Framingham

Dell Inc. and office-supply vendor Staples Inc. are working together to offer free recycling for Dell computers, printers and other products.

Under the partnership announced Wednesday, people can drop off any amount of Dell-branded PCs, monitors, keyboards, printers, mice and other accessories at any of Staples' 1,500 U.S. stores for recycling, without having to make a purchase.

Framingham, Mass.-based Staples started selling Dell computers last year as part of Dell's expansion from made-to-order sales on the Web into retail stores.

Federal prosecutors won a guilty plea Thursday from one of 11 men who made up a ring that was charged last month with the largest data theft case in history, involving tens of millions of customers of retailers, including TJX Cos. of Framingham, Mass., and BJ's Wholesale Club of Natick, Mass.

Separately the government also said it has evidence the group breached the security of many more businesses than previously disclosed.

Two research firms on Wednesday said growth in computer shipments worldwide will be more robust than they had previously forecast for the year, driven by continuing strength in sales of portable computers.

IDC now expects shipments to rise 15.2 percent over last year, compared with a 2008 forecast of 12.8 percent growth that the Framingham, Mass.-based firm made in March.

You've been through this before. A smart-aleck technology columnist tells you to back up your computer files or else. Sure enough, you choose "or else," because making spare copies of your files is too much bother.

You don't want to spend $100 or more on an external hard drive or figure out how to install the automatic backup software. Besides, if your house is robbed or burned down, there goes your computer and your precious backup, too.

Unless your backed-up data wasn't home when disaster struck.