I remember reading this article a few years back about a grad student (at Maryland, coincidentally) whose purse was stolen and with it the only copy of her nearly-finished master’s thesis. I was then an undergrad, but the impression of caution it left on me stayed over the years. I vowed then, if ever I was to go to grad school, to use all my technical chops to ensure I’d never have to root through a dumpster for my livelihood.

Thanks to the ridiculous pace of technological development, there are now far more effective ways of protecting your data than a USB or jump drive. In addition, these technologies offer a higher level of convenience and anywhere-access to your data, even when you’re not on your own computer. One member of this new class of software is Windows Live Mesh. If you haven’t heard of it or discovered its magic, you’re missing out. Wait, wait…before you click back mumbling “Microsoft shill…”, hear me out. Live Mesh is a software+service tool available for PC and Mac that syncs files between all the devices added to your “mesh”. All you need is a Windows Live ID and you’re ready to go. Installing the software is simple, and configuring which folders sync where is all but brainless.

I use Live Mesh to keep my OneNote notebooks and course documents in sync across my main laptop and netbook, which I use to take notes in class. It’s so useful to go home and have all my materials available on my other computer without having to do a thing. Even when you can’t install the desktop software, say on a lab computer where you don’t have adequate permissions, there’s a web interface that lets you access all your sync’d files (you can disable this if you prefer not to store your documents in the cloud).

The service is currently in beta, but trust me when I say it’s not going anywhere. If you’re a student, the days of bulky USB key chains and e-mailing papers to yourself are over; this service will show its value immediately. For everyone else, give it a try–there are plenty of potential uses for this technology outside academia. It’s free, what’ve you got to lose?

Events like September 11th are tough to talk about. Fortunately, time makes their memory less potent, which is important as it enables us to take another, more objective look at what happened to ensure our recollection of history is as it was–free from momentary emotion and passion. That day holds enough historical significance to us and the world that it is unquestionably worth analyzing again.

Some may take issue with this sort of invocation claiming it’s at worst a gross politicization of a tragedy or at best simply unnecessary. My intent, however, is to highlight what I found to be legitimate and logical inconsistencies and their implications, and to share what influenced my judgment with others. It’s up to the individual to decide if this falls in the realm of reality or conspiracy theory, but I will say that impossible doesn’t necessarily follow improbable or unbelievable. Our world’s history is rife with government abuse, especially of its own citizens or property for political purposes.

These documentaries call to attention the real possibility–one with precedent in our country, even–that our government committed, or was complicit in, such an act eight years ago. True, the past is just that, but we need to learn from it so atrocities like 9/11 don’t happen again; and if they do, so those responsible are identified and held accountable.