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Bluetooth saves users from phone loss disaster

Most people carry over 100 names and phone numbers around in their mobile phones; and if the phones are lost, so are the numbers, mostly. Bluetooth designer TDK may have found the solution - software to transfer the numbers to a PC.

The "backup your SIM card" module is one of three new software applications TDK Systems has launched for its "go blue" range of Bluetooth products.

The program is called TDK Mobile, and it "allows users to control and manage their mobile from a PC or laptop using the TDK Systems Bluetooth PC Card or USB Adaptor," claims TDK.

Users can actually back up the contact data in a mobile's phone book and SIM card memory to their PC. Presumably, it also allows you to load data back from your PC into a new phone - a detail they failed to mention, but it's impossible to believe they would have omitted it!

There is also TDK Dialler - a program aimed at those whose eyes no longer find it easy to focus on the tiny displays of their phones, or whose thumbs aren't adept at Gameboy playing. It adds new features to blue5 and blueM, the TDK Systems Bluetooth solutions for Palm users.

"Among other benefits, it enables users to dial any of the 4,000 numbers stored in their Palm database, directly from the PDA via a Bluetooth phone. With both TDK Mobile and TDK Dialler, sending SMS messages is easier and faster as they can be written on a keyboard or using the PDA writing functions - instead of using the 10 small keys of a phone keypad."

Non-Palm users - iPaq owners, specifically - can use TDK blueDial, which is designed for the TDK Systems bluePAQ device. The new application allows numbers to be dialled from the iPAQ contacts list and SMS messages to be edited and sent.

"To date, the focus on Bluetooth has been to eliminate cables. Now that it's an established wireless technology, we're introducing new features for users to really make a difference to the mobile working experience," said Nick Hunn, managing director at TDK Systems.

"With the recent rise in mobile theft and the tendency to upgrade phones more often, there's an increasing need to back up and transfer the data stored in a mobile. If you've ever had to replace a mobile, you'll know the cost of the new phone is negligible when compared to the time and inconvenience of restoring your list of contacts," Hunn added.

The new TDK Systems applications are included in the latest versions of the "go blue" range of products. For people who already own any of these devices, an upgrade can be downloaded from TDK's Web pages.

To promote Bluetooth uptake, TDK Systems has also launched two new Web sites. First, www.no2wires.com advises users on compatibility and interoperability issues, while www.getbluetooth.com guides consumers and businesses on where to purchase Bluetooth products, according to their location.