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How to digitize your life
By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
Protect your memories by backing them up:
Scan old photos and documents. Scanners digitize printed material, so you can store it on your PC. They start at around $75 and easily plug into the USB port on any computer. Many all-in-one printers have built-in scanners, which work with software that operates the unit like a copy machine. Scan at resolution of at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) to ensure that you'll be able to produce a good print later.
If your photo collection is too daunting, try a scanning service. Scanmyphotos.com offers scans of as many photos as you can fit in their prepaid box (about 2,000) for $124.95. Organize your photos by size (8x10s, 5x7s, 4x6s) and put them into the prepaid mailer. The photos are returned to you along with a data DVD of your images.
Make a copy on a data DVD. Most home computers come with free burning software; slip in a blank disc, and follow the prompts to burn the disc by adding files. Or use a more robust program like Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 ($99.99), which lets you make cool-looking DVD covers as well.
Use an online backup service. Online photo sites such as Shutterfly and Kodak Gallery store low-resolution files of your pictures; in most cases, you'll need to order prints to get them back. Ad-free services such as Phanfare and Smugmug charge about $50 a year and let you retrieve high-resolution photo files. For photos, videos and all your other digital material — from Word documents to your music library — try online backup services such as Mozy or Carbonite, which charge about $50 yearly for unlimited storage.
Buy an external hard drive. Hard drives get cheaper and bigger every year. A 500-GB hard drive sells for about $100. Fill it with your digital life. For peace of mind, buy a second drive, and take it to a relative's house or put it in a bank safe-deposit box.
Backup the backup. A power outage can cause a hard drive to fail. So if you have an external hard drive connected to your computer, buy a surge protector strip with battery protection. These units are available for $30 to $40 and have built-in batteries that keep your devices running for around 20 minutes in case of a power failure.
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