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Cloud storage has come a long way in recent years, and the ever-increasing number of mobile device means that more and more people are finding different ways to make use of it. The importance of backing up valuable data, coupled with the widespread availability of high-speed broadband connections means that cloud storage is ideally suited to safeguarding files you need to protect, not only helping to avoid the risk of data loss, but also making it possible to access your files from other computers.

AVG is a company best known for its antivirus software, but AVG LiveKive sees it branching out into another area of security -- backups. Traditionally, this practice is something that has involved the use of a separated hard drive partition or perhaps a dedicated drive, but the feasibility of storing files online brings a number of benefits. As you are using remote storage, you do not need to worry about running out of space in quite the same way as when using a local hard drive, and the option of remotely accessing files that have been backed up from a machine other than the one from which the backup from created opens up even more opportunities.

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Opting for a consumer video editor doesn’t necessarily mean going short on features, especially if you choose MAGIX Movie Edit Pro MX Plus.

The program comes packed with high-end functionality, from the full HD support, to the 99 editing tracks, the multicam and 3D editing options, powerful sound editing tools, and wide range of output options: file, DVD, Blu-ray, YouTube, Facebook and more.

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When it comes to to-do apps and reminder tools, Android is the perfect platform thanks to its mobile nature and the various synchronization options that are available to ensure that the same data is available on your PC or Mac. So ideal is the platform for this type of app, there is no shortage of titles that have been designed to help you to keep your life in order, avoid missing deadlines and appointments, or keep track of things you need to do and buy. Even before days of iOS and Android, Remember The Milk was available as an online app and the level of control the service provides over your to do list is unparalleled.

The iOS app has been available for the iPhone and iPod for a little while now, but the update to version 2 for Android has seen the software evolve into a free app that brings the same powerful options that have been available to iOS devotees for so long a time. The interface has been given a major overhaul, but it is the fact that anyone with a Remember The Milk account -- both free and paid-for -- can now make use of the app free of charge that is the real headlines news.

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Every PC user would like their system to run a little faster, but making that happen yourself usually requires time, effort, and an in-depth knowledge of how Windows really works.

Does that sound too much like hard work? Then maybe you should just install a copy of TuneUp Utilities 2012, which the authors say can restore "over 50 percent of speed and free space" on cluttered PCs, while improving "battery life by up to 30 percent".

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Apple's release of the iPhone 4S was largely panned by bloggers and journalists, most of which were looking for a much more dramatic upgrade. The 4S seems to be more of an upgrade aimed at the millions whose iPhone 3GS have become long in the tooth, and for these consumers this phone is a marked improvement.

Like Apple has said, iPhone 4S looks nearly identical on the outside to the iPhone 4, but is a new phone on the inside. From the dual-core processor to the better camera, and the innovative digital assistant in Siri, moving from the 3GS to the 4S is like night and day.

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Feature-packed and easy to use, CyberLink PowerDirector has always been one of the better consumer video editors. Of course there’s always room for improvement, though, and the latest version, PowerDirector 10 Ultra, has some very interesting additions.

Full 3D editing support allows you to import 3D videos and photos, or convert 2D media to 3D, then enhance these with 3D effects, titles, transitions and more. New 2D effects include a time-lapse tool, or support for recording hand-drawn animations (signing your name, say), and playing them back within a video.

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We planned here at Betanews to give you a good first impressions review of the iPhone 4S, but to tell you the truth just getting the phone to work has been one of the worst experiences setting up an electronics device I can remember. You saw our photos of the unboxing? Well, that was the highlight. Seriously!

To better grasp what the average person might experience, we followed the instructions as they were given. No shortcuts, nothing. I'm also new to this online activation thing, so that may have been smart on my part to follow the directions I'm being given. Apparently, that may have been the first mistake.

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When it comes to optimizing the performance of your computer it is possible to take a very hands-on approach and get involved in editing the registry and checking that you do not have too many startup programs running. But this is not something that everyone has time for or, indeed, the inclination. PC Check and Tuning 2012 is the latest in a series of system maintenance utilities from MAGIX, and it can be used in a quick, one-click mode -- or you can get more involved if you like.

The one-click mode can be accessed by launching this option from the Start menu, but it is also available in the main program itself. This mode will check for updates for drivers and software you have installed as well as performing a variety of optimization tasks, such as deleted unnecessary files or removing startup items. The program will also check and optimize the registry as well as seeing whether services you don’t need are running.

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If you were hoping that Avira’s new 2012 range would unleash some major new features and technologies then the reality may at first seem a little underwhelming. There are no game changers here, no new killer features. But if you’re happy simply to see incremental improvements, a company that’s building on what’s gone before to produce something better, then it could be a different story -- and that’s because there are plenty of small but still worthwhile enhancements and improvements dotted all around the package.

When we decided to try Avira’s Antivirus Premium 2012 (their commercial antivirus engine), for example, the first tweak was immediately obvious in the arrival of a new Express installation option. This keeps all the usual setup complexities at bay, getting you up and running with the minimum of hassle.

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Paragon Software’s Backup & Recovery has always been one of the most feature-packed backup tools around, and the latest release, Backup & Recovery 11 Home, does its best to carry on this proud tradition.

At a first glance down the “new features” list, though, the strategy doesn’t appear to be entirely successful. The program is more about evolution, than revolution: there’s no game-changer here, it’s really just building on what’s come before.

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When you’re looking to squeeze the very maximum speed from your system, a good defrag session, optimizing your hard drive layout for the best performance, remains one of the more effective techniques you can apply -- and there are few more feature-packed and versatile defraggers than O&O Defrag 15 Professional.

The program offers multiple ways to report on your drive’s levels of fragmentation, for instance. You get eight built-in defrag strategies, and it’s also possible to customize the final results further, by, say, sorting specified files by name, last access or modification date, and repositioning large files to better optimize your overall system performance.

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Sunday, September 18. Sprint Store, North Jersey.

This fanboy stalked his Sprint Dedicated Care rep for many moons, leading up to this day. What hardship getting here. Samsung announced the Galaxy S II in February, and it started selling everywhere else in the world in April. But not the United States. As if the waiting wasn't enough, 10 days earlier the rep informed me that I would have to go to the local Sprint Store to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, but only if I bought a $50 gift card first. Then I would have to return to the store on Sept. 18. Sprint couldn't mail the phone to me. Surely this was a joke.

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The 2012 security suite party is now well under way, and Symantec are the latest company to join in with the release of Norton Internet Security 2012. The 2011 edition was excellent, and perhaps as a result this build is more about building on that, than providing anything radically new. Still, there’s plenty to like here.

Identity Safe, for instance, the browser tool for storing your logons and other information, then automatically completing web forms, can now hold your data in the cloud so it’s accessible from anywhere. Symantec’s reputation-based system, Insight, is now being used to check your downloads, and even try to identify brand-new malware.

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The importance of backing up your data, settings and even your entire hard drive is finally starting to hit home. With the comprehensive backup tools supplied in Windows 7 and high-end versions of Vista, you may think Microsoft has you covered, but it seems third-party vendors still have different ideas.

O&O’s entry into the backup marked is a drive-imaging tool designed to back up your entire hard drive. Version 6 also adds an option for backing up individual files, so the question is, does it contain everything you need to back up your computer?

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REVIEW: To me, plug computers are exciting because they can perform low-to-mid-level computational functions at an extremely low overall energy cost. They are sort of like fanless PC's of the smallest order...General purpose computers that have the small physical and ecological footprints of embedded systems without the usage case limitations.

A couple of months ago, the people at Mimo Monitors released a bundle called MimoPlug that combined a touchscreen version of their famous USB mini-monitor with an equally miniature plug computer based upon Marvell's SheevaPlug platform that booted Debian off of an included SD card.

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