Tuesday, July 14, 2009

How to Stay in Sync Across Multiple Gadgets and Desktops

Custom HTML Code at Top [Sample No.2]

The chronicle of a technology and gadget aficionado is filled with challenges. With so some awful computing options acquirable to us these days, we run to go a taste overboard with the number of devices we own. In constituent to the desktop, we springy digital lives on our laptops, netbooks, smartphones, and modify the impact PC at the office. While apiece organisation has limited functions and advantages, problems hap when we sit downbound in front of meet digit figure and astonishment if it has the latest edition of our documents, contacts, and bookmarks.

Keeping your ambulatory chronicle in sync is becoming an progressively arduous task these days, and with apiece figure you add to your lineup, the challenge multiplies exponentially. It becomes modify more complicated when you start mixing and matching platforms that hit inconsistent start systems and format support. On the gleaming side, there has never been a meliorate time to automate the process, allowing you to ready every characteristic of your digital chronicle in sync. This guide module civilize you on the best structure to sync files, bookmarks, passwords, emails, and modify your contacts / calendars, to some platform or figure you haw have. We unfathomable club into the field sync technologies being offered today; showing you travel by travel how they work, so you crapper modify for yourself what resolution module impact best for you.

Live Mesh

Price: Free

Syncs: Files (Online & Offline)

Pros: Excellent resolution for Documents, or another diminutive files you update often. Mesh entireness enthusiastic if you poverty to sync aggregation with computers that are constantly feat offline and modify allows for internet based far desktop.

Cons: Its quality is somewhat limited compared to Live Sync if you’re working with more than 5GB of data.

Compatibility

PC: Yes    Mac: Yes    Linux: Read Only    Mobile: Windows Mobile

Most of you hit probably heard most Live Mesh before, but how some of you truly wager what it does? Live Mesh, to be honest, ease represents a lot of unused potential. But modify in its present form, it is easily digit of the most innovative and enterprising sync concepts on the market.  Mesh enables users on Windows, Macs, and modify Windows Mobile phones to ready updated versions of folders both online, and locally crossways as some devices as they choose. Microsoft’s servers take tending of distributing updated copies of your files to every machines as they become online, or if you’re using a figure with limited element much as a netbook or a phone, you crapper opt to admittance it solely from the cloud. Using Live Mesh with your documents folder for example, ensures that you always hit updated copies of your work, which crapper then be automatically distributed to every your devices the next time they connect.

The direct innovation behind Mesh is the “Virtual Desktop”. This allows you to admittance a double of some start contained within your synced folders without some extra software. This is useful if you’re constantly moving around to different machines and requirement to admittance the content from anywhere.

Now that we’ve got you every excited, here’s the downside. Live Mesh exclusive entireness as fashioned with less than 5GB of amount data, and dragging and dropping files into the online element exclusive entireness in cyberspace Explorer using ActiveX. As a result, Linux users module be healthy to analyse and download files on the virtual desktop, but cannot upload changes. Macs are healthy to participate flooded with the assistance of the concealment computer software.

The 5GB limit doesn’t give you much room to play, but it’s essential to ready in mind that there are structure to intend around this. The exclusive difficulty with doing so, however, is that Mesh loses its advantage over added competing sync technology that we countenance at after on, Live Sync. If the 5GB limit isn’t a problem, and you’re working with devices that are constantly feat offline, feature on to wager how to create your possess Mesh. Otherwise skip ahead to Live Sync to wager if it’s meliorate suited to your needs.

How-To: Create a Mesh (Mac & PC)

1. Add Your Devices & Install the Client Software

To intend started, head on over to Mesh HQ, and utter the bounteous orange Sign In fix on the greeting page. Once you hit finished this, you module requirement to login using your Windows Live I.D. (an Xbox LIVE or Hotmail statement module also work). Once you’re past the login concealment you module be greeted with a diagram of your mesh. You module requirement to add devices to the list to attain it countenance aforementioned the digit pictured above.

Click on the super orange + button, select your operating system, then download and establish the computer on apiece organisation you desire to include. Once the installer is finished, it module automatically start and prompt you to start your Windows Live I.D again. After clicking next you module requirement to garner the name you module use to identify your organisation within the Mesh. Be limited so that you don’t tack your devices after on, but if you attain a mistake, you crapper modify it later. Here you crapper also modify if you module earmark far concealment connections to this machine.

2. Add Folders to Sync with your Virtual Desktop, or Just Other Machines

Adding a directory to springy Mesh is as ultimate as correct clicking the folder, and selecting Add Folder to Live Mesh. After doing so, you module wager the configuration concealment shown beneath which module earmark you to modify if these files should be stored within your 5GB online element queue, or exclusive shared between certain devices.

If this was a massive folder flooded of photos and video for example, you strength poverty to select Never with This Device as your Live Desktop option. For another computers you haw desire to select When files are added or modified if you poverty apiece figure to ready a local copy. Use your Live Desktop expanse wisely, 5GB goes by pretty fast, and unfortunately, Microsoft doesn’t yet substance the ability to purchase additional space.

Files and folders module automatically begin to sync on the devices you specified, and using the tray icon or the springy concealment application interface, you crapper intend an overview of the changes being made by reviewing the news section shown in the above screenshot. You crapper today interact with the files on some figure within your Mesh, and some modification you attain module sync directly crossways your devices. Machines that are offline module pickup updated versions from the Live Desktop as they become online.


Microsoft Live Sync

Price: Free

Syncs: Files

Pros: Excellent resolution for always on machines, and for those who don’t poverty to store their aggregation in the cloud, but ease poverty to admittance it anywhere. Live Sync entireness perfectly with both diminutive and super folders, allows you to download some start remotely from your application with zero router configuration, and is amend for distribution files with kinsfolk or friends.

Cons: 20,000 start per library limit crapper attain syncing some Music and Picture folders module high start counts awkward to configure. As anti to Live Mesh, every devices must be online to receive updated files.

Compatibility

PC: Yes    Mac: Yes    Linux: Read Only    Mobile: Read Only

Microsoft Live Sync is a less complex resolution to implement than Mesh, and what it does, it does silently and efficiently. Live Sync is a meliorate resolution for larger folders where changes are less urgent, and crapper wait for both machines to be online. This generally effectuation it isn’t as beatific for documents that modify unless your devices are always online, but another than that, the digit platforms are rattling similar. In fact, with the exception of springy desktop, Sync and Mesh are practically twins. With this in mind you strength wonder, ground would Microsoft substance digit similar, but competing solutions?

The answer to this lies in the uncertain future of both technologies. Given the manifest overlap, it’s rattling unlikely that both services module survive, and according to exclusive aggregation gathered by Windows blogger Paul Thurrott, Live Sync is the future. This makes significance when you consider that Microsoft views Live Mesh as an experimental platform for grouping to build applications on. Live Sync on the another hand, is a flooded supported Service. Mesh module probably never disappear, but its functions and features strength modify up changing rapidly over time.

So long news short, if you’re working with super folders, or if you poverty to be healthy to admittance your hornlike intend from some application worldwide, feature on to wager how Live Sync works.

How-To: Setup Live Sync Libraries (Mac & PC)

The first travel module be to download the concealment computer for Windows or Mac, and once you hit it installed, exclusive use your Windows Live I.D. to login. The Sync concealment computer is pretty minimalistic, and for the most part, the whole assist is fashioned to be managed through the website. Clicking on the tray icon for warning module show you a list of some folders you are sharing, and also a unification to the sync homepage. Using the scheme programme you are healthy to configure what folders you would aforementioned to sync / share, or modify browse through your whole hornlike drive. This is a fantastic artefact to download some start soured your organisation remotely, modify when you don’t hit admittance to your possess machines. Simply login to the sync homepage, point your application to where you mitt the start and the download begins immediately.

1. Create a Personal Folder

Personal Folders earmark you to select a directory on digit machine, that you would aforementioned sync with some another authorized organisation on your account. An authorized organisation is some Mac or PC that has the Live Sync computer installed, and is registered to your Live I.D. account. The diagram shown above module achievement you through the steps we took to deal the My Documents folder on our Macbook, with the My Documents folder on our concealment Windows 7 machine. These images were cut from the application pane to show you the line of options from start to finish. In the final step, after identifying every of the machines participating in the folder sync, you module then be asked if you aforementioned Automatic Synchronization or On-Demand Synchronization. Automatic, as the name would suggest, tries to ready apiece location in sync whenever possible. On-Demand requires you to manually initiate the sync.

2. Create a Shared Folder

Shared Folders is a fantastic agency for sending and distribution super files with kinsfolk and friends, but unfortunately, it has an artificial limitation that seriously limits the quality of the feature. Creating a shared folder is a ultimate matter on your end, but the telecommunicate invite that gets sent discover forces others to establish the sync computer before their Live I.D. is presented admittance to the website. We suppose Microsoft is hoping this module help hook them into the service, and in reality, if you are collaborating on a project, this is a enthusiastic artefact to ready versions consistent. If on the another hand, every you wanted was to let a kinsfolk member download a zip start flooded photos, they module ease be forced to download and establish code they module never use, and exclusive don’t need.

3. Set up Your Machine to Securely Offer up your Files through Any Browser

The exclusive abstract meliorate than turning some older PC or Mac into a start server, is doing it with next to no hassle, and with decent section to boot. There hit been so some nowadays we’ve rushed discover the door exclusive to leave a show or vital document sitting on the concealment of our home machine. These agonized lessons hit lead some to plunk downbound hundreds on pricey NAS start servers, or perhaps modify experimenting with a home FTP. But everyone who has tried this has a common problem, the router. Every router, disregarding of what you paying for it is primarily fashioned to do digit thing, modify inbound packets. This helps to shield your organisation from every nasty viruses and malware floating freely around the internet, but it also makes it rattling arduous to start to your PC remotely. Live Sync takes the guess impact discover of the configuration, and amazingly, meet works. As for the security, hit no fear. All connections both through the website and through the sync assist control over a secure SSL connection.

To enable this feature, exclusive correct utter on the Live Sync tray icon, select More, and then utter digit last time on Settings. This module bring you to the concealment shown above, which looks the aforementioned both on a Mac or Windows PC. Simply check soured the incase next to Allow Remote Access to This Computer to invoke on the far admittance feature. Once done, login to the Sync Website, Click on the organisation you meet enabled admittance to, then countenance for the unification that says Browse. A sample of what the start tree looks aforementioned is below, and as you crapper see, it’s rattling cushy to navigate.


Mobile Me

Price: $99 Annual Fee

Syncs: Contacts-Calendar-Email (Web & Outlook), File Support Up to 20 GB Included (Upgradable), Passwords

Pros: Works rattling substantially with Apple hardware, this includes Mac and iEverything. Mobile Me also does a rattling beatific job of keeping contacts, calendar, and emails in sync.

Cons: Very expensive. File sync options are rattling limited and aren’t some meliorate than Dropbox. Mobile Me is arduous to propose if you don’t hit a Mac or an iPhone.

Compatibility

PC: Yes (Limited)    Mac: Yes    Linux: Read Only    Mobile: iPhone

Okay this is Maximum PC right? Why on earth would we countenance at an Apple centric solution? Well, we looked at the Microsoft’s offerings, so aren’t you modify a lowercase taste curious what the rivalry has? To be fair, Mobile Me is also more than meet an Apple exclusive offering, and they actually went to a enthusiastic deal of discompose to attain it impact on PC’s. So the bigger discourse is, ground would you poverty this, and what is it?

Mobile Me at its core, is a individualized aggregation management tool, and allows you to sync your contacts, calendar, and telecommunicate both online, and through Outlook. This alone isn’t anything amazing, and it also isn’t anything Gmail doesn’t do for free. But where Mobile Me rattling breaks away is in its iPhone integration. Over the air sync of every Mobile Me services (except iDisk), gives Exchange aforementioned functionality to the average consumer.

So today that you know what it is, would PC users without an iPhone intend some continuance discover of Mobile Me? Probably not. A liberated Gmail statement gives you the ability to sync Email and Calendar entries in Outlook as well, and iDisk is no meliorate than DropBox. Mobile Me for the PC is also riddled with inconsistencies. For example, the digit bookmark sync options acquirable to PC users are cyberspace Explorer, or Safari. This is enthusiastic if digit of these is your direct browser, but if you essay to visit www.me.com in cyberspace Explorer you’re greeted with the following. 

The defence that IE 7 and 8 hit issues with scheme standards is cute, but everyone added seems to hit figured it out, ground not Apple? It’s country they poverty us using their browser, and that makes significance but ground not meet feature so? On the fling side, it’s enthusiastic to wager Apple taking the PC seriously as a platform by substance up more services for Windows. But when they don’t modify hold its native scheme browser, you hit to astonishment meet how unfathomable this commitment goes.

See the chart beneath for a quick comparison of the automatic sync features of Mobile Me, and what is offered on the Mac vs. PC. Things intend modify worsened on the Windows side when you countenance at UI differences. Mobile Me for warning integrates rattling elegantly with the iLife flat of applications much as iPhoto. Now I’m not saying every of this aggregation doesn’t attain sense, or that it’s modify unfair, but you should clearly wager that Apple wants $99 modify if you exclusive hit a Windows PC, and nothing else. The continuance proposition is modify worsened if you don’t hit Outlook. In this scenario, you’re clearly meliorate soured with Google for your syncing your individualized info and Live Mesh / Sync for files.

 

Sync Options  Mac         
PC  Bookmarks (Safari)  YES  YES + IE  Bookmakrs (Firefox)  NO  NO  Calendar  YES  YES (Outlook)  Contacts  YES  YES (Outlook)  Dashboard Widgets  YES  NO  Dock Configuration  YES  NO  Passwords  YES  NO  Mail Accounts  YES  NO  Mail Configuration  YES  NO  Notes  YES  NO  Preferences (Control Panel)        YES  NO

 

Mobile Me on the Mac

The Mobile Me programme on the Mac is rattling clean, and everything meet works. Compatible sync items show up on the configuration concealment (which is shapely into OSX automatically). You crapper opt every the options, or meet the ones that suit your needs. Certain sync items much as the dock, dashboard widgets, etc, intend hardback up transparently, but your contacts, calendar, email, and iDisk are reachable from the scheme interface. On the Mac iDisk is automatically configured for you allowing drag and modify functionality from within the finder, and the shapely in sync menu allows you to quickly enable everything else. Mobile Me is a enthusiastic companion for your Mac or Hakintosh, and if you hit an iPhone, this is pretty much a digit kibosh shop.

Mobile Me on Windows 

If you’ve feature this far, you should today be flooded aware of the limitations Mobile Me has on the Windows side. Above is a sample screenshot of the sync control commission for Windows. As you crapper see, the exclusive choice acquirable to us is contacts, calendar, and bookmark syncing. Unfortunately in our scenario, Mobile Me bumped into added limitation as well. Apparently Outlook Sync is not supported when you are configured for Exchange. Our hopes were starting to improve a taste when we learned that the Windows edition supports Contact syncing with Google Contacts, but that lowercase morsel of joy was quickly dashed away when we noticed that Calendar sync was not.


Dropbox

Price: Free (2GB)

Syncs: Files , Passwords

Pros: Works on every Platforms. Dropbox also offers rattling reasonable upgrade pricing if you requirement more than 2GB of storage.

Cons: The liberated edition exclusive offers 2 GB of storage, no automated sync tool.

Compatibility

PC: Yes    Mac: Yes    Linux: Yes    Mobile: Yes

How-To: Sync Files and Passwords with Dropbox

Dropbox maps to the My Computer menu on your PC, or the finder if you’re on a Mac. And because your modify incase entireness meet aforementioned some another local drive, syncing files is a ultimate matter of cutting and pasting. A shared dropbox module materialize crossways every your devices, giving ever figure admittance to your data. You crapper double favorites, documents, or in the warning we show below, partnered up with KeePass to substance a ambulatory countersign locker. 

Everyone knows that beatific countersign section requires that you use passwords that are A) long, B) complicated, and C) different for every website and assist you use. Of course, these three requirements also attain it a amount discompose to memorize every the passwords you need, meaning that most grouping don’t study the rules, either using digit countersign crossways some services (a section risk) or writing their passwords downbound nearby the organisation (also a section risk).

That’s where KeePass comes in. KeePass is a free, open source countersign safe. It allows you to create a unique, totally random countersign for every site or assist you use, patch exclusive requiring you to remember a single officer passphrase. Whenever you attempt to log into a service, KeePass asks for your officer passphrase, then automatically enters the appropriate countersign from your safe.

That’s every substantially and good, but what do you do if you frequently use digit different computers (say, a concealment and a laptop)? You could use a USB intend to ready your KeePass countersign deposit with you at every times, but that’s digit more lowercase taste of element you hit to ready track of. Instead, use DropBox to ready an up-to-date double of your countersign start on both computers, at every times. Just verify KeePass to save your countersign deposit somewhere in your DropBox synced folder.

Worried most security? No need! KeePass saves your countersign in an deposit encrypted with nigh-unbreakable AES 256-hit encryption. That effectuation that as long as you garner a strong, long password, effort a hold of your KeePass start won’t do a hacker a taste of good.

Xmarks

Price: Free

Syncs: Bookmarks , Passwords

Pros: Works on every Platforms and most field browsers.

Cons: No Chrome, or Safari for Windows support.

Compatibility

PC: Yes    Mac: Yes    Linux: Yes    Mobile: Read Only

Your first travel module be to download the Xmarks plug-in for your application of choice. Currently exclusive Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari for the Mac are supported. If you're torn on which edition to grab, it’s worth noting that exclusive the Firefox edition supports encrypted countersign sync. iPhone users should also ready in mind that exclusive the Safari for Mac plug-in module earmark for digit artefact syncing.

Syncing Passwords with Xmarks

Once you hit installed the Firefox Plug-in, and restarted your browser, the Xmarks setup wizard module automatically start allowing you to attain an account, or login. If you’re creating a new account, or if you haven’t enabled countersign sync in the past, Xmarks module cater a talking incase aforementioned the digit shown above allowing you to opt in, or discover of the service. For those of you who are worried most security, let me put your mind at ease. Like KeePass, the passwords are stored on the Xmarks servers using rattling brawny AES encryption. All of your passwords module be encrypted before transmission to the Xmark server, and crapper exclusive be decrypted using the pin number you selected as a officer password. You crapper rest cushy knowing that not modify Xmarks module be healthy to rewrite your passwords (assuming you picked a brawny pin code).

Sync Bookmarks with Xmarks

Configuring Xmarks to sync your bookmarks is pretty easy, mainly because that’s exactly what it was fashioned to do. After installing the plug-in for your browser of your choice, the setup wizard module ask you to garner a user statement and password, and that’s pretty much it. If you’re installing Xmarks on a ordinal organisation you’ll be presented with the talking incase (shown above) asking how you would aforementioned to deal with the bookmarks already stored on your organisation vs. what is on the server. You crapper merge the digit databases, or intercommunicate away either. 

Once you’ve synchronized, you crapper also admittance your list of bookmarks from some browser, no plug-in required. Simply navigate over to the website and login. You crapper also admittance a stripped downbound programme intended for ambulatory phones at http://mobile.xmarks.com.


Google

Price: Free (Isn’t it always?)

Syncs: Email, Contacts, Calendar, Documents

Pros: Works on every Platforms and browsers, as substantially as ambulatory phones.

Cons: Living in the cloud is a lifestyle choice, and not digit you should start into lightly.

Compatibility

PC: Yes    Mac: Yes    Linux: Yes    Mobile: Windows Moble, Blackberry, iPhone, Nokia

Gmail â€" Sync All Your Desktop / Webmail Transactions & Merge Your Inboxes

Email is every the same, isn’t it? You probably center us speech most Gmail here at Max PC a taste more ofttimes than rivalry for digit ultimate reason, it rattling is meliorate than the rest. Gmail has a lot feat for it these days. The scheme programme is lightening fast, Google Labs allows you to enable heaps of enthusiastic plug-ins, and digit feature in particular makes it defence discover from the crowd, IMAP. (Internet Message Access Protocol) is a vastly superior resolution to the tralatitious POP based telecommunicate supplied to you by your ISP. It module earmark you to admittance your accumulation from some telecommunicate client, the web, or both at the aforementioned time, every patch keeping your sessions in sync. You crapper read, delete, edit, save drafts, every patch knowing that changes module ripple crossways your concealment clients. It’s so beatific in fact, many, including myself, hit abandoned sacred telecommunicate clients almost entirely.

Gmail is digit of the few liberated IMAP options acquirable correct now, but it’s essential to know, IMAP is not enabled by default. To intend started, exclusive surf over to the Gmail Homepage, signup for a Google account, and head into your new (or existing) mailbox. One in, construe along the top correct for a unification titled Settings, followed by Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Once here, you crapper enable the IMAP assist (shown below), and admittance the Configuration Instructions if you’re planning on ease using a concealment accumulation client. Once you’re up and running with your accumulation client, you strength modify feel aforementioned dragging and dropping messages stored on your machine, over to Gmail. This module earmark you to search, view, or admittance some communication crossways every of your machines. You crapper also use a accumulation computer to drag accumulation from Hotmail or another services over to your new telecommunicate account.

In constituent to keeping your telecommunicate sessions in sync, Gmail offers an innovative assist titled Mail Fetcher. If you head back over to the Settings link along the top right, you crapper then utter Accounts followed by Add a Mail Account You Own. Simply start your telecommunicate address, and setup the rules regarding inbound messages. You crapper verify Google to leave a double on the pop computer for innocuous keeping, or to automatically direct inbound messages to a sacred folder, making your telecommunicate cushy to sort. 

Sync Your Gmail Calendar with Outlook 

Using some webmail based assist is the ultimate artefact to ready every your email, contacts, and calendars in sync. However, for a certain percentage of the accumulation Outlook is a safety blanket they exclusive refuse to springy without. If you fall into this category, it’s okay, you ease hit options. Google Calendar Sync allows you to manage your calendar both through Gmail’s scheme programme and using Outlook. Calendar Sync is currently compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and 7, and is fashioned for use with Outlook 2003 or 2007. We also propose that you don’t essay to establish this if your outlook is configured for exchange. Trying to do so module be far more hassle than it’s worth.

Your First travel module be to download Google Calendar Sync Client, and run the installer. Once this complete, you module wager the above configuration concealment which module earmark you to input your Gmail Account details, and if you poverty 1-way or 2-way sync. When making your decision, we would propose that you garner the choice that most realistically matches your usage scenario. Calendar sync entireness well, but you crapper further remove the odds of conflicts or corruptions if you select 1 artefact sync. You crapper also configure the time between sync sessions, and the minimum selectable is 10 minutes. 

Sync Your Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, or Nokia Handset with Google Calendar, and Contacts and More

Google offers a dizzying array of mobile optimized services for pretty much every favourite smartphone on the market. The modify meliorate part most Google’s ambulatory service, is that every of the aggregation is tied back to your direct Google account. This effectuation that Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Docs, Reader, pretty much everything you love most Google is acquirable in a takeout format. To intend started every you requirement to do is point your phone’s internet application to http://m.google.com .Through this programme you crapper admittance your Calendar & Contacts, but what if poverty them to sync with your phone’s build in applications instead? Meet Google Mobile Sync:

 

 

Setting up Google Sync isn’t difficult, but it is essential to ready in mind that your existing contacts and calendar on your sound module probably be overwritten, so attain sure you are up to date, or hardback up before proceeding. All Smartphone’s, with the exception of the iPhone, crapper establish the sync application within the ambulatory application and hit you up and running in no time flat. However, if you’re on the iPhone you’ll requirement to club into iTunes a taste to attain this work. Click the following links for travel by travel instructions on the PC or Mac.  

Custom HTML Code at Bottom [Sample No.1]
best pc registry cleaners

No comments:

Post a Comment