Smart Gadgets = More Productivity
Back up your cell phone's data, charge up its battery, and improve its reception. Plus some cell phone tricks.
Besides this online column, I write "Hassle-Free PC" for the print version of
As usual, I have some leftovers--useful products that I couldn't squeeze into the 550-word column.
For instance, Bones in Motion has a clever way for you to turn your GPS-enabled cell phone into an ersatz personal trainer. Download the software, pony up $10 a month, and keep track of distance, route, speed, and calories burned.
In the column I also mentioned a couple of gadgets that will back up the data on your cell phone. My favorite is DataPilot, a cable and software combo that not only saves data to your PC, but it also lets you sync your phone with Microsoft Outlook and upload videos and MP3s.
But there are other ways you can back up your contact info. Read Grace Aquino's April "Dialed In" column for several more options.
If you're on the road and need an emergency charge for your cell phone, I have a couple of gadgets for you to choose from. Charge 2 Go's charger uses a single AA battery and looks very cool--but at $25, it's expensive.
APC's USB Battery Extender connects to your cell phone or PDA via USB. The device uses three AAA batteries and costs a little over $8. On the downside, you need to fork out another $10 for a cable that matches your gadget. Or you could just pop over to HackaDay and make your own battery charger.
But seriously, take a look at
I received an e-mail from a reader, David J. He said, "I want to give up my landline and use my cell phone exclusively in my home, both for personal and home office business use. Unfortunately, I can never get a strong enough signal."
I figured I could find something to help this guy out, so I started looking around.
The first thing I came across was the CellAntenna Patch Glass Mount Antenna with Suction Cups. The $25 gadget has two suction cups to mount on a window. The antenna connects to your cell phone with a 4-foot cable. It's made to be used in a car, though the PR flak, as well as an engineer from the company, suggested I try it at home. I did, and it didn't do much good--I had the same terrible reception.
While I had the ear of the CellAntenna company representative, who was an engineer, I also complained that the Cell Antenna didn't increase the signal strength bars on my phone. The guy said, "the antenna is not a high-gain antenna. The signal bar meter is sort of deceptive. It's there to give the cell phone user a good feeling if it has 3, 4, or 5 bars. When you plug in the antenna, is the quality of the call any better? If not, it's possible that the antenna is just not powerful enough for the signal in the area and a higher-gain, perhaps mag-mount style, antenna might do a better job for you."
Spotwave's Zen has lots more potential (and don't you love the name?). The Zen has two components. You mount the first part, the antenna, in say, a closet, attic, or drop ceiling--or even outdoors. Then you use a cable to connect the antenna to the second part, known as the "coverage unit," in the location you'll be calling from the most. The company claims the Zen boosts the signal indoors, covering a 2500-square-foot area.
Unfortunately, the Zen's not cheap: The kit sells for $400. Even more unfortunately, I haven't tried it yet. The company continues to promise me an evaluation unit.
Steve Bass
