BitPim: A Smart(Phone) Move For Backing Up Mobile DataBitPim: A Smart(Phone) Move For Backing Up Mobile Data

A lot of cell phone owners share the same problem: Their phones store data the way a black hole "stores" light. Before you spend hundreds of dollars or sign another contract for a new phone, however, consider another solution that might not cost your a dime.In many cases, it is still absurdly difficult to synchronize -- or even to back up -- your cell-phone contacts, messages, and other important data. High-priced, proprietary data transfer cables, brick-wall file-system interfaces, and other obstacles conspire to sell business users on high-priced "smart phone" upgrades, even when the only "smart" feature they really need is the ability to back up their contact lists without going nuts.

Enter BitPim: A free, open-source application designed to make your cell phone far more flexible and accessible to backup or file-synch tools. One the PC side, BitPim is cross-platform; on the other end, it works with most Samsung, Sanyo, and LG feature phones, along with many Motorola models and a scattering of other makers' handsets. (If you're a tech-savvy or adventurous type, BitPim is likely to work on a longer list of models, but using it with unsupported handsets can be a very risky process.)

While BitPim can handle two-way data synch and ringtone uploads, its most valuable feature by far is the ability to perform relatively quick and easy backups. That includes message, memo, contact list, and calendar downloads, of course, but it extends also to photos, videos, voice memos, and pretty much anything else stored on your phone's file system.

Lifehacker.com has a nice introduction to BitPim, along with a basic guide to getting started with basic backups of your cell phone data. If the idea of shelling out megabucks for a "smartphone" doesn't sound very smart to you, then BitPim is definitely worth a closer look.