Develop Bugs

Sync Phone with Google Calendar

Hello everyone,
I have an O2 Xda Orbit, onto which I have installed the marvellous ROM created by Tom (Version 4.1). Since I have now left my old job, I no longer have the luxury of an Exchange server to store my calendar appointments.
I discovered that I can use Google calendars, and give access to everyone to see where I am, but I cant find a usable application to run on the phone that will keep the appointments in sync. let me explain.
Most of the apps offer a "free" version that will only sync 3 days ahead, good for testing, crap for normal use. In addition, I use Re occurring appointments, which dont seem to be copied over to google.
Does anyone know of a good app that will sync in both directions between my phone and my online calendar. If I had to move away from Google and use hotmail or similar, then thats fine too.
Thanks guys, youre all great

one week ago I started to use GooSync. It works very well. Take a look....

Emm, i think it was OggSync..

kakainis said:
Emm, i think it was OggSync..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both are google calender apps
Goosync worked well with me. I have my shift pattern programmed, so it's always recuring with no issues
I think both have a free version if you only use one calender
Hays

Google Calendar Sync
As long as you are happy to sync using your PC then ...
5 March 2008 Google Calendar Sync allows you to sync events between Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar.
http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=89955
You can now access your Google Calendar account from your mobile phone! Just visit mobile.google.com/calendar/ with your phone's web browser and once you're logged in, you'll see your list of upcoming events with date and time information in an easy-to-browse format.
Cheers
Tom

Various calendars in Google , Outlook format
In case you are interested www.addadate.com has loads of sports and social calendars in Google Calendar, Outlook, iCal and Lotus Notes format. Ideal to sync with your Orbit includes Formula One, Tour de France, Moon phases etc etc

"Yahoo! Go" is a free app if you have a yahoo account, it syncs calendar and contacts, gives you access to local news, your yahoo e-mail, stock market, yahoo maps, weather and flickr. it's a pretty solid app, if you can put up with Yahoo!. I use it to save my contacts when i hard-reset. havn't had any problems yet.

Various calendars in Google , Outlook format
In case you are interested www.addadate.com has loads of sports and social calendars in Google Calendar, Outlook, iCal and Lotus Notes format. Ideal to sync with your Orbit includes Formula One, Tour de France, Moon phases etc etc

Tasks (To-dos) & Notes in WP7

As far as I can work out, WP7 will not support Outlook Notes and Tasks (To-Dos) or the synchronization of Notes & Tasks.
As I understand it, synch of email, calendar & contacts will happen via your Windows Live account (Windows Live will be an Exchange server soon), which can then synch to Outlook using the Windows Live Connector, but Notes and Tasks are absent from this setup.
There will be no native Notes or Tasks apps on WP7. There will be One Note, but that's a different animal and you have to purchase the PC version to be able to see your OneNotes on your PC.
Unfortunately, for me at least, Tasks is the app I use most on my phone. Since WM5.0, Microsoft crippled Tasks by removing the ability to filter out Tasks with a future Start Date, so I moved to using Pocket Informant which provides this essential feature.
Pocket Informant will not be developed for WM7 if news I've read on the Net is correct. This may be partly due to WM7 having no Tasks database, thus forcing any developer to create their own database engine for Tasks, and in any case there would be no synch with Outlook.
If all this is true, it will prevent me from moving over to WM7. My personal and business life revolve around my task list and I'd be lost without it.
Does anyone have any more information on this, especially any that shows me to be wrong?

Don't know about tasks and notes, but you can connect to any Exchange account you want.

http://www.ahead-app.com/

vangrieg said:
http://www.ahead-app.com/
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impressive app!
clear, simple! exactly what i need
i hope other apps will be as good as this one (maybe i should start developing wp7 apps too..)

warenbe said:
impressive app!
clear, simple! exactly what i need
i hope other apps will be as good as this one (maybe i should start developing wp7 apps too..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes you should

yup but i've no good idea right now

warenbe said:
yup but i've no good idea right now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if i think of something ill let you know

That Ahead app is more like a Project manager than a simple task manager. It only seems to support priorities called "Urgent", "Later", which doesn't tie in with Outlook's three priority levels. Also it only supports a due date, but no start date. Start date is really important, as a recurring annual task to get my car MOTed should have a start date of a couple of weeks before its due, so it doesn't appear in my task list all year round. It also needs to support lots of different types of recurrance - yearly, monthly, every weekday, every 2nd Friday of the month etc etc.
Also, Ahead App doesn't do Notes or synch them.
Whilst I appreciate the link, I'm afraid it's not what I'm looking for. All I need is an app that replicates all the functionality of Outlook's Tasks and Notes and synchs them.
I can't believe this functionality, which is present by default in every version of Windows Mobile, will be absent from WP7.
I'm going to keep my fingers crossed these two essentials appear in the final release of WP7, otherwise I'll have to stick with WM6.5 and Pocket Informant until they finally do appear, whenever that may be.

Jim Coleman said:
Whilst I appreciate the link, I'm afraid it's not what I'm looking for.
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Click to collapse
Yes, I know. These tasks also won't be synced with Exchange and can't trigger alerts on the phone, so that's not what I need either.
This is very unfortunate, but neither the iPhone nor Android have tasks, so it looks like a trend these days.

tell me if i'm wrong, but with wp7 we will not be able to create an app wich can copy tasks from outlook?
if yes, we have to create a service wich send tasks on internet and then retrieve them on the phone...

Yes, that's right, you will need to install a connector on your desktop to sync tasks with Outlook or have an intermediary server to sync with Exchange for now.

vangrieg said:
This is very unfortunate, but neither the iPhone nor Android have tasks, so it looks like a trend these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google have started to integrate Tasks into Google Calendar, but thus far it is extremely basic and again doesn't incorporate Start Dates. But I think the direction Google is moving in is to incorporate Tasks into Android and use Exchange Synch.
Notes is another issue though.
IPhone is.......well, let's just skip over that one.

Jim Coleman said:
Google have started to integrate Tasks into Google Calendar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, Microsoft has done that already on Live Calendar, so maybe that's the direction they'll go with WP7, too. When I asked the Office guy directly about Tasks he said "can't comment at this time".

The Answer to Outlook Tasks and Notes
The Answer to Outlook Tasks and Notes
is
1)wait for WP7 Windows Phone 7 to get up to speed
2) WM6.5 Windows Mobile 6.5
run it on as fast a processor as possible (like maybe the HD2)
(no keyboard but you can get used to it)
with as big a display as possible, again the HD2 (same pixels as the tilt2 but more room)
the latest manila / sense, 2.5 ish is now nice and the vendors are supporting the download
co0kies home today v2 is looking very nice, tasks on the home screen.
we who use Outlook for calendar, contacts, notes, tasks
have a single app sync, and we want it not to go away.
maybe we can live with getting exchange accounts, but we're really hoping for a wm7 windows phone 7 activesync.
until this gets in shape . . .
we wait.
looking @ manila/sense with co0kies home today on a fast cpu with a big display,
we're not waiting in that much pain . . .

After almost 17 years on AT&T I moved to T-Mobile
I just got so tired of AT&T lagging on the vendor relationships with HTC and Microsoft.
I upgraded the TILT2 to the latest rom so that I could Finally get tasks on the home page
(I am a long time a complete Outlook user, Requiring Notes, Task, Calendar, Contacts, with a single simple complete sync to the phone).
Co0kies Home Today 2 is marvelous!
The rom started crashing every few hours
CHT put manilla/sense over the memory edge.
it too 45 seconds for manilla to return from sending an sms.
AT&T has no solution.
The HD2 has no keyboard (something i was very worried about)
I dove in.
WHAT A CHAMP this HD2 is.
clock Twice the speed of the Tilt2
tons more memory
a screen of a size fitting the number of pixels available
and after a few days, guess what . . . i am over my keyboard phobia ! ! !
phone number xfer in just a few of hours.
knock on wood, nice transition so far!
only irritating thing is tmomail.net
seems too eager to convert to MMSs, just because they're over 160 bytes.
(small point, that)

Youtube & Outlook information

So it seems viewing a youtube video will automatically place a link in the music and video hub so it's easy to access that information again. Seems like a really good feature and that the hubs are starting to flex their extensibility muscles a bit
Source
Also some information on how to sync with Outlook. Not really liking that you'll need an actual hotmail email account, why not just do it through the same live id.
Source

You don't need a mail account. You can sync calendar and contacts with Live with any Live ID.

I am hoping htc can release a program that will allow you to sync with the actual outlook like they did for their android phones. It would be great if they did.

ElAguila said:
I am hoping htc can release a program that will allow you to sync with the actual outlook like they did for their android phones. It would be great if they did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They could if they controlled the OS on the device but they dont (thank goodness), MS does and its all Zune for desktop syncing, multimedia only.

A workaround for Tasks / Todo List users

If, like me, you use Outlook's task (to-do) list, and have upgraded from WM6.5 to WP7, you're probably disappointed that there is no solution for syncing tasks onto an app on your shiny new phone.
I use a workaround that seems to be OK, and will tide me over until proper task syncing comes along, as I'm sure it will soon.
I use Windows Live Mesh to sync a folder on my Pc, containing spreadsheets, to Skydrive. You can navigate to that synced folder on your phone by pointing your browser to http://devices.live.com/Sync, and going into the folder in question. You can pin the page for the folder to your start screen for quick access.
I created a new spreadsheet in the synced folder called Tasks. What I now do is, each morning while munching my breakfast, I review my tasks in Outlook. They're filtered such that only today's tasks show on screen. I press CTRL-A to highlight them all, then CTRL-C to copy them. I then open the Tasks spreadsheet, clear it out and paste all the tasks into the sheet, then close it. Windows Live Mesh then syncs the spreadsheet into Skydrive. I then access it on my phone and save it to the Office hub.
I now have all my tasks for the day in the sheet. I can add filters to the sheet and filter by, say, category, and I can modify the status of each one to add in notes or say it has been done.
Then the following morning while reviewing my tasks over breakfast once more, I start off by looking at the Tasks spreadsheet on my phone and marking up the previous day's tasks as complete, or modifying them as my notes dictate. Then I paste the new day's tasks into the spreadsheet on the PC and the cycle continues.
Have a go, it's not perfect but it's the best I can come up with.
Unless you have a better suggestion?

Thanks, not a bad solution.
Another method would be to copy your list of tasks into the Onenote webapp on skydrive. This can be set up to sync to your phone automatically. So you would avoid having to use live mesh, but you would still have to copy your tasks from outlook into Onenote.
Obviously neither solution is perfect.
I would even settle for a RTM or Producteev app so at least tasks could be synced to the web.

There are a few task apps on the market place. I haven't tried any of them yet but there's several available.

greener88 said:
Thanks, not a bad solution.
Another method would be to copy your list of tasks into the Onenote webapp on skydrive. This can be set up to sync to your phone automatically. So you would avoid having to use live mesh, but you would still have to copy your tasks from outlook into Onenote.
Obviously neither solution is perfect.
I would even settle for a RTM or Producteev app so at least tasks could be synced to the web.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with doing it via OneNote is the tasks have no structure, they're just lines of text. In Excel, the fields go into columns an you can edit them and filter them, which is way more useful. But yeah, you do need Live Mesh.

Ren13B said:
There are a few task apps on the market place. I haven't tried any of them yet but there's several available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but they all use local storage, so you can't sync with your Outlook tasks. Plus, none of them support start dates and/or recurring tasks so they're pretty useless really.

I know that this is not an outlook task based solution, but if you need some sort of task function, get a free remember the milk account then download the WinMilk app.

True MS tasks have start time & end time & reminder. MS says tasks are NOT supported in MP7

"I use a workaround that seems to be OK, and will tide me over until proper task syncing comes along, as I'm sure it will soon."
What makes you think Tasks will come to WM7?

Poppapete said:
"I use a workaround that seems to be OK, and will tide me over until proper task syncing comes along, as I'm sure it will soon."
What makes you think Tasks will come to WM7?
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Click to collapse
Tasks are already supported in Windows Live Hotmail, I can sync my WM6.5 device's tasks to it. I would have thought MS would write a tasks app that can sync to that in the same way calendars and contacts do. At the moment they're focussing on consumer stuff, but in the new year I understand they plan to start rolling out business oriented stuff like Skydrive support for Word & Excel, and I'm hoping tasks will feature in there somewhere.

Poppapete said:
True MS tasks have start time & end time & reminder. MS says tasks are NOT supported in MP7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give me a reference for that assertion?
Plus I think it's obvious they're not supported *now* but have Microsoft made a definitive statement regarding the near future?

karelj said:
I know that this is not an outlook task based solution, but if you need some sort of task function, get a free remember the milk account then download the WinMilk app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just had a look - it's an interesting solution. It's a shame it doesn't support Start Date and the WP7 client doesn't allow repeating tasks to be created though. I'll look into Milksync too.

Windows phone 7 and Outlook Tasks?

hello, how well does Windows phone 7 sync with Outlook tasks?

Hi,
as far as I know, Outlook is unable to synchronize tasks to the cloud via the Hotmail Connector. So you wont be able to get your outlook tasks to your phone. However WP7 does support tasks and so does Windows Live. You can create and view them in the Calendar Hub (swipe to the left). You'll just be unable to synchronize Outlook with them. You could contact the Windows Live team to check, wether tasks synchronization will be included in the next Connector Version or not.
If your tasks are stored on a Exchange Server you will be able to view them in special apps.
Regards
Chris

To-Dos in Windows Live are not Tasks, they're To-Dos. That is why they are named differently. You can't set Recurring To-Dos for example. For someone who seriously uses Outlook Tasks, Windows Live Calendar To-Dos are useless. Trust me, I've tried harder than I care to say.
I just sync my Outlook Tasks to my iPod Touch through iTunes and use that.
Both Windows Live and Google Tasks/ToDos are pretty rubbish, IMO.

ChrisKringel said:
Hi,
as far as I know, Outlook is unable to synchronize tasks to the cloud via the Hotmail Connector. So you wont be able to get your outlook tasks to your phone. However WP7 does support tasks and so does Windows Live. You can create and view them in the Calendar Hub (swipe to the left). You'll just be unable to synchronize Outlook with them. You could contact the Windows Live team to check, wether tasks synchronization will be included in the next Connector Version or not.
If your tasks are stored on a Exchange Server you will be able to view them in special apps.
Regards
Chris
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost correct. Since Mango you don't need 3rd party apps to view, set up and edit Outlook tasks when using an Exchange server. It's part of the Windows Phone calender. But some apps provide more features than the calender does.

I believe exchange server is a Microsoft's business product. Something that a normal consumer do not have access to. Does that mean I am pretty much out of when it comes to taking my Outlook's tasks mobile except for as N8ter suggested using iTunes and an Apple device.
I want to avoid using Apple device at any cost.
Thank

I took O365 account for 6eur a month. Gives me own cloud with exchange email, calendar, tasks and contacts sync perfect with my WP7. I also have Onenote synced to the O365.
Yes, its not free but Im happy I took it.

Loco5150 said:
I took O365 account for 6eur a month. Gives me own cloud with exchange email, calendar, tasks and contacts sync perfect with my WP7. I also have Onenote synced to the O365.
Yes, its not free but Im happy I took it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. Thanks I'll have a look into it. Is it similar to Apple iCloud which is free of charge?

I never used iCloud, but assume O365 is way more powerfull.. Its like GoogleDocs + all I wrote before.
You have your own cloud to sync everything I mentioned and you can also share office documents to non O365 users. You can decice what documents you share and to whom you share that specific document to. And like I wrote before you have all office tools, word, excel, powerpoint and onenote as browser based applications too.
If you want to sync onenote with your home computer(s) you need Office 2010 installed.
You get an address for the 6eur a month (something like [email protected], I dont remeber but you get the idea), but I took myowndomain.com for 10usd/ year to get my email as I want m([email protected])
Its is pretty cool to have my own exchange server + all the other things I wrote.
Also I took in to consideration that if I would ever change mobile platform, exchange would always be able to sync my contacts and email to the new device without doing other changes.

FinancialWar said:
Is it similar to Apple iCloud which is free of charge?
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Click to collapse
No. Apple iCloud is similar to SkyDrive, which is also free of charge. Sharepoint is much more powerful and secure.

Since the Mango update Tasks sync with Windows Phone 7.
If you sync with an exchange server, tasks that you view in Outlook will be on your phone under Calendar
Under settings for email accounts, for Outlook, there is a checkbox for Tasks.
Then, tap the Calendar tile.
swipe to the to-do tab.
See your tasks there.
From a task, you have the options Complete Edit and the ...
... reveals 3 more options. delete, postpone a day, and do today.

what does Sharepoint have to do with Office365?

FinancialWar said:
what does Sharepoint have to do with Office365?
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Click to collapse
Sorry, mixing things up. Office 365 gives you Sharepoint functionality to share Office files and sync OneNote with your phone, as well as Exchange for Outlook functionality (email, calendar, contacts, tasks). So you get quite a lot for something like $6 a month.

will I need Microsoft Office SharePoint Workplace? Because I only have Microsoft Office 2010 Professional not Professional Plus.

Don't know. Just head over to the Office 365 website and find out!

FinancialWar said:
will I need Microsoft Office SharePoint Workplace? Because I only have Microsoft Office 2010 Professional not Professional Plus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need Sharepoint Workspace for Office 365 - Sharepoint Online can be used entirely through the web.
In fact, you don't even need Office desktop at all to use Office 365 Although if you have desktop Word / Excel etc, you can switch from the browser Word / Excel to desktop version by clicking a button (this doesn't work in the Google Chrome browser). Web versions are quite good but have limited features.
Another nice thing is that the mailbox size for Outlook online is 25GB and so far, very fast
I think MS offer a 30-day trial so you can test it out before paying any money.

Thanks, I am waiting for my Omnia 7 to arrive, and once it does. I will sign up for a 30 days of Office 365 and see if I get this going.

N8ter said:
To-Dos in Windows Live are not Tasks, they're To-Dos. That is why they are named differently. You can't set Recurring To-Dos for example. For someone who seriously uses Outlook Tasks, Windows Live Calendar To-Dos are useless. Trust me, I've tried harder than I care to say.
I just sync my Outlook Tasks to my iPod Touch through iTunes and use that.
Both Windows Live and Google Tasks/ToDos are pretty rubbish, IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am looking at Outlook right now at work. My Outlook Tasks are synced to my Windows Live To-Dos, which I guess you are not disagreeing with. However, within Outlook I do not see the ability to set recurring tasks, this is only possible within the Calendar section of Outlook.

There is a button for recurrence in outlook. You not being able to find it does not make it not exist. I've been using outlook since office 97. it has almost always had recurring tasks.
And paying $for a redundant service to sync tasks I'd terrible value proposition.
Sent from my HD7 using Board Express