The labs feature is a great way to push forth features which may be useful for a group of people, while others could do without it. Taking the labs philosophy further, Google Calendar now has a Labs feature as well.

As usual, you can access the Labs features via Settings (and then the Labs tab) and you would have to explicitly enable/disable the features according to your liking. Presently there are 6 features available inside Google Calendar Labs and I will elaborate each and every one of them after the jump.

• Background Image: Allows you to choose a background image for your calendar. Google Calendar doesn’t have themes like Gmail so this would be your best bet to customize the look of Google Calendar. After enabling it, you will see an option to choose a background image within your calendar settings





• Attach Google Docs: Lets you assign a document, spreadsheet or presentation from Google Docs to the event. Enabling this will add an entry “Add a Google Document” to the event details page. Clicking on it shows you a list of Google Documents you have in your account and lets you choose the ones you would like to associate with the current event.



• A World Clock: Apart from keeping track of time in different time zones, it also displays your event’s start time in different time zones. The various time zones can of course be configured to your liking.

  

• Jump to date: Quickly allows you to list your meetings for a particular date, without you having to scroll through all the different views to get to the date.

  

• Next Meeting: Shows a countdown to the next event in your calendar and a brief snippet representing the latest upcoming events.

  

• Free or Busy: Allows you to see which of your friends are free or busy at this moment. This is of course on the basis of the calendars your friends have shared with you

  

It is nice to see that Labs has been included in Google Calendar. It offers customization and an outlet for newer, more interesting features to make it to the main application (like Tasks, which recently became a part of the main Gmail Application). One can certainly expect more interesting features in the future. I am already in love with “Attach Docs” and “Next Meeting”.

Which ones do you like the most? What would you like to see in Labs next? Tell us in comments, we would love to know.

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Well not anymore, thanks to Offisync which allows you to use, update and synchronize your Google Docs onto Microsoft Office – as well as offering the ability to search on Google from the Office interface and insert images into your Office documents from Google Images.

This is one of those services that will prove to be insanely useful if you are in the habit of switching between them both all the time.   For it to work though, you need :

• Either Office 2003 or Office 2007
• Windows XP / Vista or Windows 7.
• Microsoft’s .net framework version 3.5, which will automatically be installed on your computer if you don’t already have it.
• A Google account to be able to use Docs (that one is a bit obvious!)

You first have to install a small toolbar which sits in your Office documents.   It looks like this :

To open a document from Google Docs, just press the small yellow folder icon on the far left and a box will appear asking you to enter your Google account name and password.   I was initially a bit concerned about entering my Google account password so I emailed OffiSync and asked them if they store the account details on their servers.   Their answer is an emphatic no.

User Names and Passwords are stored in the Windows Credentials Manager (CredMan) service on your computer. OffiSync does not store any credentials on our servers or on the Google servers.

That reassured me somewhat so I proceeded with entering my password.   When your details have been accepted, your list of Google Docs files will come up (I don’t normally use Google Docs so I created a test document for this article).

Just double-click on the Google Docs file that you want to work on in Microsoft Office and it will immediately open in Word.  If you have lots of documents and you can’t find the one you want, just click the black binoculars in the Offisync toolbar and you can filter out the file you want by entering keywords.

Now this is the file that I created with a simple short sentence.   All you basically need to do now is just work on your document and periodically save the changes using the Offisync toolbar.

Say, I want to add “Now I’m updating it” to the document -

When you’re finished with the document and you want to synchronize your changes with the copy in your Google Docs account — all you need to do is click the black disk icon on your Offisync toolbar and you will see this -

After a few seconds, that box will disappear and the updated version of the document will now be in your Google Docs account. Let’s check on that.

Yup, there it is!

There are other features to Offisync too. Basically the app gives you all the power of Google Docs but inside Microsoft Office instead.   Offisync allows you to do the following :

• Add or remove collaborators to the online Google document



• Email the online Google document to someone



• Paste the link to the Google Docs copy of the file in your Word copy.

But the best part of Offisync (in my opinion) is the ability to insert images from Google Images into your Word document.   Everything opens in Offisync’s custom-made mini browser.

Since I’ve just been to see Transformers 2 at the cinema, let’s see what pictures there are of Optimus Prime on Google Images.

As you can see, you can filter the images down to size, type and also by creative commons.  When you have found one you want to use, click “Insert” and you will receive a box notifying you where it has come from :

If you accept it, click “Accept” and the image will then be embedded into the Word document.

Offisync doesn’t only support Word though.   You can also use the feature in Microsoft’s Excel and Powerpoint to keep those documents synchronized as well.

And that’s it!   This one is going into my “keeper” pile of software apps as it has already motivated me to use Google Docs more and so far I haven’t found any bugs or really irritating features.  I really hope Offisync continues to be developed and I can’t wait to see what other features they come up with next.

Let us know what you think.   Is this something you would use?  What features do you like the best and what new features would you like Offisync to introduce?

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For a while now, my solution has been Google Docs. It’s a great service, and one that has served me well over the months and years I’ve been using it. Google Docs, though, is not without its issues and downsides, some of which have left me in constant search for the best and brightest of the online document managing application.

Well, I haven’t found it yet, but I’ve found five pretty great alternatives to Google Docs that you might want to check out. All of these, and Google Docs, offer the same basic editing features; instead of rehashing them over and over, I’ll point out the one or few great features that put the application on this list.

Buzzword

My current online editor of choice, Buzzword, is Adobe’s offering in the online word-processing department. It’s attractive, flash-based, and incredibly simple to use. In addition to all the standard features, Buzzword offers a few key uses for users of all levels. Buzzword lets you share documents with people, giving individuals varying levels of access, from comments to editing to just reading the document.

Also useful is the Version History tracker, which tracks your changes and lets you revert to an earlier version of the document in only one click.

Buzzword is the prettiest of the bunch, and while it’s not terribly feature-rich when it comes to document editing, its collaboration and tracking tools more than make up for it.

Zoho

The number of applications Zoho offers, from an email service to a personal wiki and a “centralized public repository” (whatever that is) is ridiculous. I’ve become a big Zoho fan recently, and it has a huge number of useful tools at your disposal.

The writer itself is excellent, with a ton of editing options organized in a way that looks much like Office 2007’s Ribbon interface. Almost anything you can do in Word can be done in Zoho, from adding a header and footer to directly posting a document to your blog.

Zoho is the most feature-complete of the Web-based applications, including Google Docs, and is incredibly easy to use. Zoho doesn’t get nearly the press Google Docs does, but I can’t see a reason not to switch to Zoho.

Etherpad

If collaboration is what you’re into, give Etherpad a good look. There’s no need to sign up for Etherpad – just click “Start New Pad” and get going. Then, either share a link to the pad or send invitations to your contacts by email.

As users come in, you can edit the text on the pad in real-time, and changes automatically appear. You can chat in the sidebar, highlight which user made a given change, and save revisions in order to revert if a mistake is made.

Etherpad is perfect for coding and programming, but is also great for writing and editing documents. There aren’t as many features to Etherpad, and all your editing is in plain text, but it’s so collaborative and useful that it deserves a mention anyway.

Peepel

Peepel is basically a whole suite of desktop applications, stored within your browser. You can run multiple Peepel windows in the same browser window, letting you manage more pieces of your workflow all at once.

Peepel offers services like the WebWriter word processor, WebSheet for spreadsheets, a contact manager, great file-sharing and collaboration tools, and the Workspace Manager that lets you save your layout and return to it later.

Peepel isn’t the flashiest of the applications, but I love the ability to run more than one document or application in the same window.

OpenGoo

OpenGoo is similar in appearance to both Google Docs and the Zoho suite, with a well-integrated interface available to you. You can access calendars, tasks, documents, sticky notes, email, contacts, and time-tracking tools all from within the OpenGoo interface.

For document editing, OpenGoo is much like Google Docs. You can create documents or slideshows, and the interface is much like Google’s. You can edit documents, and then tag them or add them to folders for easier organization.

One thing I liked was that a new document is opened in the same window, with the document browser in the sidebar, whereas Google Docs always opens a new window.

If all you want is documents, there’s not a lot unique about OpenGoo; if you’re looking for a more complete interface and application, it’s a great choice.

What do you use for document editing, either online or off? Which one of the above mentioned online office apps in your opinon is the best alternative to Google Docs?

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Google Docs, in addition to being a stellar way to write, store and manage your documents and slideshows, is also a fantastically useful way to collect survey data. Basically, you send out a form, people fill it in, and Google reports the documents back to you in an incredibly simple and easy-to-understand fashion.

To get started, sign in at Google Docs. If you have a Gmail account, you have a Google Docs account. If you don’t, come out from that rock you live under, boot up the computer, and get yourself a Gmail account. Once you’re logged in, click “New,” and then “Form.”

Give your form a title and an explanation. The explanation field is perfect for explaining what the survey is, or or what people need to know in order to take it properly. Then you start asking questions.

Type the first question into the “Question title” field. Then select whether you want the question to be “text” and have a written response, “paragraph text” which allows for long-form responses, ” multiple choice, scaled (1-10, for example) or a checklist of options.

Fill in all the available answers, choose whether or not to make it a required question (i.e. do they have to answer this one before sending in the survey?), and click “done.”

To get a new question, click the “Add Question” button at the top left of the page. I found it easier though to just duplicate the question by clicking on the two boxes on the right side of the question field, and then change the answers with the formatting already set for me. To each his own, though.

Once you’ve finished creating your form, it’s time to get responses. You can email the form to people, which allows them to fill it out and submit it right from their email – this is probably the way to start. You can also, however, embed the form on a website, and let people fill it in that way; this is better if you’re trying to get mass responses, instead of from a select few people.

When you’re emailing the form, Google Docs hooks up to your Gmail contacts, making the process of sending your form a whole lot faster.

Once people start filling out your form, you can see the responses you get. You can view the summary (with graphs charting who chose or wrote what), or as a spreadsheet to view the individual responses. Particularly for surveys or polls, the summary response is great – especially since you can always click “see complete responses” and have them available to you immediately.

You can edit your form as often as you want, send it to as many recipients as you want, and use the tracking ability for all its worth. Google Docs makes getting information a whole lot more efficient, and a whole lot simpler for both sides of the equation.

Next time you want to ask a question, poll a group, or figure out who’s coming to the party, give Google Docs a shot. It’s okay, you don’t have to thank me.

How do you get information from people?

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Don’t worry though. Gmail now has you covered on that front also. The Gmail Labs team has just released a new widget for just this purpose. This handy widget lets you convert email conversations to text documents that can be downloaded and saved to your PC in different formats.

To enable this new functionality, login to Gmail and click on “settings”. Now go to the “Labs” sub-tab and scroll down till you see the “Create a Document” widget. Enable it and save the settings.

Now, to make use of this great new function, open the email conversation that you’ve been dreading to make notes from. On the right hand side of the page, you should see a link titled “Create a Document” just above the sponsored links. Click on this link, a new window will open, Gmail will place the full text of the email conversation in a new Google Docs document and put you in charge.

One nice touch that the engineers at Google have put in is that the email signatures and quoted text is not a part of this conversion. So, that’s one less headache for you while cleaning up the document for sharing with your colleagues.

Once the document is in Google Docs, its just a matter of a couple of clicks and you can easily edit out whatever you want and then save or share the document with your peers for a review. Making a task list or a TODO from an email has never been this easy.

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So with the news that Gmail now supports the reading of PDF files, I realised I could now do away with Adobe Reader being on my computer altogether. Hurray! Goodbye Reader and thanks for all the bloat!

Being sent a PDF file by email? View PDF in Gmail.

If someone now sends me a PDF file by email, all I have to do is click the “view” button in Gmail. This then sends the file to my Google Docs account for viewing (you may have to log into Google Docs first)

After logging into Google Docs, their lightweight PDF viewer immediately opens your file. As you can see below, the viewer gives you the ability to download the file and print the file.

Plus, just like Adobe Reader, you have the strip down the side which allows you to see thumbnails of all the pages so you can jump straight to a particular page.

Once you’ve finished looking at your file, just close Google Docs. Easy. No need to use Adobe Reader or FoxIt or any other installed software.

2. PDF file on your computer? Open it in Google Docs.

But what if the PDF file is not in your email? What if the PDF file is on your computer? Well then you can either upload it to Google Docs or to Gmail for reading in Google Docs.

To upload to Gmail, you can use a favourite tool of mine called Backup to email (or gmail) which integrates into your Explorer right-click menu. Then when you have uploaded the PDF file to Gmail, repeat stage one to view your file in Google Docs. You can also use Gmail as a nice little storage facility for your PDF files long term.

To upload your file from your computer to Google Docs (cutting out Gmail), Docs provides a variety of ways to get your file there. The easiest route is to go to Google Docs and use their file uploading tool.  The only snag with uploading it to the Google Docs server is that there is a 10MB file size limit.

If you do a bit of online searching, you can also find things such as a desktop tool to quickly upload documents.

Then again, once your PDF file is in Docs, just use their lightweight viewer to open it.    When you have finished and you don’t want to keep the file online, just delete it.   You will still have the original file on your computer.

What is absolutely amazing is the crystal clear picture quality and the very fast loading speeds that Google Docs provides. It really does put Adobe Reader to shame.

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Download and install Gobby. Gobby is available for Windows, Linux and Mac. Linux users can also try the distribution’s package manager to install Gobby.

The first thing you would need to do to begin editing collaboratively once Gobby is installed is to “create a session”. Click on “create session” and fill in the details. Gobby lets you choose the port to be used for connections, the name that will be displayed, a color that will be used to mark the edits that are performed by you and it lets you create a password for the session so that only intended recipients may join in.

From the other side your counterpart would need your IP address, use ipconfig on Windows and ifconfig on Mac and Linux to know your IP address and send it over to the other person. The other person can then join in with the details you provided and can choose a display name and color for themselves just like you did. Gobby will let them know if what they chose clashes with any of the contributors currently in the session.

They will then be able to see the documents that are available for editing in the current session, click on one of them and hit subscribe to be able to edit it with you collaboratively. Gobby can be used to connect and bring together any number of contributors.

Once connected Gobby allows you to chat with the contributors and edit the files and view changes made by others in real time. Gobby is excellent for source code editing as it recognizes and supports syntax highlighting for quite a lot of file types. You can view, add and remove file types and manage other preferences from the preferences dialog.

Gobby supports editing multiple files in collaboration with multiple users. This means that while you are editing file X the other users may be editing file Y together collaboratively and then you can view the changes in real time! You can even view all the contributors and the files they are working on. Gobby lets you save sessions for later use, so that all the details and document lists are preserved and you won’t have to set it up again.

If you don’t want to install Gobby then its worth mentioning that simple collaboration is also possible via Google Docs if you don’t need some of the advanced features of Gobby. Just click on “share” from within the Google Docs interface and enter the email address of the person you want to invite, then from that point on, you can edit the document together.

Have you ever edited a document collaboratively? Do you know about some other tools besides Gobby? Let us know in the comments.

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Keeping this in mind Gmail has some new lab features that allow you to keep a close watch on other Google services.  One of the most recent ones and the subject of this article are the Google Docs and Google Calendar gadgets, as well as the ability to add iGoogle gadgets to your Gmail account.

These are all available under Labs on the settings page (or you can click on the labs icon at the top as well). Once you are there you just have to enable the appropriate Lab features.

Google Calendar Gadget

This gadget lets you view upcoming events, locations and details as entered in your Google Calendar.

Google Docs Gadget

Provides the ability to view recent as well as starred documents in your Google Docs Account, as well as providing search functionality to search documents right from within the Gmail page.

Add other Google Gadgets

While the Calendar and the Docs gadget are provided as distinct lab features, you also have the ability to add iGoogle Gadgets to your Gmail page. This opens up an array of possibilities considering the number of gadgets that are out there.

The screen real estate is limited in the left bar of Gmail page where all the gadgets are placed when you add them. However with a new lab feature surfacing every now and then, we can hope this shortcoming is overcome sooner rather than later. Moreover, we may now see developers developing gadgets specially for Gmail or modifying existing ones for Gmail.  Nevertheless, there are some gadgets out there that don’t require so much space.

Recently Gmail also received Canned Responses and Gmail Goggles. Check them out as well. Also check out the “Navbar Drag and Drop” Labs feature which allows you to reorder content on the left navbar.

The Lab features are stepping stones to what could finally find its way into Gmail. Google collects data about usage of Labs features and there is a Google Group which you can join to have your say. You can also use the “Send Feedback” link to post on the Google Group for that particular Labs feature.

While some of the Lab features are intended for a little fun like the Old Snakey and Gmail Goggles (yes I don’t believe it can stop you from sending drunk emails), there are other features that are pretty useful and make you wonder why it was not included in Gmail in the first place.

Which Lab feature is your favorite?  Definitely the calendar and docs gadget in Gmail are two of the more useful labs features.  What else would you like to see in Gmail?   What gadgets are you planning to add to your sidebar?

Let us know in the comments.

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Here is how to get it working:

If you are not using Adobe AIR already

Go to Get Adobe Air, download it and install it.

If you are already using Adobe AIR

Download GMDesk and run the installer. (Also check out other useful and popular Adobe AIR apps handpicked by MakeUseOf authors here, here and here.)

Now, about GMdesk

GMDesk offers you access to GMail, Google Calendar, Google Documents, Google Maps, Google Reader and Picasa . It also offers the ability to switch between the Google Services via keyboard shortcuts.

You can choose the default Google service that starts up when GMDesk is started. You can set it up for Google Apps access as well.

Other ways to run webapps as desktop apps

Mozilla Prism

Prism is Mozilla’s effort to bring a more desktop-like feel to web applications. (MakeUseOf Article)

Bubbles Site Specific Browser

Bubbles allow you to run web apps as stand alone desktop apps. The solution was my favorite before GMDesk because it offered a more desktop-like feel, with notifications and other similar bells and whistles. However you have to download an extension for the app or service you want to run and not many are available. (MakeUseOf Article)

Google Gears

Gears is intended to help improve the webapps by allowing local searchable databases and javascript running in background. However it can be used to create simple desktop apps without these functionalities as well. (MakeUseOf Article)

Google Chrome

You might have noticed the option to “Create Application Shortcuts…” in Google Chrome. Alright, its there in case you didn’t notice. It also allows you to achieve similar results, that is create a desktop-like feel for your web apps. Chrome achieves this via Google Gears.

Anyways, what’s with running webapps from the desktop?

Apart from the fact that you save some time and typing by just double-clicking the shortcut, or all together using a shortcut key to launch the app there are some other advantages:

• No unnecessary browser toolbars to take up precious space.
• Less distraction and urge to check out the latest xkcd strip or hop over to Facebook (unless you run them from the desktop as well) because there is no awesome bar or omni bar or whatever fancy name they give to the address bar.
• Some applications integrate nicely with the desktop, offering native operating systems like notifications on events, drag and drop etc.
• Improved performance and offline access. (generally with Google Gears )

As you can see there are a number of ways to run Google services (and others) from your desktop. However I really like GMDesk and the idea of grouping Google Reader, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Maps and Picasa into one window. I use Google services a lot like many people do. Having them all tucked up neatly in a separate window with lesser distractions definitely helps your productivity. Now you don’t have to switch to Firefox only to find out you had Gmail open in Chrome and then switch to Chrome and then look for the tab that houses Gmail.

What particular solution do you use for desktop-like behavior? Or do you prefer leaving it to the browser?

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Like most Google products, Google Gears is still in beta, but it definitely gets the job done!

Why would I want Google Gears? I have a hour commute every morning and afternoon. I want to make the best use of my commute time, so I sync my Google Reader and Zoho Writer to Google Gears, so I can read and write offline and when I get back to an internet connection, I can sync again and my read items will be read and my new articles will be updated and uploaded.

I also like to go out and enjoy a little sunshine, since it is finally Spring here in Jersey. Unfortunately, my favorite park does not have Wi-Fi. So, if I sync up my browser before leaving home, I can mosy on over to the park, enjoy some sun and sandwiches, and get to catch up on reading my feeds or updating my to-do list!

Basically, Google Gears is a great tool for those who do not always have access to the internet but would like to be able to use websites while offline.

Sounds interesting, so how do I get it? Visit the Google Gears website with your favorite browser – it currently only works with Internet Explorer or Firefox – and run the installation program. If you already have Google Gears installed, the website will let you know! Once the program is installed, you can now begin using it.

Screenshot of Google Gears Installed Page

Where and how do you use Google Gears? Two of my favorite online applications – Google Reader and Zoho Writer, work with Google Gears. Additional sites that work with Google Gears are Remember the Milk and Google Docs. There is a Greasemonkey Script available if you’d like to make other sites work with Google Gears. This script works for many sites, but be warned – the directions can be a bit overwhelming for less advanced computer users.

When you visit a Google Gears-enabled site after installation, you will first see a popup that asks you if you would like to allow this site to access Google Gears. If you want your computer to ALWAYS access Google Gears on a certain site and you don’t want to see this popup again, be sure to click the “I trust this site. Allow it to use Google Gears” and press “Allow”.

On your first visit to Google Reader after installing and allowing Google Gears to access the page, you will see a green button to the left of “Settings” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Click this button to begin synching the current content to your computer.

Google Gears downloads 2000 Google Reader items, but only when you manually ask the program to do so. When you are offline, you will be able to view items, star them, and share them. When you get back online, just sync Google Gears and Google Reader again to update your account.

Note: you cannot access your “Trends” or “Friends’ shared items” or “Share with note” while in offline mode.

Google Docs also works well with Google Gears. Once you set up Google Docs with Google Gears, it will automatically check to see if your browser is offline or not, and start syncing your documents if you are online. Unfortunately, you cannot manually switch to offline mode.

With Google Docs, you have the additional option to add a desktop shortcut that lets you launch Google Docs website and edit Google Docs documents in offline mode.

Excellent online to-do list service Remember the Milk (RTM) also works well with Google Gears. RTM does check to see if you are online or offline, but you can also manually switch to offline mode. It also adds a desktop shortcut, so you can quickly access RTM when you are offline.

Some settings, such as changing your settings or contacts, can’t be done offline. But, for basic list making and updating, RTM with Google Gears works great.

Finally, there is a Zoho Writer – online alternative to Microsoft Word. With Google Gears you can use Zoho Writer to work with your documents offline in a Word-like interface. Just like Google Docs, Zoho Writer only lets you edit Word documents, not spreadsheets or other file formats.

Google Gears could be a lot more useful if it were intergrated into more web applications, but currently, it has 4 strong useful web services for its backbone: Google Reader, Zoho Writer, Remember the Milk and Google Docs.

What sites or services would you like to see integrated into Google Gears?

How does Google Gears work for you?

(By) Ellie, a graduate student and “Jill of all Trades”, who blogs at Ultimate Geek Girl.

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1. Google Browser Sync – Sync Browser Bookmarks, History, Settings, etc. between diff. PCs

Google Browser Sync is a Firefox extension from Google that can auto synchronize your browser bookmarks, history, persistent cookies, and saved passwords – across multiple computers. It even lets you restore open browser tabs and windows across different machines so you can always pickup from where you left. It’s completely automated, all you need to do is to install it on all computers that you use on a regular basis.

2. SyncToy – Synchronize Files Between PC and USB Thumbdrive

USB drives are great for backups. Want to automate backup to USB process and make sure that files always remain fresh? SyncToy is simple Windows program from Microsoft that provides an easy way to sync files between the hardrive and USB Flash Drive. Check out our step by step guide to sync files between PC and USB thumb drive here.

3. DocSyncer – Sync ‘My Documents’ Office Files with Google Docs

Are you a Google Docs user? If yes, then make sure to give DocSyncer a try. This web/desktop application allows you to automatically synchronize Microsft Office files in ‘My Documents’ folder with your Google Docs account.

Why would you want to use it?

Not only it does it enable you to edit your Office docs (on all of your PCs) through Google Docs, but it also lets you keep documents that are stored on multiple PCs (work, home etc.) always synchornized with the latest version.

4. FolderShare – Synchronize Files Across Multiple Computers and Mobile Devices.

Another free utility from Microsoft. This one lets you synchronize different folders between multiple computers. There are also remote access and file sharing features. Windows only.

5. IM History – Sync chat conversations from multiple IM clients to Web

IM-History is a pretty cool desktop application that stores and syncs IM conversations from multiple instant messengers in one place. Whether you’re on Skype, MSN, AIM, ICQ, at work or at home, you can have all chat conversations securely stored online. Access and search them anytime from anywhere. Read more.

6. Nutsie – Sync your iTunes Music Library to Web and Access it from Mobile

Nutsie brings your iTunes library to your mobile phone. It creates an identical online version of your iTunes library and makes it accessible from your mobile phone or some other computer. The only problem with it is that it may take upto 2 days to generate your library.

7. ShiftD – Sync Notes, Links and Places between Multiple Devices

ShifD is a newly launched service from NY Times. It’s a one of a kind service that can be used to synchronize stuff like notes, web links and addresses (map locations) between multiple devices (mobile, Blackberry, PC, Mac etc.). For instance, if you post a note from one of the devices it will appear on all other synced devices as well. It can be used from the website, desktop client or mobile phone.

8. Mobical – Backup Mobile Contacts, Address Book, Calendar, Bookmarks and Settings

Simple and straightforward over-the-air mobile backup and restore service to automatically backup your mobile phone. Mobical creates an online copy of your mobile contents. You can edit contacts, add appointments, and save notes online and it will sync changes with your handset. Similarly, all edits you make on the phone will be synced with the web copy. Simple and convenient.

9. OggSync -Sync Windows Mobile Phone and Outlook with Google Calendar

Oggsync is a two-way sync between Outlook (or Microsoft Exchange) and Google Calendar(s). That is to say, you can view Google Calendar entries in Outlook and vice versa. For a two-way sync between Gcal and default calendar on your mobile phone see GCalSync.

10. Mozy – Backup Files to Web

Unlike anything above, Mozy is backup tool. It’s a simple, quick, and highly automated program that lets you securely backup important files online. Install it, specify which files you want it to backup, and let it do the work. No need to worry about keeping backup files up-to-date, Mozy keeps them synchronized. See demo video here.

As always, in case we missed any good sync tool please let us know in comments.

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Google has been really stepping up their efforts in making many of their products usable from the mobile phone. Whether you’re using a regular cell, an iPhone, or even a SmartPhone, Google has you covered. So here at MakeUseOf.com, we’ve summarized all the Google Mobile services here in this comprehensive list.

Search
Get a fast answer to what you’re looking for. Sports, Flights, Images, Weather…its all there. Even local listings have quick responses to your queries. You can even create a little iGoogle start page for quick access to your favorite headlines, updates, stock quotes and other feeds from various websites.
Just visit Google Mobile from your phone at: http://m.google.com

SMS
Add GOOGLE to your contacts and use the mobile number 466453 (that’s Google on your number pad). Send a quick SMS to that contact with the text “help” for a instant response of the preferred way to text Google. Tips for Google Mobile SMS:

• Local: blockbuster <zipcode>
• Weather: w <zipcode>
• Movies: m <zipcode>
• Flights: aa 1234
• Sports: score dallas cowboys
• Definitions: d ozone
• Products: price ipod or price
• Calculator: 123*8
• Driving Directions: to ex. tulsa,ok to dallas, tx

I use this service a ton. With the quick access to data by simply texting GOOGLE, I’m forever in “the know.”

Want more? Yes that’s right, theres more! Visit the SMS help page to find all the available queries that Google will respond to. (I’ve included a list of most of them…see below)

Maps

Google’s mapping has come a long way. Their most recent version includes the new “My Location” whereby Google can find you you can find where you are without GPS. Google’s claim is that “you’ll never get lost again.” That might be a slightly lofty goal for some, but this release of their mapping software is leaps and bounds better than before. It’s available for most web-enabled mobile phones, including Java, Windows Mobile, Palm, and Nokia/Symbian devices. If you still need more coaxing to get started with Google Mobile Maps, take it for a test drive.

Gmail
Gmail for mobile devices is simply amazing. It’s lightning fast, works well, and even allows you to view common attachments (ex. photos, PDF files, Microsoft Office products, etc.). Most of the readers visiting this site I’m sure know about Gmail. As far as I’m concerned, it is the single greatest web app in the world. Google really showed what they were capable of and millions of accounts have proved their success in this endeavor.

YouTube
You can check out the best YouTube has to offer right from your mobile device, including YouTube’s Featured Videos, Most Views, Recently Added, and more. Just point your mobile device’s browser to: m.youtube.com.
Uploading clips from your phone has never been easier either. All you need is a mobile profile tied to your YouTube account and you’re in business.

Even if you find a great video you’d like to share with friends, they’ve got that covered too. You can easily send videos from your phone to your friends.

Google 411
This one’s easy. Google’s answer to National 411 service. Just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 and follow the voice prompts. You’ll quickly find the business you’re looking for and Google will even connect your call for free! You can then even just say “text message” and Google will text you a map to the location they found for you. Oh how convenient. For more details go to previously posted Get FREE 411 Directory Assistance with GOOG411

Google Calendar
With Google Calendar’s web access, you can view your Calendar from anywhere. Browse any day to see all your events. You can even add events as you think of them by typing out the details and simply pressing “Add now”. Google Calendar will automagically add it to your calendar. Not only that, but these events are always in sync. As long as you’re signed in to Google, they will show up wherever you may roam and find yourself looking at your calendar. Just point your mobile browser to Google Mobile, then click the Calendar link and you’ll be all set.

Google News
With Google News you can easily search for the latest news headlines right from your phone. You can even set your own personalized news to show the stories you’d most like to see. Google also includes thumbnails of images included in these news articles linked to the original article. Point your mobile browser to mobile.google.com to find the latest news articles and begin your journey with Google Mobile.

Picasa Mobile
If you use Picasa, you can easily browse through your latest photo album’s pictures and view any images stored on Picasa Web Albums. Just for you, Google resizes them to fit on your devices screen. With their built-in search functionality, you can find and download any photo you’ve posted online as well as find other Picasa friends and explore their photos too. Travel out to PicasaWeb’s Mobile site to start browsing pictures.

Google Reader
If you’re a user of Google’s Feed Reader application, they’ve thought of you when producing their mobile site for it. You can easily access your favorite feeds right from the phone. If you’re stuck in the doctors office waiting or other realms of boredom, kill time reading your feeds. They always stay up to date. On your phone, browse to Mobile Reader.

Google Notebook
Google’s Notebook has saved me a ton of work. The easy to use interface works perfectly for creating little notes complete with links to websites to view etc… Well, now Google’s added that to their repertoire of great mobile apps too. You can quickly jot down little notes that are synchronized to your Google account for looking at later. Or say maybe you keep your grocery list on Notebook but forgot to print it to take with you to the store. No problem, just grab your phone and browse to Google Mobile, click on the Notebook icon and pull up your grocery list. There it is in all its glory. Now, don’t forget the milk!

Google Docs
Finally, there is Google Docs. Google Docs Mobile (docs.google.com/m) is optimised for use on a smaller handheld screen and shows a list of recent documents and document folders from your Google Docs account. Supports word processing, spreadsheet and presentation documents. At the moment, you can only view, not edit, documents.

iPhone
If you’re an iPhone geek, you’ve no doubt already found your very own Google page. If not, just point your Safari mobile browser to Google.com and it will format for you. How nice of Google.

Do you use Google on your mobile phone? Have something to add? Let us know…

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The best part about these new office alternatives is that they are completely FREE and they work with Microsoft Office, so if you or your company are locked into Office currently, you can integrate open-source software into your systems slowly and carefully. If you’re a consumer, you can now create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations on the fly, access them from anywhere, and open them in MS Office for compatibility purposes.

Here’s a list of six of the most popular alternative office productivity suites out there today:

Online Office Software

1. Google Docs – This is probably the most heard of Office competitor that most people already know about. Google Docs is completely online and includes a web-based Word Processor, Spreadsheet application, and a Presentation app. More on Google Docs features (incl. introduction video).

2. Zoho – Zoho is probably the best online office productivity suite with not only word processor, spreadsheet and presentation apps, but also includes online project management, CRM solutions, web conferencing, online database with reports, online planner, group chat, wiki, and lots more. It also includes a plug-in for MS Office so you can work both online or offline. Learn more about Zoho.

3.Thinkfree – Thinkfree claims to have the best integration with Microsoft Office. Also, the interface for each app is very similar to MS Office including the toolbars, icons, and functions. Thinkfree also has advanced collaboration features such that users can share, edit, and contribute their ideas remotely. More on Thinkfree (incl. video demos and screenshot).

Downloadable Office Software

5.StarOffice – StarOffice is from Sun Microsystems and has recently been released under the Google Pack as a free download. StarOffice runs on Windows, Linux, and Solaris systems. You’ll have to download OpenOffice if you want it for the Mac.

4. IBM Lotus Symphony – IBM Lotus Symphony is a direct competitor to the Microsoft Office suite because it is also a desktop application aimed at individuals and businesses. The suite consists of Symphony Documents, Symphony Presentations, and Symphony Spreadsheets. I wrote about it before, so if interested check out my IBM Symphony review.

6. OpenOffice – OpenOffice is a multi-platform (Win, Mac, Linux) and multi-lingual office suite which is compatible with all major office suites (i.e. Microsoft Office). It includes Writer (word processing), Impress (presentation), Math, Draw, Calc (spreadsheet), and Base applications. IBM Lotus Symphony and StarOffice are both based on the code from OpenOffice.

And if that’s not enough choices, Adobe is planning on releasing it’s own online word editor called Buzzword. Plus, Yahoo may be joining the crowd soon also with it’s recent purchase of Zimbra. So if you’re still stuck on Office, be sure to check out all the new alternatives as they will probably be the future of office productivity suites.

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