contacts

Sync contacts and calendars between Outlook, Gmail, and iPhone

Last February, I described losing half my iPhone contacts after an iTunes sync. Even though I tried the Filadex Web-based contact manager, I don't like the fact that the information is stored unencrypted on Web servers.

More importantly, my iPhone always has my most up-to-date telephone and address contact list, while Gmail knows more about my e-mail correspondents than the iPhone does, and Google Calendar is my primary scheduler. Just to complicate matters, I spend most of my workdays (and some weekends, unfortunately) in Outlook.

I need to export my Google Calendar and Gmail addresses to Outlook and my … Read more

Simple phone book

MyPhone Book Dialer could not perform its functions of storing contacts and dialing numbers much more simply. Users will be able to jump right in, thanks to its simple design and quick results.

The program boasts an incredibly intuitive interface as far as the datebook goes. Field requirements are obvious and quickly inputted. The only snag was that users hit an arrow key to save their work instead of a Save key. Dialing a number was equally simple, but users may want to visit the Help file to ensure their phone is set up properly. Users will have an easy … Read more

Get Comcast services on your iPhone

The Comcast Mobile App offers a lot of what users have been clamoring for from the popular cable service, but falls just short of being great. You'll now be able to access Comcast e-mails and digital voice mails right from your iPhone, using a touch interface much like Apple's e-mail and voice mail experience, but in a unified in-box for both. An intuitive, tabbed interface lets you quickly switch between new e-mail and voice messages. A separate Digital Voice section offers more options, listing missed calls, outgoing calls, and voice mail. There is also an included address book … Read more

Get your contacts in order

Contactizer Pro is designed to help you organize and share all your personal and business contacts and information. This sort of CRM/PIM business software has always lagged behind its PC counterparts, but Contactizer Pro is one of the better choices available for the Mac, with a fairly beefy feature set and a clean, relatively intuitive interface. This app helps you track projects, tasks, and communication (including calls, chats, documents, and faxes, with alarms and follow-ups to invitations), and it also does a good job of integrating with Apple's core apps. During installation, Contactizer Pro syncs up with your … Read more

The Contact Transfer Workaround

If you read about my disappointment with the Pre's bluetooth capabilities, or lack thereof, then you'll know I've been frustrated with my contacts being on my Instinct and not my Pre.

Yesterday I did some looking around, (again) but couldn't find any cut and dry solutions. I figured tho, with both devices being smart phones I ought to be able to export from one and transfer to the other. Some how.

Here's what ended up working. … Read more

Palm Pre's Bluetooth = Fail

Licketysplit I got my Samsung Instinct and my Palm Pre paired up via bluetooth. Then I went to transfer contacts...

After trying over and over and checking every setting on each device I looked up the problem on the Palm Support Forums.

According to the forums...

To do this the Pre needs the OBEX bluetooth profile. Which at this time it does not. That does not mean it will not be added though. Its not a hardware issue, but software.

Apparently, the bluetooth on the Pre is only good for connecting to an audio device, such as a headset. No … Read more

"Synergy" - Using Email, Calendar and Contacts

I've been mostly pleased with my access to my work and personal email accounts. After setting up my email (my previous blog - LINKTEXTHERE), I was able to dive right into my email. Both my Gmail and Exchange mail started coming right in. From the email interface, it presents each of your email accounts (I have only 2 here). From each email account, you can select 'Favorite' mail folders which will have shortcuts at the top of the screen (I'm just using my inbox's). Additionally, you can click(touch) the arrow next to each account and you'll be presented all of the folders available within that account. It took no additional work on my end, it was able to easily pull in all of my folders from each account. Fully utilizing the Pre's "Synergy", you can have an 'all email' view, displaying email from each account in one view. I've chosen not to see this as I prefer to keep my email seperate.

The email client also renders HTML email very well to my surprise. I've seen a number of phones claiming to be able to view HTML email, especially for Exchange 2007, but I haven't actually been able to view html email in exchange yet. I began to assume my work blocked that ability for some reason. However, full HTML versions of email come through clearly and immediately, and look great, as you can see in the graphics above. Additionally, you can zoom in and out as needed with the "pinching" gestures on the screen. Additionally, replying and forwarding email appears to work flawlessly (yes, this has been an issue on other phones), and includes the original HTML message.

The only complaint that I have about the email is that from the main email screen, where you can scroll through and choose emails to open. Unfortunately, this is really the only thing you can do in this screen. I haven't found an intuitive way to search or sort my email, so if I want to find something specific, I have to scroll and scroll and scroll to try to catch what I'm looking for. I would also love to see a feature where I can 'press and hold' an item (equivalent to right-clicking) to bring up the option to do something with the highlighted message like delete, mark as unread, or something of the sort. Right now, you can only do this by opening the message.

Getting connected on my Pre!

Probably the most important thing to me in any sort of smart phone is connectivity. And not just having a signal, but being able to easily connect to my different mail accounts, and NOT have to worry about my contacts. In the past, trying to manage porting my contacts over from phone to phone every 2 years, all while MS Outlook was becoming my de facto source of my contacts. When I got my first smart phone, a Windows based Motorola Q, my contacts were pulled in directly from my MS Exchange account and I believed I would never have … Read more

Applications: Email and Contacts

Setting up Email and Contacts was fast and simple.The first time I turned on the phone, I followed instructions on a few screens and entered my Gmail account information. That was it on my end; the phone then downloaded all the data that was already in my account.

You can add several email accounts to the Pre. There's a nice feature to consolidate the accounts by filtering the Inbox and Flagged items. The Smart Folders options for both these folders is on by default, but if you need more of a distinction between work and personal email it's easy to turn off. I like that you delete messages by swiping them off to the side. Two big gripes, however:

1) there's no confirmation screen when you delete a message, and 2) you can't turn any of the screens in Email to landscape. Grrr!

Personal organizer

RGS-CardMaster provides users with an opportunity to organize their names and addresses. With a simple operating format, this program provides a decent alternative to more popular organizational software.

This program is laid out in a way that should feel natural to anyone who has used software like Microsoft Outlook. Many blank fields can be intuitively filled to catalog all your contacts. Users are also given buttons for searching contacts and a number of secondary functions. The program felt natural after a few tries and a trip to the Help file. Managing our address book was a mixed experience. While contacts … Read more