A few months I released the Vista sidebar gadget that count downs the days until the 2008 Presidential Election. With the release of Vista SP1 it caused some compatibility problems, but I’m happy to say those have been resolved and I can release the updated gadget.
As I’m sure many of you can relate, I spend hours and hours behind multiple PC’s just about on a daily basis. One of the applications that is open pretty much all of the time is Microsoft Outlook 2007. Everything is organized through there. My e-mail, contacts, calendars, tasks, the list goes on and on. Along with my two Vista PC’s, I also have a Mac that I do a lot of work on. The other “tool” I have been using regularly is Google Calendar. One reason is simply the ease of sharing multiple calendars with multiple people.
So with all these different ways of accessing my calendar events, a big problem arises. How to keep all my information synced between multiple PC’s? It appeared I wasn’t the only one with this problem, and with the recommendation from a friend and co-worker, I went and checked out SyncMyCal from Synchronization Technologies. The folks there were kind enough to provide me with a copy to review, and I have spent much time with it over the past month.
The idea is simple…two-way syncing between Outlook and Google Calendar….but many solutions I have tried are just plain worthless. I didn’t set my expectations too high, but after just a day of use, I was pleased that SyncMyCal seemed to have gotten it right. It allows you to sync multiple Outlook calendars and your Google Calendar together, and lets you sync that data in a variety of customizable options.
Installation was straightforward, and SyncMyCal installs a small toolbar inside Outlook which gives you quick access to it’s options, menu items, and synchronization button.
Once installed, all you need to do is enter your Google info, and then create your sync jobs in the settings menu.
The menu (shown in the screenshot above) shows you sync jobs, and gives you the option to add, edit, and delete them. Clicking “Add” brings up the settings configuration where you can configure you sync jobs with the variety of options SyncMyCal has. It works with multiple Google Calendars on your account, and you can specify which calendars to sync and how. You can choose options like “Download only”, “Upload only”, and “Synchronize” with either Outlook or Google precedence.
Another really cool feature is Category Sync. It allows you to filter categories when syncing so you can be selective by including or excluding specified categories. The configuration menu can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but the online help is pretty clear in it’s explanations, and it shouldn’t take long for you to get to know all the related functions.
I tried quite a few different configurations such as 2-way syncing, just uploading, or just downloading calendars, and for the most part it worked flawlessly. The only complaint I have is when doing a 2-way sync I would get some duplicate entries, and it would be nice if these duplicates could be filtered out beforehand. Other than that there were no other issues to speak of. SyncMyCal was stable, and syncing only takes a few seconds depending on your configuration.
SyncMyCal comes in two versions, the Lite version (free) which does not include auto-syncing and has a limited sync date range. The Pro version allows unlimited date ranges and a highly configurable auto-sync function. The Pro version is $25, and giving this a rating of 4 out of 5, it’s worth the small investment. Download the Lite version and give it a try, I’m sure you will find the upgrade well worth it.
Link: SyncMyCal
This past week we saw some fantastic skins come through the pipes over at WinCustomize, and I wanted to take a few minutes to share some of them.
Organic for ObjectDock Backgrounds
On Chesapeake Bay in Wallpapers
You can find the full article of featured skins at the link below.
OpenOffice was just updated to version 2.4.0. This is one of the best, free office suites available. OpenOffice has a solution for writing, spreadsheets, drawing, presentations, and more.
Microsoft released SP1 for Windows Vista this past week and the reviews seem to be mixed. Some reviewers say SP1 improves various system performance tests, and others say it does the opposite. I installed Vista SP1 on my main desktop PC last week, and the installation process was flawless. As far as any “real world” performance issues, I haven’t noticed anything either way. On my system, I have had no noticeable performance gains or slowdowns as others have reported.
I haven’t installed SP1 as of yet on my HP laptop, as the SP1 betas I have used kept constantly BSODing my machine. I was never able to narrow down the culprit, but I am a bit wary about installing it again on this computer. I might fire up Windows Update tomorrow morning and give it another go, so we will see how that works out then.
Otherwise, my question to the community is have you, Vista users, updated to SP1 yet?
Giveawayoftheday.com has a fantastic piece of software up for grabs today. Evernote (beta), which is an application that allows you to take notes, web clipping, images, etc. and keep them in order. This new version (still in beta) also allows you to synchronize your notes with other computers that you have Evernote installed on.
There is a Mac and Windows Mobile version that is currently in private beta, but you can get access to that as well. I found this via Lifehacker and they say the current beta will allow you to update to other betas and the final application when released.
Features of Evernote:
Remember, this is good for today only, so there is only a few hours left.
I was just browsing through the March issue of PC Magazine and saw that ObjectDock was listed in the "Best Free Software" feature under Application Launchers.
"Windows Organize your application shortcuts in a toolbar that mimics the look and feel of the Macintosh dock, complete with icon animations. It will even mimic Windows Taskbar buttons. Add in extras (docklets) like real-time clock and weather forecasts, even a fully functional Windows Start button and Recycle Bin, to get everything you need."
Defraggler is a new utility I discovered recently, and it comes from the same folks who make CCleaner. One of the big benefits of this application is that it lets you select files or folders to defrag, not just the entire drive. I have used it on several Vista machines, and the defrag process was fairly quick. It’s free so go check it out.
Link: Defraggler
FriendFeed popped out of nowhere for me. I hadn’t heard or seen of it until I saw a blog post from Robert Scoble. With so many networks out there like Twitter, FaceBook, Flickr, etc. it’s sometimes hard to keep track of all the people you follow. FriendFeed helps out by displaying what exactly your friends and contacts are doing on other networks. Once you signup (it’s free), you just add as many of your own services as you like, and there are quite a few, and get connected with your contacts.
The interface is nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose well. A clean way to view the activity of all the people you are somehow connected to. I think tonight I got all my relevant services listed, so I think I’m all set now. Feel free to add me to your FriendFeed list.
Link: http://friendfeed.com/sscott
I like working with 3D, and I recently created a couple of landscape based wallpapers. I have been enjoying them on my desktop, so I wanted to share them.
Paradise Discovered
Download multiple resolutions - Link
Lonely Tree
Download multiple resolutions - Link
I also made these into logons for Windows Vista. You can download the logon versions from here.
Spencer on Desktop Customization and Tech
Tech News Watch Windows Fanatics Tech News Watch
