Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro

Clean Up your PDA

Your PDA or smartphone contains a lot of information. Over time, you have probably created word processing documents and spreadsheets. You have taken photos and downloaded files. Your PDA is getting cluttered and clogged. It’s time to clean it up. Here are some tips to clean up your PDA.

Before you clean up your PDA, make sure you sync it and back up the files to CD or DVD. It’s always best to make sure you can retrieve information before you delete it.

Calendar – It’s a good idea to clean up your calendar periodically. But, first consider how much history you need. Some people like to be able to refer back to prior appointments with clients. If you use ACT! or some other contact management system, you may be able to simply filter the data being synced to your PDA. That way, your contact management system will still allow you to see the complete history of contacts with a client.

Task List – Some tasks will never be completed. So, why worry about it. Take time to prune your task list. Copy old tasks somewhere else if you want to. Life is short. You need to be realistic about what you commit to. Eliminate tasks if there is no longer a need to do them.

Email – Make sure your email settings allow email to remain on the server so it can be downloaded to your computer. Purge the email messages on your PDA or smartphone every now and then. You will be able to check messages more quickly.

Contacts – It’s a good idea to review your contacts every year and archive records that you no longer need to access.

Applications – If you download software onto your PDA, you should consider how beneficial the software is and delete unneeded applications. Shareware and freeware applications can cause problems. If you have to reboot your PDA frequently, it’s time to remove old apps. When you upgrade to a new PDA, reinstall your applications rather than syncing everything over. Your new PDA may have a more current operating system. Incompatible software can cause problems.

Audio and Video Files – Nothing will eat up your storage faster than audio and video files. Archive them and delete them from your PDA. Enough said.

Taking time to clean up your PDA will reduce your headaches and simplify your life. It takes time, but it’s worth it in the long run.

The Kosher Phone...Coming to a Synagogue Near You

Gadgetopia notes that Orthodox Jews in Israel are opting for a simplified mobile phone that blocks access to "forbidden" content. The so-called "kosher phone" does not include text messaging, internet access, video or camera. So, that pretty much excludes most smartphones. USA Today reports that Arab cellphone providers are also looking into the same options. Could this be the beginning of peace in the Middle East?

The phone service also blocks access to over 10,000 phone numbers with questionable content. This list, supervised by a rabbinical team, is constantly updated.

Could this trend head to the West? I think it's possible. Perhaps Christian communities will begin demanding phone models and service which helps to protect their children from illicit content. At any rate, it shows that even though technology will deliver content, people don't necessarily want it and will take extra steps to limit access. No word on whether the same controls are being implemented on PDAs.

PayPal for your PDA

Judy Breck posted a message on the Smart Mobs blog indicating that PayPal plans to offer services available through mobile devices. Of course, the implications are massive, ushering in a new era of mobile commerce. That's another reason to own a PDA/smartphone or mobile phone. It will ultimately revolutionize the way we transact business.  If you don't already have a PayPal account, consider it.

Resolution #1: Purge your PDA

It’s amazing how much information you can store on your PDA, including thousands of addresses, appointments and tasks. But, you pay a price in keeping all of that information. First, more items make it tougher to search your PDA. If you’re looking for your next appointment with a client, do you really want to search through the last two years of meetings with them? Also, PDA identity theft is a threat. Instead, purge your PDA and you’ll have plenty of room to store more. And, you’ll be safer.

I’m not suggesting you delete the last two years of history. Instead, simply prune old information and archive it for reference later. It can be as simple as saving your backup files and then purging history prior to a certain date. Microsoft Outlook allows you to copy calendar, contacts, notes and tasks to a pst file. It’s easy to copy and just as easy to retrieve.

Also, periodically delete SMS and email messages. You should be receiving incoming email messages through your computer. And, you can always cc yourself on outgoing messages to make sure you have a backup copy. SMS is not the best method if you want to keep the messages for historical purposes. Finally, clear your internet cache.

Purge your PDA in order to improve your productivity. In this case, less is more.

NOTE: This is #1 in a series of ten New Year’s Resolutions.

Prior Resolution: Resolution #2: Telecommute to a Teleclass

Security for your PDA

In this age of hackers and spammers, computers are under constant threat of attack. The same is true of PDAs, but to a lesser extent. Spam and viruses will begin to plague PDAs as they do PCs.

However, according to an article from PCWorld,

"The number one threat to the sensitive data stored on your PDA or smart phone remains physically losing the device, but other threats are looming on the handheld horizon."

One company trying to do something about it is JP Mobile. It's Surewave Mobile Defense software allows IT departments to instantly and wireless deploy, update and enforce security policies enterprise-wide.

To avoid trouble down the road, take steps to secure your PDA.