September 4th, 2010 | Posted by admin
Thou shalt back up your electronic devices. With everything that cell phones do today and all the important data it carries, it should be the 11th commandment. The evolution of the cell phone has taken a long torturous road to today. Cell phones, iPhones, Blackberry phones, Android phones, Palm phones, it seems that everyone has some sort of a mobile phone. No longer just a “phone,” though, your cell phone is actually a computer, probably, a more powerful computer than found in most businesses.
What would you do if you lost your cell phone, or if it was somehow destroyed or stolen? Studies show that 70 million cell phones are lost or broken every year. Sometimes, cell phones can be repaired, sometimes, not. If it gets wet and you can turn it off fast enough, you may be able to save it. But it will involve completely disassembling it and ensuring all the electrical parts are dry before reassembling and energizing it. Paying for insurance from your carrier will help lessen the blow of a lost or unrepairable phone but it does not replace the data that was on it.
Have you thought about what you would do if you lost all of the data on your cell phone? Do you have any phone numbers memorized? Are those numbers written down anywhere other than in your phone? These portable computers are often being used to store important, hard-to-replace information, such as business contacts, text messages, financial files and memos, as well as non-critical items such as songs and videos. As it stands, it’s becoming just as important to back up cell phones as it is to back up desktop and laptop computers. Cell phone backup methods can be different from those used with conventional computers, so it pays to know your phone and how to back it up.
Many cell phones can be connected directly to a computer, with the most trouble-free method using a phone-to-USB cable. It’s easy, just like connecting a digital camera. Cell phone manufacturers usually provide free software to allow data transfer between the two devices, making the direct-connect method the least expensive, as well. Just buy the data cable for your phone from your provider or get it cheaper by going to eBay, etc., then go to your phone manufacturer and download the software for your phone. Hook it all up and you should be good to go. The direct-connect method allows the user to back up all of their cell phone data, including contact phone numbers, text messages, pictures, videos and music. Other backup methods exist which may be easier to use, but are typically limited to only backing up your contact lists
One nifty backup solution is called the CellStik. About the same size as a USB flash drive, the CellStik plugs directly into your cell phone. Push a button and all of your contact numbers are backed up. Plug it into a computer, push a button and all of your backups are copied to the computer. Keep in mind that only contact information is backed up. Still, for its size and convenience, the CellStik is very attractive and at eBay and Amazon runs around $40, depending on the type of phone. Another solution is the Epraizer 39 in 1 Universal Flash and Card Reader/Writer UCD250 from x-tremegeek.com. Runs around $15 it also has a Sim Card reader.
Most cell phone carriers also offer backup services, some free, some for a small fee. They are, again, pretty much limited to only backing up your contact information. Still, these backups can be extremely valuable. Verizon and T-Mobile’s backup services are free. AT&T will automatically back up your contact information for about $2 per month, using whatever schedule you pick Blackberry and iPhone users have very complete backup options. However, these options are proprietary and tied to the device. Users of these devices should make sure that they are being properly backed up and should also perform a test or two to make sure that they know how to restore their files in the event of a device failure.
So, it’s time to introduce some non-provider services to backup your mobile phone, i.e. contacts list, cheap calnedar printing entries, text messages, browser bookmarks, phone settings, notes etc. All listed services are free or come with a good free account option.
(1) Mobical – Simple and straightforward over-the-air mobile backup and restore service to automatically backup mobile address book, cheap calnedar printing, settings, bookmarks and notes online. Mobical supports pretty much all modern handsets and can be accessed from any web-enabled device. You can edit contacts, add appointments, and save notes online and it will sync added changes with your handset. Similarly, all on-phone edits will be synced wit