Update: Google’s OTA Syncing

Google has released its own Over-The-Air syncing method for the iPhone/iPod Touch by licensing Microsoft’s ActiveSync technology. Reportedly, it works like NuevaSync but restricts you to 5 dedicated calendars. NuevaSync doesn’t do this, as far as I know. I will have a write-up on this pretty soon.

Continued…

NuevaSync (free) utilizes the built-in Microsoft Exchange support in the iPhone to make native synchronization of Google Calendar possible. Most importantly, the service actually uses PUSH (really this time) to propagate changes issued to the calendar immediately. Finally this has been made possible at no cost, without extra software.

Support for anything other than Outlook on the iPhone has been a long standing issue ever since the marveled mobile device was released. As I described earlier on the subject, one had to go through an irritable/expensive rigamarole to get Google Calendar events synchronized with the iPhone or iPod touch. And if you got it working in the end, you either had to make due with some missing data or pay good money for a third-party application to get the job done.

The bad news is that uptil the present, there is still no integrated way (as in via iTunes) to sync GCal events. The good news is that there’s a better way. It’s called OTA-syncing. OTA stands for Over The Air. And, oh yes, it’s built right in.

GCal meets Microsoft Exchange

In order to accomplish this PIM-sync bliss, there’s a [free] service out there called NuevaSync. NuevaSync will act like a MS Exchange server to haul in your GCal data. All you need to do to make this work is set up an account (free, web-form) with them and tell them which types of data you’d like to synchronize. Devices supported by NuevaSync are:

  • iPhone & iPod Touch 2.0
    You need the 2.0 (or later) firmware to gain access to ActiveSync, and thus Exchange.
  • Any recent Windows Mobile device

NuevaSync will also sync Google Contacts over the air, if you want. This feature is supported integrally by Apple through their iTunes syncing procedure. Plaxo contacts syncing is also supported.

There’s a step-by-step howto available from NuevaSync’s Website, in case you’d like to try it out. Do note that if you have any calendar information already stored on your device, it will be erased when you attempt to sync with GCal for the first time.

Actually, it’s PUSH, not SYNC

Similar to MobileMe’s promise, NuevaSync will actually PUSH the calendar events to and from your iPhone/iTouch. The differentiator between sync and push is subtle, yet significant:

Syncing will push through changes to your calendar in two-ways, all at once, and at a given time, e.g. when you hook your iPhone up via USB. Therefore, synchronization doesn’t tend to be as up-to-date as push.

Push, on the other hand, updates your calendar continuously. As soon something is altered — whether that’s on the device or to the calendar itself — the changes are funneled through to both locations immediately.

While Apple’s MobileMe service allegedly fails to make this promise come true, NuevaSync propagates changes within a few minutes. Bliss.

Conclusion

After actively having used this service, I’m willing to vouch for its truthfulness and usefulness. It has worked like a charm for me and has finally settled my obsession with getting this to work at no extra charge. On the other hand, I’d love it if Apple made OTA iTunes/podcast syncing possible like the Zune does.

But that, for now, is wishful thinking…