Mobyko backs up your mobile numbers for free

AS ANYONE who's lost a mobile phone knows, losing all the numbers in the contacts book is a pain in the butt. New portal, Mobyko, offers a free cure.

Mobyko's addressbook backup service isn't a new idea, nor is it unique. But the service is very easy to use; very sophisticated; and it's free.

The INQ tried Mobyko out on a Nokia 5500 Sport and the instructions were very easy to follow. The system sends you a number of text (SMS) messages to setup the handset correctly.

Then after a very short data (GPRS) session, all your contacts have been uploaded to the Web. You can edit them, search them and - if you need to - restore them.

To entice you to further utilise the service, it's also possible to upload your own photos, videos and text messages. The site is still in 'beta' so there's the odd mistake. Like it tells you to text your photos when it means MMS (picture message) them.

Once you're hooked, Mobyko is designed to sell you all kinds of content including wallpapers, videos and music tracks.

No doubt, if Mobyko's business model succeeds, there'll be loads of useful content on offer later in the year.

Our only criticism is that we couldn't see an easy way to sign up just from the phone itself. Presumably you just need a handset with an HTML browser. ?

L'INQ
Mobyko