GPS Enabled PDAs: Real Time Directions Linked to the Appoinments on Your Calendar!

When you're rushing from a late meeting to your child's t-ball game, you need to know exactly where you are going or you could miss her getting her first hit or catch. You may not have GPS in your car, but you do have a PDA - a personal digital (or data) assistant. Shouldn't your "assistant" be able to help you get there? Now it can!
There is a new kind of PDA with GPS embedded which can not only keep your schedule, but also help you navigate to the places on your schedule. Not only can it tell you where you are supposed to be and when, but how long it will take you to get there. In fact, with new technology, a GPS enabled PDA can even factor in the amount of real time traffic in giving you an estimate of your travel time or actually advising you about when to leave. They can also give you alternate routes where there is less traffic on the fly.

These PDAs with built-in GPS come preloaded with up-to-date maps of your country, and give both text- and voice turn-by-turn directions. This way you can both see and hear the directions for maximum safety while driving (In fact they can sometimes project the voice directions to your car stereo so you will hear them loud and clear). They also can navigate you to points of interest such as gas stations and stores along your way.

Some things to look for in a PDA with built-in GPS include the ability to automatically update your device through a computer so you get the latest changes in roads and routes, and good service coverage so you are never almost there when your map blacks out. You should also look for a system that allows you to do two things at once - like making a speakerphone call while you are driving without losing your route.

Another new GPS enabled PDA technology allows you to share information with others who have GPS devices. You can send a colleague or family member in another car the same directions, or traffic information, or information about where to find a gas station, while you are driving as easy as making a phone call.

Imagine what your new, more powerful handheld assistant can do for you right now: Tell you how to get where you are going, when to leave so you are on time, where you can stop along the way to bring something to the meeting, and whether there is traffic in your way!



About the Author
For more information about GPS Enabled PDAs, please see http://www.gpsenabledpdas.com, and for information about GPS Enabled cellular (mobile) phones , please see http://www.gpsenabledphone.com.

Theft Prevention Accessories for PDAs

Protect Your Investment, Your Data, and Your Privacy With These Theft Prevention Accessories for PDAs

Losing a PDA through theft is one of the biggest challenges owners of personal data devices face. As the prices and capabilities of these units increases, so does the market for stolen PDAs, year after year. Of course, locking the unit up in a drawer and never taking it out is about the only certain way of making sure a PDA is never stolen, but that limits the usefulness. Attaching a heavy chain and a wheel hub may help, but it won't fit in your pocket. Instead of taking these sorts of extreme measures, consider one or more theft prevention accessories for PDAs.

Permanent Markings Scare Away Thieves

If you're a little handy and have a steady hand, you can try the tried-and-true method of etching. Grab your rotary tool and lightly carve an identifier into the back of the case, like a phone number or email address. Doing this will probably void your warranty. Don't try this unless you have a steady hand and neat handwriting.

A less extreme option is a security sticker. A sticker may not seem like much of a deterrent, but what if peeling off that sticker announced that the PDA is stolen? That's the idea behind security sticker theft prevention accessories for PDA units. The self-adhesive sticker is attached to the back of the unit, and gives an 800 number to call and report the PDA. The sticker also advises them that by reporting the unit, they can avoid prosecution.

However, if the sticker is peeled off, the phrase "STOLEN PROPERTY" and the 800 number are left behind in large, very obvious lettering of indelible ink. This type of theft prevention accessories for PDA units stops theft from those who want to snatch the item while you're not looking, and turn around and sell it on the street. Few people, regardless of how dishonest they are, will buy an item that announces it has been stolen.

Tracking the PDA With GPS

The GPS functionality built into many modern PDAs is usually used for convenience for the unit's owner, but with tracking security software, it can also be a way to find a stolen PDA. This form of theft prevention accessories for PDA units consists of software that is installed on the unit and a subscription service. The software installed will be linked to the unit's built-in password protection, and will automatically broadcast an emergency signal after an incorrect password has been entered. The subscription service will then pick up the signal and start tracking the PDA, informing the authorities where to find it.

Common Sense

Probably the best theft prevention accessories for PDA units, however, is our own common sense. Don't leave it lying unattended on a table, even for a moment. If you put it down and look away, someone else will probably pick it up. Don't leave it in plain sight inside a vehicle, even a locked vehicle. Make sure you use the built-in security functions of the unit itself. A password can, at the very least, protect the information on a unit from prying eyes if it is stolen. Think about that if you keep your kids' pictures and contact information for your kids' school on the unit.



About The Author

R James Cook is a personal technology aficionado (some would say geek) who is especially enamored with the wild world of PDAs and their accessories. He shares his varied thoughts on this world at http://www.blingpda.com/

An Overview of After Market PDA Bluetooth Accessories

Bluetooth Makes it Easy for All Your Devices and Accessories to Work Together


Bluetooth is one of the latest marketing buzzwords for PDAs and cellular phones, along with PCs and especially laptops. It is a wireless technology designed to let products and accessories built by different manufacturers work together, without requiring special access codes or driver installation. Theoretically, any Bluetooth accessory should work with any Bluetooth-enabled device, and multiple accessories working with the same device shouldn't interfere with each other.

For example, if you pick up a Bluetooth headset for your current PDA, and then in a year's time replace it with a new PDA, the headset should work with the new PDA without any difficulties. With some older PDA Bluetooth accessories and devices, this is not always the case, but generally the more recent the design of the accessory or device, the more likely it is to work with other Bluetooth products.


PDAs, Cellular Phones, and Computers


New PDAs today resemble cellular phones as much as classic PDAs like the Palm Pilot. Most of these devices are Bluetooth-enabled, and even have the capability to link with other Bluetooth-enabled PDAs and cellular phones to exchange data. For models that are not Bluetooth-enabled, there are frequently PDA Bluetooth accessories available that will add Bluetooth capabilities to the unit. Bluetooth adapters are also available for PCs and laptops, usually plugging into a USB port, allowing you to easily exchange data between your computer and your PDA.

Just about any type of data can be transferred over a Bluetooth link, from electronic business cards and pictures to word processing documents and PowerPoint presentations. For transferring data from a PDA to a computer, special software is often needed and included with the Bluetooth adapter. However, PDAs running Windows Mobile can communicate natively with computers running Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista.

Having a Bluetooth PDA and a Bluetooth adapter for your computer can eliminate the need for a docking station or sync cable, removing one more piece of clutter from your desktop. You can even set the two devices up so they automatically synchronize their data when they're in range of each other.


Other PDA Bluetooth Accessories


Headphones and headsets are the most common PDA Bluetooth accessories right now. Wireless headphones are great if your PDA has music stored on it, because you don't have an unsightly wire running from your head to your pocket or purse. Headsets and earpieces allow hands-free operation of your cell phone or smart phone, which is not only convenient but is also quickly becoming a legal requirement world-wide for using your phone in your car.

Printer manufacturers are quickly adding Bluetooth capabilities to their products, turning them into convenient PDA Bluetooth accessories. Previously, to print something stored on your PDA, you had to use the docking station or sync cable to download the information to your computer, then print it from the computer. With a Bluetooth-enabled printer, you can send your data directly to the printer without the intervening steps. If your computer is also Bluetooth-enabled, it can send data to the printer as well, eliminating the need to hook up the printer to the computer or network.

There are many other PDA Bluetooth accessories available for your PDA, and with Bluetooth it doesn't matter who manufactures either the device or the accessory. A Motorola headset will work with an iPhone, and a Palm Tungsten can print spreadsheets on a HP LaserJet. Manufacturers are constantly coming up with new PDA Bluetooth accessories to meet the demands of consumers. Bluetooth technology is making it easier for everyone to communicate.


R James Cook is a personal technology aficionado (some would say geek), and is especially entranced with the wide world of PDAs and their accessories. He shares his thoughts on this world at Bling PDA.
http://www.blingpda.com/