Microsoft is currently testing a number of new features and experiences for Windows 11, ranging from agentic AI for PC management to an AI-driven “Fix it” button for troubleshooting to a new Start menu design with a useful phone companion panel. There’s actually a lot more coming, but here’s one that seems like a double-edged sword: Microsoft wants to make Microsoft Store apps downloadable in Windows Search. Windows Latest reports that Microsoft is testing a new download button in Windows Search for apps that can be found on the Microsoft Store. This was hinted at in Microsoft’s blog post introducing a new generation of Windows experiences, where they mentioned “continuing to enhance and expand improved Windows search” with “[the ability] to quickly find and install apps from the Microsoft Store.” In practice, here’s what that means. Normally, when you search for an app in Windows Search, you can launch it if it’s already installed—and if it isn’t installed, Windows presents you with relevant Bing search results. With this change, when you search a not-currently-installed app in Windows Search, Windows will check if that app is available in the Microsoft Store—and if it is, you’ll get a preview of the app’s listing page along with a “Get” button. Clicking that button will immediately download and install the app, bypassing the need to visit the Microsoft Store and cutting out those extra steps. But for this to be as useful as it sounds, Microsoft will need to fine-tune Windows Search and make it near perfect. With almost any search potentially being an app name, they’ll have to avoid bombarding users with rubbish apps that don’t match their search intents. They’ll also have to avoid undermining Windows Search altogether, making sure it doesn’t return app results when users are searching for something else. Read...

Lenovo just introduced its most powerful creative laptop yet: the Legion 9i. Announced at Lenovo Tech World in Shanghai, it’s built for serious game developers, 3D artists, and creators who need top-tier performance. With more than half of upcoming titles for current-gen systems built on Unreal Engine, the Legion 9i couldn’t have come at a better time. This isn’t just a gaming laptop—it’s a creation station. The massive 18-inch PureSight display is something to behold, offering up to either 4K resolution in traditional 2D or 2K resolution in glasses-free 3D. The 3D effect is achieved using eye-tracking tech and a clever lens system, no headset or special 3D glasses needed! Lenovo’s AI-powered 3D Studio also supports various file formats as well as creation apps, allowing you to preview your work in 3D. Underneath the hood, you’re looking at serious firepower! It comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, a cutting-edge Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, up to 192GB of DDR5 RAM, and up to 8TB of SSD storage. That’s a crazy amount of power and space, which is ideal for giant game builds and creative assets. AI is a big part of the experience, too. AI features like Game Coach and Game Clip Master help you improve your gaming skills and create shareable content on social media. To round it all off, the Legion 9i’s lid is made of forged carbon fiber, so every machine has its own unique cosmetic pattern. Lenovo’s also offering the Legion 18 Armored Backpack II to keep your gear safe while you’re traveling. The Lenovo Legion 9i is expected to launch this fall. Pricing will be announced closer to launch. Read...

Since deciding to stop using X (it’s no longer the Twitter I knew and loved for a long time), I’ve been testing out various alternatives. And for me, there are two clear front-runners: Bluesky and Threads. They each have their upsides and downsides, so what’s a guy to do when stuck between choosing? I ended up running them both through the wringer, comparing the two social media platforms across different metrics—and now I’m sharing my experience to help you decide. If you’re ready to leave X but don’t know where else to go, here’s what you need to consider. Focus on the aspects most important to you. (Your mileage may vary, though, so you should try both yourself if you can.) The learning curve and ease of use Dave Parrack / Foundry Both Bluesky and Threads have incredibly similar user interfaces—reminiscent of the old Twitter, of course—and they’re both about as easy to learn and use. Twitter created the template for this type of social media, and neither Threads nor Bluesky deviate far from it. They each feature timelines that you scroll through, with simple menus allowing you to see activity on your posts and search for accounts and topics. It’s hard to pick a winner here, but if I had to, I would narrowly opt for Bluesky. The caveat is that you’ll have to put some work in first to make Bluesky as good as it can be. But once you’ve tweaked it to suit your needs and wants, the user experience edges out Threads. Learn more about easy wins to get the most out of Bluesky. Winner: Bluesky The ease of migrating over Dave Parrack / Foundry If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you already use X to some degree, you’re looking for a way off that platform, and you want to bring over as much as you can as conveniently as you can. After all, who wants to struggle through starting over from scratch? Bluesky has a dedicated tool called Sky Follower Bridge that makes it easy to migrate your connections from X (and Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Facebook) to Bluesky. With Threads, you can only import Instagram data (not followers). Meta is working on a tool to import followers from X, but it’s not as smooth or versatile as Sky Follower Bridge. For me, if you want to easily shift from X to an alternative, Bluesky wins by a long shot. But if you’re like me and you want to start fresh, then I think Threads wins by a margin. Winner: Bluesky The number of active users Statista In terms of user base, there’s a clear and unequivocal winner. While Bluesky has around 30 million monthly active users, Threads boasts over 350 million monthly active users as of Q1 2025. A higher number of monthly active users brings both pros and cons. There’s more likelihood of accounts you recognize being on Threads and there’s a greater variety of niche communities represented, but there’s also a lot more noise, trolls, and bots to contend with. Winner: Threads The level of engagement Dave Parrack / Foundry In my experience, the level of engagement is pretty well correlated with the number of active users on each platform. I’ve been using Bluesky for months, yet my posts and replies rarely get as much engagement as they do on my younger Threads account. There’s simply more opportunity to reach people on Threads than on Bluesky because of the sheer population. A reply to a post by a “big” account on Threads is going to give you more eyeballs, period, whereas Bluesky can feel nascent and underdeveloped. Winner: Threads The tone of conversation Joel Lee / Foundry A lot of people left Twitter well before Elon Musk acquired it and renamed it X—and for good reason. The overall tone of the conversation had shifted, leaving behind civility and bending towards argumentative trolling. So, are these alternatives any better? I would say that both are indeed better than X, at least for now. If you want to waste your time with people who have no intention of arguing in good faith, stick with X; meanwhile, both Threads and Bluesky offer opportunities to have productive conversations. Of the two, I find that the overall vibe is friendlier, nicer, and more positive on Bluesky. That might be due to the smaller user base and stronger moderation features that limit the impact of trolls, bots, engagement farmers, and argumentative types. Winner: Bluesky The content moderation Dave Parrack / Foundry Both Threads and Bluesky offer comprehensive content moderation options that grant you the ability to report posts, mute or block users, and enable various settings that help moderate the experience to your needs and wants. However, Bluesky wins here for two big reasons. First, the sheer number of moderation features is impressive, with a whole suite of tools and filters available for curating your feed and managing the interactions you have day in and day out. Second, Meta recently pushed back against fact-checking and heavy-handed moderation, which is likely to impact Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Winner: Bluesky The quality of the algorithm Dave Parrack / Foundry It’s hard to objectively compare the qualities of any two social media algorithms, as everyone has their own idea of what represents a good one rather than a bad one. I can only base it on my own subjective experience of using both Bluesky and Threads for a while. I’ll say that both are pretty good at serving up content they think you’ll want to see, and both require you to use them for a while before they can really tune into what you like. However, while Threads only offers “For You” and “Following” feeds, Bluesky has many more options. (More on that below in the “customization options” section.) Despite that, I think Threads’ algorithm is better at knowing what you’ve engaged with, understanding what you like, and delivering more of the same. Much of that likely comes from the Threads team’s past experience and learnings under the Meta umbrella. Winner: Threads The customization options Dave Parrack / Foundry As far as customization, Bluesky wins hands-down. That’s no surprise given that Threads is part of Meta (which also owns Facebook and Instagram) while Bluesky was created to be a decentralized alternative to Twitter and designed with the end user’s satisfaction in mind. While the Threads experience is basically going to be the same for everyone, Bluesky offers several customizations that allow each individual to curate their own experience. Options include custom feeds, user-created algorithms, shareable moderation lists, curated groups and feeds called Starter Packs, and tweakable “Following” feed preferences. If customization is something you crave in a social media platform, Bluesky will likely be your best option. If you want a one-size-fits-all app that keeps it simple for everyone, Threads may be the better fit. Winner: Bluesky The handling of breaking news Dave Parrack / Foundry If there’s one reason why so many people still hang onto X despite wanting to leave, it’s because a lot of breaking news happens on X. The microblogging social media platform is unmatched when it comes to keeping up with fast news and reactions. Both Threads and Bluesky offer the same basic capacity to be sources for breaking news, but the larger population on Threads gives it an edge over Bluesky for this purpose. Not only are there more organizations on Threads, but the sheer number of users means that people are more likely to be talking about news that broke elsewhere. This is a double-edged sword, of course, as fake news and misinformation are more prolific on platforms with higher numbers of users. So, the best option if you mainly care about breaking news is to directly follow the official news organizations, wire services, and companies you trust on whichever of the two platforms you opt to use. Winner: Threads Bluesky vs. Threads: Which one for you? If your main concerns are easy migration, control over your feed, customizing your experience, better curation and moderation features, and higher overall quality of conversations, then choose Bluesky. It’s also the obvious option if you don’t want to support (or expose yourself to the influence of) megacorporations like Meta. If you just want to “be where everyone else is,” then pick Threads. It has a larger active community and wider overall adoption amongst companies and organizations, though that also comes with more run-ins with trolls, bots, and bad actors. Threads is a one-size-fits-all social media platform that leans into feeding you personalized, algorithmic content. That said, you really can’t go wrong with either choice. The one winning move here is to finally get off of X for good. Between all the controversies, the negative energy, and the lack of moderation, you’re doing yourself a disservice by staying on the platform. Read...

Tired of complex image or video editing software? Need to produce quality image and video content at scale quickly? Frustrated by switching between multiple platforms? If any of this is true, then you may need Pollo AI! In this guide, you will learn how to create stunning AI-generated images and videos in one place using Pollo AI. You will also learn about its features, benefits, and more. Keep reading! Overview of Pollo AI Pollo AI is an all-in-one AI image and video generation platform that lets users create stunningly realistic content via simple text prompts or reference images. While most traditional AI generators function on single models, Pollo AI is a multifaceted tool. Aside from its proprietary model, Pollo 1.5, it’s integrated with several industry-leading platforms. For images, you can use models like GPT-4o, FLUX, Imagen, Recraft, and Dall-E. For videos, options include Kling AI, Hailuo, Runway, Pixverse, and Luma AI. This ecosystem makes Pollo AI incredibly versatile, catering to content creators, filmmakers, marketers, educators, and hobbyists alike. What makes Pollo AI stand out in AI video generation? Text to video & image to video Using descriptive text prompts, you can bring any imaginative concept to life. Powered by advanced algorithms and trained on vast visual datasets, Pollo AI can understand context and semantics to craft a tailored video that matches your instructions accurately. Pollo AI also lets users upload any static image and transform it into a realistic visual scene that looks and feels like real footage. This can open up new creative possibilities for your video content workflow, while also saving you a lot of time in the process. Video to video Ever wanted to restyle an existing video without needing professional video editing skills? Pollo AI’s video-to-video generator lets you convert any video to create new iterations across a wide range of visual styles in high resolution quality. Some of these styles include Anime, Pixar, Claymation, and several others. Best of all, Pollo AI does well to ensure every single movement is preserved in the new version. Plus, the tool even lets you choose between restyling just the subject or the whole video. Numerous AI video models Besides its flagship Pollo 1.5 AI video model, the platform comes integrated with several other industry-leading AI video models. This means you can generate multiple videos using different APIs to produce unique and varying outputs, all in one place. You can choose from Runway, Kling AI, Pixverse AI, Hailuo AI, Luma AI, and more. So, whether you prefer better motion dynamics, higher video quality, or even detailed visuals, there is an AI video model for every need. Unique AI video tools/effects With Pollo AI, you can edit your existing videos in just a few simple clicks to enhance or transform the output. Some of the AI video tools that are available on the platform include Video Upscaler, Lip Sync AI, and more. You can also access the AI video effects library to transform your uploads into entertaining novel videos. Some of the unique effects you can use include AI kissing. How to create AI videos with Pollo AI Step 1. Enter your prompt or upload an image: For text-to-video, type a descriptive prompt (e.g., “A red-haired girl walking through a field of flowers on a windy day”). Pollo AI For image-to-video, upload a static image to transform into a video. You can also enter a prompt to guide the generation. Pollo AI Step 2. Select an AI video model: Pick from models like Pollo 1.5, Kling AI, Runway, or Luma AI to match your desired style or quality. Step 3. Customize and generate: Adjust settings like resolution or style if needed, then hit “Create.” Wait a few minutes for your video to generate. Step 4. Download or share: Once satisfied, download your video or share it directly from the platform. What makes Pollo AI stand out in AI image generation? All-in-one AI image generator Pollo AI offers access to several top-class AI image generation models, all in one place. Naturally, this helps diversify your image creation experience by allowing you to experiment with various options and create the perfect output. You can choose between Recraft, Stable Diffusion, FLUX, Dall-E, GPT-4o, and more. Each of these AI models has a unique approach to image generation, so you can pick the one that best suits your needs, be it for cost-effectiveness, photorealism, general art, etc. Image-to-image generation With Pollo AI, you can convert any existing images and restyle them in new ways. Just upload the original image, and using the text prompt box, feel free to alter various aspects like color, art style, character expressions, etc. You won’t even need any advanced editing skills to get professional-grade results. For instance, you can direct the AI model to generate images in popular art styles like Ghibli, anime, surrealistic, isometric, abstract, fantasy, and so much more. Extensive AI image tools/effects Editing existing images has never been easier than with Pollo AI. The platform has numerous AI image tools that can be used to improve the quality of your photos. Some of these include an AI Image Enhancer, AI Art Generator, and so much more. You can also transform existing images into all sorts of unique and novel styles using various tools like an AI Polaroid Maker, Ghibli AI Generator, etc. With these AI tools, Pollo AI can help take your image editing to a whole new level. How to create AI images with Pollo AI Step 1. Enter your prompt or upload an image: For text-to-image, type a prompt (e.g., “Full stadium, daytime, with a large grassy field in the center”). For image-to-image, upload a photo to restyle. Step 2. Choose an AI image model: Pick from models like GPT-4o, FLUX, Recraft, Stable Diffusion, or Dall-E to suit your desired style or quality. Step 3. Customize and generate: Adjust settings like aspect ratio or style—options include Ghibli, Realism, Pixel Art, Anime, and more. Then, hit “Create.” Your image will be ready in seconds. Pollo AI Step 4. Download or share: Once you’re happy with the result, download your image or share it directly from Pollo AI. Conclusion Pollo AI is a powerful visual content generation AI solution that does well to mix simplicity with convenience. Having all these AI models in one place ensures that it can optimize any image or video creation task, with the platform delivering undeniably satisfying results. Read...

“It’s been over a month, but I have accidentally deleted some photos via the recycling bin, and I’d really like them back. I’ve heard of Windows recovery files, but I’m not sure how they work. Any advice?” – A post from Reddit Generally, accidentally deleted files can easily be found in the Recycle Bin on a Windows computer. However, in more serious cases, your data may be permanently deleted, making recovery difficult. In this article, we outline eight proven solutions to help you recover lost data in various scenarios, whether the files were temporarily deleted or permanently erased, and regardless of whether you have backups. SolutionsCompatible Windows OSRecover Permanently Deleted FilesNeed Backup FilesPriceRecover from Recycle BinAll Windows OSes??FreeUse Undo Delete featureAll Windows OSes??FreeUse File History featureWindows 8 and later??FreeUse Google DriveAll Windows OSes??Only for G Suite usersUse Backup & Restore featureWindows 7 and later??FreeUse Filestore@UCLWindows 10 and later??FreeUse Aiseesoft Free Data RecoveryAll Windows OSes??FreeUse Windows built-in recovery appWindows 10 and later??Free ? Situations that may lead to Windows data deletion Human error – Incorrect operations such as dragging to/emptying the Recycle Bin, etc. Software issues leading to the loss of important files. Hardware malfunction, including physical damage. System failures during file operations such as cutting, pasting, or transferring. Cloud storage issues. How to recover deleted files immediately after deletion Here are some fixes for immediate recovery following accidental deletion. Method 1. Restore deleted files from the Recycle Bin Just open the Recycle Bin on your desktop and find the deleted file, right-click to restore it, or directly drag it to the desktop. This is the fastest way to undelete files, but note that this method won’t work for permanently deleted files, such as those deleted using the keyboard command Shift + Delete. Method 2. Recover erased files in Windows using the Undo Delete feature This is a handy method when you have deleted a file, letting you quickly undelete it using a keyboard command. Don’t leave the folder or window you had open when you deleted the file. Simultaneously press CTRL + Z on your keyboard. If you have performed other actions since you can press CTRL + Z multiple times to restore the correct file. You can also right-click the folder’s interface and choose Undo Delete from the menu. Unfortunately, any past actions will be wiped if you leave the interface or restart your PC. Method 3. Find deleted files through the File History feature This Windows built-in feature will automatically back up data from your PC’s Libraries, Favorites, and Desktop. Step 1. Hit the Start button and type Control Panel to launch this program. Step 2. Go to System and Security > File History, and choose the Restore personal files option. Step 3. When you find the target file, click the green button at the bottom to restore it. This method only works when you already have a backup copy in a specific location. How to undelete files on Windows 10/11 with a backup A data backup can make your chances of recovery more likely. This section explains file recovery solutions that can be used when a backup is available. We are using Google Drive as an example, but note that this option is only available to G Suite users, and its supported file types are limited. Method 4. Restore deleted files via Google Drive Google Drive is one of the most common cloud services for storing Windows data backups. Step 1. Log in to the Google Admin Console. Step 2. Click the Users section on the interface. Step 3. Find the account for which you wish to recover data. Step 4. Click the three dots on the right side of your account, and select Restore Data. Step 5. Find your lost files and right-click them. Select Restore Data. Step 6. Choose Drive as a destination and confirm by clicking the Restore button. Aiseesoft Method 5. Use the Windows Backup & Restore feature This is another Windows built-in feature that may be able to assist you with data recovery. Step 1. Launch Settings on your desktop. Step 2. Go to System > Recovery and choose Restart now. Step 3. Continue with Troubleshoot > Advanced options > See more recovery options > System Image Recovery. Step 4. Choose system image backup. This feature isn’t designed to directly recover files that have been permanently deleted. However, it can help by restoring previous versions and full system image recovery. Method 6. Get back deleted files with Filestore@UCL If you want to try this method, make sure you have upgraded your PC to Windows 10 (or above) or connected to the UCL network. Step 1. Click Windows File Explorer on the bottom taskbar and go to Home (N:) drive > Properties > Previous Versions tab. Step 2. Find the history version you wish to restore and click Open. Step 3. On the File Explorer window, locate the target file or folder and right-click it. Choose Copy. Step 4. Close all related File Explorer windows and open a new one. Navigate to the location where you want to place the copied data. Step 5. Right-click and paste the lost data into the new location. How to recover permanently deleted files on Windows 10/11 without a backup If you didn’t already back up this crucial data, here are two methods that may provide relief. Method 7. Recover permanently deleted files on Windows 10/11 using free data recovery software There are various recovery software programs on the market; these programs can often handle challenging data recovery scenarios. We will use Free Data Recovery as an example. Step 1. Install and launch Aiseesoft Free Data Recovery. Step 2. Select the Windows disk drive on which you want to recover data and click its Start Scan button. Step 3. In the scan result, you can select specific file types to narrow down the search, and also preview files in detail. Step 4. When you find the lost file, click the Recover All button to save it to the target location. These programs usually have a free or paid version–note that the free version will often have limited functionality. Method 8. Undelete files via Windows built-in app If you don’t want to install any file recovery software on your computer, Windows has a built-in app for data recovery. Step 1. Go to the Microsoft Store to search and download Windows File Recovery. Step 2. Enter Windows File Recovery in the search box and click it. Step 3. A Command Prompt window will pop up; enter the following command: winfr source-drive: destination-drive: [/mode] [/switches]. Step 4. You can set different commands for different file type recovery: Winfr C: E: /regular /n \Users\\Documents\ for documents; Winfr C: E: /regular /n *.pdf /n *.docx for PDF; Winfr E: C: /extensive /n *invoice* for any file; Winfr C: E: /extensive /n \Users\\Pictures\*.JPEG /n\Users\\Pictures\*.PNG for JPG and PNG images. Step 5. When the confirmation prompt appears, enter Y to start recovery. You can press Ctrl + C to stop the process at any time. This method will not allow you to preview files before recovery, which means the output might be overwhelming and potentially difficult to manage for beginners. Aiseesoft Tips to prevent files from being deleted in Windows Enable built-in Windows features such as the Recycle Bin and File History. Choose a cloud storage service for regular data backups. Always double-check files before you delete them, especially when using Shift + Delete. Use a third-party backup tool for more comprehensive protection. Protect your system from malware and unauthorized physical access. To conclude, recovering deleted files on Windows 10/11, especially when they have been permanently deleted, is easier than you might expect. However, it’s important to apply the correct method based on your situation. Remember that backing up your data daily will increase your chances of successfully recovering lost files in future. Read...

JBL`s next generation portable Bluetooth speakers have launched in New Zealand, with a bold new look and new audio features to deliver bigger sound, deeper bass and better performance. Read...

OLED monitors are finally starting to dip down into the affordable price range, albeit with a very flexible definition of “affordable.” Today you can get a 27-inch, refurbished Acer Predator gaming OLED display for just $409.99 on eBay. That’s almost as cheap as we’ve ever seen, and it’s from a major brand to boot. The Acer Predator X27U X1 monitor uses the very typical 27-inch, QHD (2560×1440) size and resolution setup, with 240Hz of refresh and a .01 milisecond response time. That means that even at its sharpest, it’s fast enough for intense online multiplayer. That’s about it for features, it uses HDMI and DisplayPort and doesn’t feature any USB ports at all, but for this price you can’t be particularly choosy. For a full breakdown of features and performance, be sure to check out PCWorld’s review. This is an eBay Refurbished model, but it’s sold directly from Acer, so it’s about as good as refurbished gets in terms of reliability. The listing says it comes with a 2-year warranty from Allstate, and I’m guessing it might also get a 90-day warranty from Acer itself (don’t quote me on that one). The retail version goes for $600 MSRP, though it’s easy enough to find it for less. I’d use the difference to pick up a nice VESA monitor arm, especially if you’re building a multi-monitor setup for your desk. This kind of deep discount on an in-demand gaming monitor tends to disappear quickly, so I’d get an order in fast if you’re ready to buy. If this one doesn’t strike your fancy, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best gaming monitors. Get an Acer Predator OLED gaming monitor for $410View Deal Read...

Yesterday, Microsoft announced in a blog post a “new generation of Windows experiences” that includes a brand-new Start menu for Windows 11. The first traces of this new Start menu appeared last month in an early preview version of the operating system. The new Start menu is significantly larger and wider than the current one and it features a separate panel for the Phone Link app—which Microsoft refers to as a “phone companion in Start”—where users can have quick access to data and tools from a synced Android or iPhone. The new Start menu will begin rolling out next month, coming first to Windows Insider preview testers running Microsoft’s own Snapdragon X-equipped Copilot+ PCs. When that update rolls out, said PCs will also be updated with several new AI tools and features, like a brand-new “agentic AI” in the Settings app that can autonomously adjust settings and manage apps. Further reading: Windows Recall is too risky. Turn it off now Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros File- and image-based backup Powerful online (web) management Console Local and online backup Pro-level features abound Cons Doesn’t support Consumer-grade online storage Costs add up Our Verdict MSP360 Managed Backup and its fully featured online Console let you control all your computer backups for a decently low fee. Local and online, file-based and imaging, along with disaster recovery are all provided via manageable local clients. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: MSP360 Managed Backup Retailer Price MSP360 $30 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you have more than one computer to back up, you might want to consider the option- and feature-rich MSP360 Managed Backup. Its online console allows you to easily keep tabs on all your machines, perform various related functions, and track their backup status. You can also opt for remote control and management if you really have a lot of PCs to worry about. Local and online backup are supported, though the latter lacks hooks to consumer-grade storage services such as Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best backup software for comparison. What are MSP360 Managed Backup’s features? MSP360 Managed Backup, nee Cloudberry Backup, supports both file- and image-based replication of your data. The client (shown below) is almost identical to the standalone desktop version of MSP360 Backup that I recently reviewed, but connects with the online management console so you can manage it remotely. Upgrades are of course available. Granular scheduling is one of MSP360’s strengths. Of which it has many. This is the desktop client. The list of the online storage services that MSP360 Managed Backup supports is extensive, but doesn’t include consumer favorites such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. What it does support are: Wasabi (default), Amazon AWS S3, Microsoft Azure/Azure VM, Backblaze B2, Google Cloud, and Minio. You may also employ S3-compatible services, many of which are very affordable. The online storage service destination definition dialog from MSP360’s local client. Local disaster recovery is implemented via the usual WinPE (Linux is also common) boot disc, as shown below. Bare metal recovery basically means you can restore to dissimilar hardware without having to worry about hunting down drivers. The MSP360 disaster recovery boot disc. As for the online management console, which is the whole reason you might want MSP360 Managed Backup versus its standalone variant, it is slick, full-featured, and very efficient once you are up to speed. It does, however, take a bit of getting used to. There’s a lot there and it will only be intuitive if you’re used to remote management. You can of course manage all the local clients, install agents remotely (as long as there’s something connected already), and even control them remotely (extra charge). There are also reports and analysis aplenty of both the clients and whatever storage service you are using. If you aren’t using one, you can stick with backups to local media if you so desire. There’s also the remote control and management (the RMM in the graphic below), the latter of which is used to roll out updates and set the policies (update permissions, installation privileges, etc.) for groups of PCs. While I’ll say that RMM is of little interest to most end-users, I know of at least one guy who manages his entire trans-continental family’s computer network using RMM. The two computers I used to test MSP360 Managed Backup’s online console. One of my favorite features is object lock, aka immutability. This means no one can change the data, including legitimate users, until you remove the lock. Having suffered a ransomware attack once when I foolishly hosted my website on my own NAS box, I can readily appreciate the utility of this. MSP360 Management console email and downloads sections. Other online features include the ability to purchase and manage licenses, set up notification options, managing storage and billing, etc. Below you’ll see some iOS captures of the MSP360 app. While it can’t manage backups like the online management console, it can tell you plenty about the status. It’s also used in 2FA when you login online. In fact, it’s required. Industrial strength security here, though you can disable the 2FA. Having once managed several SMB computer fleets (using Kaseya) remotely, I found MSP360 Managed Backup more than adequate to the task. I didn’t take the RMM for a spin, but I wish I’d had this service back in the day. Good stuff. How much is MSP360 Managed Backup? While I’m reviewing MSP360 Manage Backup as a consumer product, and there are certainly users and small businesses who it would benefit, it’s just a wee bit of a stretch for the average user due to the overall price. The MSP360 service is $2.50 a month, or $30 a year per computer. That’s not bad at all, but then you’ll probably want to add online storage — which is where the lack of support for consumer-oriented storage services you might already have could hurt. Of course, you can work around this limitation and use virtually any online storage service by mounting it locally using cloud manager software. It’s an extra step, but hey. MSP360 defaults to Wasabi, which is $6 a month per TB, or $72 a year. That’s competitive with most other services, but shop around for the best deal. When you check pricing, remember that this is purely for backup, and not working online or syncing between computers. Those that are pure storage tend to be a bit cheaper. Using MSP360’s default pricing, a household of five computers, backing up only essential data to a single 1TB Wasabi account would cost you around $222 a year. What kind of bargain you consider that, only you will know. It might be a bit much for a family, but I’d call it insignificant for a small business. Note that the Connect and RMM services incur additional costs: $90 per year for the former and $60 a month for the latter. Also, it’s difficult to find pricing on the MSP360 website. I’m going off what the media relations folks told me. Per-computer pricing could make MSP360 Manage Backup a bit pricey for a family or totally reasonable for a small business. How does MSP360 Managed Backup perform? The local client was flawless in my hands-on, as long as there was enough room on the destination. The program actually warned me that there wasn’t enough space (our previous look at the client saw no warning) — then promptly let me try to fit 1.2TB of data into 450GB of space. I understand compression can reduce size, but not by 750GB. Just say no! The MSP360 Desktop client utilized by the managed system. To be fair, I experienced issues of the same ilk with an old faithful favorite — R-Drive Image. Trusting the intelligence and diligence of your users is great, but every once in a while guardrails are appropriate. Beyond the attempt at bliveting (trying to stuff 10 pounds of “stuff” into a 5 pound bag), local, network (mounted drives), and online backups all went off without a hitch and in what I consider a sprightly fashion — i.e., roughly in line with the speed of the operating system, connection, and media involved. The disaster recovery disk booted fine and restore operations all succeeded. Can’t ask for more than that. The management console connected successfully and in short order with the clients I had installed, and there wasn’t a lot of lag in updating information. Is MSP360 Managed Backup worth it? If you have multiple PCs to back up and monitor, and aren’t committed to an online storage vendor that’s not supported, then yes. Even if you are committed to one online service, there are roundabout ways to still utilize it. Also, redundancy isn’t a bad thing when it comes to backup. Read...

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