard us talk about backup a time or two, and hopefully our love has been clear. So, when Wired gave us a shoutout in their recent, astute article about archiving, allow us to say we were flattered. 

As both a tribute and a collaboration, we’re happy to build on their article’s premise about choosing the correct file type for archiving purposes, and we’ll highlight a few tools to help you protect your files in the long term. 

Wired reports: Archived files are especially vulnerable to changing file types

Archives are distinct from backups and have their own demands. Backups are intended to give you the ability to restore files or your whole environment—they need to be both in step with your current environment and flexible enough to respond to both a point in time restore of your whole system or a single file, depending on what you need. Archiving, on the other hand, is about preservation when you can’t depend on the continuity of devices or digital tools—those tools might look quite different (or not exist at all!) down the line. That said, backups are also an essential building block of digital archives. 

Making something last long-term takes more work than you’d think. And, interestingly, digital archiving suffers from the opposite problem of “traditional” archiving. Whereas with books, magazines, and other paper-based media, you want to touch them as little as possible, with digital archives, you actually need to do some active maintenance to make sure you’re converting files to accessible formats that you can open well into the future. 

Here’s an expert from the Wired report telling us about just one part of the practical concerns of digital archiving: 

“Twenty years, in the digital realm, is ancient,” says Lance Stuchell, director of digital preservation services at the University of Michigan. His team is frequently tasked with recovering digital files from old computers and storage mediums. “We have a lab that can deal with old media—floppy drives, CDs, older computers. We can get that off of those types of media and move it into our preservation system while ensuring we don’t mess it up while we’re doing it.”

Wired goes on to report that the problem isn’t just having the correct device, but actually having the correct file type. Their biggest takeaways for making sure your files hold up over time? 

1. Use open source file types. 
2. If you’re storing media, store files uncompressed. 
3. Back up absolutely everything. 

Check out the rest of the article for details—it’s worth a read. And, thanks for the shoutout as a good option for folks looking to back up, Wired. 

Some tools for converting files

So, now that you’re all geared up to get your archive in order, here are some free, open source tools that will help you convert your files. One note when you’re using open source (and we’re big fans) is to make sure you’re using a tool you trust. And, some tools, especially web-based tools, may collect user data or can expose sensitive information. 

With that in mind, here are a few to get you started: 

• LibreOffice: The successor to OpenOffice, LibreOffice is a well-respected open source alternative to Microsoft Office and supports several open source and older document file formats.
• Pandoc: Pandoc calls itself the Swiss army knife of file converters for markup formats, which includes documents, HTML formats, spreadsheets, and more. It’s got a very helpful list of file formats and indicates whether they can convert from/to each of them. 
• ImageMagick: ImageMagick can certainly convert your files, and it’s also beloved because it can edit files, including support for scripting and automation. But, for our purposes, it converts image formats and has continuous support from the open source community. 
• FFmpeg: FFmpeg is a community supported audio and video tool. 
• VLC media player: Another audio and video tool that supports conversion.

Keep in mind that while we’re recommending many of these for conversion purposes, many are actually fully-fledged programs with some very cool features—and, some can even replace traditional paid tool options, if you’re the budget-conscious type.  

Archiving hardware of the future

Standard tech right now for storing archived files is on hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid state drives (SSDs), and you’ll even find DVDs that can keep your data stored for 1,000 years or more. All storage media types are known to degrade over time—when you’re storing long-term, you can’t just leave your drive disconnected from power forever, for instance. 

That said, developing storage media types, while not as common, offer some interesting (if not yet widely practical) options. If you’re willing to drop some cash, DNA (yes, the biological kind) or ceramic might be for you. And, if you want to get super sci-fi with it, PhysicsWorld has reported on the “Superman memory crystal” that could keep data intact for millions of years. 

Build your archive for alien circumstances

When we ambitiously sent out messages to the (potential) sentient life in the universe almost 50 years ago, on golden records no less, we apparently thought it was enough to also include a phonograph needle and some symbolic instructions on how to play the record. In practice, we sent a message with no guarantees that someone could decode and play it. 

That may be fine for our space-age time capsule, but for our everyday archives, we do want to do our best to make sure we’re able to open them in the future. While we can’t anticipate where technology will be in 20, 40, or 100 years, we can follow digital archiving best practices to give future generations the best chance of opening files. At least they’ll likely share a language with us, as opposed to our alien friends.

The post How to Future-Proof Your Archives: File Formats That Stand the Test of Time appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from Yev original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/what-do-teachers-parents-and-students-have-in-common-the-need-to-back-up/

Our world has moved more online, and blackboards have taken a backseat to laptops in classrooms and lecture halls alike. From homework to lesson planning and grading, to communicating with students and parents, educators and students rely heavily on their computers and sync drives like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. And, when it comes to digital resources, there’s always a risk of data loss, which, when it strikes, can wipe out hours or days of work. 

This is where backup solutions come into play. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of computer backup for both students and educators, highlight the importance of choosing an affordable and reliable backup solution, and give you some talking points to help others in your educational community understand the importance of backing up.

Risks of data loss

Data loss can happen for a variety of reasons, including hardware failure, accidental deletion, theft, or cyber attacks. 

Imagine this scenario: You’ve spent hours building a detailed lesson plan, preparing engaging multimedia presentations, and grading student assignments. Suddenly, your computer crashes, and you can’t get it to turn back on. Or, you lose your USB drive that has years of work, including lesson plans. Both situations are not great and the result is that all of your hard work is gone in an instant. 

Data loss is an issue for anyone, but for educators, the consequences can affect not only your work but also your students’ learning experience. And the same scenario is true for students—working on a research project last minute only to have a blue screen of death five minutes before the deadline can be a frustrating turn of events—and one that affects your grade long-term. 

The 3-2-1 backup rule

The good news about avoiding data loss is that there are some established best practices that can give you a great place to start. The most fundamental of these, the 3-2-1 backup rule, says you should have three copies of your data on two types of storage media with one copy stored off-site. 

Sync is not backup

Sync services like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox are great, but they are not the same thing as a true backup. Sync drives are designed to keep all versions consistent with each other, which makes them vulnerable to things like accidental deletion and ransomware attacks. While some may have limited version history or “backup,” those features are typically for a limited amount of time (i.e., 30 days), or are lacking in some of the key areas that schools need to maintain compliance with data protection standards. 

Cloud backup services are using a different tool for a different job—you want your synced files to change, whereas you want your backup to be a fixed point in time you can restore if you need to. That’s not to say that you won’t have your backup files constantly up-to-date, like you do with an automatic backup solution, just that you’ll be able to restore a file, or all of your files, to whatever time you choose. 

And, if you think the difference is just splitting hairs, studies show that 58% of organizations that experienced data loss last year had some amount of unrecovered data. And, in that same pool of survey takers, 84% of organizations were relying on cloud sync services. 

Benefits of backing up

1. Protection against data loss: The primary benefit of a backup solution is the protection it offers against data loss. By regularly backing up your files, you can ensure that your important documents are safe and can be restored quickly in case of any mishap, or even if you forget your laptop at home.
2. Enhanced productivity: With a reliable backup system in place, you can focus on what you’re working on without worrying about it getting lost. This peace of mind allows you to work more efficiently and creatively, knowing that your files are secure.
3. Compliance and accountability: While not at the top of many student’s minds, many educators know that educational institutions have policies and regulations regarding data storage and protection. Having a robust backup solution helps teachers, professors, and the organizations they work for stay compliant with these regulations.
4. Cost savings: Investing in a backup solution can save you money in the long run. Data recovery services can be expensive after the fact, and the time lost in trying to recreate lost work can be even more costly. An affordable backup solution provides a safety net that prevents these potential expenses.

Students: Back up your data regularly

Often, students are given space on cloud drives or required to submit assignments through learning management systems like Blackboard. But, even with cloud drives, many tools don’t account for adequate backups. When it comes down to it, students are responsible for turning in their work on time. 

Getting a backup in place protects you and all the effort you’re putting into your coursework, and you can try it for free to see if it’s right for you. 

Educators and faculty members often drive change

Collaboration is one of the hallmarks of an educational environment, and educators and students are often just as responsible for driving change as administrators are. Whatever role you take in your educational community, there are many ways you can make to help others understand why backup is so crucial, and how to choose the tool that’s right for you. 

Choosing an affordable and reliable backup solution

When selecting a backup solution, affordability and reliability are key factors to consider. Here are some decision criteria you can share with others to help in choosing a backup solution:

• Assess your needs. Determine the amount of data you need to back up and how frequently it changes. This will help you choose a solution that meets your specific requirements without overpaying for unnecessary features.
• Cloud vs. local backup. Cloud-based backups offer the advantage of remote access and easy storage to a geographically separate location, while local backups (such as external hard drives) can provide faster recovery times. Both methods have a place in a solid 3-2-1 backup strategy. 
• Ease of use. Look for a backup solution that is user-friendly and doesn’t require extensive technical knowledge. The easier it is to use, the more likely you are to maintain regular backups.
• Security features. Ensure that the backup solution you choose has robust security features, such as encryption, to protect your data from unauthorized access and cyber threats.
• Cost-effective plans. Many backup service providers offer tiered pricing plans based on storage needs and features, or are based on the number of devices you need protected.  Backblaze Computer Backup, for example, starts at $9 per computer per month for unlimited backup, with discounts for one year or two year plans. 

Save your data (and yourself!): Think about backups ahead of time

Remember, regardless of how you’re creating data, the question isn’t if you will experience data loss, but when. Be prepared and make backup a priority—if not in your organization, then definitely in your personal tech choices.

The post What Do Teachers, Parents, and Students Have in Common? The Need to Back Up appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from Stephanie Doyle original https://backblaze.com/blog/do-i-need-a-continuous-backup-solution/

Most IT administrators and businesses know that you need to employ a 3-2-1 backup solution to meet minimum backup durability requirements, though many folks are of the opinion that that methodology is just table stakes these days. Once you get into the variety of ways you can ensure reliable, robust backups, you learn about strategies like 3-2-1-1-0, bare metal recovery, cyber resilience, and more. 

Which method your business ultimately ascribes to depends on your risk tolerance—but no business wants to experience the costs associated with extended downtime. In a world where the threat of ransomware is not an “if”, but a “when,” and disaster recovery is front-of-mind for businesses of all sizes, getting granular with your backup and recovery options is key. That brings us to today’s topic: continuous backup solutions, aka continuous data protection (CDP).

What Is Continuous Data Protection (CDP)?

A continuous data protection solution is an automated data backup method that keeps track of changes to your files and backs them up constantly. This is different from traditional backups that copy your data at set intervals. While you can set the interval that you’d want to have your data backup (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly), you’d still be relying on a systemic approach, and would have data loss exposure correlating to the duration you set. What if you had a day of particularly high volume of new data? What if you’re dealing with sensitive customer information that your business needs to show an accurate audit trail for? 

Continuous backup solutions work by tracking every change to your data in real time, then they asynchronously create a second copy of those changes. Compare this with traditional backups, where data is written to a destination, then a copy (often, a snapshot) of the data is made to be distributed to other backup locations. With a continuous backup solution, you can reduce your recovery point objection (RPO)—that is, the point in time from which you can recover your data—to near zero. And, because your continuous backups typically have to be stored in more accessible storage tiers, you can reduce your recovery time object (RTO) as well. 

Here are some of the key qualities of a continuous backup solution: 

• Automatic backups. With continuous backup, you don’t need to remember to manually back up your data. The system continuously monitors your files for changes and backs them up automatically.
• Real-time or frequent backups. Continuous backup solutions can back up your data in real-time, or at least very frequently. This means you’ll always have a very recent copy of your data available in case of data loss.
• Restore to any point in time. Because continuous backups keep track of all the changes made to your files, you can restore your data to any point in time, not just the last time a full backup was run.

Benefits of Continuous Backup Solutions

There are several advantages to using a continuous backup solution:

• Reduced risk of data loss. You’re less likely to lose data due to hardware failure, software corruption, ransomware attacks, or accidental deletion.
• Faster recovery times. If you do lose data, you can restore it from a recent backup much faster than you could with a traditional backup system, especially those that rely on hardware (air gaps) or cold storage for archival storage. 
• Improved business continuity. Continuous backup can help businesses keep running smoothly even if they experience a data loss event.
• User-friendly for diverse levels of tech proficiency. Within a business, there are always going to be folks who are more or less proficient with technology. When you have an automatic backup utility that runs in the background—particularly one with advanced central administrative controls like Backblaze Business Backup with Enterprise Control—you aren’t relying on employees’ tech proficiency (or memory) to create backups.

Continuous Backup vs. Near Continuous Backup Solutions

True CDP solutions run at the level where you’re writing changes to your file—according to the patent, at the basic input/output system (BIOS) of the computer such that normal operations are unaffected. In a practical sense, that means you’re nearly always using virtual machines. 

There are several near-continuous backup solutions, however, that back up in intervals of one hour or less and leverage a high-availability system. For transparency’s sake, it’s worth noting that Backblaze Computer Backup is a near continuous backup using native code over Java to reduce impact on your computer’s operations—see our documentation for more.

Downsides of Continuous Backup Solutions

There are some challenges to consider when implementing a continuous backup solution:

• Cost: Continuous backup solutions can be more expensive than traditional backup solutions. As time has gone on, there are more solutions available—which has led to more competitive pricing—but it is still a factor to consider. 
• Storage requirements: Continuous backup can generate a lot of data. If you’re provisioning storage yourself, you’ll need to make sure you have enough to accommodate the backups. If you’re considering using a cloud backup utility, make sure you look into unlimited backups. Many common backup utilities create pricing tiers that take into account the volume of data a user generates and stores.
• System resources and compatibility: Solutions can use up system resources, which could slow down your computer or server. For example, many utilities use Java instead of native code, which can noticeably slow down your devices. 

What’s the Diff: Continuous Backup vs. Synced Cloud Drive

Because a continuous backup solution updates backups in near real-time, it can be confused with cloud sync services. You may have heard us say it before—sync is not backup. The main difference between a continuous backup service and a synced cloud drive boils down to their purpose:

Continuous Backup Service: This prioritizes data protection and recovery. It constantly monitors your files for changes and backs them up frequently, often in real-time. You can restore your data to any specific point in time, making it ideal for disaster recovery or retrieving accidentally deleted files.

Synced Cloud Drive: This focuses on accessibility and collaboration. It keeps a mirrored copy of your designated folders across multiple devices. Any edits you make on one device are reflected in the cloud storage and on all other connected devices. This is great for working on the same files from different locations and keeping everyone, well, in sync.

While some cloud drives have introduced a backup or version history function, they are often limited in scope and subject to the shared responsibility model. Both undermine a true backup strategy, especially if your business has cyber insurance or compliance standards to meet.  

Here’s a table summarizing the key differences:

In short:

• Use a continuous backup service if you’re worried about losing important data due to hardware failure, software corruption, or accidental deletion.
• Use a synced cloud drive if you want to access and edit your files from anywhere and keep them updated across all your devices.

Some services might offer both features, but it’s important to understand which functionality takes priority. And, if in doubt—use both. 

Conclusion

Backups continue to be one of the cornerstones of any business’ ransomware protection strategy. As you’re considering what kind of backup you need, consider how much your business needs a granular, point-in-time recovery option to maintain business continuity. As always, you should balance functionality with costs, and the needs of your particular business. But, given the relative affordability of backup tools—and the amount they can save you in the event of a data disaster—solutions like continuous backup are worth considering for businesses of all sizes.

The post Do I Need a Continuous Backup Solution? appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup

Post Syndicated from Molly Clancy original https://www.backblaze.com/blog/the-backblaze-team-recommends-tech-that-saves-the-day/

Everyone has their arsenal of indispensable gadgets and apps they absolutely couldn’t live without, and we had a feeling the folks here at Backblaze would have a lot to say about the subject. We tapped the smart, savvy minds that keep our storage cloud up and running, and discovered a treasure trove of insights into the tech essentials that power their daily lives.

From budgeting apps to text editors to humble charging jacks, our staff share the tools they can’t live without. So, without further ado, let’s dig into the gear that keeps our collective gears turning:

Tech for Staying Connected

Solutions Engineering Director, Troy Liljedahl

As a Mac guy, I love my Airpod Pros and the way they work seamlessly with my iPhone, Macbook Pro, and iPad. But things get a little wonky when you try to use them outside of the Apple ecosystem. I tried many different wireless earbuds and settled on the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Earbuds. I’m a big fan of The Wirecutter by the New York Times (and they’re big fans of us) and they had these at the top of their list. I love the sound quality, noise canceling, and excellent battery life. My Airpod Pros are still my go to when I’m out of the house, but when I need a good headset at home for my PC and other non-Apple devices, these have become my go to earbuds.

Senior Director, Marketing, Yev Pusin

You know what I hate? Getting my phone out at inopportune times. You know what I don’t mind so much? Glancing down at my Google Pixel Watch to see that the cold call I’m receiving is being answered by my phone’s call screening and I don’t have to pick it up. Whether it’s the first version or the second, I have grown accustomed to having something on my wrist that acts as an extension of my phone. True digital bliss. 

Chief Technical Evangelist, Pat Patterson

I use my webcam a LOT: Zoom and Google Meet with coworkers, FaceTime with family and friends, webinars with the Backblaze community of developers and admins, and quick-start videos for the Backblaze YouTube channel. Ever since I got my PlexiCam Pro mount about a year ago, it’s been my secret weapon in every one of those interactions. It’s a transparent plexiglass webcam mount that hangs from the top edge of my monitor, allowing me to position my webcam in my eyeline, just above my focus. To anyone on the call, I appear to be looking directly into the camera. 

At $85, it’s not cheap, but it’s well designed and constructed, and feels like it will last forever. Highly recommended for anyone who spends a lot of time flicking their eyes between the screen and the webcam!

Tech for Devs

Senior Site Reliability Engineer, nathaniel wagner

Ah, the age old debate of Emacs versus Vim: the two most widely used editors for Linux operating systems. I solidly planted my flag on team Vim once I learned how to save and exit the program. 😉

I do aspire to one day having a computer that only runs Emacs because byte compiled Emacs is cool to me. Until I graduate to that level of wizardry, I stick to Neovim when I need to quickly edit something from a terminal or want to appear cool in front of my coworkers. I mostly use the Vim extension in Intellij for day-to-day modifying of code and configs. If you would like to also learn Vim, I really enjoyed playing through Vim Adventures, which is a free game that teaches you a lot of the shortcuts and movements in Vim.

Lead Software Engineer, Application Security, Ola Nordstrom

Continuing the discussion in favor of Vim, specifically Neovim. You only have to learn the keybindings once. There is a fantastic set of plugins to customize it to your heart’s content—Visual Studio Code has VSCodeVim, Intellij has IdeaVim, for example. Then you don’t have to relearn keybindings while switching between languages, projects, and code. 

Tmux the terminal multiplexer: like Vim, it may have a steep learning curve but once you learn it you can’t live without it. The tmux wiki has some great getting started guides. I strongly recommend remapping the leader key (mine is Caps + A, or Caps Lock + A on Windows keyboards). You can set up customized tmux scripts to re-create all your environments (one session for server code, another for a different codebase, another for your notes, and so on). Each session then has multiple windows which you can create, split, and close quickly, no need to leave your keyboard.

For web technologies, learn the toolset available in the browser developer tools. Remember to preserve logs filter to specific responses so you won’t be overwhelmed looking at messages.

Stepping away from the browser and back into the terminal, learn Curl and ag or rg. For every “old” unix command there’s likely a modern replacement that’s 100s of times faster with much more customization available. 

But there’s always the middle ground for situations where you may need to initiate a complex series of browser–webapp interactions and you need to modify or test something quickly. To do this, learn how to use Burp. In the long run it’s well worth it. It makes it a breeze to modify data between the browser and your app.

Last tip: for native code, just learn how to use the debugger.

Tusen Tack!

Tech That Makes Home Homier

Principle Site Reliability Engineer, Elliott Sims

One power adapter to rule them all: the Anker 715 Charger (Nano II 65W). This one little power adapter can power my personal laptop, work laptop, headphones, and more. With one cable, one small charger cube, and a few small USB end adapters, I can charge everything.

Senior Product Marketing Manager, James Flores 

A Roku. I use it at home for streaming apps, but I also carry one in my travel bag. There’s nothing worse than flipping through basic cable channels in a hotel when you’re traveling. Wait, yes there is—signing in to Netflix on the hotel TV and forgetting to sign out. If I travel with it, I just plug it in and I’m already signed in to all my apps. 

Senior Technical Editing Manager, Alison McClelland

I got tired of locking myself out of my own house and forgetting who I gave spare keys to, so I really appreciate this Yale Lock with Nest Connect. It works with the Nest cameras that I mostly use to see whether the UPS or DoorDash delivery person has the nerve to ring my doorbell. (Drop it and run, people!) 

It’s secure and easy-to-use; no more locking myself out of my own house in the middle of winter. I can give a code to a friend so they can feed my cats while I’m away, or create temporary passcodes so I don’t have to wait around for the cable guy.

Senior Content Editor, Molly Clancy

I have a hard time turning my brain off at night, so I used to pop in earbuds to listen to something soothing (not comfortable at all!). Then I got this Cozyband as a gift and became 100% addicted to it. I CAN fall asleep without it, but I don’t do it willingly. It’s also good for working out if you hate sweaty earbuds slipping out all the time. 

Chief Executive Officer, Gleb Budman

It gets cold in my home, and I don’t necessarily want to heat the whole place when it’s just me. A good old fashioned heated blanket does the trick. All the tech in the world won’t help you when you’re shivering. 

The Apps Have Entered the Chat

Partner Marketing Director, Jen Newman

As a working mom with two boys, I am always on the go. Both of my boys are now playing for AAA travel teams. I try my best to keep up with all their games, and LiveBarn is how I stay connected to them. It allows me to pull up a live feed or on-demand video of the game. Last weekend was a great example: they were playing at two different rinks across town. I was able to pull up one game on LiveBarn on my phone, and watch both games literally at the same time. When my older son came home and asked me if I saw his goal, I was able to say, “I heard Coach yell, ‘Nice shot, Newy!’” 

Associate Editor and Writer, Stephanie Doyle

My life changed when I adopted a password manager years ago. Before I went back to full-time corporate life in 2020, I freelanced quite a bit—which means an endless series of logins and passwords, depending on how you’re engaging with your clients. And, while I enjoy making up 13–15 character passphrases with a mix of upper and lowercase letters, at least one symbol with some outlawed symbols (but different ones on each site), and then remembering which ones I’ve used for which accounts without reusing them… Oh wait, I actually really don’t like that. I’d rather have a password manager like Bitwarden that can generate passwords, follows me device to device, and allows me to enable biometric controls. And, spoiler alert for any of my family members who diligently read my work (I’m sure): This year the whole family is getting a subscription as a gift, and I can centrally manage it for my non-tech-inclined family members.

Senior Director of Publishing, Patrick Thomas

I’m not going into the story of how I got hooked on this app, but I will tell you that CENTR’s meal planning tool is a life saver. You can set a crazy variety of dietary needs, select your meals and portions for a week, and it spits out a perfectly organized shopping list. Then, when you want to make a meal, you just pop into the app and it tells you exactly how to look like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen. It’s sort of pricey, but the amount of money I save by not ordering in or wasting food that I bought without a plan more than makes up for it.

Senior Product Marketing Manager, Kari Rivas

Hoping on the app train here. The one I can’t live without is definitely YNAB. I’m trying to get better at budgeting ahead (and get my husband and I on the same page—haha!) and I like their philosophical approach to a typically boring subject.

The “Tech Is a Tool” Answer

Principal Cloud Storage Storyteller, Andy Klein

I don’t have a favorite tech thing. I certainly use lots of them, but I would not be lost without them because I was raised without any of the current tech. I know how to tie my shoes without watching a Youtube video. Just sayin’.

Thanks, Andy

Leave it to Andy to send us off with a reminder to put the tech down sometimes, as we hope you all get a chance to do this holiday season. But, we also want to know: what’s the tech that you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments.

The post The Backblaze Team Recommends: Tech That Saves the Day appeared first on Backblaze Blog | Cloud Storage & Cloud Backup.