• PC World
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PDAs Make Music, Backups? Who Knew...

...You could listen to FM radio on your PDA? Most PDAs can play MP3 music tracks and record voice memos; but when it comes to audio, that's about it. Fortunately, PDA expansion ports (CompactFlash or SD on Pocket PCs and Palms) expand your entertainment versatility. For example, you can transform any Palm or Pocket PC into an FM radio by using the IBiz PocketRadio. This handy gizmo ($40 street) lets you listen to FM stations while performing other tasks. Load the IBiz software onto your handheld and slip the device into the PDA's expansion slot. The included earpieces or your own headphones serve as the radio's antenna, providing surprisingly good reception. You get 18 station presets along with basic radio controls. Once the radio is on, you can easily switch to work with other applications and play the radio broadcast in the background.

...You could back up your PDA without having to use a PC? In the past, if your PDA's memory went south and you were nowhere near the PC that you synced it with, you were in big trouble. That's because, until recently, the only place you could back up a PDA was on the computer it shared information with. But not anymore. The Secure File Backup from MDM is a $50, 64MB SD card for Palms and Pocket PCs that automatically launches the backup or restore program each time you insert it. The card intuitively backs up fully or incrementally; if you lose your data, just put the card in the PDA to retrieve it instantly. The card's generous 64MB of memory can accommodate everything stored on any current Palm or Pocket PC.

Michael S. Lasky