Why cell phones still hit 'dead spots' sometimes

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MSN Tech and Gadgets

I have an HP Jornada that I sync up with my secretary’s and with my PC at the office. I’m looking to replace it with something up-to-date (perhaps a combo organizer/cell phone with e-mail retrieval capability) that will sync up with the existing two computers but also sync up with my PC at home, as well. I haven’t started any research on any such devices (although the article about the current woes of the BlackBerry caught my eye) and would like to know if you have a recommendation?
Mike

Any modern-day PDA should serve your need well — except for the fact that there are fewer modern-day PDAs on the market these days. As you've noticed, today the best PDAs are also smart phones.

I don't think BlackBerry users should start panicking just yet, but until the court mess gets straightened out, it's probably smart to steer clear. That leaves one of the Palm Treos or any of the new phones that run on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system as your main options. (MSNBC.com is a Microsoft - NBC joint venture.)

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The Windows Mobile devices allow you to sync with one "main" computer of your choice and also with other computers as a guest. But the best part is that the new devices sync not only your e-mail but also your appointments, contacts and notes, etc. That means your secretary can add update an appointment or address in your office and it will sync wirelessly and automatically with your device wherever you are. Very cool.

Don't forget that one of the main costs won't just be the phone, but the service contract, so compare offers carefully. You can read my recent reviews of some of these new phones here and here.

What is the best way to integrate my iPod into my car’s radio? RF Transmitter? Hard-wired?
Mike, Old Bridge, N.J.

First of all, you probably don't want to hard-wire anything into your car unless you own it outright. Rental and lease companies frown on that sort of thing. Even if you own your car, how many iPods do you own? While hard-wiring should offer the best sound quality you might not want to hard-wire your iPod into any vehicle.

An RF transmitter which takes the audio from the iPod and broadcasts it to an unused frequency on your car radio is a pretty good alternative. It allows you to hear your music in the car as well as being able to easily take your iPod with you when you’re not driving.

Make sure the RF transmitter you buy offers many FM frequency choices. Too few and you might not be able to find an empty frequency for your iPod, particularly if you live in an urban area with lots of FM stations. I've played with Griffin Technologies' iTrip device ($49.99) which worked flawlessly for me. Other companies, such as Belkin, combine the transmitter with devices that let your charge your iPod from your cigarette lighter — useful for long trips.

You can also connect your iPod to your car's cassette deck with an adapter, but I would use that as a last resort.

Finally, a reminder to make sure that whatever you buy works with your particular iPod model. As Apple tweaks the designs, some of the older adapters don't work with the newer models and vice versa.

Whatever happened to the Longhorn operating system? Is it still being developed? I thought it was to come out in 2006, but I haven’t heard anything on it.
Robert Castillo, Webberville, Texas

Longhorn was the codename that Microsoft used during the early development stages of its upcoming update to the Windows operating system. Last summer, Microsoft formally named the new operating system Windows Vista.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates showed off Vista in his keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show last month. He announced no release date but it's expected to hit the market sometime later this year.

Do you think, with the advent of MacIntel computers, that there could be a slight possibility of Microsoft creating versions of Windows that are compatible with Mac computers, or vice versa?
Alex, Spring Hill, Florida

Intentionally? No.

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