Archive for the ‘Google’Category

Syncing Google Apps with Outlook

 

Guide to Online Data Syncing Services

(Google Apps Edition)

In July 2009 Computerworld published a great piece on data synchronization methods involving Google, Yahoo, Windows Live, and other services. But I’m going to show my colors here and only cover tools that help you sync Outlook with Google products (especially Google Apps). Sorry if that doesn’t help your situation. For the rest of you, read on to learn about some nifty free apps to keep you in sync. As you know by now, in addition to staples such as Gmail, Google Talk, Google Docs and its Calendar, Google has developed a suite of professional or “enterprise” grade applications called, what else, Google Apps. Google Apps is my answer to the anywhere, anytime, practice; and is designed to play nice with office staple Microsoft Outlook. Google Calendar for instance syncs with Outlook via the free Google Calendar Sync tool as well as third-party tools such as Spanning Sync and BusySync. Mac users have it even better – the Address Book in machines running OS-X 10.5.3 and higher offers native sync support for Gmail contacts – no apps required. For businesses who want to sync it all, Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook  is available for $50/user/year; maybe too much of a commitment unless you run a mid-sized firm. A similar tool called Google Apps Migration for Lotus Notes helps businesses shift from Notes to Google Apps. For personal users on a PC, third-party tools include

Goosync, a server-based solution that supports syncing of calendars, contacts and tasks

KiGoo a downloadable application that offers syncing of calendars and contacts

SynContact, free software that syncs only contacts

And since Google supports Microsoft ActiveSync  you can also sync an iPhone, iPod Touch or Windows Mobile. And since ActiveSync is natively supported there is no additional software to install. If you use a BlackBerry you can download a sync tool from Google to accomplish similar tasks. Okay, that’s it. Short and sweet. Hope you liked. If you have anything to add please add your comments below.

 

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23

02 2010


by practicehacker
posted in Google, Microsoft, Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mobile
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Buzz Desktop (Is Already Available!)

Talk about your rapid deployment cycles. Google Buzz only went into general release last week (web-only attached to Gmail) and there are already plans to spin it off into its own app and, now, a third-party developer brings us this desktop Buzz monitor. And a very cool one at that. All of which points to the fact that Google has really gotten the hang of identifying creative ideas, bringing ideas to users, then tweaking the product while it is in the field. Not only that, but Google knows enough to make its API freely available so that 3rd party developers can get in on the action. The result with Wave and now Buzz is that changes can be made in real time based on customer comments (not canned feedback or inputs from a few opinionated beta testers). No sir: comments made about Buzz by users of Buzz  were apparently picked up by Google, examined for feasibility, and implemented within hours.

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15

02 2010


by practicehacker
posted in Google, beta, buzz, collaborative tools, cool stuff, current-events, disruptive technology, google buzz, knowledge management, realtime, software
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LifeHacker Beats Me to the Punch … Again!

How to do Everything in Google Buzz (Including Turn It Off) by Gina Trappani of LifeHacker fame tells you … well, everything you need to know about Google Buzz.

Dammit Trappani, leave some news for the rest of us to report.

Seriously though, nice job. J

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10

02 2010


by practicehacker
posted in Article, Google, Lifehacker, buzz, current-events, disruptive technology, knowledge management, lifestreaming, practice, practice management, review, social networking, technology, tips, tools, web 2.0, website
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Buy Twitter, Already!

No editorial comment needed. Just do it already, Google.

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09

02 2010


by practicehacker
posted in Google, realtime
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Network Part 2: Not Going to Take It Anymore

In Part 1 of this series I discussed the current legal research market (lame) and how Wexis was without challengers until a little company called Google smacked them upside the head last year. But the question remains: what are you going to do about it?

Change.  At Last?

Even if Google Scholar does begin the long climb into the consciousness of lawyers, goes the thinking, Wexis could certainly deal with a direct attack as it dealt with Loislaw and Fastcase before. After all the real power of the network is that it resists by tightening its grip and digging in its heels until removing it would kill the host. But direct action is not Google’s style. On the contrary, Google is king of feature creep. It excels at constant development of bells and whistles joined to a simple, irresistible feature like … search. So it’s a good bet that Google Scholar will not directly threaten Westlaw or Lexis any more than Adwords threatened Findlaw or Lawyers.com. Of course Google has relentlessly siphoned off legal marketing dollars from Wexis for the past decade regardless of its indirect approach. And like Adwords, Google Scholar is part of an even bigger network than either Westlaw or Lexis. So maybe change is possible.

At the end of the day, I believe that Google Scholar will do for legal research what Avvo did for lawyer selection: bring transparency where there was none before. If that happens then consumers of legal information including lawyers, scholars, students, and lay people, will be able to bypass the thicket of jargon and questionable practices that kept them in thrall to Wexis for a century. The result would be a body of legal research enhanced by user input (think Wikipedia) instead of a narrowly controlled, opaque system like the ones that lawyers use now. Change, at last.
Running Scared

This month the ABA Journal features a comprehensive look at the new crop of threats facing Westlaw and Lexis, including Google Scholar and Bloomberg Law. According to the article Westlaw intends to roll out it’s next-gen research platform, WestlawNext, in time for the ABA Technology Show in March; while LexisNexis will announce the new Lexis, dubbed creatively ‘New Lexis,’ later this year. But while the article makes it sound as if both companies are about to make a real technological leap, I’d advise you not to hold your breath. Westlaw and Lexis have never responded to threats with anything but cosmetic changes, falling back instead on enticement or intimidation to keep users loyal. And it has always worked, so why fix what ain’t broken? Besides, how likely is it that after generations of taking their market for granted either company will invest the time, money, or business discipline needed to break with the past? Then again, if Wexis loses its iron grip on legal the spigot of legal information then it is nothing but a search engine, and not a good one at that. Reason enough to be afraid.

I’m Mad As Hell And Not
Going to Take It Anymore
So are Westlaw and Lexis simply keeping up appearances as they did when the Internet threatened their proprietary networks in the 90’s? Or do they really think they can change everything from their business model to their corporate culture to cope with the likes of Google and Bloomberg? My guess is that, as usual, Westlaw and Lexis will talk a good game but continue to rely on contracts and intimidation over innovation. Hey, it worked for AIG, GM, and Lehman Brothers, right? And look where they are today.

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07

02 2010


by practicehacker
posted in FastCase, Google, Lexis-Nexis, Westlaw, disruptive technology, knowledge management, law, law office, legal research, media, new media, old media, realtime, search, semantic search, software, web 2.0
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TinyChat Upgrade: Etherpad, Whiteboard, YouTube

We’re big fans of TinyChat a web-based chat startup that has been growing like gangbusters and recently won a Crunchie for best bootstrapped startup. TinyChat started out as a simple IRC-style chatroom app to complement conversations on platforms like Twitter, has been steadily building out its innovative platform to include video chat and screensharing options, live video streaming, and Facebook Connect.

Now the platform is making chats more social with the addition YouTube video integration, document collaboration with Etherpad, and whiteboard features powered by the company’s own Flockdraw. The social YouTube feature allows a moderators to pay any public YouTube video for everyone participating in the chat. The administrator can also control were the video starts, pauses etc. <<Read the Full Story Here>>

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05

02 2010


by practicehacker
posted in Blogging, Google, Telephony & Voice Over IP, Video, business, collaborative tools, community, cool stuff, disruptive technology, law, practice, practice management, realtime, remote, social networking, software, technology, the business of law, tips, tools, twitter, unbundling, web 2.0, youtube
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Google Kicks Microsoft’s Apps

As Dan Frommer of the Silicon Valley Insider points out, The WSJ has reported that Google is building a store for Google Apps – the business version of Gmail, Docs, Spreadsheets, and the Calendar (all of which I use in my practice). The Google Apps Store would allow customers to buy add-ons only if and when needed to extend their basic Google Apps environment without having to buy the whole enchilada. Apparently Microsoft still has not gotten the memo however, as its Office 2010 (which I am now beta-testing) is still bloated, slow, and crash-prone in the proud MS tradition. This as Google tries to disrupt several Microsoft businesses, including its Office and Windows giants, and its Exchange email business. Google could announce the App Store as soon as March, the WSJ’s Jessica Vascellaro says. Like the App Stores flourishing in the mobile industry, Google could collect a cut from sales while passing the majority of revenue along to developers.

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04

02 2010


by practicehacker
posted in Article, Blogging, Google, Microsoft, Microsoft Outlook, Office, Word, apps, business, collaborative tools, comments, competition, current-events, disruptive technology, e-mail, enterprise, free, google docs, google voice, google wave, review, security, software, storage, the business of law, tips, tools, unbundling
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