Every now and then, I want to give everyone some tech tips that might make your life easier. The topic for today: backups. First, I want to say that all hard drives will fail eventually. They are mechanical and can’t last forever. Some hard drives fail within 6 months (yes, there are ‘lemons’), and some hard drives can last five years. Everyone should assume that their hard drive could potentially fail at any point. This is why backups are so important.

If you have a high-speed Internet connection, you can find some good solutions for backing up your data online. This is important because it will survive any disasters (unlike a local backup solution). A new solution that seems pretty easy to use is SpiderOak. One of the things I really like about them is their encryption method. Without the password, even the people at SpiderOak can’t view your files. SpiderOak gives you 2GB of online storage for free (and you can upgrade to 100 GB for $10 a month). The software also seems pretty easy to use.

If you have less than 2GB of really important files (pictures, purchased music, financial records, etc…) then you can have an online backup system today for free (and you can sleep easier tonight). The SpiderOak site has tutorial videos to assist you in the process.

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way affiliated with SpiderOak, but if they wanted to buy us something from our Baby Registry, I wouldn’t be upset.

Shannon wasn’t too fond of the 22 Week picture, so we took another one. Hopefully I can get one today or tomorrow to show her at 24 Weeks.

Shannon had another doctor’s visit today – and everything looked good. The babies we active, and the doctor didn’t see any problems. We go in on Monday for a growth check (to be sure that they are both growing at the same rate). Thank you all for your prayers!

Everyone has been asking for this one, and here it is. Shannon finally let me take a picture of her belly. In this picture she is at 22 Weeks – and looking cuter than ever!

These were the ultrasounds from July 15th (where we determined the gender of the babies). This was such an awesome experience to see them so developed and active. You can click on each of the pictures below to see a larger version. Click the “Read the rest of this entry” link to see the pictures.

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UPDATE: I know I am behind on ultrasound pictures, so I will be posting them later today.

I made an official announcement on my professional blog yesterday that I have joined Universal Mind full time. This is a huge blessing for us, and something that we have prayed about since I left Georgia Tech in May. I have been working with Universal Mind for the past few months, and I have been really impressed by the company as a whole.

For all of you Mac people in the family (and you know who you are), I will be getting a new MacBook Pro sometime in the next week (and it didn’t come a moment too soon as the Toshiba is getting slower by the day).