Nifty Automotive Accessories For Your PDA

There are several clever accessories for your car that extend the usefulness of your PDA. Because your PDA can interface with a GPS module, you can use it as a navigation aid. Of course, you can't really drive around town while holding your PDA in one hand and steering with the other.

The answer is a PDA mount for your car. There are several types of these mounts available, all of them designed to hold your PDA in position on or in front of your car's dashboard for easy viewing.

Caution: Don't attempt to use your PDA while driving your car! Using it as a GPS display is one thing; trying to send e-mail or surf the Web is another. Your message to Aunt Minnie or the recipe for creme brulee can wait until you reach your destination.

Generally, there are five types of mounts: One fits into a cup holder and extends upward to hold your PDA at a suitable height for viewing, another attaches to the vents in your car's dash, and a third uses suction cups to attach to your car's windshield. These are fine, but none of them are especially sturdy. That will become evident the first time the suction cups come loose during a turn and your PDA bounces off the dashboard or, worse, dashes toward your head.

A fourth type of mount uses strong adhesives to attach to your dashboard. These are generally sturdier than the prior three types of mounts, and far less likely to fly off in a turn. You can also get mounts that bolt to the floorboards or beneath your dashboard.

Mounts that bolt in place are the sturdiest of the lot. They often incorporate other features as well, such as a keyboard or peripheral ports for charging your PDA and cell phone. Some high-end mounts provide an interface with your car's stereo system so that/you can use your PDA as a digital audio player.

Choosing Software for Your PDA

At some point, we've all been there stuck in an airport with 10 minutes to find a connecting gate, a cup of coffee, and a restroom. It's times tike these that you're glad you own that PDA that is, if you have the right software. Whether you use a Palm OS handheld, Pocket PC, or smart phone, there is software that will let you find your way (and a restroom) in almost any major airport in the world. Your PDA isn't just for storing contacts and keeping a calendar anymore; put it to work and make it earn its keep.