Your cell phone's address book stores contacts. But a damaged or lost phone can leave you high and dry.

Fortunately, it's easy to back up contacts to your hard drive. Several products help you transfer cell phone information to and from your computer.

DataPilot
Susteen's series of DataPilot kits work with over 400 phone models. DataPilot allows you to back up or edit your phone contacts on your PC. You can also share contact information with Outlook or Outlook Express. The program's other features let you create ringtones and wallpapers for your phone.

Each DataPilot kit includes software and a connection cable. There are currently 20 kits priced between $40 and $60. Each supports a different list of phone models, so be sure yours is listed before you buy. The DataPilot software works on Windows 98, ME, 2000 and XP.

Handset Manager
Mobile Action offers its Handset Manager software in kits including cable, Bluetooth or infrared connectors. Each supports address book backups and synchronization with Outlook or Outlook Express.