Backup -- Engadget Mobile

backup posts

FCC to revise emergency backup power rule for cell towers

by Darren Murph posted Dec 10th 2008 @ 9:47AM

Even though the FCC could have simply overridden a White House decision to reject the backup power requirement, it's deciding to reel in its ego and revise things for the betterment of all involved. After taking a fair amount of flack for its emergency plan being too outlandish and impossible to afford / implement, the agency has stated that it will issue a new proposal "with the goal of adopting revised backup power rules that will ensure that reliable communications are available to public safety during, and in the aftermath of, natural disasters and other catastrophic events." Details beyond that are scant, but we suspect the whole "at least eight hours of backup power" could be changed to something smaller. Moral of the story? Don't ditch that Y2K preparedness kit just yet.

[Via mocoNews]

FCC's cell tower backup power plan gets spiked by White House

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 7th 2008 @ 8:30AM

The White House's Office of Management and Budget has rejected the FCC's plan to require carriers to juice most cell towers with at least eight hours of backup power, citing a failure to solicit public comments. In this case, "public comments" would particularly refer to the CTIA and its members, which had sued to stop the FCC in its tracks; besides the staggering cost of outfitting a majority of towers with backup power systems, carriers have argued that they already have sufficient disaster recovery plans in place for making sure service interruptions are held to a bare minimum following a loss of juice. The FCC says it's "considering [its] options" following the ruling; technically they can overrule the OMB on the matter, but they'll just be staring down the barrel of the CTIA's suit if they do.

SIM card gadget backs-up and copies on the cheap

by Sean Cooper posted Nov 16th 2007 @ 3:33AM

Not only does this shiny gadget bring SIM safety via its backup abilities, it looks good while at work. Using it is a snap, place your SIM -- any SIM or R-UIM card -- in the device and choose to back up or restore up to 500 saved contacts from a previous backup to your card. The device's screen doubles as clock / calendar while not performing any SIM copying or backup duties, and did we mention, it's shiny? While this bit of tech may not be too useful for the smartphone crowd, for 15 bucks, it'll make a useful gift for those not sync inclined.

[Via I4U]

AT&T Mobile Backup launches June 8

by Chris Ziegler posted May 17th 2007 @ 11:31AM

AT&T is poised to bow to the ever-growing trend of online backups, launching its Mobile Backup service on June 8. The service involves the download of an app to the phone, after which users can set contact backups to occur automatically on a scheduled basis -- daily or weekly -- or they can kick it off manually. The compatible phone list is pretty hefty, featuring the latest AT&T-offered models from Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson (not a smartphone in sight, though). Look for it to run $1.99 / month when it launches in June.

[Via Boy Genius Report, thanks anonymous tipster]

Palm outs Backup beta for Palm OS Treos

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 12th 2007 @ 4:19PM

We've gotta admit, this is pretty cool. Palm has started offering a beta of its "Backup" utility which wirelessly backs up the contents of your Palm OS-based Treo (the 650, 680, and 700p, to be exact). Into the password-protected ether, as far as we can tell; it appears that carriers are involved in the action, since it currently only works for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon customers. The software and service are free (though an unlimited data plan is, obviously, highly recommended) and can be kicked off from anywhere you have a signal. It can also be set to automatically kick off on a schedule, and it only chews up 2MB of storage space on your beloved Treo. As with any beta, be wary -- but at least it's free, right?

[Via Wirelessinfo, thanks Emily]

Address book back up solution roundup

by Paul Miller posted Apr 27th 2006 @ 11:03PM

Just like our mother used to say: "backing up your data isn't just a good idea, it's the law!" (Or something like that.) Anyways, PC World has a nice little roundup of address book backup solutions for your phone. They run the gamut of convenient, but expensive, carrier-based solutions, interesting SIM card readers and hardware dongles, and tried and true PC software for those with USB sync cables, so hopefully you can find something that fits your style. We prefer to have our people call their people when it comes to using teh phonez, and don't know these "address books" of which we speak, but your mileage may vary with this method.