Does the CellStik do enough?

If you love gadgets there’s always some excitement when you buy a new cell phone. Who doesn’t like playing and discovering every new feature? That’s part of the reason for getting a new device! Aren’t WE decadent!

Well, once you have played around and uncovered whatever is good, bad or ugly about your new phone you get to the point where you actually have to start using it as a phone. And that means typing in your contacts. If you only have a few names and numbers this will not take long. However, even the least of us have collected enough numbers that the process of data input Everytime we use a new phone can really get ridiculous.

Sparktech has created a device that should ease the pain. Plug the CellStik into your phone and copy your entire Contact list. Then plug (via USB) the CellStik into your computer and copy the list onto your hardrive. It is now not only backed up (and safe), but you can edit this list at any time. Right now this seems to only work on Windows systems. And it comes with software – on a CD – to edit your Contacts from your computer. Updates to the software are available online.

Transferring data to your phone works the same way – the data just goes in the other direction. Now, if (or should that be “when”) you get a new phone, you can copy your Contact list to that phone. Well, there IS a rub. This device doesn’t work with every single phone. There is a list (PDF) on the company website that indicates which phones are currently supported. I think we can all agree we would like a bigger list of compatible phones. And when you get a new phone you may need to buy a new CellStik if the connector is different from your previous phone. Hmmmm. I’d rather have readily available connectors than have to get a whole new ‘thang’!

I do like the idea, however. And I hope the details get ironed out, because at some point I know there is other info and data that would be useful to transfer out of one’s phone. Bookmarks for my OperaMini come to mind, for example. Wouldn’t THAT be nice! All phone having memory sticks is very much a good thing just because convenience is a wonderful thing. We all want devices that make out lives nicer, easier, more fun. And less freaking annoying!

In the picture on the left, you can see one end of the CellStik is the USB connector and the other end is the phone connector.