BlackBerry users get cloud backup and data sync with Funambol

BlackBerry users are about to stick their heads in the cloud, as Funambol introduces a wireless Web-syncing service for RIM devices. The service syncs contacts and calendars to and from Outlook without using Microsoft Exchange, and also uploads pictures direct to Facebook.

Your data is backed up to the cloud and can be restored if you lose your phone. Contacts and calendars can be shared to other devices even if they aren't BlackBerrys, with the Funambol portal linking to devices including the iPad and Android tablets. You can also use Funambol to transfer your contacts seamlessly to a new phone.

The backup service saves versions of your data so you can roll back to earlier backups if you accidentally change or delete data.

Pictures can be uploaded to photo-sharing and social network websites including Facebook, Picasa and Flickr.

The app doesn't include a BlackBerry equivalent of MobileMe's long-time killer feature: Find My iPhone. Find My iPhone tracks down misplaced phones, remotely sending a message to anyone who finds it, or wiping it if you suspect it's lost forever. There are BlackBerry apps with similar functions in BlackBerry App World, including Track and Protect, which can also snap pictures with the lost phone's camera.