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Finding the right backup 
power can save your data

October 4, 2009 


Question: I have a universal power supply that occasionally shuts down because of noisy power. Is there an economical pre-filter that can filter the power before the UPS or any other electronics in the house?

Answer: First, let me explain what a universal or uninterruptible power supply is. Just as a surge protector guards your electronic equipment against electric spikes, a UPS contains a battery that keeps your computer running through brief power outages.

While random shut-offs aren't bad for the physical components (as power surges are), they are bad for the data in RAM and the hard drives themselves, and could result in data corruption, said Jeremy Behrens , an IT consultant in Audubon, N.J. All computer users should consider buying one, he said.

While you're looking for a filter, the crux of the issue may be the quality of your UPS. You may have noisy power, but Behrens has a feeling that your UPS is old and/or going bad, and is shutting off on its own.

He suggests purchasing any new UPS unit by APC, the leader in electrical backup power, with a bigger battery than your current unit.

A bigger battery means a more stable electrical signal coming from the UPS and longer run time if the power goes out, he said.

New UPS systems are expensive, starting around $50 and going up into the hundreds of dollars, depending on the features and battery size. Basic ones protect against surges and blackouts, with software that shuts down your computer correctly when the battery is about to run out.

More advanced models that also modulate high and low voltages to safe levels, saving your battery for actual blackouts (and addressing your request for a filter), cost about $120 . And a model designed with features for home networking equipment such as modems and routers costs about $200 .

A cheaper alternative would be to simply replace your UPS battery, Behrens said. You can find a replacement at www.apc.com/tools/upgrade—selector/index.cfm. The company also offers a trade-in program; they'll take any model and give you up to a 25 percent discount on a new one.

However, buying a UPS may only be putting a bandage on the real issue. If replacing the UPS doesn't fix what's going on, Behrens recommends having an electrician look at your house's wiring to determine what the real problem is. Ultimately, fixing the electrical system in the house is the only way to protect all of your electronics.

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Q: I like using both Gmail and the Google calendars for my personal work. At the office, we use Microsoft Outlook. Outlook e-mail has a great feature which allows you set a follow-up date (for an e-mail message sent or received). Outlook will bring up a reminder on that date. This allows you to think about or respond later to an e-mail message. I cannot find a similar feature in the Google e-mail. Any suggestions?

A: There's a Firefox add-on plus an extra bit of code that will do what you want.

Go to Firefox.com, click on "add-ons" and search for "greasemonkey." Click on the green button to add it to Firefox and click "Install now."

You'll be prompted to restart Firefox — do so.

Now go to g.alert.script.googlepages.com/gmailalert.user.js to download G-Alert. A box will pop up; click "Install."

Open your Gmail. If you're using the newer version of Gmail, you will need to get to the older version. Click on the link for "Older Version" at the top right of the page to revert.

You should now see a small reminder bar on the top left of the page.

But you're not there yet. You also need to enable pop-up windows for Gmail in Firefox.

Go to "Tools," then "Options," and select "Content." Click on "Exceptions" to the right of the check-box for "Block pop-up windows."

Type in "Gmail.com" and click "Allow," then click "Close." Click "OK" to close the options window.

Finally, you're ready to set your reminder. Just check the box beside the message you're interested in, and choose when you want the reminder in the new box at the top of the screen. You also can attach a note for yourself.

Unfortunately, you initially have to set the reminder in minutes or hours. If you have a longer horizon, just pick any time and click "Go." Click "View," and a task list will appear at the top right of your screen. Click "Edit" to change the reminder to days.

 


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