John Herrman runs down the best, easiest, and cheapest methods for backing up iPhones, Android units, BlackBerries, Windows Mobile, and Palm smartphones. Some involve backing up right to your computer's hard drive (which you can then back up to an online service or elsewhere), while others drop your data onto SD cards or onto free or cheap web cloud storage space. Not every platform supports every kind of data backup, but most allow you to put enough aside that a lost, stolen, or memory-wiped phone wouldn't cost you a whole day's worth of re-configuring.

Hit the link for Gizmodo's full guide. Got a better solution not mentioned there or around here? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Sprite's beta Migrate application, free until Dec. 1, should be installed on both the phone you have now and, when you get it, the phone you're moving to. From the phone being left behind, load up Migrate and tell it to grab bookmarks, call logs, contacts, SMS databases, photos, and anything else it can find. It dumps all that into a single file you can transfer by microSD or email, and you simply load up Migrate on a new phone and load that file in.

We lacked a second smartphone to grab and transfer Migrate data with, but Download Squad and online reviewers report that Migrate does exactly what it says. It's a free download for Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Android phones.

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Whether you're using m.where.com or one of the native phone applications, finding a place to eat is as easy as setting your location and searching. Offering local information from Eventful, Yelp, GasBuddy, Zipcar, ShopLocal, Starbucks, Buddy Beacon, Topix, and more, there's no need to stop someone to ask where you can grab a good cup of coffee or fill up with cheap gas.

The results are listed in order, closest to farthest, and include additional information such as star ratings (where available), address, directions, and map. You're also able to save places for future reference.

Downloading the app gives you the benefit of additional widgets, such as State Parks, Winery Finder, Fore, and World's Largest—for the roadside attraction lovers out there. Widget availability depends upon which cell phone provider you use, unfortunately.

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Evernote for BlackBerry can create notes containing text, images, audio recordings, and file attachments on-the-go, and like the iPhone version, any note you create from your BlackBerry will be automatically uploaded to and synced with Evernote wherever you have it installed. Likewise, the BlackBerry app supports viewing, searching, and filtering all of your notes. Currently the Evernote for BlackBerry requires BlackBerry OS 4.6, but more devices will be added in time. We haven't been able to put it through the paces next to its iPhone counterpart, so if you give it a try, let's hear how you like it in the comments.

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Like many video encoding programs, EncodeHD is a friendly GUI for some less user-friendly but really powerful tools. Under the interface of EncodeHD are some open-source powerhouses like FFMpeg, Atomic Parsley, and MP4Box. The result is an easy to use interface with some strong encoding juice under the hood. EncodeHD has presets for over a dozen popular media devices include the Apple TV, iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, PSP, Playstation 3, and more. You don't get granular control over the individual settings, but you do get drag, drop, and forget it convenience with optimized settings. For more video encoding goodness, check out our top 10 list of video rippers and encoders. EncodeHD is freeware, Windows only.

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