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All posts tagged "sync"


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Microsoft Releases Windows Phone 7 Connector 2.0 for Mac

Posted by Darius Wey in "Windows Phone Software" @ 07:17 PM

http://itunes.apple.com/app/windows...415571499?mt=12

"Windows Phone 7 Connector is a simple, easy-to-use application designed to sync your favorite media files from your Mac, with your Windows Phone 7 or Zune HD. You can also sync photos and videos you captured on your phone with your Mac, and when needed, update your Windows Phone 7 software."

Mac users, make your way to the App Store and grab today's update of Windows Phone 7 Connector. Microsoft has tagged it with a version number of 2.0, and with it, there's full sync and import support for Aperture, drag-and-drop support, ringtone transfer and Windows Phone Marketplace support if your phone is running Windows Phone 7.5, as well as a bunch of other goodies ranging from backup and restore improvements to additional languages. And all for the good ol' price of free.


Friday, July 8, 2011

Windows Phone (Almost) Document Sync, (or “I Just Want to Work, Not Workaround…”)

Posted by Todd Allcock in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 09:00 AM

Back when the iPhone was introduced to the world to the sort of fanfare and adulation not seen since the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, I was one of the few scratching my head trying to figure out what I was missing that everyone else was seeing. Here was a slick looking smartphone with a brilliant user interface; I got that - it just didn't seem all that, well, smart. The only way to get your office documents on it (at least originally) was via email, and I didn't relish the idea of frantically emailing myself every document I might possibly need to reference on a business trip before leaving.

So, I smugly stuck by my old-school Windows Mobile phones; you know, the ugly beasts with the styluses, file managers, and actual PC document sync capabilities, figuring the the iPhone would cater to the iPod generation, and the business people would stick with devices that actually worked like miniature computers, and paid little attention to the hassles of managing files on an iPhone. However, when my wife finally dumped her Windows Mobile phones and started using an iPhone, suddenly I was forced to become an expert in the "iPhone Workaround" field, kludging and cajoling the iPhone into bending to my will. Read more...


Friday, March 25, 2011

Microsoft Adds Apple Lossless Support to Windows Phone 7 Connector

Posted by Darius Wey in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 08:30 PM

http://itunes.apple.com/app/windows...415571499?mt=12

Have a Mac and a Windows Phone 7? There's a new version of Windows Phone 7 Connector waiting for you in the Mac App Store. Among v1.1's changes, you'll find support for Apple Lossless, so now you can experience your tunes in all their glory.


Wednesday, March 2, 2011

MobileSync Pro - Sync, Share, Backup, and Protect

Posted by Danny Simmons in "Windows Phone Software" @ 11:00 AM

http://www.mobilesyncpro.com/

"Retina-X Studios, LLC announced today the release of MobileSync Pro, a cross-platform mobile phone freeware for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone and Windows smartphones. MobileSync Pro is the most versatile and feature-rich mobile software utility yet to come out from Retina-X Studios, which has bundled a 4-in-1 solution by incorporating backup, theft-protection and file sharing solutions, besides its key function as an all-purpose sync solution."

Most mobile phones have built-in synchronization for your contacts, email, calendar, etc. But what happens if you want to change platforms. How do you move your data if you want to ditch your iPhone to try out Windows Phone 7? Or move from BalckBerry to Android? In most cases this would not be an easy process. MobileSync Pro is a free application that can do this for you. It also adds the capability of sharing your data with others. They offer 200 MB of free storage. They are also currently working to offer support for Windows Phone 7 and other platforms that should be finalized in the coming weeks. Curious? Check them out here.


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Microsoft Releases Windows Phone 7 Connector on the Mac App Store

Posted by Darius Wey in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 08:48 PM

http://www.microsoft.com/windowspho...-connector.aspx

"Windows Phone 7 Connector is a simple, easy-to-use application designed to sync your favorite media files from your Mac, with your Windows Phone 7 or Zune HD. You can also sync photos and videos you captured on your phone with your Mac, and when needed, update your Windows Phone 7 software."

Microsoft has released v1.0 of Windows Phone 7 Connector to the masses, while exploring new territory by releasing it on the Mac App Store. It's a free app that lets you connect your Windows Phone 7 device or Zune HD to your Mac, sync your music, videos, and podcasts from iTunes and your photos to and from iPhoto, and even download and install the latest Windows Phone 7 updates as they're made available. Alas, there's no option to browse the Marketplace, but at least this is better than nothing, right? Scoot off to the App Store and grab it today.


Thursday, November 4, 2010

Wireless Synching is Back with Windows Phone 7

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone Articles & Resources" @ 03:01 PM

http://www.wpcentral.com/guide-sett...windows-phone-7

"No doubt, one of the coolest features of Windows Phone 7 and the companion Zune Desktop software is the ability to sync wirelessly. For years we've had to endure tethering our devices to our computers, loose USB wires everywhere, etc. (Even more ironic is you remember wireless syncing in ActiveSync before they removed it)."

Microsoft may have taken WiFi synching out of ActiveSync a few years back, but it's been re-introduced on the back of the Zune desktop service - which is no surprise given that the Zune has been able to do a WiFi sync for a couple of years now. I didn't get a chance to test this with my Windows Phone 7 device - which, boo hoo, has now been sent back to Microsoft - but with my Zune HD is works really nicely so I'd expect it to be the same with Windows Phone 7. Read on for more on how this feature works, and how to set it up.


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Connecting Your WP7 Phone To Your Mac Now A Step Closer

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 03:00 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/25/...to-public-beta/

"That didn't take long, did it? The promised beta of Windows Phone 7's Mac-friendly companion app is now available, bringing basic media sync capability -- notably with iTunes and iPhoto integration -- to that shiny new Microsoft-powered phone of yours."

Well, if you are a Mac owner and are considering purchasing a Windows Phone 7 smartphone, Microsoft's beta version of their new Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac may just tip the scale in favor of that purchase. The utility will help you sync your media (photos and music, in particular) with your Mac. What is particularly interesting about this utility, is that it does not use the traditional file/folder metaphor for the sync mechanism. Instead, it leverages iTunes and iPhoto (the Mac's venerable music and photo management software) as the conduits for the syncing. So, if your media is managed with those apps then this new sync facility will be particularly attractive.


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Official Windows Phone Connector for OS X

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone Software" @ 05:56 PM

http://electricpig.co.uk/2010/10/21...tech+news+site)

"Windows Phone 7 Connector is coming, for all you Windows Phone 7 obsessives stashing media on your previously incompatible OS X machine. No, it's not Zune for Mac, but it does get the job done: we've been testing it out over the last few days, so read on for our impressions."

As I suspected, 99% of the headlines out there over the past week the were proclaiming that the "Zune desktop software is coming to OS X" are flat-out wrong. It's amazing how people twist and conflate pieces of information. Anyway, if you're an OS X user and you want a simple way to get music, photos, and videos onto your Windows Phone 7 - the reviewer doesn't say whether it also works with the Zune...I'd like to think it does given the platform similarities, but I can't say for sure. The beta comes out October 24th, at which point I'll take it for a spin myself and see what works and what doesn't. What I don't understand is why Microsoft is being so coy about this - it's a pretty significant move!


Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Windows Phone 7 Will Connect to Macs?

Posted by Brad Wasson in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 07:00 PM

http://gizmodo.com/5662925/windows-.../full+(Gizmodo)

"Scuttlebutt no more, Microsoft is officially confirming that there will be an app to sync Windows Phones with Macs. Presumably, it'll work not too unlike the Kin Mac apps. I really don't know why they didn't announce this on Monday."

Gizmodo has a post today claiming that Windows Phone 7 devices will eventually have an app that will let them connect to an Apple Mac. It makes one wonder just how far that sync capability will go? Will it include data, image, video and/or music syncing? We'll have to wait a bit to find out more details, but it does suggest there must be a demand for such functionality.

Tags: software, sync, mac

Monday, October 11, 2010

Zune 4.7 + Windows Phone 7 Video Overview

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone Software" @ 06:00 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/11/...ught-on-camera/

Curious about how the new Zune 4.7 software works with Windows Phone 7? Check out the Engadget hands-on video above.


Thursday, July 1, 2010

Microsoft's Sync Strategy: A Bit of a Mess?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Articles & Resources" @ 12:00 PM

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/re...tm_campaign=rss

"It's fair to say that Microsoft's product offerings are something of a mess. Windows Live Sync and Live Mesh overlap (the difference being that the former is PC-to-PC, the latter is PC-to-cloud), Live Mesh and My Phone overlap (they're both device-to-cloud), and SkyDrive, Live Mesh, and My Phone all overlap (they all incorporate their own cloud storage)."

This article overstates the case slightly - Live Mesh was always a technology preview, nothing more. Live Sync is the consumer-facing sync product from Windows Live, and the new version is using Mesh on the back-end, so it's easy to see that Microsoft's long term plan was to migrate from the original FolderShare code to Mesh. Now that's not to say that the new version of Live Sync is trouble-free...in fact, I think it's almost a disaster in terms of performance. And the limit of 2 GB on Skydrive sync is puzzling...why not let them use the full 25 GB offered by Skydrive and become a market leader in one fell swoop? Maybe there are concerns of people using their 25 GB for piracy and copyright theft?I expect Mesh to be shut down as a service before the end of the year, and hopefully the Skydrive storage component will get increased over time. I think it makes sense for the phone sync component to stand alone for now - it's based on an acquisition by Microsoft - though I hope it comes into alignment with the other services over the next year. Read more...


Friday, April 30, 2010

Instinctiv for Mac Does What iTunes Doesn't

Posted by Darius Wey in "Windows Phone Software" @ 01:15 PM

http://www.instinctiv.com/

Hey, Mac users. There's a new kid on the block and his name is Instinctiv. The app does what iTunes doesn't and that's syncing with Windows Mobile as well as a bunch of other mobile platforms. In addition, Instinctiv features mood-based smart shuffling, smart search, and extensive library management tools that allow you to fetch cover art and play 50+ audio formats. If you're intrigued, head over to the Instinctiv web site and grab yourself a copy. It's compatible with Leopard (10.5) and Snow Leopard (10.6).


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

WMDC With Office 2010 64 bit? Maybe, Maybe Not

Posted by Ed Hansberry in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 09:00 AM

By now most of you know that Office 2010 is in an open beta for anyone to download. I was perusing the release notes when I ran across something in the Outlook 2010 section that bothered me a bit.

  • Programmability / Add-ins:Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) no longer operates when 64-bit Outlook 2010 is installed on 64-bit Windows.
  • Upgrading 32-bit Outlook 2007 to 64-bit Outlook 2010 could also result in data loss during first sync with WMDC.
  • The WMDC will not be upgraded to work on 64-bit Windows when 64-bit Outlook 2010 is installed.

All of the fixes and workarounds revolve around retaining a 32 bit version of Office 2010 rather than a 64 bit version. I cannot tell if this is a temporary issue during the beta phase or a permanent one. If the latter, it means WMDC is nearing the end of its life. I think Windows 7 is the last 32bit OS Microsoft will release for desktops and it is likely that the next version of Office may be 64 bit only as well.

Before anyone jumps up and asks why anyone is using WMDC anyway, just remember, not everyone has a cloud solution to sync with and even if they do, some apps like eWallet or PocketBible still require WMDC to do record level syncing with its desktop counterpart. I am sure those apps and others are headed towards online syncing, but in the meantime, if you still need WMDC, keep the above warnings in mind when deciding between a 32 bit and 64 bit version of Office.


Monday, July 13, 2009

NuevaSync: Google + Windows Mobile in Sync Harmony

Posted by Jon Westfall in "Pocket PC Software" @ 05:00 AM

http://www.nuevasync.com/

Earlier this week, synchronization service NuevaSync announced their latest addition to the platform, push e-mail. NuevaSync already had calendar & contact sync from Google to Windows Mobile, iPhone, and pretty much any platform that supports the Microsoft Activesync protocol. Since I've been using Google for the last month or so (in lieu of my exchange server), I thought it may be interesting to give this service a shot. After all, only $25 for a year of service isn't too pricey (.002 cents per hour if you want to think of it that way...).

The first thing you notice about NuevaSync is it's no-frills website. This makes it mobile friendly, and still usable on the desktop. Their site was a bit disjointed (with a Wiki and Blog loosely linked up, with recent navigation improvements) but it gets the job done. After upgrading to Premium (for $25 a year), you can access the e-mail action. This is where you link up your IMAP e-mail account. Any IMAP server that supports the IDLE command should work just fine with their service, and they have an express setup option for GMail users. Contacts & Calendar set up easily as well, and as a premium user you can select which Google Calendars you want to sync with your device. Read more...


Friday, September 19, 2008

Sync Services for ADO.NET on Windows Mobile Released

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Developer" @ 11:45 PM

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...&displaylang=en

"Microsoft Synchronization Services for ADO.NET 1.0 provides the ability to synchronize data from disparate sources. Rather than simply replicating a database and its schema, the Synchronization Services application programming interface (API) provides a set of components to synchronize data between data services and a local store. Applications are increasingly used on mobile clients, such as laptops and devices that do not have a consistent or reliable network connection to a central server. It is crucial for these applications to work against a local copy of data on the client. Equally important is the need to synchronize the local copy of the data with a central server when a network connection is available. The Synchronization Services API, which is modeled after the ADO.NET data access APIs, gives you an intuitive way to synchronize data. It makes building applications for occasionally connected environments a logical extension of building applications where you can count on a consistent network connection. Synchronization Services for ADO.NET 1.0, which released with Visual Studio 2008, enabled synchronization between a server database and a SQL Compact 3.5 client database running on a desktop. With this download, you can also synchronize between a server database and a SQL Compact database on a Windows Mobile 5 or 6 device."

Developers, head over to the Microsoft Download Center and grab Sync Services for ADO.NET on Windows Mobile. The prerequisites are SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1 and Visual Studio 2008 SP1, so install those if you already haven't done so. Happy syncing!


Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Live Mesh Goes into Public Tech Preview

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Software" @ 10:00 AM

http://https://www.mesh.com/Welcome/Welcome.aspx

Microsoft has opened up their Live Mesh service to the general public in the form of a "tech preview" which is a nicer way of saying "mostly still beta". I've been using Live Mesh for a couple of months now, and it's a pretty cool service. You set a folder to be "Live Meshed" and not only will it be kept in sync between multiple computers, the contents of the folder will be kept in the cloud (where you have 5 GB of storage). I think there's a lot of potential here, especially since they've stated they'll be targeting mobile devices. I've been dreaming of having my FlexWallet file be pushed to my device when there's a change in it, because connecting my device with my desktop computer is something I just don't do anymore. I was hoping for years that the FolderShare team would release a Windows Mobile client, but they're still struggling to get the service stable, so no joy there. If you have a desktop and a laptop, and haven't checked out Live Mesh yet, you should.


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