Filed under: google

Google Sync and the iPhone

Let me start by saying that I hate to plug in my phone in order to sync calendars, contacts, etc. When I had my Blackberry, the Mac sync client sucked so badly that I didn't even bother--Google Sync all the way. So when I found out that Google had released the beta sync service for iPhone, I was as happy as a fly on... well, you know. When I got the iPhone, I did the typical sync-via-cable and got my contacts and calendars set up the way I wanted them. Then I gave MobileMe a try. MobileMe worked perfectly, but I can't justify $99 a year just to sync those two things (I don't use any of the other features of MobileMe.) So as a recap, at the time of Google Sync setup, this is my configuration:
  1. 2 Macs and an iPhone synching contacts and calendars with Mobile Me
  2. 2 Calendars in iCal syncing with Google Calendar
  3. My primary apps were iCal and Address Book
  4. My primary Google account is an "Apps for your Domain" account
I did a backup of my iPhone, iCal, and Address book, then exported my main personal calendar. Since I hadn't been using Google calendar for awhile, I uploaded the iCal calendar to my main Google calendar to make sure all my events were current on Google. **Note** If you are going to sync contacts, be sure to follow the instructions for making sure your local contacts are on Google. I knew I didn't want to sync contact with Google calendar yet, because I like having contact photos, and at this time (afaik,) Google Sync doesn't support contact photos. My contacts don't change as often as my calendar, though, so I don't mind plugging in now and then to keep contacts in sync with my desktop Mac. These are the steps that worked for me in getting my calendars setup to sync with Google... Enable Exchange sync in Google Apps for your Domain... [caption id="attachment_193" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Enable sync in Apps settings"]
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  • Login to your Apps dashboard, and go to the Service Settings tab
  • Check the box to enable Google Sync
  • Save settings
Setup your iPhone Select which calendars to sync I had some trouble with the last step--when I went to m.google.com, I couldn't login with my Apps account, and tapping the link that should've taken me to the login page for Apps didn't work. After some clicking around the mobile site, I finally found the link that would let me login to my Apps account. Once there, the Sync icon was visible, and I could select which 5 calendars to sync. It's currently limited to 5 calendars due to a glitch, but Google claims it's working with Apple to remedy the situation. So it's working... It took a few minutes, but the contents of the 5 calendars I selected have been pushed down to my iPhone. The one part I can't stress enough is to BACKUP everything before you start. Make sure your Google calendar and/or contacts are perfect before you set up the sync--it will save you headaches later. If you're using Google Sync with your iPhone, how has your experience with it been? Let me know in the comments.

Official Google Blog: See where your friends are with Google Latitude

Latitude is a new feature for Google Maps on your mobile device. It's also an iGoogle gadget on your computer. Once you've opted in to Latitude, you can see the approximate location of your friends and loved ones who have decided to share their location with you. So now you can do things like see if your spouse is stuck in traffic on the way home from work, notice that a buddy is in town for the weekend, or take comfort in knowing that a loved one's flight landed safely, despite bad weather.
I've been toying with GPS apps on my iPhone that show my location on a website. It can be fun if I'm going to visit someone out of town for them to be able to see how close I am, etc. I definitely see the privacy concerns with this type of thing, but it seems that Google has addressed them--how effectively remains to be seen. It's not out for iPhone yet, but when it does, I'll give it a try. Sprint had an option that allowed parents to pay a monthly fee to be able to locate their kid's phone (and the kid, if he/she had the phone with him/her,) but I never had a chance to try that out. Personally I think that's a great idea. Not necessarily to spy on your kids (and I'm sure kids hate this feature,) but to find them if they're ever abducted. How great would it be to be able to call police and tell them exactly where your kid has been taken? When it comes out for iPhone, I'll try it out and report back. via The Official Google Blog