Always be curating new files. Whether we’re managing photos, (legally) downloading songs or starting a movie project, it’s easy to get lost in the plethora of files being created on our computer everyday. These files can build up over time, even long after we no longer need them. The trick to managing storage is being organized, know where files go after they’re downloaded or created. Have a good folder system going so new files are always being filed away. When it comes time to delete or back up data for more storage, we could simply move the entire folder instead of going through individual files.

Limit browser storage. Our browser is always backing up elements of the sites that we visit to enhance the web experience, the more it backs up the faster we browse the web. With the media heavy websites today, these “temporary” files can build up and take a good chuck of memory in our computer. We keep these files in check by clearing these files regularly. We also set a maximum limit for the browser to store these files. Usually these settings can be found under the Options or Preferences menu of the browser.

Back up, back up, back up. Getting an external hard drive is the basics of freeing up space on a computer, but it’s important to actually back up regularly. Having a good file structure could make this process a lot easier. Set up an automated solution like Time Machine or other software can make this process quick and painless. This also allows us to get rid of those important files on our local drive that we don’t always need to have with us. We regularly back up photos, music and movies that we’ve worked on and purge them from our local drive.

Turn off/restart the computer. Whether it’s a Mac or a PC, the OS usually backs up the documents and files is being worked on in case of any mishaps. Similar to browsing data, this can build up quickly on a computer. We found that by restarting our Mac once in a while, we recover about 1-2GB of storage space. Turning off the computer and letting it rest also has the advantage of saving energy by limiting electricity draw from the standby mode and improving the computer’s performance by clearing its RAM.

The Cloud is our friend. With so many cloud services for music and movies available, there isn’t much reason for us to keep physical media on our computer anymore. For the music lovers amongst us, services such as Spotify, Rdio or many others give you access to most of the music ever created in the world for a small fee or even free. For the TV and movie buffs, check out the perenial favorites such as Netflix and Hulu, the major streaming services are even creating their ownoriginal content. And with the growth and development of web tools such as Google’s services to Microsoft Office’s effort to “cloudify” themselves, soon we may not even need all those pesky programs taking up valuable storage. For the anti-Google fans, check out Lifehacker’s list of Google alternatives.

What are your tips and tricks for keeping your files from taking over your storage? Share with us in the comments below!
By Eric Chen

Canon T2i DSLR: It changed the way I do things. I always thought that the great point and shoots were good enough, but they really weren’t. The photography with this camera is solid and the video is sharp. This Canon opened a lot of doors and that’s what you hope technology will do for you. The lens is a Tamron 2.8 17-50. I used to think a lens like this would suck, but no, it’s solid and great. I used to worry about it’s non compactness, but you get used to it and it’s no big deal to have a camera on you these days. You never know when the alien ship will land and having a camera might be a good idea.

Apple MacBook: I need a new one badly. This might be from 2006 and it’s running slower by the day. It’s a black MacBook that’s maxed out in ram with hard drive space constantly being eaten away. The internal fan sounds like tiny people are inside working away at breaking this machine down with mini chainsaws. There was a time when I’d get a new computer every year. It’s been a while now and maybe it’s time.

Apple iMac: The ultimate brain. It has multiple hard drives connected to it and it’s all networked. It can run Final Cut and is the fastest computer I have. It’s no longer new, but it’s decent enough and gets much less usage than the MacBook. I don’t have a personal affinity towards it like I do other pieces of technology, but it’s reliable and there for the using.

Apple iPhone 3GS: After dropping my iPhone 4 outside of Giant Robot after having it for only two weeks, I found out that the non subsidized price is about $600. After pleading my case with the staff at an Apple Store, they let me exchange a broken iPhone 3GS for a refurbished one for $79. That’s what I use today. It still works but the nice photos everyone else can take with their 4S make me jealous. Instagram still works and that’s always fun. I’m user: giantrobot.

Epson 4800 Printer: The large printer is fun to use. It’s 17 inches wide and it prints clean. Of course you always want bigger. Epson makes a printer that goes 44 inches wide but printing wall papers will have to wait. The 8 colors of inks get pricey so it’s not a toy.

Hario Coffee Grinder: The payment for good coffee is the road to get there. Luckily I don’t have to pick beans or roast them, but grinding them for the pour over is a ritual nearly twice a day. The pour over funnel isn’t really tech as is the kettle, measuring cup or coffee filter, but they count too. Having even grinds is a great way to start the day.

XBox 360: Yes, Modern Warfare 3 isn’t part of a work day, although sometimes, one ten minute game of mass destruction and annihilation can help clear my mind. I don’t like guns but for some reason, I like this game. Thinking about it more, it’s the teamwork of the clan that is most enjoyable. Without that, I wouldn’t bother. Yes, I’m pretty good. I use the ACR with grenade launcher and ACOG scope and MP9 with a red dot. You can’t escape this tandem.

LA Eyeworks Eyeglasses: I’m not blind and people say there’s very little prescription in them, but when they’re off, things are blurry. I’ve had nice compliments on them. There’s people who threaten to steal these frames from me, but it’s not going to happen.

Magic Bullet: When I want something sweet, I try not to eat candy. Instead I blend an array of fruit. No dairy gets in. It’s just fruit and ice. I used to think this was a piece of junk and it sat for ages. I have no idea why. Then one day after using it, it’s been important. I’ve even blended maguro to make spicy tuna in it.

O’Keefe and Merrit Stove: It’s close to where I sit and it’s a pleasure to use this daily. Who needs something brand new when this piece of machinery can do the job just as well? Stoves get old, but fires are the same.

By Gregory Han. Photo by Mathieu Young.

Lexmark Genesis This scanner doesn’t rely on a slow moving cathode lamp, but instead, it works with a 10 megapixel camera, that will rip a 300 dpi image in few seconds and after it’s done, it will send it to your computer via its built in WiFi. And guess what? the Lexmark Genesis also works as a printer, churning 33 pages per minute and 4″x6′s” in only 26 seconds.

NeatDesk Scanner This automatic document feeder will help you declutter your desk with very easy to use one button scan/archive. You can scan up to 10 receipts, business cards and documents at once or your choice of one big 50 page document. We love that, when scanning business cards, it will automatically populate your address books.

Doxie Document Scanner This one wins on the portability race. It’s so simple to use that even a cave man could do it. We love that it makes sharing your photos and images super easy. It scans directly to the cloud, sending your images directly to Flickr, iPhoto, Picasa and even Tumblr and much more. The price point of $149 makes this, a very affordable alternative to the bigger ones.

By Joel Pirela.