Just think about this for a minute: Pretty well no one has physical picture albums any more, all our precious photos are ephemeral ones and zeros, viewed on phones and computer screens, occasionally streamed to our TVs. Ditto music. When did you last buy a CD? Or rent a DVD.

None of this revolution in content consumption is a problem in itself but it requires a change in our awareness paradigm to ensure that we aren’t caught out. The world is moving towards an all encompassing digital reality so it’s something that has to be engaged, understood and absorbed into your life practice.

It’s easy to understand photos or music when you have a physical object in your hands. If you lose that object you lose the music or the memory. It used to be common for someone to say “I’ve lost my address book, please let me know your address and phone number”. Or “where is that CD (or resume, or photo) I’ve misplaced it?” But now nothing is physical, all is digital with the pros and cons of binary data.

Binary means everything is combinations of 1’s or 0’s. Everything. Video, music, images. The more complex the data the more ones and zeros to represent it. Computers are simply computing those billions of ones and zeros into a form that we can comprehend: an image of the grandchildren, or a YouTube video, a manuscript of a novel or a passport application. The nature of binary data means it’s really easy to store any type and amount of data be it video, documents, music or images.

It’s easily stored and just as easily lost into the ether.

Part of our attraction to the modern digital world is the simple ‘everything available all the time’ nature of it. The lost address book is a thing of the past, it is so simple to have your address book synching across your several devices rather than a physical book — although I still hear of people losing their friend’s contacts.

As long as you make sure you understand these implications of digital data, if not the technology behind it, all will be well. There are said to be only two types of people using computers — those who have lost data and those who will lose data.

Your data is your responsibility.

A computer or phone manufacturer will replace a faulty device but the critical stuff, the data on it, is important only to you, the user of the device. The good news is that it is very easy to store and save your data as long as you heed a few simple rules of the digital paradigm:

* you must have at least two copies of your data.

* you are only as safe as your most recent backup.

* backups have to be running all the time as a seamless aspect of modern life, not an occasional task to be performed when you remember.

* having more than one backup is good practice.

So what is a backup? Assuming your data is based on a computer then the backup is a complete mirror copy of the computer onto another storage device, usually an external hard-drive. If the computer dies then it’s data has died with it but you have a copy on the backup drive. Whew, breathe a sigh of relief and recover the data onto your new computer.

Usually your smartphone will be backed up onto the computer as well which is then a part of the computer backup. Modern computers let you backup to several external hard drives so you can have more than one backup. You can take one of these with you wherever you roam so you have a copy of your digital life with you at all times.

But can’t we just backup to the Cloud? This is a question I hear regularly nowadays. What is cloud backup? The ‘cloud’ is just a computer, probably based in another country, belonging to a company like Google or Apple who allow you some space on it to store your data. It’s all very well as a secondary backup but not as your main backup for obvious reasons: you have no control over the computer. If it dies and your data is lost they will apologise and wash their hands of you! They also have access to your data for marketing purposes with all the privacy implications that implies.

Another essential aspect of the cloud backup is that unless you are on the NBN fast broadband network or in a metropolitan area with cable internet then forget it. We have a lot of data so backing it up takes too long on old ADSL 2 or the equivalent. Hundreds of gigabytes of data costs plenty to store. Most cloud services give you maybe 10GBs free then you pay for excess amounts. I have almost 120GBs of music and 40GBs of pictures so my cloud storage would be huge. Much simpler to have multiple physical backups. If you are one of the fortunate ones on the NBN then it makes sense to use a cloud backup as well as a physical hard drive.

The pro is that your data is digital and easy to save, move around and share.

The con is that it is easy to delete or lose and it’s only you who can safeguard it.

Also realise that your data is big, getting bigger and will continue to grow as long as you live.

Be careful, protect your precious data. Make sure that you have more than one copy of it at all times.

To contact Tom Hain or find out more about his services go to: https://mrmacintosh.com.au/

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Scene – at my local Telstra shop.

Me: “I’m not sure what to do, I’ve smashed the screen of my iPhone, but I believe I have insurance…”

Them: “The best thing to do is to call Telstra, find out if you have Stay Connected and take it from there – if you have Stay Connected, you get two gigabytes of free data, and they will replace the phone.”

Me: “Really? That sounds simple…I was thinking of just getting the screen replaced in the shopping centre…”

Them: (Sternly.) “If you do that Madam, you will null and void your warranty and any problem you have with your phone will not be covered. Would you like to wait in the queue? Our waiting time is only four hours at the moment.”

Me: “Oh. No, I’ll go home and call Telstra.”

* * * * *

Them: “I already have your year of birth so please tell me the day and month or enter it on your telephone keypad…”

Me: “May 15.”

Them: “Is that…the 25^th of October?”

Me: “No.”

Them: “Please tell me the day and month of your birth or enter it on your telephone keypad…”

Sometime later:

Them: “How may I direct your enquiry? Blah, blah, blah or blah, or other?”

Me: “Other…”

Them: “Sorry I didn’t quite catch that…”

Me: “Other!”

Them: “So that would be telephone sales?”

Me: (Sighs.) “Yes.”

Person answers.

Them: “So you’re interested in purchasing a new phone.”

Me: (Patiently.) “No. I dropped my iPhone and smashed the screen, and I believe I have insurance.   I was told at the Telstra shop that you provide a replacement phone, and that with Stay Connected I can back-up two gigabytes of data.”

Them: “I’m sorry, that’s not my department. But I’ll put you through immediately to Stay Connected. Is there anything further I can help you with?”

Me: (Politely.) “Thank you, but no thank you.”

Dum-de-dum-de-dum-de-dum…

Me: ”Oh hello! Yes, I’m ringing about my iPhone, I dropped it and smashed the screen and I was told…”

Them: “Yes, that’s right. All you have to do is download the Stay Connected app, then you follow the instructions and you can back-up all your data. When you get your new phone simply follow the prompts and ALL your data will be restored…”

Me: “Really? That’s fantastic! Thank you.”

Them: “Perhaps you would like to stay on the line and complete a short survey?”

Me: “Sure.” (Thinks, in your dreams.)

A few days later, new phone arrives. Download Stay Connected App onto old phone (which is still working held together by sticky tape and Gladwrap). Instruction tells me I can’t download data, because I have too much on the phone. Start to delete. Keeps telling me I have too much. I get below ONE gigabyte, still tells me too much.

Them: “…I already have your year of birth so please tell me the day and month…”

_________________Readers fill in the blanks.

Them: “Hi there, I’m Cherie from Stay Connected. How can I be of service?”

Me: “Well, the thing is I smashed my iPhone….I’m trying to use the Stay Connected App. I was told it took two gigabytes of data and I’m way below now.”

Them: “Oh, well, I’m sorry but the App is down at the moment. It’s being redesigned, and in fact you have FIVE gigabytes of FREE data on it.” (Said in tones of great excitement.)

Me: (With just a touch of sarcasm.) “So I’ve just deleted most of the photos and videos on my phone to get it below the two gigabytes I thought I had, and in fact your App is not working, but if it was I would have five gigabytes, which means I’ve completely unnecessarily cleared my phone out?”

Them: “That is unfortunately the case. However, have you ever backed up your phone through iTunes?”

Me. “Yes, I have.”

Them: “Well, due to our App currently being redesigned, perhaps the best idea would be to back up your old phone to iTunes and then insert your new phone, and instead of clicking up setting up new phone, click restore phone…”

Me: “Good idea. I’ll do it that way. Thanks for your help.”

Them: “Thank you and perhaps you would like to stay on the line to complete a short survey?”

Me: “Fine.” (Thinks, in your dreams).

Back up old phone to iTunes. All G, as they say. Insert new phone. Message. Your phone cannot be connected to iTunes because your iTunes needs updating. Hmmm. Update iTunes. Your update cannot be installed because your operating system needs updating. Hmmmm. Update operating system. Your operating system cannot be updated because you don’t have enough free space. (Also although they don’t say this, someone out there is going, PLUS your stupid MacBook is way too old, Loser, and you ain’t never going to have El Capitaine on that thing…and if you can’t afford a new laptop you don’t deserve to back up your phone anyway…)

Them: “So I can direct your enquiry to the right place….”

Me: (Screaming) STAY CONNECTED STAY CONNECTED STAY CONNECTED.

Them: That would be, moving house?

Me: NO. You idiot. I am not effing moving house.

Them: “I’ll put you through now.”

(I’m pretty sure she said it in huffy tones – they probably have a huffy robot tone…)

One hour later.

Them: “What seems to be the problem?”

Me: (Sobbing quietly.) “I smashed my iPhone…”

Them: “I can hear you’re having some problems. Have you tried downloading your data to the cloud – have you done that yet?”

Me: (Deep sigh.) “I tried once but it seemed to take a long time.”

Them: “The first time does take a while but I’m sure that will solve your problem, and it’s very easy, you just……………”

SIX hours later – you know the drill. “Welcome to Telstra. I already have…”

Me: (Finally talking to a person.) “Look, I’m having some troubles downloading my data to the cloud – it’s been six hours so far and it doesn’t seem to have finished yet…”

Them: “Let’s see if there’s a problem.” Goes away. Dum-de-dum-dum-de-dum.

Them: (In an accusatory voice.) “Your internet is working very slowly…”

Me: “Yes, that’s something I’ve been meaning to mention…the Telstra shop told me that I could get NBN where I live, I’m thinking it would be a good idea.”

Them: “Let me see.” (Pause.) “Unfortunately you can’t get NBN where you live. Have you tried backing your phone up to iTunes?”

Me: (Frothing at the mouth.) “Sorry, I have to go, I have an emergency…”

Them: “Perhaps you’d have time to complete a short survey?”

Me: “Sure.” (Thinks) In. Your. Dreams.

THE NEXT MORNING – phone STILL downloading to the cloud. But at 4.00 am I had a bright idea. My next door neighbours have a Macbook Air.  I throw myself on their mercy.  We create a user profile for me. I download iTunes, log in, and back up my old phone to it. I plug in the new phone – and Yippee!!!! It works. Data restored.

It’s only taken 36 hours, and I’m – oh yes – SO connected but I think I’ll wait until tomorrow to talk to Telstra about the NBN.

Candida Baker’s latest book is Belinda the Ninja Ballerina published by Ford Street.  You can purchase the book here: fordstreetpublishing

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Whatever Apple does affects everyone in the modern connected world whether you use iPhones or other brands, or whether you use a Mac or a PC. It is so influential not because it has class leading hardware and software integration or the newest features – indeed other platforms often add new features faster than Apple does. But it has a unique influence because its users spend more money on their devices than anyone else’s users. Much more money, almost EIGHT times as much on iOS devices than Android/Windows according to Forbes, the money people.

Which means that it is taken more seriously by commercial interests like software developers than other platforms. Apple leverages this influence into power in its negotiations when making deals and acquisitions with media companies. So what Apple does affects you whether you use their devices or not.

A huge amount of Apple’s profits, currently 76%, come from iPhone sales, but what happens when everyone has them and revenue tails off? Although the iPhone bubble shows no sign of bursting in the short term, global smart-phone sales are declining. They can’t rely on ever increasing iPhone sales without diversifying, or they will go the way of Nokia and Blackberry who rigidly stuck with their existing business models into oblivion.

Apple may not have the largest share of the mobile phone market – but they have the most profitable, and where they lead, others follow.

At this point Apple have barely dipped their toe into the Digital Content business apart from gradually building up iTunes into a business generating US$5 billion per quarter. Digital Content being all the different media we consume on our various devices, computers and TV’s, but currently excluding cinemas. If you consider that they have the money to buy outright any number of media conglomerates with a ready portfolio of movies and TV shows you have to agree they are taking it slowly. They aren’t always the first players but when they do act it is with market-changing effect. There were smart-phones before the iPhone became the default standard and started the smart-phone revolution.

With their war chest of US$155 billion Apple can make serious waves. When they do move into a media area a sizeable part of their user base will move with them. They have the largest database of active credit card users in the world, well over half a billion. It’s much simpler to convert those users to a new service than it is to recruit new users, even when that growth is going along quite nicely thank you, with tens of thousands of new users joining iTunes every day.

They could create or buy their own movie studios and begin making feature films and TV shows which would be initially exclusive to Apple users. Could do. What they will do remains a secret that they keep to themselves until the moment they are ready to make the move.

January 24, 1984 – Steve Jobs introduced the new personal Apple Macintosh computer. He may be gone, but the product – and the blue jeans – live on.

Their move when it comes would threaten existing media businesses much like the current Spotify/Pandora versus Apple Radio battle over streaming music which is panning out over the next few months. We can imagine similar battles with Neflix over movies, BlockBuster over video and of course the big one – sport. Apple have the clout to outbid anyone and grab, say, the next World Cup, the next Olympics, the so-called World Series of Baseball and even the biggest sporting weekly global TV event, English Premier League Football. Apple could quickly control that most reliable regular TV income generator much as Fox has done to date, and, of course, you could subscribe via iTunes!

Other digital media companies like Samsung have to keep an eye on what Apple are doing and tailor their offerings accordingly so Apple does actually have a much greater effect than statistics like total handset sales might imply. They lead and others have to follow so whatever device you use Apple has a disproportionate influence upon it whether you like it or not.

Stories about Apple’s research into other areas, like cars, may be premature, but don’t rule out one day driving an Apple car to work listening to your iPhone play through the car’s sound system having spent the previous evening watching your favourite TV show on your Apple TV. Your partner is in the passenger seat watching the rest of the show on the car screen because he/she fell asleep during the last 10 minutes last night and the show has automatically loaded into the car so he can finish it.

This Big Brother is quietly spoken, with immaculate taste and always seems to wear blue jeans…

To contact Tom Hain or find out more about his services go to: https://mrmacintosh.com.au/

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