In addition to losing weight and quitting smoking, we suggest adding some of these computing-related goals to your list of New Year's resolutions for 2013.

The start of a new year is always a good time to reflect and make new resolutions. While most people vow to exercise more often, quit smoking, and make other self-improvements, few people actually make computer-related resolutions. So why not make 2013 the year you make the effort to improve your computer habits? We listed a few resolutions below that, if carried out, will make you and your computer happier in the new year.

Back up your data

In order to protect your important files – photos, music, videos, and work documents – it’s vital that you back up your data on a regular basis. Some great ways to back up your files include cloud storage programs like Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon Cloud Drive, and iCloud. If you’d rather have a physical copy of your files, other ways to save data include USB flash drives and external hard drives. As a general rule, you should back up your data on a weekly basis. Check out our complete guide to backing up your computer for more info.

Delete unnecessary files

If you’re like most people, you may have a whole slew of files and programs on your computer that you no longer need or want. It might take a chunk out of your day, but turn on some tunes and take the time to delete these files. Your computer will thank you for it since you’ll also have more space and a speedier PC as a result.

Organize files

Once you’ve deleted all of your unnecessary files, try sorting through the ones you have left and organizing them by year. This way, you’ll be able to find important photos and files much more quickly and easily. 

Defrag 

In order to make your computer run faster and smoother, it’s a good idea to defrag the computer. If you’re using a computer running Windows Vista or later, or Mac OS X, your computer is already defragmenting itself automatically. If you’re not using one of these operating systems, check out our guide on how to speed up your PC for tips on how to defragment your computer. 

Clean out your inbox

Email inboxes can easily become cluttered and disorganized. In addition to cleaning out files on a computer, cleaning out unnecessary emails should also be near the top of your New Year’s to-do list. If you’re using Gmail, you can easily create filters and organize emails into folders. For example, you can create a filter for anything shopping related and have those emails automatically added to your Shopping folder when they arrive. The same goes for work emails, personal emails, emails from your running group, etc.

If you want to start 2013 off on a clean slate by wiping out all of your emails but are afraid you may need them at some point down the road, check out our post on how to back up your Gmail to make sure you have a copy stored when you need it.

Consolidate and delete old email addresses

If you have multiple email addresses, it may be a good idea to combine them. If you have a Gmail account, but also a Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail account, you can either set up Gmail’s POP Mail Fetcher feature, which will grab your emails via Post Office Protocol (POP) and add them to your other Gmail messages; or you can go into each account and forward the emails to your Gmail address. Lifehacker has a great rundown on how to do both.

That said, if you can’t even remember the last time that you logged into your Hotmail account, it may be a good idea to consider deleting this email address altogether.

Protect your computer against viruses

There’s always a chance your computer will get infected with a virus, which is why it’s important to install – and use – anti-malware software. Not only will this software protect your computer against viruses, it also protects your computer or laptop against potential hackers, spyware, and malicious phishing attempts. You should update this your antivirus software, as well as your operating system, Web browsers, and other crucial software, regularly. Don’t know where to start? Check out our guide to the best free antivirus software.

Change your bank account password

Online banking is a convenient time saver, but it also opens up your bank account to hackers. You should consider changing your banking password at least once a year. Though many banks offer two-step verification, sending you a separate email or text to verify you as the correct user, you also need to make sure your password isn’t easy to hack. Check out our guide to making yourself unhackable for some great password tips.

Make sure your wireless network is secure 

Nowadays, we often take wireless Internet for granted. However, as a New Year’s resolution, you should take the time to make sure that your wireless network is indeed secure. Why? Hackers can easily infiltrate an unsecure network and gain access to your bank account and other confidential information. Check out the password tips above, and make sure the password for your router is hard to crack. For example, don’t make it your last name and house number. Also, some outdated routers are easier to hack into, so check out our wireless routing guide for more info on buying a secure router.

Keep your computer cool

In order to help keep your computer running smoothly, it is essential to keep your computer cool. To do so, you should be sure that there is adequate ventilation around your computer. If you’re using a laptop, you can use a special stand to keep air flowing, some of which come with built-in fans. As dust can keep your computer warm, you should periodically remove dust from your computer using a vacuum cleaner and/or a can of compressed air. Before you stick the vacuum attachment into your PC, check out our guide to speeding up your computer for detailed instructions on how to safely clean your vents.

Avoid carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be serious and debilitating, but there are certain measures you can implement to prevent damage to your body while using the computer. For example, always remember to support your wrists when you are using a mouse, and hold the mouse loosely in order to minimize tension in your hand. Dr. Thomas M. Marsella, MD, with the Occupational Health Services department of the Physician Foundation at California Pacific Medical Center, said in a PCWorld article that “micro breaks are the surest way to prevent repetitive strain injuries.”

Try something new

The New Year is an excellent time to jump into fresh experiences, so why not try something new on the computer?  For instance, if you’re still using Internet Explorer, why not give another browser a try like Google Chrome or Firefox? Or if you’re a Pandora user, try out Spotify. And if you’re really brave, how about checking out the new MySpace?

Spend time away from the computer

While computers are pretty awesome, it’s important to remember to step away from the glowing screen from time to time – no, taking your laptop out of the house doesn’t count. Make a resolution to get involved with a new activity, take a walk, or even read a book.

You should now be well on your way to implementing some helpful computer-related resolutions in 2013. Like more traditional New Years resolutions, sticking with these may require some effort on your part. However, by implementing at least some of these resolutions, you are making your time on the computer that much more efficient, safe, and enjoyable. Happy New Year! 

Image via jcjgphotography/Shutterstock

The Samsung Galaxy S III is widely heralded as one of the best Android smartphones on the market today, but perhaps you don’t want to deal with a locked phone on a contract. Then this unlocked version is for you.

The factory unlocked Samsung Galaxy S III is currently on sale on Amazon for $570. This is said to be 37% off the regular list price of $899.99. You get a 4.8-inch AMOLED HD display, a Snapdragon 1.5GHz dual core processor, Android 4.0 ICS, quad-band 3G, 16GB of storage, and the usual array of Samsung TouchWiz optimizations like Smart Stay, Direct Call, and S-Voice.

This is listed as the international version of the phone, so it starts up in German. Thankfully, it’s really easy to switch it to English by simply going to the language settings. And yes, it’s completely unlocked, so you can pop in whatever compatible SIM card you want.

There tends to be varying opinions about what Canonical has done in the Linux world over the last few years. Some users love the easier to use and more “pretty” design of Unity, the UI behind the popular Ubuntu OS. Others hate what Ubuntu has become with a passion.

Still, you have to at least give Canonical a little credit for turning Linux into a more mainstream OS in the last few years. While it is still certainly a niche, Ubuntu has appealed to many folks that don’t want spend the money on Apple’s premium hardware/software and are burned out when it comes to Windows.

Going forward, it seems that Ubuntu has many more changes in store. The Ubuntu homepage now prominently displays a banner that says, “So close, you can almost touch it” and is counting down to 8AM ET on Wednesday, January 2nd. More than likely, this pre-CES announcement will show what Ubuntu can bring to the table for mobile devices and even touch desktops and laptops.

For a long time, Canonical has been planning a push into mobile devices, so this isn’t all that surprising. What exactly these touch features and changes look like remain a mystery, however.

Don’t be surprised if at least a few devices at CES that utilize this touch-centric version of Ubuntu. Are you interested in the idea of a mobile/touch experience powered by Ubuntu or not?

This weekend, some more high resolution pictures of the upcoming BlackBerry Z10 model were leaked.  The BlackBerry Z10 is the new all touch screen Blackberry device, and their attempt to modernize the Blackberry brand.

The pictures were found on the Arabic blog fou6an.com, and the picture of the iPhone in the gallery below is said to have been taken with the Z10 itself.  These photos also appear to confirm the 2GB of built in RAM previously rumored for the handset.

We know just about everything there is to know about BB10 and their handsets now, though there will likely be a few surprises at the official Blackberry 10 launch event.

Are you looking forward to BB10 or not? If so, which handset are you interested in, the Z10 or X10?

If you’ve picked up a Windows Phone 8 device like the Nokia Lumia 920 and you really like how good the camera is on there, then you’ll like the CameraPro app even better.

No, this isn’t another one of those Instagram-esque filter-laden camera apps. Instead, it is a suitable replacement for the native camera app, giving you much faster access to the different settings and options that you would normally find on a standalone camera. Need to change the white balance, adjust the autofocus, turn the flash on and off, or switch to a different scene? No problem. All of these kinds of settings are available right from the shutter-ready screen.

You can even customize the layout of this via the settings menu, but make sure you save one of those slots for the “settings” button; otherwise, there’s no real way of restoring that on-screen button without re-installing the app. You can also change the resolution, the exposure time, the focus mode, the camera mode, the ISO (100-3200) and the exposure compensation (up to a +/- 12-step range). And yes, there’s even manual focus, which isn’t terribly common on smartphones. And then there are even deeper settings for timers, bracketing, burst, time-lapse and so on.

CameraPro is $2.49 through the Windows Phone Store.