syncing

Review: Carbon - App Sync and Backup stores copies of your vital data

Helium App Sync & Backup saves copies of your vital data for you if you don't want to do it, yourself. It includes an app backup in addition to backing up your sensitive files, but it's a major pain to set up. It takes most of the appeal of automatic backup away.

Helium App Sync & Backup is made mostly for rooters, but it will work with some unrooted phones, too. To be sure it works with yours, check developer options in your settings menu and see if you can turn on USB debugging. If you can't, … Read more

Get a 3-in-1 charging cable for $6.99

This is an update of a deal I wrote about a couple months ago.

Until wireless charging hits the mainstream (with either Apple or Samsung leading the -- sorry -- charge), we're all slaves to cables.

For example, I'm currently traveling with an older iPhone, a newer iPad, and a Kindle. Because each one has a different power port, I have to travel with three different cables. That's just wrong.

I've seen various hybrid cables that pack multiple charging tips into a single cord, but none with the Lightning connector used by newer iDevices. Until now: … Read more

mOffice - Outlook sync 1.8 Review

It's really tough to compete with the built-in calendar and task planner on Androids, but if you're looking for a solid, non-Google planner, you've found it in mOffice. It has a smooth layout and most of the features you love about Google in a neat package.

This app is designed to sync with your Outlook desktop program. It will also sync with a client called Mobisynapse, but that costs an extra $10. This app falls under the "Getting Things Done" method of thinking, which seems to mean it's optimized to make work convenient. As … Read more

Get Laplink Sync for free

Greetings from 34,000 feet! Sometimes I still marvel at being able to get Internet access all the way up here.

So, funny story, yesterday I received a press release indicating that today, and only today, Laplink is giving away its Laplink Sync utility. It normally costs $39.99.

Update: Looks like Laplink's servers are on fire (figuratively), as many people are reporting problems claiming the offer -- not uncommon with a heavily promoted giveaway such as this. Hopefully the company will do the right thing and extend it so everyone can have a chance at it.

Or will … Read more

Save 20 percent on an Une Bobine flexible charging stand

Back in March I got the chance to test-flex the Une Bobine, which, despite having one of the worst product names in recent memory, is really cool.

Unlike most sync/charge cords, which just lie there with floppy abandon, the Une Bobine borrows from gooseneck lamps, coiling and snaking into interesting positions. Want to stand your phone upright? You can do that. Angle it sideways? You can do that, too.

Much as I liked the product in concept, in practice I found it a little disappointing, if only because it proved not quite stiff enough to hold my iPhone in … Read more

LinkedIn pushes news with Channels

CNET Update is big on Mars:

In this edition of Update:

- LinkedIn is pushing personalized business news to users with Channels on LinkedIn Today. The professional social network has been busy lately with the acquisition of Pulse and adding the ability to put images and video in profiles.

- Windows 8 users could see the Start button again someday, according to a Windows executive.

- Ford's Sync system now works with the Amazon Cloud Player iOS app, so iPhone owners can stream music from their Amazon cloud storage.

- If you can't go to Mars, at least … Read more

Ford cars now sync with Amazon Cloud Player on iOS

Amazon's Cloud Player for iOS is now available in Ford Sync AppLink-equipped cars, a few months after the Android version hit the market, the Internet giant said Wednesday.

Ford owners can wirelessly connect the Amazon MP3 app on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to the Sync connectivity system to access their entire music library using voice commands or dashboard controls.

Android users have been able to use the app in Ford cars since February.

Carmakers have pushed infotainment as one way to attract new buyers, and it allows app makers to reach consumers in more locations. Ford earlier … Read more

The complete guide to using Android with a Mac

For some reason it's a common belief that Android devices and Macs just don't get along. This misconception may have been true back in Android's infancy, but nowadays there's a long list of methods, apps, and services that let you use your Android device with your Mac. It's impossible to cover every app and service available, but I'm going to share the best of the bunch.

Most of the services listed below rely on the cloud to make the process of moving data between devices painless, while other methods require the tried and true … Read more

Review: Keep your Facebook and Mac contacts organized using AddressBookSync for OS X

Users who keep contact lists between multiple programs need a way to sync them. AddressBookSync for Mac is designed for this purpose alone, but its lack of user guidance and poor performance detract from its usefulness.

Download of this freeware program completed quickly with no problems or user agreements required. There were no user instructions either, which, despite the easy-to-use program features, made AddressBookSync for Mac difficult to operate, initially. The menus appeared dated with few options or features that were identifiable. Two buttons allowed the user to look at matched and unmatched contacts between Facebook and the computer. There … Read more

Download Gmail attachments to cloud storage with Kloudless

Installation and initialization is quick and painless with four, easy steps:

Simply download and install Kloudless (public beta).

Sync your Gmail and Google Drive account with Dropbox and/or box services.

Set automation rules for how Kloudless handles your files. Set MS Doc and Excel spreadsheets to be automatically sent to Google Drive. Large files like videos and music can be transferred to Dropbox while smaller files can go to your box storage. Move confidential materials off your e-mail quickly and into the cloud.

Sync multiple e-mails and make their attachments available on one cloud service. You can also sort … Read more