In addition to introducing me to loads of cool new tech stuff I didn't know I needed, this year's Consumer Electronics Show got me thinking about how I use the gadgets I already have.
Take my cell phone, for example. I haven't backed up my contacts in ages. I never use up all my plan minutes--such a waste. And as a recent power outage reminded me, I really don't have a good backup plan for recharging my phone.
Well, I've come across a few products that solve these problems, and I'll share them with you this week.
Back Up Your Cell Phone Data
If you have a cell phone (dumb comment, I know) you could probably use a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to back up the contact info on it. I found two products that could help. Both do the same thing, but from different angles.
The first, and the easier to use, is BackupPal. Connect it to your mobile phone, press the Backup button, and you're done. Need to restore your contacts to the same phone or copy them to another? Just connect the device and press the "Restore to Phone" button.
BackupPal is about the size of a beer coaster (about 4 inches in diameter). It gets its power from batteries, and connects to a mobile phone via a USB cable or an infrared connection (IrDA).
BackupPal will be available in April and pricing hasn't been announced yet, though I'm guessing it will sell for about $30 to $40. Visit Advanced Wireless Solutions for details.
If you'd prefer to save your cell phone's data to your PC, check out Spark Technology's CellStik ($50).
One end of the gadget attaches to your cell phone; the other end plugs in to your computer's USB port. Click a button on the CellStik to send the data from your cell phone to your computer for storage. A simple database program lets you edit, add, or delete names and numbers, then send them all back to your cell phone.
Dig This: If you dig a really deep hole, where would you end up? It depends on where you start digging. [Thanks, Brad.]
Landline-Cell Phone Switcheroo
I never seem to use up the hours I get each month on my cellular plan. One reason is that I'm much more comfortable using my Plantronics headset with a landline phone. (And yes, I have a headset for the cell phone, but it's not nearly as comfy as the Plantronics model.)
But I think I've found a solution: PhoneLabs' Dock-N-Talk gives me a way to use my landline phone to make calls on my cellular service.
Fair warning, it's not cheap--it'll set you back $140, not including the cable you'll need to connect it to your cell phone. (Instead of a cable, you could use an $80 Bluetooth adapter if your cell phone can handle it.)
If you have a two-line phone, you can use it to make calls using your traditional landline service or the cell phone; without a two-line phone, you'd need to use an inexpensive splitter. Read the FAQ if you have questions.
Charge Me Up
Let's say you're shipwrecked on an island somewhere in the Pacific. Once the novelty of acting like Tom Hanks in Cast Away gets old, you whip out your cell phone to call for help. But wait, the battery's dead. Turn to the sun and connect Solio's Universal Solar Charger. The device is about the size of a cell phone when closed; it twists open to reveal three solar panels. It connects to a mobile phone--or PDA, MP3 player, digital camera, or GPS device--and gives it a charge.
Dig This: I received a message from Carl A. in Portland telling me that the French building climbers I talked about in a Dig This last month are wimps. To make his point, Carl sent me a link to a Google video of Russian building climbers.
Okay, so those Russians are not wimps--but I still think the French climbers are pretty amazing, too.
Steve Bass writes PC World's monthly "Hassle-Free PC" column and is the author of PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer, available from O'Reilly. He also writes PC World's daily Tips & Tweaks blog. Sign up to have Steve's newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.
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