Apple iOS 4 to introduce 1500 new developer features

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

During Apple’s recent keynote event, Steve Jobs announced the newest version of the iPhone’s operating system, dubbed iOS 4. The new iOS 4 will add some hotly-anticipated features to the iPhone, such as application multitasking. In addition to new user features, iOS 4 opens a whole slew of new APIs for developers to use in their applications.

DejaOffice is our super-charged suite of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes apps for iPhone. The new iOS 4 will allow us to introduce new features that haven’t been possible in previous versions of the mobile operating system. We are especially excited about the new calendar APIs. This will allow us to better integrate the DejaOffice calendar with the iPhone’s native calendar. Apple is also opening up developer access to the iPhone’s notification system, which will allow DejaOffice to use audible calendar notifications (don’t miss that appointment!). To see a roadmap of planned features, as well as general information about DejaOffice, visit www.dejaoffice.com.

Sync the HTC EVO 4G with your PC

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

The brand new HTC EVO 4G, out June 4 on Sprint, is quite the landmark phone. It boasts a huge screen, top of the line specifications that make Android fly, and the first 4G data connection for high-speed internet access. Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, and it looks like the HTC EVO 4G will set the bar for the next generation of mobile devices.

We here at CompanionLink can’t wait to get our hands on one tomorrow and see DejaOffice, our new Android app, running on that gorgeous screen. DejaOffice is a suite of super-charged calendar, contacts, tasks and notes apps for the EVO 4G. It has advanced features that provide more flexibility and functionality than the native apps, such as category colors, variable font sizes and more search and sort fields. DejaOffice is available from the Android Market at no charge, just search the Market for “DejaOffice” on your EVO 4G.

DejaOffice works with CompanionLink to sync data from your PC. CompanionLink can sync the EVO 4G with Outlook, Lotus Notes, ACT! by Sage, Palm Desktop and more. Sync either direct via USB or wireless through Google. Download a 14-day free trial here.

BlackBerry, webOS and iPhone deflectors going to HTC EVO 4G

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Rushang

AndroidCentral.com ran a poll on who was planning to buy the EVO 4G (for which CompanionLink provides complete two-way sync). Turns out that most of the folks are coming from the BlackBerry platform. The EVO 4G arrives June 4 on Sprint’s network.

iPhone, webOS and Windows Mobile all tie for a distant second place. The surprising element to the poll is the number of people buying their first smartphone (roughly the same number as those migrating away from other existing smartphones).

There seems to be a lot of people still sitting on the sidelines, waiting for just the right smartphone before buying their first one. AT&T’s new (lower) pricing for data plans may help bring these people into the smartphone world. The cost of entry is now just $15/month. If history is any indication, other carriers will follow AT&T’s price shuffle to attract new customers.

myTouch 3G Slide now available on T-Mobile

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

The myTouch 3G Slide is the newest Android phone to join the ranks over at T-Mobile. It features a nice little slide-out keyboard, which is rare amongst the many touchscreen-only Android devices out there. Like many other Android phones, the myTouch 3G Slide is compatible with DejaOffice and CompanionLink’s sync solutions. For more info on how to sync the myTouch 3G Slide with Outlook and other desktop software, check out www.companionlink.com/phones/tmo-mytouch3gslide.html

Image courtesy of T-Mobile.

DejaOffice is Bump-compatible

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Rushang

DejaOffice is fully compatible with the Bump app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. If you store contacts in DejaOffice, you can exchange them with others using Bump. It works great!

We are working to integrate the Bump API to exchange other DejaOffice data like calendar appointments, tasks and notes. For example, a manager can use this as a great tool to delegate tasks to an assistant.

1. Create a task in DejaOffice

2. Every morning, walk into the office and bump fists with your assistant to transfer the tasks. (Plus, you’ll actually look more sociable!)

3. Your assistant can work off the list on their device, or use CompanionLink to sync that list from DejaOffice to PC software like Microsoft Outlook.

40% of iPhone purchases by business users

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Rushang

A CNET blog post cites AT&T’s Business Solutions unit claiming 4 out of 10 sales of the iPhone are made to “enterprise users”. The iPhone has come a long way since its inception as a consumer-centric device.

Not surprisingly, CompanionLink is witnessing similar trends.

More and more business professionals are asking how they can make their iPhones and Android-based smartphones work more like business-friendly devices. They recognize these devices are powerful mini-computers, but they need help leveraging that power so it works for their business.

The DejaOffice app does just that. DejaOffice transforms iPhone, iPad and and any Android device into a business-friendly tool. The app makes the phone work more like your PC software.

For example:

– contacts, calendar, tasks and notes can be organized into categories that match and link with your PC

– appointments can be created with people from your address book

– view company name right next to each name in your address book

– create custom fields and label them whatever you want

– search functionality works even with your custom fields

The mobile world has moved on since the first PalmPilot devices arrived in the 90s. However, the timeless business productivity principles are still in effect today. CompanionLink and DejaOffice lets mobile professionals have a suite of tools on their phones and tablets to be as productive as they are when using their PCs.

Duplication checking for sync

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Rushang

CompanionLink products have robust duplication-checking built right into the software. We’re working to update our algorithm to catch many new cases that arise when synchronizing between PC and the latest smartphones, tablets and mobile devices in the market.

Why does duplication occur?

Duplication is commonly seen when data is previously imported into a contact management or CRM database. For example, let’s say you want to sync Outlook to Google. If you have already imported data from Outlook into Google, the first “sync” you engage using CompanionLink for Google or using O2g will combine everything in Outlook with everything in Google.

Other times, there are issues with name matching. Are “John Smith” and “John R. Smith” the same person? CompanionLink contains logic to try to match names. However, we still find cases where Prefix, Middle Name or Suffix can throw things off. In addition, CompanionLink looks at phone numbers in duplication checking. The presence or absence of a number can impact whether a name is duplicated.

Updated duplication checking is coming soon to a CompanionLink and O2g build near you!

Sync BlackBerry with Outlook 2010 64-bit

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

Microsoft recently released Outlook 2010 to all Microsoft Volume Licensing customers, with full 64-bit compatibility being offered in core Office 2010 applications. One of the hitches about running Outlook 2010 64-bit is that 3rd-party add-ins generally must be written specifically for 64-bit.

Since Outlook 2010 has become available, some users have been reporting that they’re having trouble syncing BlackBerry to Outlook 2010 64-bit. CompanionLink has developed proprietary x64 sync technology which allows us to fully support sync with Outlook 2010 64-bit. CompanionLink is proud to offer three solutions to sync BlackBerry with Outlook 64-bit.

1. Sync BlackBerry with Outlook 2010 via USB

This method offers a simple secure sync of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes between Outlook and BlackBerry via the USB cable. Download Now

2. Sync BlackBerry with Outlook 2010 wireless via Google

This method syncs Outlook contacts and calendar to any Google account. The free Google Sync service can be used to wireless sync with BlackBerry. Download Now

3. Sync BlackBerry with Outlook 2010 using the CompanionLink Wireless Sync Service.

This method offers complete two-way sync of contacts, calendar and tasks between Outlook and BlackBerry using CompanionLink’s automatic wireless sync service for $9.95/month. Download Now

CompanionLink supports Outlook 2010 64-bit sync with BlackBerry, along with a wide variety of phones including Apple iPhone, Palm Pre, Android and Windows Mobile devices. For a full list of supported phones, and to download a free 14-day trial, visit www.companionlink.com/phones

The LG Ally is here – Sync it with your PC

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

The new Android-powered LG Ally is now available. CompanionLink is proud to offer complete two-way sync of calendar, contacts, tasks and notes between the LG Ally and the PC.

CompanionLink offers two different ways to sync with the LG Ally – wired USB sync and wireless sync via Google. CompanionLink’s wired USB sync with LG Ally works in conjunction with DejaOffice, an Android app that runs on the phone. DejaOffice provides advanced calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes apps that offer users more business-friendly functionality than the native apps on the phone. Users also have the option to sync calendar and contacts to the native apps on the LG Ally. CompanionLink’s wireless sync to LG Ally via Google lets users sync contacts and calendar data to any Google account, which then syncs to the phone through its wireless data connection.

CompanionLink supports LG Ally synchronization with multiple applications, including Microsoft Outlook, ACT! by Sage, Palm Desktop, Lotus Notes, GoldMine and GroupWise. CompanionLink also fully supports the new Outlook 2010 64-bit. CompanionLink’s sync solutions for the LG Ally start at $39.95, with a free 14-day trial available at www.companionlink.com/lg-ally.

Image courtesy of Verizon Wireless

Introducing DejaOffice for Android

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

CompanionLink is proud to announce DejaOffice for Android, a mobile office application suite for Android-powered devices.

DejaOffice contains robust contacts, calendar, tasks and notes apps that allow users to efficiently view, enter, update and manage contact and schedule information from their phone. Advanced features such as categories, custom fields, search across all data types, sort options, expense tracking, and linking of contacts to calendar items are included in the app. DejaOffice augments the Android contacts and calendar databases with enhanced functionality, and also offers robust tasks and notes apps originally missing from the Android platform.

Many business professionals are upgrading to the latest smartphones only to find that they are becoming increasingly consumer-oriented, and lack required business functionality. Many users, especially those coming from old Palm phones like the Treo or Centro, are dismayed when they upgrade to a newer platform and lose features and functions. DejaOffice is a solution to fill that gap, and bring Android devices more in line with how PC business software works.

DejaOffice works seamlessly with CompanionLink’s PC desktop synchronization and backup software. This allows two-way sync with applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, GoldMine, GroupWise, ACT! by Sage and Palm Desktop. The DejaOffice app is currently available at no charge from the Android Market. More information is available at www.dejaoffice.com.

Update: For additional information on the latest version of DejaOffice for Android, check out the following posts:

Windows Guides reviews CompanionLink

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

A new review of CompanionLink has been posted over at the Windows Guides site. The review mentions, as posted earlier, that CompanionLink supports sync with Outlook 2010 64-bit. Head on over to https://mintywhite.com/software-reviews/companionlink-enables-sync-outlook-mobile/ to read the review.

CompanionLink launches O2g, a simple app to sync Outlook with Google

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

CompanionLink is proud to announce O2g, a fast, simple and affordable solution to synchronize Microsoft Outlook with any Google account. O2g delivers complete synchronization of calendar, contacts and tasks between any Google, Gmail, or Google Apps account and Microsoft Outlook 2000 and higher. O2g supports synchronization with the new Outlook 2010 64-bit, in addition to all versions of Palm Desktop.

O2g supports advanced functions such as mapping Outlook contact categories to Google Groups in Google Contacts. If the Google Groups don’t already exist, O2g will automatically create them to match the Outlook categories on the PC. In addition, Outlook tasks can be synchronized to Google Calendar as untimed calendar entries.

Using the free Google Sync service, O2g can synchronize Microsoft Outlook with many popular smartphones, including the Apple iPhone and iPad, BlackBerry, Android, Palm webOS, and Windows Mobile devices. O2g synchronizes Outlook calendar and contact data with Google, and then using Google sync, automatically updates the phone with the latest sync data.

O2g is now available for a one-time cost of $9.99, with a full 90 day guarantee. Support is offered via the official O2g forums, monitored by O2g personnel. For more information on O2g, visit www.o2gsync.com

Android takes the lead in US smartphone market

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

In a report released today by research firm NPD Group, it was shown that the sharp growth of the Android OS over the last two quarters has helped it surpass the iPhone and secure the number two spot in US smartphone share behind BlackBerry. Android’s remarkable growth can be attributed in part to the large success of the Motorola DROID on Verizon. Android has also done well due to the fact that it has permeated all the major US carriers, with models available such as the HTC Hero on Sprint, and the Motorola BACKFLIP on AT&T.

CompanionLink has been on the forefront of Android synchronization, offering support for Android since the flagship T-Mobile G1 launched in 2008. CompanionLink now offers two methods to sync Android – wired USB sync and wireless sync through Google. CompanionLink is planning to soon launch DejaOffice for Android, an integrated suite of calendar, contacts, tasks and notes apps that provide more advanced CRM functions than the native Android apps. As Android continues to sweep the market, CompanionLink has lots of great things planned for the future. Stay tuned!

UPDATE: SD card required for Android USB Sync

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

Last week, we saw the launch of the HTC Droid Incredible, an impressive new Android handset. The Incredible, as we soon discovered, was the first Android phone launched in the US in which some units did not ship with an SD card (but rather, boasted 8GB of internal memory). This initially presented a few problems, as CompanionLink’s USB sync for Android depends on a memory card being present to store the sync data. CompanionLink is currently evaluating the viability of using the phone’s internal memory to store sync data. To ensure your sync with the Droid Incredible runs without a hitch, make sure you have a microSD inserted into the phone.

MicroSD cards are cheap and readily available – Google should be able to help you track one down.

For more information about syncing the HTC Droid Incredible with your PC, head on over to www.companionlink.com/incredible

Image courtesy of SanDisk

KIN ONE and KIN TWO now available

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

Microsoft announced today the availability of their new social networking phones, the KIN ONE and the KIN TWO. The KIN is a new type of smartphone that has a strong focus on social media and networking. The KIN runs a proprietary Microsoft operating system that is neither Windows Mobile 6.5 nor Windows Phone 7. Rather, the KIN’s user interface resembles the Zune, Microsoft’s line of portable media players. How does this new operating system fit in alongside all the Androids, iPhones, BlackBerrys and Palms out there?

Image courtesy of Microsoft

Because the KIN runs a new proprietary operating system, that means that it doesn’t support the thousands of apps and third party software available for other phones running Microsoft operating systems. Unfortunately, that also means that the KIN is unable to synchronize data from the PC with CompanionLink.

CompanionLink is currently evaluating how to sync with the KIN platform. In the meantime, you can use CompanionLink to sync your PC with a wide variety of phones, including the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Palm webOS, and Windows Mobile devices. More information, along with a 14-day free trial, is available at www.companionlink.com

Tech Tip: Avoid duplicates when switching to CompanionLink USB for Android phones

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Andy Sheragy

Android does a great job of keeping your contacts in sync between Google and your phone, but many users find that CompanionLink USB offers a more complete sync solution. However, users switching to CompanionLink USB run the risk of duplicating contacts upon the initial sync. To ensure a seamless migration to direct USB sync, follow these steps:

1. On your Android phone, disable Google contacts sync: https://www.companionlink.com/support/howto/disable-google-contacts-sync.html

2. On your PC, configure CompanionLink USB to Purge and Reload (Options -> Purge and Reload All).

3. Sync your Android phone using CL USB Sync.

This will clear your phone of all existing contacts, so make sure all your contacts are on your PC before performing the above steps. If you don’t have your contacts on your PC, you can first use CompanionLink USB to sync all your contacts on from your phone into Outlook. CompanionLink will then wipe the phone and do a fresh reload to ensure there are no duplicates. Once CompanionLink has synced contacts via USB, be careful about turning Google contacts sync back on unless you have also wiped all contacts from Google.

More info about CompanionLink sync solutions for Android, and a 14-day free trial, can be found at www.companionlink.com/android.