Android phones are like mini-computers, holding lots of precious data.
Yet it’s fair to say many of us still fail to back up our contacts, calendar entries, messages, photos, videos and music regularly enough, meaning that losing your handset, having it stolen or dropping it beneath the wheels of a passing lorry is likely to cause you pain in more ways than one. MEEM seeks to take the hassle out of backing up. As long as you have Android 4.1.2 and above, you can make use of the accompanying free app and see data whizz across to the device in just six minutes, locally storing your data without the need for you to even think about it. The maker promises that your data will be protected by built-in security and the use of an authentication code. We’re also told that version 2.0 of the app is pencilled in for June and will be compatible with tablets, work with documents, allow you to partition the device and let you store data that you don’t want on the phone.
At a glance
» Product name MEEM
» Available from meemmemory.com
» Price £49.99
A wired charger that automatically backs up the personal data on your Android phone when you plug it in
How It Works
Questions & Answers
- What gave you the idea of placing a back-up system within a phone charging cable?
>> Anil Goel founded MEEM with a product that he originally got working on Symbian phones around seven years ago. He came up with the idea to try and create something that is seamless, useful and doesn’t require users to remember any more than they have to already.
- Was it difficult to produce?
>> Technically, it’s not an easy thing to create. MEEM is not a simple pen drive, put it that way, because it takes whatever data is in your phone and converts it into its own language, converting it back when needed. It’s secure and safe and it can be used with different types of phones.
- Doesn’t the cloud perform the functions of MEEM just as well?
>> The problem with the cloud is that there are people who don’t quite understand it, so there are lots of people who don’t and so aren’t backing up regularly. There’s also the cost of storage with many companies charging for larger amounts of memory, and there’s a growing number of people worried about who has access to their data: are providers or a government agency watching? There are also 2.6 billion phones out there and not everyone has the opportunity to back up to the cloud.
- What happens if you lose the charger – could anyone ever access the information on it?
>> We have 256 levels of security and we’ve conducted research that has found that MEEM will either stay in the kitchen or a bedside table, which is where most people charge their phone. Since we see MEEM largely used at home, it should be protected from loss.
- Is there any difference between the Android and iOS chargers?
>> Android is open architecture and Apple is closed architecture. We can give people a more fulfilling experience with MEEM on an Android phone, which is why it can back up more categories than the Apple chargers can.
