Wouldn’t it be great to only have to insert your calendar events ONCE and have the updates automatically propagate everywhere you access that calendar?   I have a habit of entering events into my calendar in Outlook while working in my office, but I need to be able to access that calendar from my Droid while I’m out in the field.  There are several ways to approach the calendar update condundrum and each of them depends upon the complexities of your mail and platform and your personal preferences.  I will spell them out here.  You choose your poison…. 

How to get your Outlook calendar appointments automatically pushed to your Droid

I.  Google Calendar Sync App
This would be the number one choice, meaning the option that gives the least resistance to accomplishing this task.  You’ll need to go to Google and download the “Google Calendar Sync App” from their server to make this work.  Here’s the page with the link to the app download, as well as some instructions on installing and configuring it; http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=89955.

Once you install this app you’ll need to configure it for 2-way, or 1-way syncing and choose how often you want it to sync.  When it’s been installed it runs as a start-up process on a Windows computer and you can access the process and properties window by clicking on the icon in the system tray.  It also gives you a handy animation to let you know if a sync is in progress, as well as a tool tip to give you a status on the progress.

II.  Syncing a Droid with a Windows Computer
If you don’t want to download the Calendar Sync App from Google, then you should be able to sync your mail, contacts, and calendar with your phone using a sync app from your phone provider.  I have an HTC Droid Eris and the manufacturer provides a free, downloadable sync utility here*;

http://www.htc.com/us/support/droid-eris-verizon/downloads#200

HTC Sync allows synchronization between a Phone and PC.  Before syncing you’ll need to go to the USB debugging check box in Home > Menu > Settings > Applications > Development needs to be selected.

*Please note that the sync app from your phone manufacturer will depend upon your model of Droid phone.  Please see your phone manufacturer’s support website for details.

In order to keep your Outlook contacts, mail, and calendar synced to your Droid phone you’ll need to connect your phone to your desktop (or laptop) where the Droid sync utility is installed.  If you make a habit of plugging your Droid into your computer to charge the battery while you’re working then take advantage of that connectivity to keep everything on your Droid updated. Run the sync app after you’ve updated your calendar, but before you disconnect your phone to leave your office. 

 III.  Using Exchange ActiveSync
If you have email, contacts and calendar available through a hosted MS Exchange server, or your employer/place of business provides Exchange service, then you can configure your Droid to sync with ActiveSync.  You’ll have  to login with your Exchange credentials from within your Droid.  Go to Home > Settings > Accounts & sync and then click “Add account”.  There should be a number of types of accounts in a list, with Exchange ActiveSync listed there.  Once you choose that option you’ll be presented with a login screen where you supply the Exchange login credentials provided by your host.

The connection path to your Exchange server from your Droid phone is very similar to the configuration of your connection from with MS Outlook.  It can either be done automatically by simply logging in, or you can switch to “Manual” and supply the IMAP server and login settings. 

Once you’ve configured your Droid to sync with an Exchange server then every time you sync your phone, your calendar will receive the updates from the ‘Mother ship’, just the same way your desktop/laptop/workstation does.  You can control whether your Droid ‘autosyncs’, or do it manually only as the need arises.  I choose a manual sync because the autosync function; 1) uses bandwidth that Verizon charges me for, and 2) drains the battery faster.

IV.  Publishing an MS Outlook Calendar
If you already are a firmly-entrenched MS user you may have an existing Live ID account.  In that case, you can “Publish” your MS Outlook calendar on Office Online, if you are user Outlook 2007 or newer.  To do this, open up Outlook, select the Calendar view, right click in the calendar window and select “Publish to Internet” in the pop-up menu.   You’ll need to Configure your Published Calendar settings the first time.  There are a number of options you can choose, from who can view your calendar, to the level of details to include, and whether to update it automatically. 

If you want to keep the published calendar updated automatically so that it jives with the Outlook calendar on your primary computer, then you should select the “Upload Method>Automatic Uploads: Upload updates periodically”.  You also have the option of selecting the Update Frequency.  You can manually override this and choose a single upload function of you just made some major changes to your calendar and you want to push them all to your published calendar ASAP.

In order to access the published calendar from a Droid phone you’ll need to open a browser and go to officelive.com.  You can even place a bookmark to this login on your Droid home screen.  Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to have a published calendar send you ‘alerts’ or ’reminders’ to your Droid to notify you of upcoming scheduled events. This would be the least desirable option for syncing a calendar between your computer and mobile phone.  It could work as a stepping stone for MS addicts to gradually cross over to the other tools Google has made available (listed above) for keeping your mail, contacts, and calendar current everywhere you access them.

Cheers!

My professional track record has had me working in the demanding fields of science and technology. My training and education prepared me for a career in science, but my serendipitous discovery of my love of technology while working for NASA led me to change my career track. I’m completely self-taught; all of my knowledge, experience and skills in technology were acquired through disciplined and rigorous experimentation and on the job experience. I continue to stay abreast of technological developments in my field and actively seek projects that continue to challenge me to learn.

I don’t need a job. I’m successfully self-employed running two profitable businesses. At this juncture of my career I’m seeking outreach opportunities and personal and professional enrichment. The downside of challenging technology work has been the neglect of my right-brain talents.

I plan to build, create, write, paint, sculpt, and draw things that inspire me and that I hope will inspire others. I want to reach out to those who need a mentor, a guide, a role model, or a friend.

Find me on LinkedIn ->

For the first time in my life I’m excitedly anticipating a computer that I purchased several weeks ago - Apple’s iPad 2.  I know it looks and feels like a toy, but at the end of the day it is still a computer.  I jumped into the fray and ordered an iPad 2 on the day it was released, March 11, 2011.  On that day,  I actually drove to an Apple store before they were to go on sale at 5pm and stood in line outside with thousands of other hopefuls for over an hour before Apple Store reps worked the line apologizing for not having enough on hand to sell to everyone present.  I was disappointed, but I can’t say I was surprised.  As I entered the long line snaking down the street and around the block I knew there was a very good chance they didn’t have the inventory on hand to supply the eager crowds outside the store.  But I stood in line anyway because it felt oddly good to be participating in a unique form of history-in-the-making. 

(more…)

After viewing the kick-ass trailer for this movie I could hardly wait to see it in the theater, so we caught a late Friday night show on April 2.  After the experience, I was doubly glad my local theater did not play this movie in 3-D because I can’t imagine trying to keep up with the imagery with that added (and unnecessary) layer of visual complexity.  The film was good, but not as good as I’d hoped it would be. 

Overall, the movie was great.  There were a few, minor things about this brew that didn’t work for me; (more…)

I’ve seen the trailer for the remake of the 1981 fantasy classic, “Clash of the Titans” and I’m sold. It is one of the best trailers I’ve ever seen; it’s fast, it rocks, and it makes me want to go see it. You’re definitely left with the feeling that the movie is going to be one helluva thrill ride. This remake uses cutting-edge CGI to elevate the special effects into the stratosphere. I’m a huge special effects buff and prefer action and adventure films that make liberal use of them. I can’t remember being this pumped about seeing a movie. I plan to see it on the day it is released. But, after hearing that the film is available in 3D (like Avatar), I’m having serious reservations about seeing it in the theater. Apparently, it is also being released in good ‘ol 2D. I checked with my local cinema to find out if they were showing the 2D or 3D version and it looks like I can breathe easy – 2D only.

Why is 3D a problem? (more…)

If you’re wondering whether you can get your MS Outlook contacts onto your new Droid phone the answer is, “Yes, you can!” And it’s easier than you might think. Let me explain how simple it really is…

(more…)

U3QA9YF7SV4F

This is my first attempt at posting to my blog directly from my new Droid phone. I like the fact that I can rotate my phone to landscape orientation and the display automatically rotates, widening my onscreen keyboard. But it seems that in landscape format I can’t press the ‘d’ key to save my life. I have to rotate my phone back to portrait orientation to use the d.

The idea of being able to post to my blog while away from my desk with nothing but my ‘mobile’ device is certainly appealing and nifty. But that’s where the appeal stops short. Maybe someone who is used to doing a lot of texting with mobile phone with a keypad (like my teenage daughters) would have an easy time drafting a post, but the imprecision of an onscreen keypad makes even the simplest typing slow and plodding. I’m used to typing at 65 words per minute – about as fast as I can compose lines in my head. This is just too darn slow. Maybe I’ll get better with practice?

I still think I would need to be really desperate (or incredibly bored) to use my Droid for posting to my blog.

I wish I could trade places with my cat.  She lies there on the cushioned bench swing in the morning sun, utterly and completely relaxed, blissfully sleeping.  She’s oblivious and impervious to all the daily comings and goings I find myself maddeningly overwhelmed by.  I envy her peacefulness.

Being the mother of four kids I find myself on the road constantly and constantly being interrupted.  I wanted to be self-employed and work out of my home so I could have the freedom to be here for my kids.  But when I’m in a crunch to get a major project done I find my time comes in nickels and dimes. It can be aggravating… (more…)