HOW TO PREVENT A DATA-LOSS DISASTER. “Cloud-based backup services fall into two camps: You can store select files in the cloud for remote access, or you can use a service that automatically backs up all your data. The former (Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft SkyDrive boast the best features) lets you park your files in “smart” folders that show up locally on your computer’s hard drive but are also mirrored in the cloud. Once there, these files can be easily shared with friends—a great way to pass around large files without overwhelming anybody’s email inbox. . . . Storing a few files in the cloud is simple and fast, but none of the Dropbox-like services comes even close to giving you full automated backups. For a task that titanic, the biggest names are Carbonite ($59 a year gets you unlimited storage) and Mozy ($72 for a year of 50 GB of storage). But the best pick for most users is Code 42’s CrashPlan+. Techies in the know favor CrashPlan+ for its price (you get unlimited storage for $50 a year), ease of use, and wide range of features. But what really gives CrashPlan+ the edge is that, unlike its competitors, it holds on to your deleted files forever; most other services permanently delete files from the cloud after they’ve been off the computer for 30 days.”

A lot of InstaPundit readers left Carbonite for Mozy during the Limbaugh kerfuffle. They seem happy enough. I haven’t heard much about Crashplan+.