FREE Programs that sync contacts, calendars, etc, (Updated 5/12)

[zikronix]

yea ive been using dashwire since its inception

[shankscomp]

Originally Posted by angel4b

Actually the information I posted about funmabol will work with a linux server on your computer to sync to exchange on the phone.

Funmabol: http://www.funambol.com

Sync email, contacts, calendars, without the need for a windows computer. Choose to use their Open source server software (windows or linux) OR just use the online portal: myFUNAMBOL Portal

link to funmabol cab file: http://my.funambol.com/me/funambol-sm-plugin.cab

Brian @ Tips.for.us tutorial : http://www.tipsfor.us/2008/04/15/syn...mbol-for-free/

I will look into this one, never heard of it before. Hopefully this could take place of the crap windows server I've been running just to keep my contacts & calendar sync'd with my phone.

THanks

[btrcp2000]

DISCLAIMER: I would love to be proven wrong on the below points, as it will mean there is a way to do all this. Frankly, that's why I'm posting in the first place, so fire away. All workarounds and "YOU"RE DEAD WRONG MORON!!" comments welcome.

Okay, here's my update on my latest geek project:

Two phases to this for me:

Phase 1 MUST HAVEs:
1. automagically sync family calendars to outlook, my touch pro, wife's new treo 800w (to replace her lg rumor), nightstand pocketpc, and an online calendar.
2.Calendar entries to be categorically organized and color coded by each family member, with one "family" catch-all category (five people, six categories)

Phase 2 WANNA HAVES in order of desire:
1. Prevent my phone from syncing work stuff at all for compliance and client privacy reasons while allowing for two-way syncing (two way is the wanna have, privacy is actually a must of course)
2. Separate user bookmark and contact syncing for backup purposes, with some sharing of certain contacts
3. File backup including pictures preferably to my home server where the rest of our digicam pics are
4. Preferably everything pushes out to everything else like push email

Phase 1 is pretty much working like I want. I use scheduleworld with the funambol WM client on the three WM devices (all you have to do is replace the my.funambol address with sync.scheduleworld.com/funambol/ds), funambol outlook connector. Pretty solid so far, and the schedule world online calendar syncs with google calendar, so I can use either one, since I can only get to SW from work, not google. Categories sync across the board, color codes sync across the non-device platforms. Will probably use Pocket Informant on the devices which I think can assign colors itself based on the categories. All but PI is free at the moment

Phase 2:

1. the privacy thing is tantamount, obviously. Nothing I can find will allow me to IGNORE a certain category, so that I could simply categorize all client events as Work, and have them never leave my phone (which is activesynced old-school style with a CABLE to my work pc). Many would allow the opposite, where they all sit online and the cloud will prevent them from going to my phone. Best workaround I have is to set my phone up as one-way incoming only, which means I can't use it to schedule family stuff. Actually haven't put any of this on my phone yet, the athena and the treo are the guinea pigs. I hope none of this interferes with my work usb activesync, but time will tell.

2. Bookmarks/contacts- Most of course do these, but I realized I don't want my wife's bunko crowd on my phone any more than she wants my golf buddies on hers. This may end up being separate dashwire accounts, or possibly something using good ol' outlook and chapura pocket mirror to just have all our people backed up on the home pc.

3. Same as #2. Dashwire is great for pics, but I have found they just sit there forever and I never get around to DL'ing them. I have just never found a good way to deal with phone photos that I want to keep with the digicam ones. I would love for them to automatically go to a file on my home computer over the air right after being snapped, or via one of these sync processes.

4. Push calendar events. This usually works from the device on which it is created, in that funambol fires up within a few minutes (aklthough not immediately like the activesync based solutions). I don't yet see the other devices receving anything automatically though. I don't know a lot about this, and it may not be that necessary as you can schedule syncs anyway. Need to learn more about the SMS push stuff where the devidce receives a message that it needs to sync itself, if I understand correctly.

Here's some other random thoughts:

Google sync won't do multiple calendars/categories that survive sync yet, but worked really well with activesync firing off as soon as you click okay on a new event. Love the idea of using built in stuff instead of more cabs esp. with all the reflashing.

Nuevasync and seven don't do categories yet

Microsoft's My Phone looks promising, but might limit the online calendar part./ And there is apparently no way to search just the "my phone" user forum

Oggsync and Goosync might do this, but I don't think I can trial those features without paying, and I'm just not yet willing to go there for the kids' playdates (I said yet...)

[ksann]

Any recomendations for something that will push from Outlook to my TP?

I am on Verizon, and they have the $15/month 'Wirelesssync' option, but any other choices?

My needs are actually pretty simple, just one calendar, just one phone. I just need it to push.

Thoughts?



ken

[Genjinaro]

Originally Posted by btrcp2000

Phase 2 WANNA HAVES in order of desire:
3. File backup including pictures preferably to my home server where the rest of our digicam pics are

3. Same as #2. Dashwire is great for pics, but I have found they just sit there forever and I never get around to DL'ing them. I have just never found a good way to deal with phone photos that I want to keep with the digicam ones. I would love for them to automatically go to a file on my home computer over the air right after being snapped, or via one of these sync processes.

#3 Resco Photo Viewer Proffesional (Intsall file from the desktop) can do this if you have an Ex server ActiveSync setup..

Other wise, it won't happen till the next time you tag the USB/BT-AS

[springs1087]

thanks.. DashWire is ill!

[jsntrenkler]

I use DashWire and Googlesync ... They work great together.

[angel4b]

fff

Originally Posted by ksann

Any recomendations for something that will push from Outlook to my TP?

I am on Verizon, and they have the $15/month 'Wirelesssync' option, but any other choices?

My needs are actually pretty simple, just one calendar, just one phone. I just need it to push.

Thoughts?

ken

Ken,
I'm a SprintUser for life, so i have no clue when you mention vzw services, I can point you towards Funmabol (and clients) or Oggsync that have both email and calendar sync options... I guess you should try the OggSync since the have both the oggsync for outlook as well as the app for your phone...check the first post for the links

[angel4b]

First post updated with Microsoft's new MyPhone app, and SporkLover's Dashwire vs MyPhone thread link.

[abrigham]

Lots of great info in this thread. I personally use NuevaSync and have for quite some time. I'm a lot like a couple others here that are in a "wait and see" mode, watching both Google Sync and NuevaSync to see which one gives us Push GMail first.