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CyberSynchs Backs Up Your Phone in the Cloud

08.08.2010
It's easy to lose track of your cell phone or mobile device. And once your device is gone, so, too, is all of the data it holds. Enter ($3 a month; seven-day free trial). This mobile application and Web-based service work together to make sure that your data doesn't disappear. The idea is a useful one and the app is, for the most part, very easy to use. Unfortunately, though, this beta version still suffers from a few bugs.

CyberSynchs calls itself a "data synchronization system" that is made up of three parts. One is the mobile application, one is a Web-based interface for accessing the data synced from the mobile device, and one is the optional desktop version, which is usable when you're offline.

To get started, you must sign up for a CyberSynchs account from your desktop computer. You'll need to enter some basic information, such as your mobile phone number, wireless carrier, and mobile operating system.

From there, you head to your mobile phone, where you'll need to download CyberSynchs Mobile. Right now, CyberSynchs works with phones running the following platforms: Android, BlackBerry OS, Java J2ME, Java FX, Symbian, and Windows Mobile. An iPhone version is expected in mid-August, and the current version also supports some Palm phones. I tested CyberSynchs Mobile on two Android-based phones (the Motorola Droid X and the HTC Droid Incredible); on both, I located the app easily in the Android Market and downloaded it to the phone without a hitch. (If you're using a phone that does not support an app store, CyberSynchs will send a link to download the application via text message.)

Within the mobile app, you can choose which information you'd like to sync to CyberSynch's servers. Your options are: contacts, call logs, calendars, texts, ringtones, GPS, photos, and videos. You then select how often you'd like to sync, with options ranging from every hour to once a day, or manual syncs only.

The first sync can be a bit time-consuming (mine took nearly 15 minutes), but subsequent syncs were much faster, completing in less than a minute many times.