Windows Server Backup boasts several improvements over previous versions.  First and foremost, backups are done using the Volume Shadow Copy service, improving backup times as well as backing up open files.  After your first full backup you can configure your backups to only backup file changes, drastically reducing time and space.

Restoration is much simpler.  You can restore a particular file for a particular day without having to worry about incremental or differential backups.

Windows 2008 Server Backup allows you to backup your data to disk only and not tape.  You can then rotate disks off-site as necessary for storage.  Disk-based backups improve backup times as well as provide a more stable media for your data.  Windows will automatically manage your backups on each disk and will overwrite older backups to make space for new backup files.  This simplies your backup solution saving you from worrying about space.

Windows 2008 Server Backup is a simplied solution fit for small to medium organization with a limited number of servers.  It will backup your data quickly to disk and simplify your backup management solution.  It won’t be a fit for large organizations but it will work great for those who are looking to improve their backups.

And now to the downside of Twitter, at least for me.

Noise.

I don’t just mean noise on the public timeline.  I use Snitter, Twhirl or TweetDeck for my tweeting.  That limits my noise to tolerable levels.  I follow people who I know and those I’ve met via Twitter.  I started following individuals who seem to speak on different topics, including Internet Marketers.  Several of them.  And at times they have useful information that helps with SEO or SERP, Marketing techniques and product ideas.  But lately, not only have their been a lot of scams and “impersonations” on Twitter, but, dare I say it, copious amounts of commercialization.

It’s like using Tivo to watch commercials and skip the entertainment.  Spam about products; physical or informational, it doesn’t matter.  Spam, spam, spam.

Twitter is much like email.  It’s asynchronous and good for a non-participatory communications tool.  It’s not made to have conversations, even via Direct Messages.  Though useful, it’s kludgy and prone to exploit.

Will I stop using Twitter?  No, I love it.  I’ll just manage my followers.  If I get this much spam from people I follow, imagine what the PUBLIC timeline looks like.

Here’s my favorite quote:

“…it is technically incorrect to call most home routers, well, routers. I’m about to go off on a rabbit trail here, but this can be a fun piece of trivia to stump your local tech store rep with…(or not).”

Now, I’ve only been doing this for 13 years, but the author of the article is completely incorrect.  His reasoning that these “routers” aren’t routers is because they don’t use routing protocols such is BGP, OSPF, RIPv1, RIPv2 etc.

“Most home routers do not run any routing protocols (EIGRP, BGP, OSPF, etc). Some do support RIP for very basic networks, but RIP is not needed for home use (as you only have one routable IP address issued to you by your ISP), and your ISP, and the Internet for that matter, know where to find you.”

I may just be argumentative today, but these routers ARE routers.  Why, do you ask?  They do not run any routing protocols, but inherently connect one network (an internal network) to an external network (the Internet).  They have an internal ROUTING table that routers use because they ROUTE traffic between two separate networks.  This is the true definition of routing.  The existence of routing protocols has no bearing on a Linksys home router being a router, considering that they have ONE static route based on information it receives from the ISP.

If you want to be more technically informed, these home routers are a basic OSI Layer 3 switch, which has ROUTING functionality.  They have ONE static route based on the DHCP address that the router receives via the ISP.  The router uses the DHCP packet to collect the IP address, subnet mask and default gateway.

Yes, everyone, it IS a router.  And a switch.

iPhone

As seen on Gizmodo.  I have had experience with this personally.  I love my iPhone but most of the apps aren’t on my phone very long.  Free apps don’t last very long and even paid apps have a short lifespan on my iPhone.  The graphs at Gizmodo validate that I am not alone.

I have several friends that fill their iPhone up with apps and games but rarely use them.  It’s ironic that people who want a clean computer desktop want their iPhone buried with junk.

I’ll save my App Store rant for some other time I think.