There are so many lessons to take away from my recent experience in netbook hardware failure, it’s hard to know where to begin. A resounding vote for cloud computing and distributed risk? How about, beware of irony and over-praising your gadgets? Or simply when it rains (first the washing machine breaks down, then the car…), it pours. No, here’s the moral of the story I like: when your computer dies on a weekend, it’s good to know the Geek Squad is around for data recovery.

My beloved Asus Eee 1000HA has served me well for eleven months, but last Friday everything changed when a system config error popped up my screen. I couldn’t even boot in safe mode, and every attempt to break away from the error screen resulted in a cycle that landed me right back where I started. Miraculously I had the Windows XP recovery CD and an external CD/DVD drive on hand, but even after I figured out how to re-order the boot sequence, it became clear to me I would lose all of my data if I ran the recovery disk. A call to Asus tech support also confirmed that an F9 reset would wipe my files, and that I would need to get a full back-up before attempting the process. (Tech support would not provide any advice on how I might accomplish such a back-up with no working operating system.)

At this point you may be wondering whether I have ever considered backing up my data on a regular basis to avoid this type of disaster. I have backed up in the past to one of our Western Digital external hard drives, but even with the help of the Clickfree back-up solution I picked up in January at CES (it runs a differential back-up every time you plug it in), I’ve never managed to get into a regular routine. Before last week, it had been several months since I’d run a back-up, and I was panicked at the thought of losing the many files existing solely on my Eee PC.

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I’m not quite sure what prompted Google’s Chrome OS briefing yesterday, as we could be up to a year away from retail delivery of their Linux-based cloudbooks. It’s also a bit puzzling that Google would simultaneously pursue two distinct mobile operating systems. (see Android) However, I was looking for a project at 4AM and fired up a very early developer build of Chromium in VMWare Fusion (video above). If you’d also like to poke around with the browser-centric OS, head on over to GDGT for the VMWare or VirtualBox image. And to learn more of what we know and don’t know about Chrome OS, head on over to Technologizer.

We’ve looked at quite a few remote controls in our day, but this is the first hand-powered one — no batteries required! The remote is a concept design by NEC and Soundpower, which obtains its power from the vibrations of your hand pressing the buttons.  Sort of a self-sustainable electronic device if you will. Unfortunately we won’t see anything like this in the near future, but it’s a very interesting concept nonetheless. Now if they could just make my phone battery-free…

Check out more of Brent’s reflections on tech, gadgets, software and media at Brent Evans Geek Tonic.

Last month, Nokia published an official Netflix app to their Ovi store for a variety of Symbian handsets. (Joining the official Windows Mobile Netflix app, developed with Microsoft.) Of course you can manage your DVD rental queue, search for titles, and receive recommendations. But, using Flash Lite, movie trailers can also be streamed to Nokia’s touchscreen devices (5800, N97, N97 Mini). In conjunction with getting the word out, the companies are running an impressive $5000 giveaway:

• 42″ HD Television
• Xbox 360 Console
• Nokia Booklet 3G
• Nokia N97 Mini
• 1 year subscription to Netflix

Anyone can enter the contest here. Entries will be accepted until December 18th and a winner will be chosen shortly thereafter on December 22nd. (via Hacking Netflix)

Looks like DISH Network is next in line with an app store offering, following in the footsteps of rival DirecTV. EchoStar’s repeatedly delayed Slingbox-loaded 922s DVR, now slated for delivery “early next year,” will provide access to a variety of home grown and third party apps. The SDK and API has already been made available to developers, although DISH hasn’t yet committed to a store launch date. And, as you’d expect, they’ll act as gatekeepers according to Light Reading:

“We’re the ones to make sure the apps past muster, that they don’t use too much of the resources in the box, for example,” says Jeffrey Hale, an EchoStar national account manager.

Thanks, Mike!