Two companies at CES are trying to bridge the gap between cell phones and PCs, but they'll have to work hard to differentiate themselves in a crowded field.

The first is Mobile Action, bringing its Handset Manager software over to a wide range of CDMA and GSM phones from a slew of manufacturers. With Handset Manager 8, the company is hoping to encompass everything you'd want to do with a cell phone and PC--sync contacts and calendars with Outlook, use it as a wireless modem, send SMS and MMS, and download, edit, and upload ringtones and photos. A USB cable version will cost $32.95, an infrared-sync version will cost $43.95, and a Bluetooth version--with a dongle for your Bluetoothless PC--will run $54.95.

Mobile Action and USA Wireless will have to compete with several other commercial syncing packages from companies such as FutureDial and Susteen, and with open-source alternatives like Bitpim. Competition, hopefully, will breed excellence--and freedom from carriers' annoying charges for downloading photos or uploading ringtones.