Even if iTunes says it’s backing up your iPhone or iPad to iCloud, all you have to do when your device is connected is right-click on it in iTunes and choose “Backup.” It’s that easy. Now the state of your iPhone is backed up locally via iTunes as well as continuing to back up via iCloud.

If disaster strikes and you need to restore your data when on the road or away from your computer, an iCloud restoration is your only option, but if you have access to iTunes, restoring locally is much faster. There’s another option too: The local backup allows you to extract individual items, such as a text message or phone log via third-party software such as iBackup viewer.

My suggestion is to dock your iOS device at least once a week and run a local backup. Additionally, I recommend not updating your apps via your device but rather do it via iTunes after a local backup. Although iTunes only keeps the latest version of your backup (similar to iCloud), when done locally on your computer via iTunes, a complete backup of your iPhone and apps is made.

Should you encounter a problem app, the .ipa app file might still be in the trash on your computer. To restore the app, drag the .ipa file out of the trash and double-click it. If that doesn’t work or you want to do a more complete restore, your iOS system can be restored to an earlier version by restoring the Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ folder located in the user’s library on your backup. Restoring an individual app or an earlier backup of your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch is a critical feature lacking in iCloud backups.

Think globally and back up locally.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• CES 2012: a recap and analysis
• Controversy, courtrooms and the cloud in Q1
• 10 ways big data changes everything

Apple’s “solution” of disabling Java on versions prior to Snow Leopard isn’t realistic for users that still intend to keep their Mac on the Internet, since web-based Java is still popular, especially for proprietary corporate applications. If you are on a Leopard (10.5) or older system, Apple’s solution means that you could try to enable Java only while you are using websites that require it and then immediately turn it off afterward (a common example of usage is for remote control programs such as GotoMyPC and Logmein). To be fully secure though, the better solution is to upgrade your OS. However, upgrading your Mac’s OS could introduce incompatibilities with existing software that will require further costs to upgrade. Plus, if a user hasn’t upgraded to Snow Leopard — an admittedly old OS — yet, they may have a good reason for doing so.

Apple updates its operating system at a much faster pace than Microsoft. Leopard was superseded by Snow Leopard in August 2009 and Windows XP was superseded by Vista in November 2006, yet Microsoft is still providing critical security updates for XP until April 2014. Microsoft is providing more security updates for more versions of their operating system while Apple is starting to abandon users after less than three years.

To be fair, a majority of Mac users have already moved to either Snow Leopard or Lion, according to estimates from Net Market Share so most Mac users will be protected from this security flaw after installing Apple’s latest updates. Windows XP, meanwhile, is still on a majority of PCs according to that same study, even though its successor, Windows 7, was released in July 2009. Microsoft is doing this right by continuing to provide security updates for its older operating systems, which sort of makes sense given Microsoft’s constant battle with malware over the years. But Apple isn’t.

With Apple’s accelerated OS release cycle, leaving Leopard’s Java security unsupported after less than three years is unfair to users and a potential class action lawsuit waiting to happen since Apple’s extended warranty (AppleCare) is designed to support the Mac for three years. That MacBook you bought in May 2009 has a problem that Apple knows about, and Apple’s solution is to simply disable portions of the OS provided by Apple for your computer.

At the very least, Apple should be required to either patch a security flaw in any computer still under AppleCare or provide a free update to a currently supported version like they are doing for MobileMe users. Two years is simply too short of an upgrade cycle to expect users to keep up with in order to maintain the security of their systems.

If Apple continues this “current and previous version” approach towards security, Snow Leopard users are going to miss out on security updates when Mountain Lion 10.8 comes out this summer, only two years after they upgraded to Snow Leopard. Apple needs to step up to the plate and provide security updates for at least three years — otherwise Mac users could be more secure wiping an older Mac OS on that Intel-based Mac and installing Windows XP instead! At least then they’ll have until April 2014 before their computer turns into an unsecured ticking time bomb.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• New challenges for the IT organization
• The new IT manager, part 1
• Opportunities and challenges for mobile deals

Custom ringtones are great for knowing who is calling, but those of us who leave our phones on vibrate get left out of that party. One of the less advertised features of iOS 5 is the ability to assign custom vibration patterns to individual callers.

To enable this feature, open the Settings App and select “General” and then scroll down to “Accessibility.” Scroll down a bit in the Accessibility settings and turn on “Custom Vibrations.”

This enables the feature, but to actually use it you not need to open the Contacts app to customize the vibrations for each contact for whom you wish to use a custom vibration.

Select a contact, and then tap “Edit” on the upper right corner of the screen. You’ll notice that there is a new “Vibration” setting for your contact. You’ll see several built-in variations, but the ability to create your own pattern right on the phone (Morse code, anyone?) is the ultimate in customization. You can also turn off vibrations entirely for specific contacts if you wish (great for people you want to avoid).

After setting a vibration, tap “Done” once to exit the vibration settings and a second time to save the updated contact.

Congratulations, you now will be able to tell by the pattern in your pocket who is calling you, even when the phone’s audio ringer is off. Amaze your friends with your new ability to see who is calling without looking or listening to your phone.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Mobile Q2: Smartphone growth surges; iPad’s rule continues
• Controversy, courtrooms and the cloud in Q1
• A look back at mobile in Q1

You can start a "tab" with individual Square merchants via the Card Case app.

With the recent release of Square’s Register point-of-sale (POS) software, small business owners now have another way to turn iPads and iPhones into cash registers. In addition to Square’s Register, Ambur and Lavu leverage existing iOS equipment along with software for a complete POS solution.

I’m an active and enthusiastic Square merchant, and I love the system for my mobile business. I decided to compare notes with several other business owners who use iOS devices to ring up sales and manage their businesses.

Square Register (used at Sump Coffee, St. Louis, Mo.)

For businesses on a budget, Square’s Register software is the place to start. Sump Coffee in St. Louis, Mo., uses Square on an iPad. Square comes with a card reader for credit card swipes. The service also provides business owners with analytics, such as data on their top-selling products, busy times and overall sales trends. When I spoke with Sump’s owner Scott Carey, he said that the “simplicity and elegance” of Square fits with his business model. The software is free and he only pays the standard

Square fees for credit card processing (2.75 percent of each swipe).

Due to the limits of the iPad screen and because you have to manually choose individual items for sale, Square’s Register software doesn’t scale well for companies with large inventories. But it was a natural fit for Carey’s artisanal coffee shop. Plus, he can easily stash the iPad underneath the counter when he’s demonstratin
At businesses that use Register, customers can pay with Square’s Card Case app on their iPhone (and leave a tip if they like). To use the app, you first authorize Square to use Card Case at a supported business. The app then uses iOS built-in GPS and location services to connect you with businesses that support Card Case payments. When you walk into supported businesses, your Card Case app automatically opens a tab, and you can tell the vendor to charge it to your name. Carey likes that the app allows him to serve the coffee and charge the customer later, an important advantage when he’s busy trying to time the perfect brew.g brew methods. This portability “minimizes the barrier” between him and the customer, says Carey.

The notification you get when a Square merchant has closed your "tab."

From a customer perspective, Card Case is not perfect. When I tried to use it at Pi Pizzeria in St. Louis, my tab opened up when I walked into the pizzeria, but I couldn’t pay. The manager explained that they can’t use Square’s system at their brick-and-mortar shop because it doesn’t integrate with their legacy POS, which they use for both payment and order management. (On the plus side, he discounted our pizza as an apology.)

Ambur (used at Snow and Company, Kansas City, Mo.)

Server takes an order with an iPhone at Snow and Company.

On the other side of Missouri, in Kansas City, the specialty cocktail bar Snow and Company runs a completely Apple-based operation. Gerland Nevins, CEO and Head of Strategery [sic] and Customer Happiness, explained that he preferred Ambur‘s iOS-based POS over other solutions, because it had a one-time fee rather than ongoing costs. Although he considers himself non-technical, he set up the software and printers on his own. Nevins says Ambur’s support team is very responsive and the software provides him with data — including information on the performance of each server, peak times for the business and hot-selling products — that he needs to manage operations. Snow and Company’s food and drink menu changes often, and Nevins hasn’t had any problems updating and revising the menu items. Anyone who has used a traditional POS knows programming changes can be a real pain.

Snow and Company uses a Mac monitor for their menu board, and orders are taken on an iPod Touch. When I first visited the bar, I thought my server was playing with her iPod instead of taking our orders. Once I figured out that my server was working and not playing Angry Birds, I thought the system was very cool and completely transparent. The mobile ordering system fits with Snow and Company’s fun and social aesthetic too — since servers don’t have to run back to a terminal to enter orders, they can stay out on the floor and interact with customers.

Lavu (used by Flying Monkey, Topeka, Kan.)

The Flying Monkey cafe uses the Lavu system to ring up orders and take payments on an iPad. Lavu also includes such traditional POS elements as printers, cash drawers and other equipment options. Unlike Ambur or Square, Lavu has an initial setup fee and monthly hosting fees. Printers, cash registers and other hardware are extra.

According to Holly Bastin, spokesperson for Flying Monkey, they chose this particular iOS-based POS because it’s customizable. “It’s nice to have a system that integrates well with our smartphones and allows us to make changes or check in on the go,” Bastin said. “It offers the option of turning an iPhone into a terminal if need be, which has come in handy on occasion.”

From a customer perspective, it’s very similar to other cash registers, sans the bulk. Customers might not notice anything is different until they’re asked to use their finger to sign on the iPad screen (similar to Square) for a credit card purchase.

The bottom line

Which iOS-based POS system is best for your business? If you are currently using a stand-alone “dumb” register to ring up customers, Square is a logical choice. It’s cheap and easy and free to start off with. For more sophisticated operations, Lavu and Ambur are great choices. They can provide more sophisticated reporting, ring up sales with multiple servers and print tickets to a kitchen or bar.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Mobile Q2: Smartphone growth surges; iPad’s rule continues
• A look back at mobile in Q1
• 2012: Data, spectrum and the race to LTE

Earlier this week Nielsen released a study that found just about a third of smartphone users turn to their device for shopping-related activities. The study, conducted during the third quarter of 2011, gives a good picture of how we’re using smartphones in stores. One thing the study highlights is that while not everyone is using their phone in this way, many more would like to.

Below I’ve combined Nielsen’s results with a primer on how you can get in on the trend of being a savvy shopper with your iPhone specifically using apps that are available in Apple’s Apple Store.

38 percent are comparison pricing aka “showrooming”

Nielsen found that 38 percent of survey respondents use their smartphone for comparison shopping while in a physical store. This is encouraged by online retailers, and last holiday season Amazon gave a 5 percent discount on certain products to users who scanned retail items using the Amazon app. Big box stores like Target are annoyed by this new trend, however — so much so that they are asking manufacturers to modify their product offerings to prevent comparison shopping.

As a consumer, I love the ability to find the best price for an item so long as I am willing to wait for it to ship. As a small business owner who works with other small businesses, I see this as driving revenue away from our local communities and hurting the local tax base. I try to shop local when possible, but to me, I see a big box “brick and mortar” and an online retailer as synonymous. When the bargain is good enough, it’s hard to resist.
If you want to get in the middle of this war between physical and online retailers, some of the top apps for comparison shopping are RedLaser, ShopSavvy, Google Shopper and Amazon’s Price Check. Both Red Laser and ShopSavvy also allow you to find an item locally, but ShopSavvy and Google Shopper provide reviews — which are the next most popular shopping-related activity we do with our phones. If you search online, you might want to stay away from the in-store Wi-Fi as it can show different prices since you could be redirected to an “internal” version of the website with slightly different pricing or be blocked entirely from a competitor. Use your 3G signal to play it safe and make sure your surfing isn’t being intercepted.

32 percent are reading online reviews of products

For more in-depth research, I found the Consumer Reports App lacking, and I prefer to access their website, which requires a separate paid subscription from the magazine (a discount is given to current print subscribers). Many of us like to know what the crowd thinks of a product rather than trusting a salesperson (after all, it’s in the job title to sell us something). Mobile phones are ideal for this, and 32 percent of us use our phones for product review research. Google Shopper and Amazon’s Mobile App make it easy to find what others have to say about millions of products. Amazon carries practically everything, so it’s the place I start for online reviews.

24 percent are searching for and using online coupons

We all want to save money, so why not use your iPhone? The king of coupons is Grocery iQ, owned by Coupons.com. If you regularly shop at a grocery store or other retailer, be sure to install their app as they often offer coupons or special sales directly via their app. Don’t assume coupons are just for the big retailers. Individual stores often have their own apps featuring coupons. Even groups like AAA offer discounts.

A hidden place for coupons and direct savings is check-ins via foursquare or Facebook. In particular, American Express has a program in which you check in via FourSquare to both small businesses and national chains to receive a discount. I use this quite often and can tell you it works. I get free cupcakes at my locally owned Cupcake Construction Company as well as national retailers like Whole Foods. If available in your area and where you shop, Shopkick is a great way to earn rewards and discounts.

22 percent are purchasing products

Whether it’s because the store is out of stock or the pricing is better online, shopping on your phone is fun and easy. It gives you instant gratification. A friend suggests a book to you at the coffee shop, you buy it right then and there. Your spouse tells you that the water filter needs replacing while you are waiting for a table at the restaurant. Bam. Problem solved. But considering this usefulness, this number is still rather low — 0nly 22 percent of the people who are using phones for shopping are actually making purchases.

What’s interesting to note is how this behavior changes when we’re talking about shopping on a tablet. Tablet shoppers are three times more likely to purchase an item compared to smartphone users, and they spend more, according to a recent study by Adobe.

A caution while shopping via a mobile device: because public Wi-Fi is unprotected, I use 3G while making purchases so nothing is intercepted. I’m also careful of prying eyes when pulling out my credit card. Read my article about how to keep your credit card number hidden in plain sight in your address book so you can cut and paste, keeping your card in the wallet.

To get an additional savings boost, use sites like dealnews.com and FatWallet to find discount codes and earn cash back for your online purchases.

18 percent are using location-based services to find a retail location

“Yes, we have no bananas” is a fun song, but a lousy thing for a clerk to say when you need bananas. Instead, by using Google Shopper or one of the other purchasing apps mentioned at the beginning of the article, you might be able to find the product locally or find other retailers that have it.

9 percent are paying via smartphone — but 71 percent are interested in paying via smartphone

Talk about a missed opportunity, in particular for the brick-and-mortars losing out to online retailers. NFC (near-field communications) has been discussed for a while for the iPhone, and Ryan Kim believes Apple could take the lead on this in the U.S. Meanwhile, Kevin Tofel is already using his Google Wallet and his Galaxy Nexus.

The closest thing we have currently to NFC on the iPhone is the Square Card Case, which merchants can use for seamless transactions via an app. I tried it out this weekend in St. Louis, and it really was a blast to say “put it on my tab!” The app uses your GPS location and the location of the merchant, and when you are close enough, it notifies the merchant of your presence. The only caveat is that the merchant must use Square’s popular credit card processing system.

So while we’re making progress in what kinds of activities we’ll do with our phones, we’re still a ways off from mainstream acceptance of the phone as a shopping tool and a payment tool. When you think about it, it’s odd that we fancy up our phones with fun cases and apps, but then we use our credit card the same way we always have since the 1950s. The Square experience comes close to modernizing this process — every merchant I know who uses Square, including myself, sees the giggles of glee and fascination when customers sign with their finger and have a receipt texted to them.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Envisioning future strategies for Sony’s success
• CES 2012: a recap and analysis
• Connected world: the consumer technology revolution

Being the resident “extreme” iPhone case enthusiast (and also the klutz who drops his phone most often), I was intrigued by the new cellhelmet Kickstarter project. This $44.99 case combines svelte design with protection against drops, but bundles it with an actual insurance policy that replaces your iPhone if damaged while in the case.

The case in and of itself isn’t magical, and according to David Artuso of cellhelmet creator cellpig.com, the case isn’t “superman.” The design has angled edges to protect against drops, and a choice of six different colored backplate shields to protect the glass, providing great protection without the bloat of other solutions.

What sets the cellhelmet apart is the bundled insurance policy, administered by Global Warranty Group. Should the iPhone break while in the case, a $50 handling fee covers any repairs required, or complete replacement if necessary. I’ve written about iPhone insurance before,  this case including the insurance for the $44.99 purchase price is what makes it interesting.

The plan does not cover water damage, nor does the case protect the water sensors, but according to gadget insurance provider SquareTrade, glass breakage accounts for 82 percent of its claims. The cellhelmet is competitive with SquareTrade’s own insurance program, but is slightly less expensive, applies even to used iPhones, and of course, comes with a case. Your iPhone has to be in the cellhelmet for its policy to apply, however.

Coverage lasts for one year from the time you purchase your cellhelmet, and should you ever have to claim a total device replacement, you’ll have to buy another cellhelmet, but that’s consistent with other third-party insurance programs. If all your device requires is a screen replacement after an accident, you get unlimited repairs.

For slightly more money than a stylish iPhone case, and slightly less than a third-party insurance program, you can get both by backing the Pittsburgh-based company’s project on Kickstarter. Not a bad deal, especially if you can’t seem to keep a firm grip on Apple’s beautiful but somewhat slippery smartphone designs.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• 2012: Data, spectrum and the race to LTE
• Mobile Q2: Smartphone growth surges; iPad’s rule continues
• Controversy, courtrooms and the cloud in Q1

Flygrip $29.95

I was amazed as to how quickly I fell in love with the Flygrip’s simplicity of design and elegance It’s a clip that sticks on the back of an existing iPhone case, or Flygrip’s custom case. While it adds some bulk to the back of the case, it actually isn’t annoying. Quite the opposite. Fully retracted, it allows you too hold your iPhone securely with your ring and forefinger, leaving the rest of your hand able to type. Being able to text and tweet easily on the go made me a believer out of me.

Not only does it make the iPhone easier to hold, but the Flygrip can also act as a kickstand for both portrait and landscape mode, which made catching up on email during lunch an absolute breeze. At $29.95, it’s affordable, and you don’t have to give up your existing case.

xPrintServer $149.95

Although Apple’s AirPrint only supports a limited set of printers, iOS products like Readdle’s Printer Pro and desktop products such as Ecamm’s Printopia have extended the iPad’s print capabilities. Lantronix has a desktop-and device-independent solution to make existing network printers available to any iOS device also on the network. The device supports up to 10 printers, and retails for $149.95. It’s a great option for small businesses that want to quickly and easily make their existing printers available to employee devices.

Prizm Stand $24.95

The Prizm series of iPhone and iPad stands from Hub Innovations is another simple, elegant product. The stand is made up of two metal pieces that come together to hold your iOS device in place while charging or just on display. Starting at $24.95, they come in a variety of colors and can be custom engraved.

I liked that these stands didn’t suffer from the feature bloat or bling overload of most other accessories at the show. This is the type of holder you’d use at home or at your business to frame your iPad with style and without stealing the focus of what’s on the iPad screen. In fact, the metal can be engraved with company information to help provide a custom branding solution. They were at hit with show-goers, so it stands to reason they’d succeed with customers and clients, too.

Wormhole Switch $39.95

One of the few non-iOS focused innovations at the show was the Wormhole Switch by j5create. This product uses an attached of USB connectors to not only control another computer’s keyboard and mouse, but also transport data between computers while avoiding the network entirely.

Even the fastest broadband networks can’t match raw USB speeds, and anyone who’s transferred a large file over a home network knows how much it slows things down. While other USB-direct connect options exist, this product makes it easy for even novices to set up, with software that loads directly from the device.

At a reasonable price of $39.95, the time you’ll save waiting for files to transfer is well worth the cost.

iKeep Charger $49.99

The iKeep Charger is a combination iPhone and micro USB charger conveniently connected to a retractable cord with a carabiner hook for clipping onto a bag, belt loop, etc. The AC plug folds invisibly into the unit, making it easy to quickly charge your iPhone or other devices while on the go without adding bulk. Unlike the iPhone’s stark black and white options, the iKeep Charger comes in eight different colors to match your outfits, or simply your personal taste.

There are my top picks from the show. What stood ou to you? Let us know in the comments.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• A look back at mobile in Q1
• Tablet market to hit over 377 million units by 2016
• CES 2012: a recap and analysis

The show focused primarily on the iOS ecosystem, with traditional Mac OS X software pushed into the background. Special attention was paid to applications and accessories to get sound and video into and out of your iOS device, not just on the exhibit floor, but throughout Moscone West. Still, there were other hidden gems for everyday users, too.

Most of the OS X software developers weren’t showing new products or improvements, but demoing what they already have. One notable exception that drew me in was the newly launched latest version of Fantastical by Flexibits, which works in conjunction with OS X calendar software (iCal, BusyCal, Outlook) to quickly enter calendar items with natural language directly from the menu bar, kind of a Siri for the desktop.

Once you ignore the gimmicky stuff like iPhone cases with integrated bottle openers, and lots of bling (sparkle screen protectors from Crimsoncase), most user-aimed products seemed to want to make iDevices easier to use in more places. Judging by the show’s offerings, users seem to want to hold their iPad with one hand (Newertech, Hub Innovations, Grablet and others), make it waterproof (Drycase and Drybags), and have better input devices.

Steve Jobs would have shed a tear seeing so many ways to avoid using iOS device touchscreens. Some standouts are multiples styluses from Lafeada in the shape and style of lipstick and eyeliner, as well as Adonit’s Jot Stylus that had a “target” zone via a precision disk instead of the typical imprecise rubber tip found in most styluses. My favorite, though, was the NuScribe combo pen and stylus from Newer Technology. I love not having to carry both a pen and stylus.

Not only do people want to take their iOS devices everywhere, but they want to be able to take desktop functionality along for the ride. Nivio has a soon-to-be released subscription-based service called nDesktop that allows you to remotely run Windows applications as well as rent traditional software such as the Microsoft Office Suite on both your iPad as well as your OS X device, sort of like a more feature-rich version of OnLive Desktop’s free iPad Windows virtualization app. Sanho’s CloudFTP device is an iOS-friendly portable NAS server that is in the final stage of production after a successful Kickstarter launch. These products help fill the gap between the portability of iOS devices and the flexibility of the desktop, making the decision between an iPad and MacBook Air even more difficult.

Among the products geared towards consumers at the show, the lines between tablet and desktop computing are blurring, and the changed branding of Macworld| iWorld this year reflects that.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• 2012: Data, spectrum and the race to LTE
• Why the Mac is infiltrating the enterprise
• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era

1. Clean that screen

You’ve got a gorgeous screen on that iMac, but it’s covered by dust, debris and who knows what else. You may be tempted to use a bottle of glass cleaner — but don’t. That can harm the screen. My recommendation is to use Klear Screen kits, along with their microfiber cloth. They remove the debris while protecting the finish. If you don’t use Klear Screen, make sure whatever you do use is designed for glossy screens. For laptops, I highly recommend Radtech’s Screensavrz to prevent transfer of oils from the laptop keyboard onto the screen.

Let’s not even talk about that keyboard and how dirty it is. If you can shake it out, go ahead and do it. Then give it a good wipe with a safe, keyboard-specific cleaner.

2. Check the hard drive and keep it running right

Your hard drive stores your digital life and is a common point of failure in Macs. When’s the last time you checked the status of yours? Lion’s recovery partition makes this extremely easy. Hold down command-R at startup, and choose the recovery partition so that you can run Disk Utility on your main drive. For more information, check Apple’s detailed site about Lion Recovery.

Computers running operating systems older than Lion will need to boot from a CD or external hard disk to fully check the computer’s hard drive and perform minor repairs. If you want, you can also use third-party programs to expand your recovery and repair options.

Both Tech Tool Pro 6 and Drive Genius 3 have background monitoring of your hard drive to give you early warnings of problems, but if you want a free simple SMART warning program, check out the free SMARTReporter. Advance warning of a hard drive failure can be crucial to saving your data.

3. Replace that surge protector and test the battery backup

Do you know how old your surge protector is? Are you using one? If you don’t know when you bought it and you don’t know the amount of joules it protects against, it’s time to get a new one. Remember that a power strip isn’t necessarily a surge protector. One well-placed electrical “event” can turn that wonderful Mac into a glorified paperweight. As a general rule, when you get a new Mac, it’s also time for a new surge protector. I prefer name brand protectors from providers I trust such as Belkin, APC, and Tripp-Lite.

Similar to a surge protector, battery backups (UPS) tend to be set it and forget it. But batteries have limited life spans, and you don’t want to find out your battery is bad the hard way. It’s time to test the battery. Save your work and unplug your UPS from the wall. Did your Mac stay up? If it didn’t then your battery may be at end of life. Some vendors have software that will check the battery’s health and provide for graceful shutdowns during a power outage.

4. Clean up your cables

While you’re behind your Mac or on the floor checking your UPS and surge protector, do you know what each of those cables back there do, or if you still even need them? Organizing cables isn’t just about aesthetics. Disorganized cables tangled together creates the potential for chain reaction disasters: Pull too much on that iPod, and the entire string of computers and hard drives comes tumbling down. I’ve seen it, and it isn’t pleasant.

It’s time to trace those back, get rid of the ones you aren’t using and organize the rest. Lifehacker had a great article about how to get these under control. Oh, and you might as well dust that area, too, while you’re at it.

5. Check those logs

Your Mac has a little black box that records all sorts of problems and errata. Open up your Console app and it’s all there. It might be an application crash, a slowdown, or just general weirdness. For those of us who have trouble reading the logs and what they mean, Log Leech is well worth the $10. It makes your logs more Mac-like, and easy to find.

6. Lighten your load

Like many of you, I’m embarrassed with the collection of old manuals, disks and obsolete tech in my basement. It’s time to get rid of it. Old disks and manuals can usually be donated to libraries for their inventory or their big tent sale. While Apple has a recycling program, it’s limited to certain items, but your local Goodwill will usually take most items via the Reconnect partnership with Dell as will most Best Buy  locations.

These six tips will ensure that your Mac has a happy and healthy 2012. Anything you would add?

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Connected Consumer Q2: Digital music meets the cloud; e-book growth explodes
• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• Monetizing music in the post-scarcity age

1. Rule your Inbox with automate routing

Rules don’t have to be complex, but they can be incredibly good at keeping less important emails out of your sacred inbox. Any aspect of a message can be set for routing. A common rule I recommend setting up is to take those notifications from Facebook, Twitter and other services and put them in a social media folder.

Other easy targets for rule making are any email lists you are on (create a rule to immediately put any message from that list into it’s own folder) or any places you regularly purchase from (create a folder for e-commerce that contains all the emails from your regular purchase places). Apple has a great tutorial here.

2. Unsubscribe

We’re all on many email lists, whether by accident or on purpose. All those daily deal sites, combined with the “subscribe to our newsletter” checkmarks you forget to uncheck fills your inbox with unnecessary items. Ideally, you can mark these items as junk within Mail, but the app isn’t always that smart, and providers will change the message slightly over time to trick junk mail filters.

You might be afraid to click unsubscribe for fear that you’ll somehow confirm to a spammer that your email is valid. While that may be correct for true spammers, clicking unsubscribe on messages from reputable vendors won’t put you in danger. Go ahead and click that unsubscribe button, and regain your inbox.

3. Use folders and smart folders to keep things close at hand

The inbox should be used for incoming items only. Once you’ve read it, it’s time for it to go somewhere. If it requires action, create a folder called “take action” and move it in there. If it doesn’t require anything on your part, move it to an “archive folder.”

The only problem I see with a folder is that an email can only be in one folder at a time, but that’s where smart folders come in. For example, if you put all your online purchases in an e-commerce folder that includes your Apple purchases, your Amazon purchases and all that other online stuff. Just create smart folders that filters both Amazon and Apple separately, and that way you can have them in both places and quickly find that receipt.

Moving items into folders is incredibly easy with a little noticed function. When you move an item to a folder, notice on the message menu the “Move to … Again” and the command-option T shortcut. Just press that button to make your message quickly move to the same mailbox you just moved your last message to. Very empowering seeing those emails quickly disappear from your inbox. If you want a few more quick keys to instantly route your messages, create your own keyboard shortcuts using the keyboard System Preferences pane.

Inbox zero is an attainable goal in Apple’s Mail app thanks to the tips above. It’ll still take some time, but the feeling of seeing nothing in the inbox and no number badge in the dock can be quite exhilarating.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• NewNet 2012: companies and technologies set to disrupt
• Going social: Recommendations engines need to factor in consumer reviews
• What’s driving the next phase of the e-commerce evolution