Tag Archives: ipad

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

DejaOffice On The New iPad

Posted on by David Z
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We’ve had our new iPad in the office for a few days now and have put it through its paces with DejaOffice and CompanionLink. I’m happy to report that everything is performing as expected. So don’t hesitate to download DejaOffice and start syncing that new iPad of yours.

On a related note, we are in the process of updating DejaOffice to take advantage of the new iPad’s Retina display. Expect a new version with crisp graphics soon!

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?

What is DejaOffice?

Posted on by David Z
1

If you’re new to CompanionLink, you’ve probably noticed several references to DejaOffice by now. In fact, you may be wondering what exactly DejaOffice is.  Well, I’m glad you asked.

In short, DejaOffice is our free Android and iOS app that helps you get the most out of your data when syncing with CompanionLink! But it’s actually a lot more than that. Instead of reading through a long post describing the app, however, why not sit back and discover DejaOffice in just 90 seconds:

DejaOffice Is Ready For iOS 5

Posted on by David Z
12

Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 5, will be released any time now. With a host of great new features, including improved notifications, wireless sync, and iCloud, many users will understandably be eager to update. However, some users may hesitate, waiting to ensure their most-used apps are iOS 5 compatible.

Today, I’m happy to report that DejaOffice 1.2.5 and above is iOS 5 ready!

We’ve been testing our app on the beta builds for some time now and have not seen any issues when using DejaOffice on iOS 5. So, just ensure you’re running the latest version of DejaOffice by checking for any updates in the App Store, then go enjoy the new features in iOS 5! We’re loving the new notification system – what about you?

DejaOffice for iOS Receives Major Update

Posted on by David Z
10

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 →

Password-Protected Data Now Available On iOS

Posted on by David Z
2

DejaOffice 1.2.4 should be arriving in the App Store as you read this post. This update contains a number of new features, improvements, and bug fixes. The full release notes are included below, but I wanted to highlight one feature that I’m sure many of you will appreciate: Password-protected data.

This feature allows you to secure sensitive data on your device by either hiding or masking your private contacts, tasks, and memos. Private records require a password to view or edit, keeping your data secure.

Configuring private records is simple. To mark a contact, task, or memo as private, simply tick the checkbox labeled “private” when editing or creating it. Before you notice any change, you’ll need to adjust the settings for private records. Go to the “Settings” menu in DejaOffice and select “Private Records.” There you can choose to Show Private (always show private records), Mask Records (replace text with ***), or Hide Records (completely hide private records from view). You’ll also find settings for syncing private records, privacy timeouts, and passwords.

I should note that if you choose to “Hide Records” you will need to select the “DejaContacts” (or DejaTasks or DejaMemos) menu and choose “Show Private”. This will prompt you to enter your password to reveal your hidden records.

Of course, Private Records are just one of the many updates we’ve made in DejaOffice 1.2.4 – see the list of changes below, then head over to the App Store to download your update today!

DejaOffice v1.2.4:
– added Private field to Contacts, Tasks, Memos
– added options to Show/Hide/Mask private records
– added option to password protect private records
– improved UI for DejaTasks and DejaMemos
– improved context menu UI for Contacts/Tasks/Memos
– adding linked contacts in DejaTasks now reads DejaContacts vs. Apple’s contacts
– added Project field to DejaTasks
– added DejaContacts links to DejaToday (tasks only)
– fixed an issue where user edited custom field labels did not show in DejaContacts
– fixes an issue where deletions may not sync between Apple contacts and DejaContacts
– fixes an issue where contacts purged from CL do not appear to purge until reopening DJO
– fixes an issue where DejaToday did not show tasks due today
– fixed an issue where the Release Notes app would open each time DJO was opened

DejaOffice Flies Past 100,000 Active Installs

Posted on by David Z
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I’m happy to share that we’ve passed 100,000 active installs of DejaOffice! That means that amongst you, our customers, there are over 100,000 Android phones & tablets, iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches all over the world currently being enhanced by DejaOffice’s business-class productivity features. All this in just a little over one year, too!

2011 has already been an exciting year for DejaOffice. We’ve added dozens of new features and enhancements, from widgets to global search to grouping, and much more. But we’re not stopping there. We have even more great features planned. While I can’t get into the details just yet, I can tell you that 2011 will continue to be a very exciting year for DejaOffice. Stay tuned!

 

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.

The Plight of the Standalone Microsoft Outlook User

Posted on by Rushang
7

These days, “the cloud” is all the buzz. The cloud, in terms of contact and calendar sync (among others), means using a service like Google, Gmail, or Windows Live (Hotmail). Just host your data in the cloud and it will magically show up on your device. Simple, right?

Not so, say the people (as they rise in mutiny).

Google started the move to store personal information in the cloud. First with email, then with calendar, and then with contacts. If you buy a new Android phone, all your email, contacts, and calendar data that is hosted in the Google cloud will magically synchronize with your phone. Oh, and this magic works with iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry too.

Microsoft joined the cloud party with their Windows Phone 7 launch. They now require people to have a Windows Live account in order to sync PC data to the device. This means Microsoft Outlook users who have maintained years of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes data on their PC now have to trust that data to the cloud. The cloud will then synchronize with Windows Phone 7.

So what’s wrong with this?

Well, for starters, we’ve already seen this movie! Palm tried the same thing with their Palm webOS launch.  They required people to have a Google account, which integrated with Palm Synergy. If you wanted to keep your PC data in sync with your webOS device, you had to first sync to your Google account in the cloud. The story for Palm didn’t end so well. (HP may beg to differ.)

While the cloud is an amazing resource that should be used, not all Outlook users can digest trusting their PC data to the cloud. Many people have security requirements in place that simply don’t allow cloud storage of their data. Others are leery of hosting their sensitive information online. Their question is simple, “I’ve used Outlook for years. Why am I now being forced to add a web-based account, and trust everything to that?”

The cloud providers will argue that you trust a lot of things to the cloud, whether you realize it or not. They’re right. Your credit card details you use for that online orders, tax returns you prepare and submit online, or the numerous online banking and bill-pay services you use – they all store data in the cloud. And we don’t even blink.

But this is different. It’s not an argument on the security of cloud storage. It’s about having options. Put simply, not everyone wants to sync their Outlook data to the cloud – and they shouldn’t have to!

The good news is that there are alternatives. You’ll need to find a tool that allows you to keep your data on your PC and sync directly to your device. There are a few ways to go about this:

1. Check if your phone’s manufacturer offers a sync solution. BlackBerry and iPhone both offer such solutions to directly sync with Outlook.  BlackBerry offers BlackBerry Desktop Software, and Apple offers iTunes. Android, on the other hand, is more fragmented (HTC has HTC Sync, Samsung offers Kies, etc).

2. If the option from the phone’s manufacturer is non-existent or insufficient for your needs, look for third-party software. Shameless plug – CompanionLink has software that can sync your Outlook contacts, calendars, tasks, memos, and categories to your mobile device. It works with all Android, iPhone, iPad, and BlackBerry devices. There are a number of other options available as well, but few offer the complete sync solution that CompanionLink does. For Android, SyncDroid has a solid list of most all of the sync options available. For iPhone and iPad, you’ll most likely have to piece together a solution from a few different apps in the App Store. For BlackBerry and other devices, your options are few and far between, but a search on Google should turn up some options.

In the end, the cloud is certainly where the industry is heading. As time goes on, it will likely become as ubiquitous and secure (or even more secure) than traditional data storage options. Until that time, however, those who wish to sync their data locally still do have options!

5 Underrated Business Apps for the iPad

Posted on by David Z
4

There are many popular business apps for the iPad – Evernote, Dropbox, and QuickOffice Connect to name a few. Chances are, you’ve heard of most of these. If not, definitely check them out now. Of course, these are just a few of the many, many apps available in the App Store. So, how do you find great new apps that haven’t made it onto the top 10 list, but are still worthy of a place on your iPad’s home screen? Let us help, with 5 handpicked underrated iPad apps for business productivity.

1. Dragon Dictation (Free)

This simple app allows you to do one thing, and do it quite well! With Dragon Dictation, you don’t have to deal with the iPad’s touch keyboard or haul around a Bluetooth keyboard. You simply speak, and Dragon Dictation takes care of the rest. Your spoken message is converted to text, where you can make any quick edits needed and e-mail it off to your work computer for the finishing touches.

The trick to the app’s high level of accuracy lies in its connection to Nuance’s servers. As such, you do need to be connected in order to make use of this app. That minor detail aside, once you start using it I’m sure you’ll find it hard to live without! Download Dragon Dictation for free.

2. ReadItLater ($4.99, universal)

ReadItLater allows you to save websites and articles for reading at a later date. There are a few ways to really take advantage of this app. Using a bookmark or browser extension on your computer, you are able to save articles to ReadItLater, which then get synced to your iPad. With a quick review before heading out, you can even save select articles for offline reading – a great way to stay productive while on a flight! Alternatively, you can make us of ReadItLater’s integration in other apps or via a bookmark in Mobile Safari to save articles for review on your desktop.

Any way you use it, ReadItLater is an essential tool for those who need to digest large amounts of reading material on a daily basis. Download ReadItLater from the App Store!

3. Popplet ($4.99, Free Lite Version)

Popplet is almost too new to be considered underrated, but I couldn’t ignore this great little app. Popplet is web service and iPad app that gives you a virtual “whiteboard” for organizing thoughts, brainstorming and mindmapping, planning projects, creating process charts and diagrams, and more all in a simple to use, collaborative environment. It’s fast, user friendly, and it looks good. While it’s still a fairly new service, it certainly has a lot of potential and will undoubtedly help you be more productive on the go.

Learn more about Popplet at their website and download the app here.

4. iTeleport: Jaadu VNC ($24.99)

iTeleport lets you access your computer from just about anywhere. Simply launch the app on your iPad when you’re connected to the internet and you’ll be able to actually control your computer right from the screen! iTeleport works with Macs and PCs, and has been designed specifically with the iPad’s touch interface in mind. With such instant and easy access to your computer, your iPad becomes much more powerful as a productivity tool.

In the world of App Store prices, $25 may seem like a lot, but the benefit that this app brings far outweighs the initial cost. Head on over to the app store and download iTeleport for yourself.

5. Air Display ($9.99)

The iPad is a great tool when you are out on the go, but how can you make it useful even when you’re at your desk in front of your primary computer? The answer is Air Display. Air Display lets you use your iPad as a wireless second monitor. The extra screen space allows you to constantly keep tabs on your inbox, to-do list, calendar, or whatever you choose to display, all while keeping your main desktop free of clutter! Not only that, but Air Display actually lets you take advantage of the iPad’s touch screen as a secondary input device as well.

Air Display works on both Mac & PC. Check out the requirements, learn more, and download the app today.

Is there an app that you think deserves to be on this list? Let us know in the comments!

The Future of Mobile Computing

Posted on by David Z
1

Recently, DejaOffice was featured on the IT Management blog Datamation for being among the top 50 free iPad apps for business. We’re thrilled to be on this list, and I recommend you read through it as there are quite a few great apps mentioned! Reading over the article myself, I started thinking about just how far mobile computing has come and where it is heading.

The iPad, for example, offers access to thousands of apps while maintaining an ultra-portable form factor and featuring intuitive touchscreen inputs. As such, I believe that tablets are signaling a paradigm shift for mobile productivity. In my own use, I have found myself using the iPad for things I used to do on the computer or avoided doing on my smaller smartphone screen. For example, if I need to edit or review a document while I am on the go I can simply open it on the iPad, make any necessary comments or edits, and e-mail it off. I am generally able to interact with my iPad more quickly and efficiently than with my smartphone, making me more productive while mobile. I could go on, but the point is simple: I now have a device that gives me the power I need with the mobility I want.

What’s more amazing, however, is the fact that a device like the iPad has only been out for one year. Think about just how far cell phones have come in the last 5 years. If cell phone technology has advanced that far in a few years, just imagine where tablets will go! It is truly an exciting future to think about.

CompanionLink set to Introduce Business Apps for iPad

Posted on by Andy Sheragy
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With the introduction of the Apple iPad, business professionals have another option to be productive while away from their office or desks.  Apple announced that the iPad is compatible with the thousands of apps that are currently available for the iPhone.

CompanionLink plans to fully utilize the tablet-friendly format of the iPad by launching a suite of business apps to manage large volumes of contacts, calendar events, tasks and notes. Managing this wealth of data will be even easier with voice commands and dictation features that CompanionLink will integrate into their apps.

A sign-up form for updates and announcements about CompanionLink’s new business apps for iPad is available at www.companionlink.com/ipad.

Read CompanionLink’s press release on business apps for iPad here.