Backup Options for Lost or Stolen Phones

MOBILE TIPS: Backing up Cellphone Contacts

In the highly likely event that your cellphone is either stolen or ‘misplaced’ (or, in my case, drowned) you should be thinking of backup options for your cellphone contacts. Here are some useful ways to help you do that (besides using a memory card or two SIM cards):

• Most of the latest model WAP-enabled cellphones with Bluetooth come equipped with a CD-Rom with preloaded software that allows you to enter, edit and sync contacts between a phone and a PC via a USB cable. All you have to do is download the software onto your PC and follow the instructions provided to back up your phone to PC. In the event of your phone been stolen or lost, you will have an electronic version of all your contacts which you can then restore from your PC to your phone.
• There are a few hardware products available on the market that store phone numbers on them in the same way that a thumb drive saves data onto your computer. These devices plug into most cellphone models and PCs. With a simple push of a button it saves all of your contacts in one foul swoop, and using an associated software program, you can add or edit your contacts and sync the changes with your phone from your PC.
• You can also make use of an online phonebook which allows you to store your cellphone contacts online and transfer them to your particular cellphone model when the need arises. This works pretty much the same as delicious saving your bookmarks on the web.

I unintentionally took my cellphone for a swim the other day and am currently going through the painful process of building up my contact list once again. I hope the above saves some you from a similar fate.

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