The iPhone 4S

Posted on by David

Image Credit: MacRumors

Apple just wrapped up another keynote presentation unveiling their latest products. As always, there’s a lot of news to sift through. Let us save you time by highlighting the important details here!

Improved Specs

The iPhone 4S features the standard “spec” boost that we’ve come to expect – faster processer, better battery, more storage, and an improved camera. These are all welcome additions and should serve to keep you running the latest and greatest apps.

More Choices

The iPhone 4S is a “World Phone,” meaning it contains both GSM and CDMA radios. It’s also available on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint in the US, and even more carriers abroad as well. Check out Apple’s iPhone4S page for the full details.

Near-4G Speeds

Apple touted an improved antenna design that, in a nutshell, allows them to nearly double your download speeds. The result is near-4G, though they aren’t calling it that. The iPhone 4S is still a 3G phone, though one of the fastest 3G phones around.

Voice Control

This is the biggest news from Apple’s iPhone 4S announcement. Using advance voice recognition technology, dubbed “Siri,” you will be able to listen to (and reply to) text messages, check your calendar and schedule appointments, send emails, check stocks and weather, search the web, and much more. Time will tell how well this works in the “real world,” but it has the potential to drastically enhance productivity on the go.

Final Thoughts

For now, voice control is limited to the built-in apps. Imagine, however, the potential that lies in this technology when it’s opened up to 3rd party developers, like ourselves!

Of course, we’ll need to get our hands on an iPhone 4S to test DejaOffice, but we’re confident that DejaOffice will be fully supported at, or shortly after, the iPhone 4S launch on October 14th. Stay tuned for more on that!

DejaOffice for iOS Receives Major Update

Posted on by David

Don’t let the version number fool you – DejaOffice 1.2.6 for iOS is a major update. While you won’t notice too many cosmetic changes (yet), we’ve done quite a bit of work under the hood.

The biggest focus of this update has been DejaCalendar. We’ve completely rewritten the calendar to improve stability and sync reliability. Right away, you’ll notice a much smoother experience when using the app. This is just the beginning for us, however. We have exciting plans for DejaOffice!

Continue reading →

Sync Outlook on Windows 8 Developer Preview

Posted on by David

Image Credit: PCAuthority

I know – Windows 8 won’t actually be released until sometime next year. That hasn’t stopped us from working with the Windows 8 Developer Preview, however. After some initial testing, I’m happy to inform you CompanionLink works great with Windows 8! That’s right – we can sync Outlook from Windows 8 to your mobile device. CompanionLink works with both 32- and 64-bit versions of Outlook. We can also sync ACT!, Salesforce, Lotus Notes, Palm Desktop, Zoho, and more, all from Windows 8!

You’ll want to ensure you’re running the latest version of CompanionLink, but other than that there are no special steps required to get up and running in Windows 8. So, if you enjoy working with the latest technology and software (like I do!), rest assured CompanionLink is there to support your synchronization of contacts, calendar, tasks and notes.

Understanding Android Contacts [Infographic]

Posted on by David

Confused about how Android Contacts and Accounts work?  We’ve created an infographic that helps explain the chaos!

Update: Now that Motorola’s DROID RAZR and Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus (featuring the next generation of Android – Ice Cream Sandwich) have been announced, this infographic is even more relevant. These two phones are sure to draw many users over to Android for the first time!

Coming to Android from a “feature phone,” a BlackBerry, or even iOS, there are a number of new features to get used to. One aspect that we’ve seen a lot of uncertainty about is exactly how Contacts work on Android.

As such, we’ve created an infographic to help visualize how Android Contacts work and hopefully eliminate some of the confusion. Check it out below:

(Click the graphic for a larger version)

Android Contacts Infographic

CompanionLink 5 Launches Today

Posted on by David

As of today, CompanionLink 5 is officially out of beta!

If you haven’t already heard what’s new, head over to our blog post announcing the beta to read all about it, but know that you can expect the following:

– A completely redesigned interface
– New setup wizards to help you configure a reliable sync process
– Multiple device profiles in CompanionLink Express
– CompanionLink Professional now allows up to 5 profiles
– Support for the latest CRM software and mobile OS’s
– Numerous bug fixes and sync improvements

Prices start at $14.95.  We have discounted upgrades for existing customers.  Visit our storefront and click on the blue Upgrade button next to the product you want to upgrade to.

The Samsung Galaxy S II Is Now Available In The US

Posted on by David

Sprint has officially begun selling the Galaxy S II, which marks the beginning of the phone’s entry into the US. It has been wildly popular in Europe over the past few months, and with the specs that it has it’s no real surprise! While Sprint has been the first major carrier to carry the device in the US, AT&T and T-Mobile are set to follow shortly, though the exact dates are unknown.

Take a look at our video below to learn a bit about each of the unique variants of the Galaxy S II and hear our thoughts on whether this phone is worth the upgrade!

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzwLnAiJGI8&hd=1]

A Fresh New Look

Posted on by David

Today, we’re excited to unveil our fresh new website. We’ve completely redesigned the look and feel, and we think it’s a big improvement! Not only that, but we’ve focused on making it even easier to get around. From the “Help Me Choose” widget on our home page to the brand new product pages to our handy “Getting Started” page, the new website was built to get you the information you need quickly, easily, and, quite frankly, beautifully!

So take a few minutes to check out the new site and let us know what you think! Leave your thoughts in the comments below or send us a note at marketing@companionlink.com!

The DROID BIONIC Has Landed – Now Sync It With Outlook & More

Posted on by David

It’s been 9 months in the making, but the DROID BIONIC is finally here. It was first seen back in January, but delays, rumors of cancellation, and more delays have caused the BIONIC to become one of the most hyped phones this year. And based on its specs, Motorola is hoping to deliver on that hype.

It is no doubt a powerhouse, something the specs, and the price, reflect. The BIONIC features a 4.3” qHD touchscreen display, dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage with a 16GB microSD card preinstalled, 8 megapixel camera, and much more. Running on Verizon’s 4G network, the BIONIC is listed at $299 with a new 2-year contract.

It’s place among the top Android phones is without question, but does it live up to the hype? Hear our thoughts in the video below:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFzTb6nEOOY]
As you can see, we got our hands on the BIONIC and are happy to report that CompanionLink will allow you to sync the BIONIC with Outlook, ACT!, Salesforce, and more! Contacts, calendars, tasks, memos and more all sync seamlessly. Try it for yourself with our 14-day free trial or grab a copy of CompanionLink today. Prices start at just $49.95.

What do you think of the BIONIC? Do you have questions about syncing? Leave a comment below!

CompanionLink Adds Support for ACT! 2012

Posted on by David

We weren’t the only ones with a big announcement yesterday – Sage officially released ACT! 2012 to the public. While I touched on support for ACT! 2012 in yesterday’s post, I wanted to highlight the topic in its own post.

With the release of CompanionLink 5 (currently in beta), we officially support syncing contacts, calendar activities, contact notes and histories, to-dos and opportunities between ACT! 2012 and many popular Android, iOS, BlackBerry, webOS, and Windows Phone devices, among others.

If you’re already using ACT! with CompanionLink and have upgraded to ACT! 2012, there’s very little you need to do to keep syncing – just ensure you’ve opened ACT! 2012 at least once. This allows ACT! to perform a necessary database update. After that, just make sure you’re running the latest version of CompanionLink and you’ll be set to sync!

CompanionLink 5 Beta Available Now

Posted on by David

We’re pleased to announce the CompanionLink 5 beta is now available to download! We have been hard at work on CompanionLink 5, and we think you’re going to love this update. So, let’s jump in to what’s new!

An Entirely Rebuilt Experience

CompanionLink 5 brings a brand new user interface. We wanted to make the process of setting up and maintaining your sync easier than ever. As you walk through the setup, you’ll notice new wizards along the way. These are designed to guide you through the basic configuration – how the majority of people use CompanionLink.  If you have advanced needs, you’ll be able to customize your sync using the Advanced Settings button.

Support For The Latest and Greatest

CompanionLink 5 is built to support the latest hardware and software. Support for ACT! 2012, a product that was just released this morning, is already included in the first beta. When iOS 5 and Android “Ice Cream Sandwich” land in the near future, CompanionLink 5 will be ready to support them. And as new devices are released, CompanionLink 5 will be continually updated to ensure compatibility.

Multiple Profiles In Express

Until now, if you wanted to sync more than one device, you needed to upgrade to CompanionLink Professional and use our “Profiles” feature. Profiles allow you to sync multiple devices to one or more databases. You can even customize what data syncs to each device. It’s a great feature, and one that we want to make more accessible.

So, we are.

We’re adding support for two profiles in CompanionLink Express 5. CompanionLink Professional will support up to five profiles. Now, I should note that this feature isn’t in the beta just yet, but it will be making its way to the official CompanionLink 5 release!

Everything Else

By now, you’re probably wondering when the official CompanionLink 5 release will be. Starting today, we’ll gather feedback on the CompanionLink 5 beta and make any adjustments as needed. Once we’re satisfied with the feedback and performance, we’ll drop the beta tag and officially release CompanionLink 5. We expect that process to take a few weeks.

Here’s the best news: CompanionLink 5 will be a free upgrade for anyone who’s purchased CompanionLink on or after July 1, 2010. For everyone else, our upgrade pricing is coming soon.

Head over to our downloads page to try out CompanionLink 5 today! And please be sure to send us your feedback at marketing@companionlink.com or leave a comment below. We look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Note: We’ve been testing CompanionLink 5 extensively. However, as with any beta release, I’d like to remind you that you may encounter unexpected behavior. Please keep that in mind if you opt to try out the beta.