Tag Archives: iOS

Introducing DejaOffice 1.3 for iOS

Posted on by David Z
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The first thing you’ll notice when you open the latest update of DejaOffice for iOS is the crisp new graphics. We’ve refreshed the entire app with Retina graphics, perfect for those with the iPhone 4/4S and the new iPad. Beneath the fresh look, though, there’s even more…

Contact Photos

We’ve added the ability to sync pictures to DejaContacts. Now you’ll always be able to attach a face to the name of your next meeting. Due to the way the iPhone handles USB sync, this feature is only available when syncing via WiFi.

Category Enhancements

We’ve redesigned the categories app to make it faster and more reliable. Category colors will now sync from your computer to DejaOffice. If blue equals “Sales” on your PC, it will equal “Sales” in DejaOffice. A small improvement that makes a big difference!

A Better iPad Workflow

The process of adding or editing data has been streamlined.  We’ve made use of popovers to allow you to quickly and easily edit categories, times, dates, priorities, contact links, and more. This adds up to a more efficient workflow for you. And who doesn’t want that?

Overall Performance Improvements

Buttons are easier to tap, data loads faster, you can swipe between records from the details view, and the search function has been improved. Not only that, we’ve squashed a number of pesky bugs. Check out the full release notes for a list of what’s been fixed.

DejaOffice for iOS gets better with each new release and we’re excited for you to download this latest version! It’s free, and in the App Store today. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Full Release Notes:
+ all new and updated graphics for Retina displays on iPhone 4/S and new iPad
+ added contacts pictures to DejaContacts (currently only syncs via Wi-Fi)
+ completely redesigned categories app
+ categories now sync from PC to DejaOffice with matching colors
+ enhanced button feedback throughout DejaOffice
+ refreshed list views – load faster and more efficient, especially for large databases
+ completely redesigned search, no longer tries to search until you hit “search”
+ added Sort By Category to DejaTasks
+ add new context menu for DejaToday settings
+ added swiping between records from view/details view
+ all new logging with send database option to help with troubleshooting
+ DejaOffice now opens in landscape view correctly on first run
-fixed an issue where DejaOffice would crash on some screens in non-English localizations
+ fixed an issue where some calendar events prior to 2000 did not sync
+ fixed an issue where weekly recurring events from/to native didn’t sync with DJO
+ fixed an issue where recurring end dates were not synchronized to/from native
+ fixed an issue where tasks sync one day off in some time zones
+ fixed an issue where syncing an ampersand or tab character did not work via Wi-Fi or CLSH
+ fixed an issue where hyperlinks go away when tapping on white space
+ fixed issues syncing Other address between native Apple contacts and DejaContacts
+ fixed an issue where the Office field did not sync
+ fixed an issue where syncing yearly recurring event to native would crash
+ fixed an issue where the SMS button did not work

Apple Unveils Their Latest iPad

Posted on by David Z
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Apple announced the latest update to their iPad line today, dubbed simply “the iPad.” It would seem that Apple is moving away from the numbered naming system. Don’t let the name fool you, however, the new iPad is a significant improvement on the iPad 2 in many ways.

Perhaps the most notable difference is the new 2048×1536 pixel Retina display. The hi-res screen makes images and videos pop with unparalleled clarity. Add in the optional 4G LTE speeds, quad core graphics processor, enhanced camera, and built-in dictation features, and you get the most powerful iPad yet, and perhaps the most powerful consumer tablet currently available. Learn all about the new iPad over at Apple’s site: https://www.apple.com/ipad.

And if you need to sync the new iPad with Outlook & more, CompanionLink and DejaOffice will work right out of the box! The core operating system is the same, and we’re already testing iOS 5.1 – the update version that the new iPad will ship with – on our current iPads. Watch this blog for any updates on that.

In the meantime, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the new iPad. Will you be buying one?

How to Sync Google, Salesforce, & More with iCloud

Posted on by David Z
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It seems like it should just work. If you set up iCloud to sync with Outlook using Apple’s iCloud Control Panel and you’ve set up Google, Salesforce, or another CRM to sync with Outlook, it should all sync up nicely – right?

When you set up iCloud to sync with Outlook, the iCloud Control Panel creates a unique Outlook Folder, which it then uses to sync with iCloud. It will actually move items from your default Outlook Folder to this new iCloud Outlook Folder in order to facilitate the sync. This doesn’t really change how things look in Outlook, but it does change how things sync.

Many tools that sync CRM solutions such as Google and Salesforce are set to sync with only the default Outlook Folder, with no option to change this. Because iCloud is syncing with a different Outlook Folder, these two sync tools don’t work together. Fortunately, CompanionLink is different.

CompanionLink allows you to choose which Outlook Folder(s) you want to sync with. So if you want to sync Google with Outlook and iCloud, or Salesforce with Outlook and iCloud, it’s as easy as configuring CompanionLink to sync with the iCloud Outlook Folder. From there, any data synced from sources like Google or Salesforce will sync through iCloud to your iOS devices and any other PC or Mac that iCloud is configured on.

For details on configuring which Outlook Folder(s) to sync with in CompanionLink, see our Configuring Outlook support article.

The Year In Review

Posted on by David Z
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2011 was a big year for CompanionLink. We added numerous new features to our mobile CRM app, DejaOffice, while surpassing 100,000 active installations globally. We rebuilt our website from the ground up to make it even easier to find the sync solution you need. We released CompanionLink 5 with new features and a refreshed interface. And we’ve released new software, as well – CompanionLink for Windows Live.

But 2011 wasn’t just a big year for us – it was a big year for mobile technology! All year long, we worked hard to support some of the best phones and tablets yet: from the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S to the DROID Bionic, DROID Razr, Galaxy S II, and Galaxy Nexus to name just a few!

While the past year has certainly kept us busy, we’re not taking a break anytime soon! In fact, 2012 is already shaping up to be our biggest year yet. What can you expect from us in the coming year? A completely revised look for DejaOffice, an entirely new cloud sync service, support for even more great phones and tablets (think the rumored DROID 4 and iPad 3), and CompanionLink 6! We can’t go into the details on these things just yet, so be sure to watch the blog for updates!

All of us at CompanionLink want to thank you for helping make 2011 a great year. As you head out this weekend to ring in 2012, we wish you a safe and happy New Year. See you in 2012!

How To Use Siri To Set Up Business Meetings In Outlook, ACT!, & More

Posted on by David Z
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Just the other day, Apple revealed their latest iteration of the iPhone – the iPhone 4S. One of the biggest new features comes in the form of Siri, Apple’s self-described “humble personal assistant.” Using voice recognition technology, Siri is able to take verbal commands and act on them, allowing you to check and compose messages, emails, calendar appointments, and much more.

Image Credit: TUAW

Currently, Siri is designed to work with Apple’s built in apps – it’s not clear if or when the technology will be opened up to third party developers. However, DejaOffice has the unique ability to connect with Apple’s built in apps. As such, DejaOffice is able to harness the full power of Siri and sync new or updated data back to your existing CRM solution.

Doing so is simple. First, you’ll need to ensure that DejaOffice is set to sync with the native databases. To do this, just launch DejaOffice on your iPhone 4S, tap “Settings,” then “Sync.” From there, select “Sync with Apple’s Calendar” and “Sync with Apple’s Contacts” to enable syncing with the native databases.

Once that’s enabled, press and hold the home button on your iPhone 4S to activate Siri. Say something like “Schedule lunch with John Smith at noon on Friday” and Siri will comply. The next time you sync DejaOffice via CompanionLink, that appointment will be transferred into Outlook, ACT!, Salesforce, or whatever CRM solution you’re using. It’s that easy!

The iPhone 4S

Posted on by David Z
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Apple just wrapped up another keynote presentation unveiling their latest products. As always, there’s a lot of news to sift through. Let us save you time by highlighting the important details here!

Improved Specs

The iPhone 4S features the standard “spec” boost that we’ve come to expect – faster processer, better battery, more storage, and an improved camera. These are all welcome additions and should serve to keep you running the latest and greatest apps.

More Choices

The iPhone 4S is a “World Phone,” meaning it contains both GSM and CDMA radios. It’s also available on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint in the US, and even more carriers abroad as well. Check out Apple’s iPhone4S page for the full details.

Near-4G Speeds

Apple touted an improved antenna design that, in a nutshell, allows them to nearly double your download speeds. The result is near-4G, though they aren’t calling it that. The iPhone 4S is still a 3G phone, though one of the fastest 3G phones around.

Voice Control

This is the biggest news from Apple’s iPhone 4S announcement. Using advance voice recognition technology, dubbed “Siri,” you will be able to listen to (and reply to) text messages, check your calendar and schedule appointments, send emails, check stocks and weather, search the web, and much more. Time will tell how well this works in the “real world,” but it has the potential to drastically enhance productivity on the go.

Final Thoughts

For now, voice control is limited to the built-in apps. Imagine, however, the potential that lies in this technology when it’s opened up to 3rd party developers, like ourselves!

Of course, we’ll need to get our hands on an iPhone 4S to test DejaOffice, but we’re confident that DejaOffice will be fully supported at, or shortly after, the iPhone 4S launch on October 14th. Stay tuned for more on that!

DejaOffice for iOS Receives Major Update

Posted on by David Z
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Don’t let the version number fool you – DejaOffice 1.2.6 for iOS is a major update. While you won’t notice too many cosmetic changes (yet), we’ve done quite a bit of work under the hood.

The biggest focus of this update has been DejaCalendar. We’ve completely rewritten the calendar to improve stability and sync reliability. Right away, you’ll notice a much smoother experience when using the app. This is just the beginning for us, however. We have exciting plans for DejaOffice!

Continue reading →

The United States of Mobile

Posted on by David Z
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Image Credit: JumptapWe regularly see reports that show Android is leading the mobile market, but this is the first time I’ve seen a state-by-state breakdown of popularity. Jumptap, a mobile ad network, released a report today showing Android, iOS, and BlackBerry popularity at the U.S. state level. The data is based on activity on Jumptap’s network, a network that reaches 83 million users.

Check out the image above to see where your state’s allegiance lies. Most interesting to us – in our home state of Oregon, BlackBerry reigns supreme. At least according to Jumptap’s data…

[via TechCrunch]

DejaOffice 1.2.2 for iOS Now Available

Posted on by David Z
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DejaOffice 1.2.2 is now available from the iTunes App Store! We’ve added and improved a number of things, but the two biggest features we’d like to talk about are a separate contact database and “group by” options.

Our Own Contacts Database

We’ve created a separate Contacts database for DejaContacts. Previously, we used native iPhone Address Book to store our data. While this is convenient, it affected usability because we were forced to render our data only as fast as the iPhone Address Book allowed us to.

No more! With our own database, we can optimize speeds to best suit our app and it’s purpose – accessing thousands of business records instantly.

Please note: It is very important that you run the Import Contacts function if you’ve previously synced DejaOffice via CompanionLink. If you skip this step, you could potentially duplicate or delete all of your contacts data!

If you’d like to take advantage of features that the native address book offers (such as caller ID), you will still be able to sync DejaContacts with the native Address Book.

New “Grouping “ Feature

A powerful new grouping feature allows you to organize data in more ways. In our last email we showed you how categories are a highly efficient way to organize data. But what do you do for more granular control?

That’s where grouping comes in.

DejaOffice can sort your contacts by company, category, city, or city and zip code. For example, picture this scenario: you’re traveling to Atlanta and, while on the plane, you use DejaOffice to bring up a list of all your contacts that live there. You can now easily browse through this list and catch up with nearby clients or old friends.

We’re really excited about these new features and think you’re going to love them too! In fact, we’d love to hear how you will be using the new grouping feature.

Android’s Popularity Continues To Rise

Posted on by David Z
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Android, as a platform, has seen growing popularity since its inception. Before Android, Apple had a tight grip on the changing smartphone market. They were one of the first, and certainly the most influential, to transform the smartphone into what it is today. But, as we all know, Apple’s OS only works on Apple devices. That’s where Google stepped in. They created an open source OS that existing phone manufacturers could use. The use of Android as an OS spread rapidly, catching up with Apple’s market share in little time.

Today, that popularity continues to rise. A recent survey by Market Force shows that 34% of those surveyed would like to buy an Android phone, while only 21% indicated they wanted an iPhone. This is no surprise to us – we can see a similar trend among our customers.

Why is this?

Arguably, one of the reasons is that Android runs on more devices. But I think there’s more to it than that. Android is an open platform that’s designed to allow users great customization and flexibility. People like to own their experiences. The Android platform allows them to do just that. With it, you can make your phone as fun, simple, extravagant, or productive as you like! The very same device can be a portable arcade as easily as it can be a mobile productivity hub.

Now, obviously this is just one survey. New Android phones will continue to be released, and Apple is likely a few months away from releasing the iPhone 5 and iOS 5. How this will affect people’s buying decisions remains to be seen. For now, it’s safe to say that Android phones aren’t going to go away any time soon!

Welcome To The iPhone, Verizon

Posted on by David Z
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Today is the day that many Verizon customers have been waiting for. The Apple iPhone officially went on sale for pre-order on the Verizon network at 3am EST today. While the iPhone has been available for a few years, today marks the first day that US customers have a service option other than AT&T.

Sync with iPhone

As a happy iPhone user myself, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the many Verizon customers who will soon be getting their first iPhone. One of the first things you’ll likely be doing is heading in to the App Store to start downloading apps. As you’ll soon discover, there are many great apps to install. I personally recommend downloading Dropbox, Dragon Dictation, and Kik Messenger, to name a few. That said, I’d like to focus on one app specifically: our very own DejaOffice. DejaOffice is designed to enhance the iPhone experience for business customers. With DejaOffice, you gain access to business-class contact, calendar, note, and task management. A detailed list of features is available at www.dejaoffice.com. These features make all the difference for business people who are looking to stay productive while on the go.

DejaOffice works great as a stand-alone app. However, many business people have spent time carefully nurturing customer databases they’ve built up over the years. They need a way to get their customer info on their new iPhone.

That’s why we built DejaOffice!

It works seamlessly with CompanionLink. When paired with the CompanionLink application for PC, DejaOffice will sync data with many of the most popular database systems available, including Microsoft Outlook, ACT!, Palm Desktop, Lotus Notes, and more.

DejaOffice [iTunes link] is currently a free app on the iTunes App Store. CompanionLink is a PC application available as a 14-day trial: https://www.companionlink.com/products/.