As the CBC reports, Perminder Tung used the Time Capsule to back up two laptops and an iPhone and to store his photos. The Canadian man claims that the device failed last month and that Apple told him that data on it was irretrievable. Tung, a lawyer, says the data included the birth of his first child and is now demanding $25,000 from Apple to compensate him for the broken device and the lost memories.

The Time Capsule has been subject to widely reported manufacturing defects and led Apple to offer free replacements for the device in 2010. Tung, who purchased his Time Capsule in 2008, says he fell outside of the recall period. According to a Guardian report in 2010, Apple didn’t disclose the extent of the problem and declined to extend its replacement offer to all those affected.

Stories like Tung’s are becoming more common in the digital age as people record their memories on fragile, non-physical media. My colleague Mathew Ingram recently offered a thoughtful reflection on this issue when he described looking at photographs at the funeral of a family friend.

(Image by Angela Waye via Shutterstock)

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The new AirPort Extreme still carries the same product description and specs as the old version, so it isn’t exactly apparent what has changed about the Wi-Fi router. It still provides 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking, and simultaneous dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency support for improved network performance and decreased interference. It also has the same three Ethernet ports for wired connections, and a USB port for hooking up a printer or external hard drive.

It’s likely that Macworld is right when it suggests that any changes made to the AirPort Extreme happened under the hood, and are likely meant to boost performance. Wireless technology hasn’t stood still for two years, after all, although it also hasn’t exactly seen dramatic changes in the consumer electronics sector. The successor to 802.11n is in the works, but it’s still probably quite a ways off in terms of general use and wide adoption.

The bottom line is that if you’ve been waiting for an AirPort hardware update in order to get a new router, now’s probably a good time to buy. The new Extreme might not boast revolutionary changes, but if Apple’s track record proves correct, it’ll most likely be better than its predecessor.

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Apple unveiled Final Cut Pro X

The new  2 TB Time Capsule will now retail for $299, and the new 3 TB option will take its place in the $499 range. Since the Time Capsule’s introduction in 2008, Apple has offered a lower-tier offering with less storage for $299, and one with more space for $499.

While Apple may be focusing on the cloud with its recent product announcements, its nice to see that it’s still thinking about those who prefer a more local networked storage option. Bandwidth limits may preclude some users from ever being able to fully embrace a cloud storage and streaming computing model, but local streaming is a good alternative for those who still want to feel untethered.

Apple has been rumored to be working on updates to its line of wireless devices since low stock of AirPort devices was reported earlier this month. Just this week, the FCC posted a test report describing new Apple wireless hardware, which was likely describing the new Time Capsules unveiled today.

It’s not yet clear whether the Time Capsule update brings new features beyond expanded storage options, or whether Apple other AirPort devices will also receive updates. We’ll keep you informed as developments arise.

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In what would prove disastrously precognitive, I wrote:

Imagine, then, the pain when a well-used Time Capsule croaks, taking up to 18 months’ worth of incremental backups with it. I don’t mind admitting that the thought of it strikes fear into my heart. I use two Time Capsules every hour of every day.

I can’t help thinking that I don’t own two Time Capsules; I own two ticking Time bombs.

Fast forward to early last week when my Mac Pro’s 1TB Time Capsule breathed its last and died a sudden — if not entirely unexpected — death.

I called Apple Support and the guy on the other end of the phone asked me for the TC’s serial number. A moment later he confirmed Apple was aware of “a fault” with that model and offered to replace it for free. So far so good.

The process was explained to me; I would receive the replacement TC in a few days, whereupon I had to return the dead TC to Apple. Immediately alarm bells rang in my brain.

“But what about my stuff?” I asked. There was a year’s worth of data stuck on that thing. Finances, contacts, personal and shared calendars, photographs, email… I didn’t relish the thought of sending all of that data to someone I didn’t know. Not even if it was an Apple technician.

“Don’t worry, we will wipe the drive thoroughly for you,” offered the support guy, “It’s safe with us.”

No it isn’t, I worried. “Can’t I just remove the drive and wipe the data? I’ll put it back if necessary, only, I’m concerned about–”

“No. You must not open the unit. If you do, you will void the warranty.”

“It’s already out of warranty,” I replied as politely as possible, not wanting to sound like a jerk. “You’re replacing it because of a design flaw, right?”

The Apple Support guy wouldn’t budge. “If you open the case we will charge you the full price of a new Time Capsule.”

The bottom line; Apple forbade me from retrieving my data from their Time Capsule. Doing so would somehow make me responsible for its death, even though they admitted the product was already faulty.

Now, I understand Apple wanting to retrieve faulty gear for study. Doing so helps them improve their products. But this isn’t a broken mouse or keyboard. This is a device that stores a lot of valuable personal information. In this instance, shouldn’t Apple exercise a higher degree of flexibility and sensitivity to customers?

I know what you’re thinking; maybe they’d wipe it right before my eyes at the Apple Store? So I asked. He replied, “No. They’ll give you a replacement but they will send the faulty device back to us for wiping.”

So, either way, I get a replacement Time Capsule… but I have to surrender my personal data to Apple.

Trust

Apple sells a Time Capsule as part of a complete backup solution. Time Machine + Time Capsule = Backup. Right? The Time Capsule website even proclaims, “…you never have to worry about losing your important files.” I guess the small print needs to add “…except when you’re handing all your data to us.”

Apple's bold promise on their Time Capsule website

What’s more, in the days it took for the replacement to arrive, I had no satisfactory backup solution. Of course, it’s not Apple’s responsibility to ensure I always have a complete and reliable backup strategy in place, but it sure felt like Apple had let me down. (Yes, now I’m just ranting.)

Thankfully, Apple is doing the right thing by replacing (most) affected units, even if they’re out of warranty and not covered by AppleCare. Yet I can’t help feel that there’s more they could have done; starting with permitting me to take responsibility for my own data, rather than threatening me with a hefty charge to my credit card if I did so.

Apple normally pays close attention to the little details other companies miss, but here it feels like they failed to appreciate the single biggest issue – the proper handling of customer’s valuable personal data. If they had paid closer, more careful attention to that detail, I might not feel so indignant today… and I might still be recommending the Time Capsule to my friends. As it stands, the Time Machine + Time Capsule solution is great when it works. But if it breaks, customers may have to face zero backup functionality and a worrying lack of perspective from Apple when it comes to allowing them to take steps to secure their personal data.

Am I overreacting? Should I simply trust Apple with all my personal files, no questions asked? Leave a comment below to tell me I’m a shameless drama queen and how, like you, I should be using an offsite RAID array if I’m serious about backup.

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The site has been created to provide a central support hub for Time Capsule customers who have suffered the sudden death of their devices, but feel neglected or ignored by Apple, which has yet to acknowledge there’s even a problem.

It seems the main culprit in most cases of Time Capsule Death are fried capacitors. Users are reporting that the lack of adequate ventilation/cooling in the Time Capsules causes the capacitors to run very hot and, eventually, die. For affected customers, “eventually” turns out to be approximately 18 months.

Here’s the introduction from the site:

Your Apple Time Capsule has died. You are now faced with the difficult, but important, need to mourn.

To show that you’re not alone in this process, we’ve opened the Apple Time Capsule Memorial Register. Please take a moment and submit a few details of your beloved Time Capsule. You will instantly notice it will make you feel better but will also help others facing the same difficult period in their lives.

And hopefully, this register will also provide a reliable overview of the scale of the premature passing of Apple’s “server grade” backup solution.

Apple is accomplished in the art of making us part with our money in return for its beautiful, shiny products. It is somewhat less accomplished in admitting when things have gone wrong with those beautiful, shiny products. The recent drama surrounding the problems caused by the iPhone OS 3.1 update illustrates just how slow and stubbornly silent Apple can be when it comes to reacting to glaringly obvious problems with its products. Over 140 comments on that article tell me that the “coma” problem I wrote about last month — caused by OS 3.1 and experienced almost exclusively on iPhone 3G’s — was much, much more than just the “sporadic issue” Apple casually labeled it in the release notes for iPhone OS 3.1.2. Incidentally, to the best of my knowledge, that short line in the 3.1.2 release notes remains the only “official” confirmation from Apple that there was anything wrong.

Ticking Timebombs

The Time Capsule is one of Apple’s more indispensable peripherals; it offers hassle-free, automatic, over-the-air backups along with reasonable storage capacities. Sure, there are cheaper ways to emulate what a Time Capsule does, but the convenience of its simple set-it-and-forget-it nature makes the added expense seem justified.

Imagine, then, the pain when a well-used Time Capsule croaks, taking up to 18 months’ worth of incremental backups with it. I don’t mind admitting that the thought of it strikes fear into my heart. I use two Time Capsules every hour of every day. They’ve proven invaluable to me a handful of times. But these reported problems are making me think of dusting off my old external USB LaCies. I can’t help thinking that I don’t own two Time Capsules; I own two ticking Time bombs.

Apple still hasn’t acknowledged there’s a design problem with the Time Capsules. I wonder whether sites like The Apple Time Capsule Memorial Register could do a sufficient job of shaming Apple into admitting there’s an issue worthy of investigation. At the very least, a perfunctory “We’re working on it” would be better than nothing.

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Without much fanfare, and over a day later than it usually announces products, Apple has released a new version of its integrated network storage/Wi-Fi router today.

The new Time Capsule sports an industry pace-keeping 2TB of hard drive space, and can be yours for a mere $499. Not bad, considering your average external USB 2TB drive will cost you around $250 at the low end, and an Airport Extreme on its own is $199.

The coming of the much beefier Time Capsule also results in a price drop for the 1TB model, shaving off a solid $200, to $299. The 500GB, which up until today commanded that very same sum, gets discontinued completely, which hopefully will translate to deep discounts from retailers still holding onto existing stock. I know I’d pick one up if it went for, say, $179? Just a suggestion, licensed distributors.

Like the previous models, the new 2TB comes equipped with the dual-band router present in its predecessors and the newest Airport Extreme, which lets you work on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz band simultaneously, for optimal network efficiency. I’m not sure about your setup, but mine has so much static from the sheer volume of connected devices that dual-band networking is a huge selling point. Not sure if the value proposition is quite attractive enough yet at the high end of the scale, but at $300, the 1TB model feels like it might’ve hit a sweet spot for consumers like me who’ve been holding out for a better deal.

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After a few minutes of of shopping, I had found a 2TB USB hard drive and had the Pogoplug in my cart, but then saw I was going to spend about three hundred bucks. I then started thinking that I already had a Time Capsule 1TB hard drive with all my media on it, and that there must be a way to mount my Time Capsule over the Internet just like the Pogoplug. Unfortunately, there is really no documentation on how to mount the Time Capsule over the Internet, but after a few minutes, I ended up figuring it out myself. I can now have my files wherever I am!

Some Things to Note

• This tutorial assumes you are using your Time Capsule as an NAS, not as the router. It’s possible it would work when in use as a router, but I didn’t give that a try.
• Wherever your Time Capsule is must have a static IP address. (My broadband Internet came with that.)

Determine your External IP Address

We’re going to be referring back to this number a lot. Make sure you write it down.

1. Go to What is My IP Address?
2. Write down the number next to “Your IP Address is”
   

Determine your Time Capsule’s IP Address

1. Launch Airport Utility: Applications → Utilities → Airport Utility
2. Find your device in the left-hand column and select it.
3. Copy the number down next to “IP Address” in the right-hand column.
   

Determine Your Time Capsule’s Disk Password

When we try to remotely connect to the Time Capsule, we are going to be prompted for the password for it. To set up a password for the Time Capsule disk:

1. Launch Airport Utility: Applications → Utilities → Airport Utility
2. Find your device in the left-hand column and select it.
3. Click the “Manual Setup” button.
4. Click the “Disks” tab.
5. Click the “File Sharing” tab.
6. Make sure the “Enable File Sharing” box is checked and “With a secure disk password” is selected from the “Secure Shared Disks” drop-down menu.
7. Enter in a password in the “Disk Password” and “Verify Password” boxes.
8. Click the “Update” button.
   

Forward Port 548

Port 548 is the Apple file-sharing port. We need to forward from our external IP address to the Time Capsule on our internal network.

Every router is different, so below I’ve outlined the basic steps. You’re going to have to consult your router’s documentation for exact instructions. Portfoward.com has documentation for a lot of routers, and I also wrote an article for how to do port forwarding with Airport Extremes.

1. Log in to your router. If you have left it as the router as the default configuration, launch a web browser and enter “192.168.1.1″ (most routers default to this IP). If this doesn’t work, consult your router’s manual for directions on how to get to the configuration panel.
2. Once you are logged into your router, find the port forwarding section (mine was under the “Applications and Gaming” tab).
3. Forward both the TCP and UDP ports from the router to your Time Capsule’s IP Address

AppleScript to Mount Drive (For Laptop Users)

We are going to make an application to mount the drive. After you save it in your Applications folder, anytime you are away from home you can simply double click it to mount your Time Capsule.

1. Open Scipt Editor: Applications → AppleScript → Script Editor
2. Paste the following code (be sure to replace Your External IP Address, Your Username, and the Time Capsule Password):
   mount volume ¬
"afp://YOUR EXTERNAL IP ADDRESS" as user name "YOUR USERNAME" with password "TIME CAPSULE PASSWORD"
3. Click File → Save As.
4. Select “Application” from the “File Format” pulldown.
5. Save it to your Applications folder.

Mount Drive From Any Mac Computer

Here is how you mount the drive from any of your friends’ computers. Obviously, you won’t have your application with you. If you’re feeling lazy, you could email it to yourself and store it in your email so you always have it.

1. In the Finder bar at the top of your screen click Go → Connect to Server.
2. In the server address box, enter in your external IP address that we wrote down earlier.
3. Click “Connect.”
4. You will be prompted for a username and password.
   Username: Enter in your computers username. (On your home computer go to System Preferences → Accounts and it’s the name next to “Username”.)
   Password: Enter in your Time Capsule’s Password

Optional Step: Forward a Domain Name to Your External IP Address

Remembering a domain name is much easier than remembering an IP address, so for this optional step we are going to forward a domain name to our External IP address that we wrote down earlier. Then, when we go to the “Connect to Server” you can enter in the domain name instead of the IP address.

This guide is for GoDaddy, but the same basic procedure should apply for other domain registrars.

1. Purchase a domain at Godaddy.com.
2. Log in to your Account Manager.
3. In the My Products section, click Domain Manager.
4. Click the domain name for which you want to create an A record.
5. In the Total DNS section, click Total DNS Control and MX Records.
6. Click Add New A Record.
7. Complete the following:

   Host Name: The host name the A record links to. You can enter @ to map the record directly to your domain.

   Points to IP Address: The external IP address that we wrote down earlier.

   TTL: The time increment for which the server should cache the information.

8. Click OK.

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Recently, I figured out how to do port forwarding on the Time Capsule, so let’s take a look at what it is, why you’d want to do it, and how to set it up.

What is port forwarding?

The act of forwarding a network port from one network node to another. This technique can allow an external user to reach a port on a private IP address (inside a LAN) from the outside via a NAT-enabled router.

Why would I want to port forward?

Port forwarding greatly increases torrent speeds. It can also be used to access files on your computer or NAS at home over the Internet (i.e., mount a file server over the Internet).

Setting Up Port Forwarding On Your Airport Extreme or Time Capsule

1. Open Airport Utility: Applications → Utilities → Airport Utility
2. Find your device in the left-hand column and select the “Manual Setup” button
3. Click the “Advanced” gear at the top of the window
4. Click the “IPv6 Firewall” tab
5. Click the “+” to add a new rule
   
6. In the window that pops up:
   • Description: Enter whatever you want
   • IPv6 Address: Enter the IP address of the computer you are forwarding the ports to (To figure this out: System Preferences → Network. Inside that window write down the number next to “IP Address”)
   • TCP Port(s): Enter in the port number you want to forward
   • UDP Port(s): Enter in the port number you want to forward (Same port as the TCP Port)

   

Common Ports to Forward:

• BitTorrent: 6881-6999 (Pick any number in this range and forward it)
• AFP: 548 (Forward this if you want to be able to access an internal drive over the Internet)

Check That Your Ports are Forwarded Properly

I’m sure there is another way to do this, but we’re going to use the BitTorrent client Transmission to check if our port forwarding was successful.

1. Download & Install Tranmssion (Don’t worry, it’s free — it’s also my BitTorrent client of choice)
2. Click Transmission → Preferenceas
3. Go to the “Network” tab
4. In the “Network: Peer Listening Port” box enter in the port you forwarded earlier
   
5. If everything worked, you should have a green light with the words “Port is open” (I am on a Wi-Fi hotspot so my port is currently closed)

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The Airport Extreme and Time Capsule were updated today with some new features that, while they don’t change the basic capabilities of the devices, do make them more flexible. Both devices now offer “guest networking” and simultaneous dual-band networks. All of the new features apply equally to the Airport Extreme and the Time Capsule. The Airport Express, sadly, has been left out of today’s update cycle.

While most people won’t run out to exchange their existing Airports, it is worth considering the new features to see if they are something you could use.

Dual-Band Networking

In previous models of the Airport, you had to choose either 2.4GHz or 5GHz. If you ran at 2.4GHz you could still offer the increased speeds of 802.11n but it would not be quite as fast as 802.11n on 5GHz. If you went with 5GHz, then your 802.11b/g devices were left out in the cold.

The new Airport Extreme offers the ability to run separate wireless networks on both the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz band at the same time. This means that you should be able to offer maximum connection speeds to all your devices, regardless of type. For many people, this means that your new MacBook or MacBook Pro will finally be able to access your home network at top speeds while you still allow older devices to connect.

In my house, this means that I could allow my Nintendo Wii and an old PC laptop to connect on 802.11g and move my MacBook to 802.11n on 5GHz. This should result in a speed increase on the MacBook when I am accessing my home file server. If you are only connecting to the Internet from your laptop (and not another device on your home network) then this feature is not going to help you because your wireless connection is still going to be faster than your Internet connection. However, if you are sharing files between devices on your home network (Apple TV syncing with iTunes, file server, iPhoto library sharing, etc.) then you will definitely enjoy the higher speed.

This is a good solution for an office environment with a range of devices too. You can enable 5GHz 802.11n for the latest laptops and still support iPhones, Blackberry’s and older computers that can only access 802.11b/g networks.

Guest Networking

Guest networking is a new feature that allows you to create a separate wireless network that only allows those users to access the Internet. The practical effect is that they are blocked from accessing devices that are on the “main” wireless network or connected to the Ethernet LAN ports. This is a great feature for someone that wants to create public access in their home or at work. I have a client that uses an Airport Extreme at their restaurant and left the network open for their patrons to use. This new Airport Extreme would allow them to share the Airport and use it for their internal network and still offer guest access. You could also set this up in the lobby of your office too, so that visiting guests could use your Wi-Fi for their iPhone or laptop to get on the Internet, but not on your office network.

You could also disable the guest network temporarily if you needed all the available bandwidth to download the latest Battlestar Galactica episode on Saturday morning – with the series finale coming up soon, you wouldn’t want to have to wait and run the risk of getting spoilers on Twitter before you had a chance to watch it, right? Or is that just me?

The configuration screen for Guest Networking on Apple’s web site only shows password as an option. It would be nice to have additional controls on the guest network so you could limit bandwidth usage or control access by time of day. It could be on during business hours and off at night, for example.

Do You Need One?

The Airport Extreme and Time Capsule updates are great and I see real practical uses for both dual-band and guest networking.

If you would use the Time Capsule at work or at home with a file server, then using dual-band networking to allow full speed connections for all devices probably has a measurable benefit for you. If you are only accessing the Internet and your current wireless connection is faster than your Internet connection, then you are fine with what you have.

For those that want to share their Internet connection with guests at work or at home, or even neighbors, then the new guest networking gives you a way to do that without inadvertently sharing access to your private network at the same time — a really important feature in some scenarios.

Of course, what I really want to know is if these changes are coming to the older models or not. On the surface, they look like software changes (guest networking) but I don’t know if dual-band networking requires hardware support that the previous models are lacking. We’ll find out soon, I’m sure, because I can’t be the only one that would love to update their existing Airport Extreme with these features.

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Today sees the public launch of Paragon Software’s Drive Backup 9.0 Express, designed for novice users to replicate and backup their entire PC – from OS and apps to preferences, settings and data…a little like Apple’s Time Capsule + Time Machine combo, but for Windows PCs and not quite as pretty.

What’s really interesting about Paragon’s software is that users can create emergency bootable media (CD, DVD, Flash drive) to recover an imaged machine quickly…something I could really have done with when I dropped my MacBook in San Diego earlier this year… Oh, Drive Backup 9 Express is also free and users are provided with an upgrade path to more sophisticated Personal and Professional editions that provide backup schedules, the ability to image individual files as well as drives, along with the ability to directly mount a backup image prior to re-installation.

Backup seems to be a perennially failure-ridden activity for most users- wavering between fatalist, zero-backup strategies and replicating data on multiple drives at home as well as at online services.

I have the feeling that no, one service provider is getting this right for users – do we need something with the ease-of use of Time Capsule+Machine, coupled with the distributed resilience of Amazon’s S3 Simple Storage Service. Come to think of it, why can’t a Time Capsule replicate itself to S3?

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