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Am I the only one who does NOT desire to push all my personal info to a third party web site? Yes, I'm fully aware that any phone or networked device is not really secure as far as data is concerned. Still, I would prefer the extra layer of security enjoyed when not web synced. Is there yet a method to enable synchronization with Evolution, Kmail, or mysql?
Yes I went from a Blackberry to this phone and my calender and phone contact are in microsoft outlook and I don't want to use google. Is there any way to do this.
Maybe someone needs to organize and put up a bounty to get some android developer to make apps for:
airsync client
syncml client
However, funambol said they're going to make a conduit that goes from their syncml servers to google. The schema would be something like this:
outlook -> funambol -> google -> G1
You'd still have to use Google, but just as a sync conduit, basically. That's ok if you're just not wanting to directly use their services, but obviously not as ok if you're concerned about privacy and things like that.
Personally, I just want choice, flexibility, and a mechanism for getting my Oracle Calendar data onto my phone (Oracle Calendar can act as a syncml server; that's how I get my calendar data onto my Nokia phone, and then I use Apple iSync and Spanning Sync to get that data uploaded to Google ... but clearly I am going to want to eliminate the Nokia phone part some time soon, since I'll be picking up my G1 from the UPS Store today).
Anyway, back to my point: the android user community needs to figure out a way to make it lucrative for one of the android developers to write airsync and syncml clients to run on the phone.
Yes I went from a Blackberry to this phone and my calender and phone contact are in microsoft outlook and I don't want to use google. Is there any way to do this.
I am also a Blackberry User and still waiting for my G1 to arrive. However, I will say that I have been using the Google Calendar now for about a year and I love it! I sychs with Blackberry and allowed me to share my calendar with others (my wife etc). I found the Google Calendar to be much more intuitive when it came to scheduling then just a plain blackberry calendar.
So if you are worried about using Google because you are unfamiliar with the applications, don't be, they are great. If you are worried because you are paranoid and someone might want your schedule and addresses book and use it against you- well can't help you.
Yes I went from a Blackberry to this phone and my calender and phone contact are in microsoft outlook and I don't want to use google. Is there any way to do this.
Just added today to the Android Market: ContactsSync. It claims to sync to Exchange, that seem to be able to help most of you guys. I'm still holding out for a linux LDAP or MYSQL solution.
You can also easily export your Outlook contacts to a .csv and import them into gmail.
I did that before I got my G1 (and organized them and added photos, etc.) and it was extremely cool to have them automatically in the phone right after I turned it on
You can also easily export your Outlook contacts to a .csv and import them into gmail.
I did that before I got my G1 (and organized them and added photos, etc.) and it was extremely cool to have them automatically in the phone right after I turned it on
I understand and appreciate your pleasure with gmail, but some folks (like myself) prefer a different approach. The beauty of open-source (thanks to Stallman, Torvalds, Wall. and company) is that they provide the user with personal choices. Hence the beauty of GNU, Linux, Apache et al. I'm holding out for a mysql or LDAP solution abd I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I understand and appreciate your pleasure with gmail, but some folks (like myself) prefer a different approach. The beauty of open-source (thanks to Stallman, Torvalds, Wall. and company) is that they provide the user with personal choices. Hence the beauty of GNU, Linux, Apache et al. I'm holding out for a mysql or LDAP solution abd I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Torvalds, Stallman, and Wall would strongly encourage you to get to work on providing the rest of us with those options
Yes, I'm sure you probably can. But if you remember I require a LOCAL solution.
Considering that this is a google driven situation, I doubt you'll find a true "local" solution. Perhaps a solution which is primarily locally managed, but which will some how also involve the remote/google side of the equation.
For example, what I'm looking at doing is creating a local (in my house) SyncML server which will gather data from multiple locations (Oracle Calendar at work, various software clients such as thunderbird/lightning and iCal/Addressbook on my systems, the serverside address book on my work email server, Google addressbook and calendar), correlate them and resolve them, and then update the new resolved data back out to those locations.
In this regard, I don't need to treat my G1 as being a unique data repository. Google is that data repository. Google isn't the data authority, Google is the data conduit for keeping my phone in sync with (oracle calendar, thunderbird addressbook, etc.).
This isn't "being assimilated", because what Google wants is to be that data authority. But, instead of giving them that role, they're merely going to be the slave to whatever my local SyncML server says. I think it's far more practical to approach it this way, than to try to eliminate Google from my Google Phone.
Just today (at least this is the first I've seen it), Funambol Contacts was added to the Market. Promises to sync via a SyncML server, so still requires a third-party site but at least adds another option.
Am I the only one who does NOT desire to push all my personal info to a third party web site? Yes, I'm fully aware that any phone or networked device is not really secure as far as data is concerned. Still, I would prefer the extra layer of security enjoyed when not web synced. Is there yet a method to enable synchronization with Evolution, Kmail, or mysql?
No you are definitely not. Putting your contacts on a web server puts *them* at risk from the web company's disgruntled employees and any blackhat who has any idea about who your contacts might be. The same is true about your calendar: you are publishing the movements of *other people* in as much as you are saying you are meeting John Doe, VP Security of Bank of Sometown at 3pm on 14 April in the Nonsuch bar on Main Street, Sometown. Now the world knows where John Doe is going to be on a given date at a given time. Wonderful! Plus you might have pictures of his kids in your contacts book. Great; just what he needs! This whole concept is misconceived and needs fixing before someone gets really hurt. Just as one example see http://www.uslaw.com/library/Criminal_Law/Bank_manager_kidnapped_forced_rob_bank_wwwprivateo fficercom.php?item=251112
Am I the only one who does NOT desire to push all my personal info to a third party web site?
Quote:
Originally Posted by patzane
Yes I went from a Blackberry to this phone and my calender and phone contact are in microsoft outlook and I don't want to use google. Is there any way to do this.
Just to be fair, look at the back of your phone. What does it say? Says "with GOOGLE" right?
If you do not wish to use Google, that's your perogative, I'm all for people doing what they want to. But it boggles the mind that someone buys a GOOGLE product but doesn't like/need/want/trust GOOGLE.
I'm not talking about people who are not really big into google, or are neutral about google, or who don't care about google --- but they have this Exchange work account they want to get on their phone. No big deal, many people do that, and it's very valid.
But am I the only one who see people basically saying "Hey, just bought this cat. Don't like cats, how do I make it act and look like a dog?"
Am I the only one who wants to respond "Why the heck did you buy a cat?" or, to be more *helpful* - "Just go buy a dog"
It's the akin to buying a SUV and then taking parts off of it and modifying it so that it looks like a Scion XB. There is an easier way.
Just to be fair, look at the back of your phone. What does it say? Says "with GOOGLE" right?
If you do not wish to use Google, that's your perogative, I'm all for people doing what they want to. But it boggles the mind that someone buys a GOOGLE product but doesn't like/need/want/trust GOOGLE.
I'm not talking about people who are not really big into google, or are neutral about google, or who don't care about google --- but they have this Exchange work account they want to get on their phone. No big deal, many people do that, and it's very valid.
But am I the only one who see people basically saying "Hey, just bought this cat. Don't like cats, how do I make it act and look like a dog?"
Am I the only one who wants to respond "Why the heck did you buy a cat?" or, to be more *helpful* - "Just go buy a dog"
It's the akin to buying a SUV and then taking parts off of it and modifying it so that it looks like a Scion XB. There is an easier way.
The fact it says "with fries" doesn't mean you need to eat the fries. If you are willing to pay I'm sure the serving assistant will bring you a portion of coleslaw.
Gee, i bought it because it said Linux. Darn, my bad.
Quote:
Yes, I'm sure you probably can. But if you remember I require a LOCAL solution. Resistance is NOT futile and I will NOT be assimulated.
i, too, have the same problem. i don't wish to use the net to sync. i've got Kontact - Calendar on my desktop and that's where i input my info. and just want to do something simple, like sync it with my ... Google?, Android?, G1?
Have a great evening!
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Am I the only one who does NOT desire to push all my personal info to a third party web site?[...]
Yes (You ARE the only person)
I resent that comment. Who are you to make such a statement? If it was made in jest, you could at least have added a smiley. There are plenty of users (as you can see from the thread above) who are concerned with data privacy. I wouldn't ever have come to Google if Palm hadn't pulled PalmOS away from under me. Now, this is the only workable option I have; it doesn't mean I have to like it, or trust Google.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pestilence
You definitely CAN import into gmail (and therefore the G1) from .csv.
Yes, that's what I did to get my data from my Palm into GMail. It cost me several evenings of work in order to figure out column names, what fields are supported, their data formats, and so on. I had to merge the first-name and last-name fields, and I did not succeed in importing any of the dates (birthdays and anniversaries) no matter how I tried.
The import/export feature of GMail is truly minimal, it cannot even export and then reimport a contact without dropping data.
I am trying to figure out a way to do Palm-like local search, and storage of what's needed for the PIM applications. It's nigh-on impossible, as far as I can tell, this OS was just not built for local data storage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by punkzanyj
Just to be fair, look at the back of your phone. What does it say? Says "with GOOGLE" right? [...] But am I the only one who see people basically saying "Hey, just bought this cat. Don't like cats, how do I make it act and look like a dog?" Am I the only one who wants to respond "Why the heck did you buy a cat?" or, to be more *helpful* - "Just go buy a dog" [...] There is an easier way.
That may be so, but there don't seem to be any 'dogs' out there. OpenMoko, while definitely open and local, is too immature for daily use, and the WinMo, iPhone, and Symbian platforms all require non-free OS'es if you want to write software for 'em. That leaves only Android and Palm Pre -- and the Pre is even worse when it comes to local data storage. (Punk, I know this is basically a mini-rehash of my first post, I'm just bringing it up here because it seems to be fitting, I don't mean to open up the old thread again.)
I wouldn't ever have come to Google if Palm hadn't pulled PalmOS away from under me. Now, this is the only workable option I have; it doesn't mean I have to like it, or trust Google.
So, basically, you didn't come to Android with the intent of using Android ... you came to Android with the intent of somehow replacing PalmOS.
So, now, you're trying to "get Android to do things the PalmOS way" instead of "learning how things are done the Android way"?
You do realize that your mindset is doomed to failure, right?
I mean, really, this is precisely trying to put a square peg into a round hole. You should have learned the folly of that in pre-school.
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Yes, that's what I did to get my data from my Palm into GMail. It cost me several evenings of work
I'm willing to bet that if you tried to assemble shelves using nails and a screwdriver, you'd have a similarly frustrating and time-costly result. A screwdriver is not the right tool for manipulating nails. You need to either give up on your love of screwdrivers and switch to a hammer, or somehow figure out how to buy some (no longer manufactured) screws.
Quote:
as far as I can tell, this OS was just not built for local data storage.
Which is zero surprise to anyone who is paying attention. Google is a cloud based enterprise. Did you really expect their platform to be anything other than cloud focused?
Some apps cache data locally (gmail, calendar, contacts), but that's just for speed and reliable access (so you can still use it even if you don't have signal). That's not really user accessible "local storage". That's pretty much the way Google wants/intends it: cloud based storage of the canonical/authoritative copy of the data, local cache of non-canonical/non-authoritative copies of the data for usability.
Do I wish it was a more hybrid approach? Yes, I do. But I also don't have time to write my own fork of the Android code base and create a variant of Android that does everything MY way. Maybe if I win the lottery ... but probably not even then (I have bigger fish to fry, really).
IMO: you'd be better off trying to get Symbian to create development tools for Linux and *BSD, so you can develop for their open source OS using open source OSes, than trying to get Google to not be a Cloud Computing company (and thus deliver platforms that aren't cloud focused).
So, basically, you didn't come to Android with the intent of using Android ... you came to Android with the intent of somehow replacing PalmOS.
Spot on.
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Originally Posted by johnkzin
So, now, you're trying to "get Android to do things the PalmOS way" instead of "learning how things are done the Android way"? You do realize that your mindset is doomed to failure, right?
Not true, exactly. At least, no more true than the many apps that are making Android seem more like an iPhone, or a spirit level, or what have you. I know perfectly well that Android is Android, and PalmOS is PalmOS, which is dead. But who says we can't take a look at where we came from, and see which aspects that we liked we could take with us to this new place? To me that sounds sensible, not immature. Oh, and I would ask you to refrain from getting personal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnkzin
Quote:
Originally Posted by KlaymenDK
Yes, that's what I did to get my data from my Palm into GMail. It cost me several evenings of work [to import contacts from CSV]
I'm willing to bet that if you tried to assemble shelves using nails and a screwdriver, you'd have a similarly frustrating and time-costly result.
What on earth are you talking about? I'm quite adept with hand tools but that is another matter; let's stay on topic. The pertinent point is that the Contacts Import/Export feature in GMail exists, but is incomplete. Hence, additional work is required (a lot if you have a lot of data).
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnkzin
Google is a cloud based enterprise. Did you really expect their platform to be anything other than cloud focused?
Again, this is no surprise, but we should be able to improve the current situation. Say you have a Contact for the New York Times, with a note storing your subscriber ID. Could you search for that ID? No, you could not, because the only search function in Android is Google's web search. Now, pay attention: I don't have a thing against Google's web search function, but it would be handy to have exhaustive local search as well. That is what I am talking about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnkzin
Do I wish it was a more hybrid approach? Yes, I do. But I also don't have time to write my own fork of the Android code base
Well there you go, turns out we do see eye to eye on some things. The good news is that you shouldn't have to fork the entire OS, there's bound to be ways to achieve almost anything with the built-in API -- or with the API as it looks next year.
I resent that comment. Who are you to make such a statement? If it was made in jest, you could at least have added a smiley. There are plenty of users (as you can see from the thread above) who are concerned with data privacy.
Well, Google has always defended it's user's privacy, they've gone to court with the Department of Justice over it (twice I believe).
And really, any information on your computer, so long as it has an internet connection, isn't safe.
and if you don't trust google, that's fine, but do you have friends with google gmail accounts?
My contacts has the name, phone number, email address, and usually a picture of the person as well. Sometimes I have multiple phone numbers, sometimes I have physical addresses as well. So if Google is not to be trusted, then not only am I screwed -- so are all of my friends, with their names, phone numbers, addresses, and even a picture of them on google's servers, right now. Not to mention everything they've said in an email, Gtalk chat, or AIM chat as well. Now that I used GoogleVoice as well, any SMS they send to that number and any voicemail they leave is also on google's server and tied to the rest of the info about them from my account. If any of your friends, family, or acquaintances as a gmail account and or an android phone -- your data is already on google's servers. And keep in mind that google does hosted email as well(addresses that don't end in gmail.com) so even if you did avoid sending to people with gmail addresses, your data still might end up on google's servers without you even knowing it.
And pretty much any computer or phone connected to the internet is vulnerable. All it takes is the wrong click from you, or someone using your phone or computer. It may not even take that much.
I know you're concerned about privacy, most people are these days, but google isn't the only "threat" and chances are good that your data is already on their servers.
Punk, I agree to everything you just said. As interesting as this topic is, it's off-topic for this thread so I'm not going to say anything more on it here.
Just to be fair, look at the back of your phone. What does it say? Says "with GOOGLE" right?
If you do not wish to use Google, that's your perogative, I'm all for people doing what they want to. But it boggles the mind that someone buys a GOOGLE product but doesn't like/need/want/trust GOOGLE.
The only thing that boggles my mind is how you managed to cram so many errors into so few sentences.
On my notebook, its say "MSI". In no way whatsoever does that imply I trust MSI, let alone a willingness to share data with them. Running Windows XP does not in any way grant Microsoft a right to access my personal documents, or contacts, or music, or whatever.
What makes your argument even more ludicrous is that (on my Google-branded Magic, at least) I can access any POP3/IMAP mail account, not just Gmail. This fact alone invalidates your entire argument.
And the sugar coating is that the iPhone allows sync'ing contacts with any LDAP server, and calendars with CalDAV server - exactly what us business users are wishing for on the Android platform.
Quote:
Originally Posted by punkzanyj
But am I the only one who see people basically saying "Hey, just bought this cat. Don't like cats, how do I make it act and look like a dog?"
Apart from the fact that your analogy is utterly wrong (see above), supporting non-Google based contact & calendar management is a MUST for Android if it ever wants to enter the business market. This requirement is why Apple added the aforementioned features to the iPhone in the first place.
The reason this is a MUST is because in many industries, it is legally forbidden to share data (either by contract, eg NDA, or by law). I work in a bank, storing client data on servers not controlled by us is out of the question. My girlfriend is an M.D., under HIPAA she may not even store patient data on a USB stick.
As you can see, not only are your arguments invalid, but I provided you with more than enough valid arguments why one would want this feature, and I pointed out to you that the #1 competitor to the Android platform has already implemented it.
You are not the only one
gmail sync only option unacceptable
first you need to have internet to sync between android and your desktop
what if I do not have access to internet and want to sync between my android and laptop or desktop? second why I need to send my information or any information online to sync with my android. third:
one day wikileak will post thousand of google account online
then every one will think twice
it is unacceptable to force everyone to use Gmail account to sync. you should have an option
to choose
I just don't understand , how difficult it is for Android to have one application say "Andoid Desktop" just like Palm Desktop and ALSO have this cloud sync (with gmail) functinality. We should be able to choose if we need local or cloud or both way syncing.
This is a shame that we don't have this solution of local client syncing of "Palm Desktop" (even in Palm) which Palm used to have 10 years back.
I bought Palm pixi thinking that it is obvious to have palm desktop like application there. I spent several weeks and tried all thrid party clients but in vain.
So shameful for palm and for Android as well as they can not give something which palm gave 10 years back.
MyPhoneExplorer is a desktop PC suite that allows me to sync from phone to PC, and visa versa, via wifi, infrared or USB.
Will sync Contacts and Calendar to Windows Outlook, and others, without using the web. Works with quite a few handsets.
Also does a host of other things too, such as sending/receiving and saving SMS, syncing files and photo's, etc. Even has a little Windows Sidebar gadget.
If you use Mozilla Thunderbird or Sunbird to manage your contacts and events, you may also have have a look at BirdieSync. It's a synchronization solution which directly synchronizes your mobile device with the desktop without using the cloud. You can connect your mobile device either wirelessly or with a USB cable.
You'll find more information on BirdieSync web site.
MyPhoneExplorer is a desktop PC suite that allows me to sync from phone to PC, and visa versa, via wifi, infrared or USB.
Will sync Contacts and Calendar to Windows Outlook, and others, without using the web. Works with quite a few handsets.
Also does a host of other things too, such as sending/receiving and saving SMS, syncing files and photo's, etc. Even has a little Windows Sidebar gadget.
A php/mysql solution to deploy on my web serveur.
This solution will store my contacts, calendar, tasks, etc...
+ a android client software, that will connect to my web server as sync client.
If i add a contact to my phone, it is sent to my web site (so if i get a new phone, i can restore my contact list from my website). It is important for me that contact are stored in the default phone contacts, not inside the software: I want to be able to press "phone button" and retreive my contacts into it. Also, i'd like the calendar to be displayed as widget.
+ a windows client software or addon that will also make contact/task sharing possible.
That would be the best for me, i just have to manage backups of my web site, then i share my calendar/contact list between my PC and my phone all the time, anywhere, and will not depend of any third part. My private and sensitive data still mine everytime !
At this moment the only way i found to do this (actually testing it), is to install a CRM on my website.
Here what i found for (allmost) free :
vTiger : it's free, i can manage contacts, calendar, and tasks. Bad points are : no PC client software, it is web based. One android application 15$ with no trial release. So i didn't test it yet, too expensive with no warranty that it'll match my needs.
SugarCRM : that is what i'm testing now, but it seems that we have to pay the pro relase to be able to sync with mobiles. we can find several free android client softwares.
All other CRM found are not free, and very expensive, usualy dedicated to companies with several users. I'm a single user, so i don't want to pay 300$ for that !
Last edited by giova; January 23rd, 2012 at 01:19 AM.
Local (laptop, not web) contact/calendar sync
