Articles by Jon L. Jacobi
The best free backup software and services: Where is it safe to skimp?
The best free backup software or online service balances good features with enough storage space to protect your valuable data. We've tested the major players so you can find the best one for you. Read on for our reviews.
Vanture Element 3 dash cam review: Classy, three-channel goodness
This relatively affordable front/rear/interior dash cam system takes good video day & night, offers GPS and some clever features. Angled connectors on the rear camera cable would've sealed the deal.
Seagate Skywalker 2TB external HDD review: Star Wars storage on the go
In an ode to the original Star Wars trilogy, Seagate has released a trio of moderately capacious 2TB, USB 2.5-inch hard drive adorned with Skywalker, Vader, and Solo. They're good performers, but pricier than the norm.
Perfect Backup review: Perfect? No, but darn close
Free programs as easy to use and as versatile as Perfect Backup don't come down the pike often. With support for network, FTP, and online destinations, it's also far more capable than you might expect.
Teamgroup MP44L SSD review: Good performance, great price
Though the Teamgroup MP44L is a lower-tier PCIe 4 performer on benchmarks, real-world speed is fine and there's no arguing the low price.
Samsung 990 Pro SSD review: Mighty fast, but not a bargain
Samsung's 990 Pro is another top-tier NVMe SSD from the venerable company. It's competitive with the fastest drives we've tested, but is also significantly pricier than most of its rivals.
Adata Legend 960 1TB NVMe SSD: Top-tier performance, mid-tier price
The Adata Legend 960 NVMe SSD is super fast, yet very moderately priced.
Vantrue Element 1 review: A great dash cam (during the day)
We like just about everything about Vantrue's Element 1 (E1), but best day captures require an optional $20 filter which must be removed for acceptable night captures.
Garmin DriveCam 76 review: Great promise, poor video stabilization
We were stoked about this new nav/dash cam unit from Garmin, and we indeed love the easy, large touch display and navigation. But video capture stabilization issues from Garmin's past have reappeared to sour the experience.
Crucial P3 SSD review: Top PCIe 3 speed, insanely low price
Crucial's P3 SSD delivers an outstandingly low price per GB and very good everyday performance. If you don't write large amounts of data continuously, or worry about low TBW ratings, it's a heck of a bargain.
ShadowProtect SPX review: Highly effective continuous backup with virtual perks
Continuous data protection doesn't get any faster or more reliable than Arcsoft's ShadowProtect SPX. With support for virtual machines and reliable disaster recovery, it's a good fit for SMB and IT types.
Windows File History review: Free, effective continuous data protection
Windows own File History is all most users need to keep their vital data backed up, but with version 11, Microsoft has made backing up data not found in the standard system libraries less intuitive.
OWC Aura Pro IV SSD review: Fast PCIe 4 reading and writing
OWC's Aura Pro PCIe 4, NVMe SSD nearly matched the top-ranked FireCuda 530 in performance, but is available for considerably less cash.
Crucial P3 Plus SSD review: Fast enough and affordable
The Crucial P3 Plus belongs to the new breed of DRAM-less (HMB) drives that are delivering good performance for not a lot of cash.
Genie Timeline 10 Home review: Time Machine-like backup for Windows
If you've envied the easy backup of Apple's Time Machine, you as a Windows user can have the next-best thing in Genie Timeline 10 Home. It's great for protecting your PC's files with a minimum of fuss.
WD Black SN850X SSD: Face-meltingly fast
WD's Black SN850X NVMe SSD delivers exceptional real-world and random performance, along with sustained throughput that nearly matched Seagate's FireCuda 530. A very fast SSD priced nicely given the performance.
Paragon Backup & Recovery: Fantastic file-level backup for free
You'd be hard pressed to find a better free solution for backing up your files than Paragon's Backup & Recovery. If you choose compression, it's the standard ZIP format, and you can use Microsoft's nearly universally supported VHDs as containers so you don't need the program to browse and recover files.
Silicon Power UD90 NVMe SSD review: Good-performing second-tier PCIe 4 drive
Silicon Power's UD90, 1TB DRAM-less NVMe SSD is a good everyday performer and one of the most affordable drives on the market.