My, how things have changed; cell phones, iPhones, Google phones, 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; most likely, a more powerful computer than some found on the Space Shuttle.
Just for fun, try asking a high school or younger kid what the "cell" in "cell phone" means. Let me know if you get anything other than a, "huh?"
What would you do if you lost your cell phone, or if it was somehow destroyed? Studies show that 70 million cell phones are lost or broken every year. Sometimes, cell phones can be repaired, sometimes, not. I actually once repaired my daughters' cell phone, which was rendered inoperable after it fell in a toilet. Fortunately, the toilet was clean, but it took forever to disassemble the phone and all of its teeny, tiny connectors and doodads.
After a long session under a hair dryer, the phone, miraculously, lived. A few months later I had the privilege of repairing the same phone after it went through the clothes washer. I was glad that it never made it into the dryer, though.
Have you thought about what you would do if you lost all of the data on your cell phone? How many phone numbers do you have memorized? Are they recorded anywhere other than in your phone? These tiny, 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. I hope that you are not using your cell phone as your only storage device for precious family photos.
As such, 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. For example, to equip myself for backing up my own cell phone, I went to eBay and searched for "Sony Ericson W350 data cable." I found a cable for $10. A bit of Googling around led me to sonyericson.com, where I found the necessary backup and transfer software, which was free. I have to download, install and remember to use the software, but the entire solution only costs $10.
The direct-connect method allows the user to back up all of his 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. eBay and Amazon prices range from $10-45, depending on the type of phone.
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 $1.99 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.
Whatever you do, backup your cell phone data and do it today. I've never tried to do data recovery on a cell phone, and I would rather that you weren't my first guinea pig.
Dave Moore has been repairing computers in Norman since 1984, when he borrowed $1,200 to buy a Commodore 64 system. He can be reached at 919-9901 or www.davemoorecomputers.com.
Local Business
November 14, 2009
Be sure to back up your cell phone
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