Many new smartphones and PDA phones come with Bluetooth. This technology, which lets you exchange data between your mobile and other devices, represents years of research. It would be a waste of the maker's experimentation--and your money--if you didn't know how to maximize it.

There's A2DP and AVRCP, two Bluetooth protocols that let you stream audio to a wireless headset and control everything with a wireless remote respectively. And did you know that Bluetooth lets you leave your sync cable at home?

Here's a scenario: you have to back-up your phone's data onto your laptop. Instead of pulling out your sync cable, just plug in your charger (to keep the smartphone or PDA phone charged) and sync via Bluetooth. Any maker worth his salt makes phones that are capable of this, and usually package instructions on how to set things up.