Searching for “Palm tips” or “BlackBerry tricks” will result in huge lists of shortcuts. Most of these also apply to Windows Mobile and IPhone devices. In a future column, I’ll examine tips specific to the BlackBerry, and in a subse-quent column, I’ll discuss my favorite tips and tricks for Palm phones.

Purchasing replacement insurance often is a matter of philosophy. Given the replacement cost, size and abuse cell phones take, I recommend insurance. I’ve had no problem getting a replacement phone, unlike years ago when it was a battle.

My first few cell phones came with a corded headset; my most recent purchase did not. This, despite New Jersey’s new law requiring a hands-free cell phone while driving. Almost every cell phone sold today can support a Bluetooth headset, which ranges from $25 to $300 with the average around $75. Higher prices generally mean better sound quality. Since I have a tendency to lose my headset, I buy the cheapest model so I don’t feel so bad when I must replace it.

Most people regard their smart phone first and foremost as a phone. Take the time to learn how to set up quick access for frequently called numbers. The names and settings for these vary among phones. On the BlackBerry and Palm, these shortcuts are called speed dials, and you can set a letter to quickly dial a selected phone number. For example, you might use “H” to dial home and “O” for office.

I’m sure many of us monitor multiple voice mailboxes. My cell phone has its own voice mail with its own password; my office voice mail has a different access number with special pauses and codes to check for messages, and my home phone has a third voice mail system. When setting up programmed keys to dial specific numbers, you also can set up pauses and number strings so that your phone can automatically dial into your voice mail and access new messages with your hands free. You may have to do a little scouting online to find these instructions for your specific model phone, but it will be worth it if you dial several numbers to access voice mail while mobile.

Unlimited access

If you’re buying a smart phone, budget for a data plan that covers unlimited e-mail and web access. The first time you exceed your data plan, you’ll have a new appreciation for unexpected charges on your cell phone bill. If you’re paying for your own phone, you’ll find that having unlimited access frees you from worrying about using all the tools, particularly web searching.

If using your phone to monitor e-mail, you should review your firm’s tools for limiting spam. Initially, I was bombarded by spam, even though it’s filtered on my desktop. Cell phones grab e-mail directly from your firm’s server and can bypass desktop spam filters. Depending on how the firm receives e-mail, there may be sufficient built-in spam filters or you could check programs like Postini or ChoiceMail for additional options and protection. Also consider registering your cell phone number with the Do Not Call Registry, www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall/.

And speaking of unwanted calls, you should master the settings on your phone to lock the keyboard to prevent unintentionally making outgoing calls. I’ll discuss more about these settings in future col-umns about BlackBerrys and Palms.

Another thing to consider when using your cell phone to monitor e-mail: Carefully review the settings and options available on your particular phone to ensure it’s handling e-mail the way you want. Most phone e-mail systems are preset to keep incoming e-mail on the server so that you’re viewing a copy of the e-mail on your phone. When you return to the office, you’ll have the original message in your inbox and must handle it again in the e-mail or practice management system. Another setting determines whether your responses to e-mail from your cell phone will automatically send a copy of the response to your inbox. Look for the setting to BCC (blind carbon copy) messages to a specified e-mail address. Most phone e-mail systems also allow you to decide whether to request receipts for delivered or read e-mail.

You don’t have to use the default signature for outgoing cell phone e-mail. Look at the online help from either your cell phone provider or phone manufacturer to find the specific instructions for changing your e-mail signature.

Maps and news

With your unlimited data plan, go directly to Google maps — there are Palm and BlackBerry versions. Google maps turn your cell phone into a global positioning system (GPS). Click on the icon on your phone and use the menu button to show your current location, give you directions, and show traffic or even nearby locations for coffee or gas. Best of all, this is free, while Verizon and its counterparts charge up to $15 per month to unlock the phone’s GPS functions.

Along the same lines, there are all sorts of free and inexpensive applications to add to your phone. Among my favorites are news sources like The New York Times and Washington Post. You can add an icon to your main menu for instant access. For more options, go to Avantgo.com, which offers a variety of news, sports, weather, health, entertainment and more. As the price of gas soars, I rely on the cheap gas option of GetMobio.

While they may be hard to read on such a tiny screen, there are times when you must take along an office document, but don’t want to haul a laptop or put the document on a thumb drive to be read on a computer at the other end. For such instances, there are applications like Documents to Go, and there often is a free version with the phone. (Check the options on the CD accompanying the phone for this and other goodies). This program only supports the Microsoft suite, but can be very useful when you need a document on the go.

If you have trouble reading your phone’s screen, look in your set-up options to change to a larger font. While there are tradeoffs in terms of scrolling to see information, you’ll find less eye strain with a larger font.

Another tool worth considering is an alternative browser. If you like Firefox on your desktop, you might consider Minimo for your cell phone. There also is Opera-mini as an alternative to the built-in browsers. Both tend to be faster than the browser that comes on most cell phones. Additionally, there are all sorts of cool “widgets” that can be incorporated. For the uninitiated, widgets are little programs that can be run either on your desktop or cell phone. Weather updates, stock guides, instant messaging and photo-sharing technology are generally offered using widget technology.

Added memory

You may want to consider added memory if you have many contacts you need at your fingertips, want add-ons to your phone, need recent e-mail accessible or have a cell phone that lets you take and store photographs. A 2GB memory card for a BlackBerry costs about $20 and gives plenty of room to spare. Be forewarned, though; not everything can be moved to the memory card. These are intended mostly for music, photos, ring tones and other files, not core applications.

Speaking of ring tones, you may want to consider changing yours so you don’t jump every time you hear the default ring for your brand of phone. If you have a data plan, go online through your phone and download songs to use as ring tones. You can start with your cell phone carrier or search for “cell phone ring tones” to find one of the many sites with tones to download. You can have separate tunes for individual callers, as well as different sounds and options for incoming e-mail and text messages.

The more information stored on your phone, the more critical it becomes to master its search function. On Palms, it’s called find; on BlackBerrys, it’s referred to as search. Either way, it can be incredibly useful for locating information in a pinch.

Finally, when things aren’t working the way you expect, don’t be shy about calling the phone company’s technical support or visiting its website for solutions. Periodically, manufacturers advise users to update their settings. For Verizon, type *228 followed by the send key, then choose the option to upgrade your roaming list. That will improve your reception as cell towers in your network are updated. Verizon advises performing this update every three months. The BlackBerry has an option to send Service Books, which also updates the phone and usually is helpful when there are problems sending or receiving e-mail on your phone.

Carol L. Schlein is president of Law Office Systems in Montclair, a training and consulting firm specializing in law firm automation. Copies of her previous columns are on losinc.com, which also lists upcoming meetings and training classes. For information, e-mail info@losinc.com or check the website. Schlein formerly chaired the Computer and Technology Division of the ABA Law Practice Management Section and can be reached at carol@losinc.com.

Questions for Carol L. Schlein on law office technology may be e-mailed to New Jersey Lawyer at news@njlnews.com or faxed to (908) 226-0165.