New AstraSync Version 4.0 Synchronizes HTML Messages Over-The-Air with Exchange ActiveSync-Compatible Servers

Campbell, CA – November 30, 2009 – MailSite Software, Inc. today announced version 4.0 of AstraSync^TM, the BlackBerry^® Exchange^® ActiveSync^® software application that is used by tens of thousands of people worldwide.  AstraSync version 4.0 was released to customers on November 24^th, 2009.

AstraSync is the popular BlackBerry application that automatically synchronizes email, calendars and contacts over-the-air without the need for a BlackBerry Enterprise Server.  AstraSync uses the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync^® protocol and works with numerous messaging servers including Microsoft Exchange^®, MailSite Fusion, Google Sync and Gmail, Kerio, CommuniGate Pro, OpenXchange and FirstClass.

AstraSync version 4.0 is a significant new version of the application as it includes a large number of breakthrough enhancements, including support for HTML messages.  This makes AstraSync the first third party Exchange ActiveSync-compatible application for BlackBerry devices to support HTML content in messages.

According to John Davies, President and CEO of MailSite, the software company that develops AstraSync, version 4.0 is their most significant release to date:  “AstraSync version 4.0 establishes the software as the market leader in this field, mainly due to the way we have improved the product’s interface and made it much easier to use.”  He continued:  “This release also includes support for hotlinks in messages for telephone numbers, email addresses and website addresses, and support for accepting or declining Meeting Requests.”

Other enhancements in AstraSync version 4.0 include support for message Flags, message Priority, and improved support for attachments with the ability to attach local files.

A more detailed list of enhancements is provided on the AstraSync blog.

About AstraSync and MailSite Software, Inc.

AstraSync is a software application for BlackBerry smartphones that can be installed quickly and easily from the internet. With AstraSync, BlackBerry users can synchronize their email messages, folders, calendars and contacts with their server over-the-air.  AstraSync supports Exchange ActiveSync security policies so that confidential data can be protected.  AstraSync delivers the same Exchange ActiveSync functionality to BlackBerry smartphones that is built-in to the new Apple iPhone 3G.

MailSite Software, Inc. has been providing secure email, calendar and contact communication software to carriers, telecommunication companies, hosting providers, service providers, enterprises and small businesses worldwide since 1995.  MailSite Software is based in California’s Silicon Valley with European offices in Edinburgh, UK.  MailSite Software has more than 3,000 customers hosting more than 10 million mailboxes worldwide.  These include service providers such as Centennial, eChalk, KOC and NetOne; enterprises such as Encyclopædia Britannica, Northrop Grumman, Teleflora, and MediaNews Group.  MailSite Software partners include J2 Global Communications, Enigma Health, Rockwell Collins, AVG and Mailshell.

For more information contact:

John Davies

+1 408 879 5888

press@astrasync.com
http://www.astrasync.com
http://www.mailsite.com

Il est désormais possible pour les utilisateurs de Gmail d’importer leur Agenda, Contacts ainsi que leur Mails sur leur iPhone et autres terminaux mobiles (Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, et Symbian) grâce à Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync®  (les ® c’est pour faire “Pro” za3ma  ^^ ).

Google Sync utilise la technologie Push permettant de répercuter vos mails, et mettre à jour toute modification ou ajout dans votre agenda ou dans vos contacts dans la minute qui suit. Vous pourrez également créer ou modifier vos données à partir de votre mobile, elles seront aussi tôt sauvegardées sur votre compte Google  

Ce service peut s’avérer très utile en cas de perte ou vol de votre mobile car vos contacts seront en lieu sure (enfin pas si sure que ça car on ne sait jamais ce que Google peut en faire ^^ ).

Pour configurer votre mobile, suivez les liens ci dessous (en anglais) :

• iPhone
• BlackBerry
• Symbian
• Windows Mobile
• Autre..

Notez que l’utilisation du mode Push consomme énormément de batterie, ainsi que votre crédit/forfait donc il est nécessair d’avoir un forfait Internet Illimité !!!

Enfin, je vous rappel qu’Apple propose pratiquement la même solution qui est MobileMe et qui coûte 79€/an.

If you have your calendars in Sunbird and now want to be able to view them directly in Thunderbird via the Lightning add-on (or vice versa), all you have to do is locate the storage.sdb file in the respective profile folder and copy it to the other’s profile folder.

Where do I find the storage.sdb file?

For Mac OS X users:

To locate the storage.sdb file for Sunbird, go to
Users > Your user account > Library > Application Support > Sunbird > Profiles > blah.default > storage.sdb

To locate the storage.sdb file for Thunderbird, go to
Users > Your user account > Library > Thunderbird > Profiles > folder.default > storage.sdb

For Windows users, you should be able to locate the storage.sdb file without too much difficulty. Leave a comment to provide the directory folders for Windows users and I’ll be sure to update this post.

In my next post, I’ll show you how to sync your Google Calendar with Sunbird, Thunderbird or iCal. Stay tuned.

IMPORTANT: This method completely replaces one’s calendar profiles with the other’s. In other words, if you take Sunbird’s storage.sdb, copy it into Thunderbird’s then all of the calendars there will be replaced by Sunbird’s. Backup your storage.sdb files if you’re experimenting.

• 原價＄3.99，降價至$1.99 ！上市以來最低折扣！
• 介面相當美觀。
• 可和google docs同步、備份。

This post could have just as easily been entered on my iPhone blog, but I think it is a better fit here, on the iMac blog.

Not too long ago the folks at Apple came out with an update for iTunes and included some new functionality for working with one’s iPhone in terms of syncing, etc. I hadn’t given much consideration to any of the changes until last night when I realized how much I disliked the way my various iPhone home screens were arranged. I think I had let them get a bit messed up (I prefer to keep my first screen devoted to the most used apps and every other page keeps related apps together) because I didn’t particularly enjoy moving the icons around directly on the iPhone. It’s not that it is difficult or anything like that….I just find it a bit irksome for some reason. But Apple found a way to fix that for me.

Within iTunes I can now arrange and re-arrange the icons for my iPhone and can do such on the comfort of my iMac instead of on the smaller iPhone. This may not sound like much of an advantage to anyone else, but I found it to be rather liberating. It was so much easier to move icons around, quickly creating new home pages or deleting ones that became empty. I could even move entire home pages around after I finished relocating icons! No more moving icons one at a time…they can no go en mass!

This is the sort of thinking I had hoped to see from Apple when I made the jump to the iMac and then the iPhone later in this year. Of course, one could ask why this sort of thought process wasn’t worked through two years ago when the iPhone first came out, but for the moment I won’t quibble and argue and instead see the glass as half-full.

“Ontem a Research In Motion (RIM) lançou a versão 3.0 de seu aplicativo BlackBerry Media Sync, que está agora disponível para download gratuito.

BlackBerry Media Sync é um aplicativo de computador desktop para Windows e Mac (OS X 10.5.5 ou posterior) que visa tornar mais simples a tarefa de sincronizar as fotos (em computadores com Windows) e música, entre um computador pessoal e um smartphone BlackBerry.

A versão 3.0 adiciona suporte para sincronização da pasta de fotos, otimização de tamanho de imagem e avisos quando há novas fotos que podem ser importados para o telefone. A aplicação é compatível com Windows Media Player e o iTunes, e funciona com a maioria de todos os novos dispositivos BlackBerry”.

Fonte: Allgsm

Jose Ferrer still not positive he's the Toulouse Lautrec I was thinking of.....but who else is there?

Puerto Rica actor Jose Ferrer 1912 -1992 was, I think may have been the actor I was trying to remember played Toulouse-Lautrec in the 1952 film biopic  ‘Moulin Rouge’ by John Houston.  Don’t ask me where Peter Finch came from……

Moulin rouge poster1952 john Houston

It’s always frustrating when you can’t remember something for the life of you.  This happens with quizes a lot.  It just seems to depend if you are in sync with the world at that particular moment.  Sometimes everything falls into place, and the brain seems to be so sharp and ‘coincidences’ just abound.  Only they are not really coincidences, they are little clues showing you that you are in sync with the universe, I think.

I would very much like to do this indeed...Oh yes I would

Sometimes you can be reading and come to a word (in your head) and hear that word spoken at exactly the same time, but on the TV.  Or vice versa, listening to something and your eye-catching hold of the same word, sentence.  Very strange really.  Sometimes though I am definitely out of sync.  Just when I needed my printer urgently to print some programmes for tomorrow, the printer is playing up!  I got ink, I got paper…but it won’t print properly, even though I’ve cleaned the head.  Tomorrow is another day, hopefully a locupletative one!

Developer: Dropbox

Version: 1.0

File Size: 3.6 MB

Price: Free

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Integration: 10/10

Stability: 10/10

Re-Use/Replay Value: 10/10

Overall Score: 10/10

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This app is something I’ve been looking for for a really long time, “Dropbox“. This app is definitely the easiest way to sync files online through computers and through your iPhone or iPod Touch. It’s simple, elegant, and extremely useful.

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If you’re on a Wi-Fi or 3G network you can simply access or share files on the go with this app. You can share photos and videos by dropping them into a certain folder you’ve created via Dropbox. So for instance, me and a friend created a folder and when ever I drop something into that folder, he’ll receive it. You can share up to 2 gigabytes and upgrade your account if you want more space.

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I really like how the developers integrated this into an iPhone app. Dropbox is broken down into three simple sections; “favorites, my dropbox, and settings”. Favorites is really just what files you’ve favored, so it’s pretty self-explanatory. “My Dropbox” is a list of the files you’ve created. All you need to do is click on a file and you have instant access to it. Lastly, there’s the settings section. What this section involves is details about your Dropbox account , and other basic information.

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Overall, Dropbox is an amazingly simple to use file sharing app. It’s very stable, innovative, useful, and not to mention its FREE.

One reason Firefox is so awesome is that it is very customizable. A user can make it super simple or highly complex just by going to the Firefox Add-on site. As an avid Firefox user I try out lots of add-ons, but only two are mainstays on my system. One is functional and the other is a theme that I feel updates the Firefox experience and makes an already awesome app even better.

Xmarks is an essential add-on for anyone that uses several browsers. The concept is simple: You install the add-on, create an account, and then you can sync your bookmarks and/or passwords via the Internet to any browsers with the add-on also installed. The best part is that it has cross-browser support for not just Firefox but also IE, Safari and even Chrome. Further you can use it across different platforms so you can sync your Firefox bookmarks to Safari, IE, or Chrome, or any other combination for that matter. It also has some great search features as well. Xmarks will highlight the top three most bookmarked sites in your Google search and by simply clicking on the Xmarks icon in your url bar you can find out more information about whatever site you are visiting.

Chromifox Extreme Carbon is a great theme inspired by Google Chrome. Unlike Chrome though it has a nice industrial grey/silver color scheme similar to Safari. I like the simplicity of the Chrome inspired layout with the tabs above the menus along with the industrial design of Safari all while preserving the menus of Firefox. Chrome’s “Bug Zapper” blue color, overly simplistic menus, and lack of a separate search box annoys me. This theme take the best cues from three different browsers and marries them very nicely. Here is a screenshot:, click on it to view a larger version

[限時免費] 1Password Pro：原價＄7.99，12/1前免費！

>>>>itunes link<<<<

**這個密碼記憶管理軟體真的很好用，但要配合mac端程式同步才算相得益彰。
**有四項功能是pro版才有的：

• (pro) Special easy switching mode allows you to quickly copy-and-paste usernames and passwords to Mobile Safari.
• (pro) Support for copying multiple field values (for example, both username and password) from 1Password to Mobile Safari.
• (pro) Folders for better organization (in this version a desktop application required – sold separately)
• (pro) Features coming soon: Favorites, MobileMe/WebDAV syncing, and more.

Sync your WordPress blog with your Facebook profile.

[降價至免費] ShapeUp Club – Calorie Tracker：追蹤身體健康數值，體重、體脂、卡路里等等。可跟網站同步，原價＄0.99，降至免費。

itunes link：http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shapeup-club-calorie-tracker/id286906691?mt=8

官網（同步）：http://www.shapeupclub.com/iPhone.aspx

KT에서 아이폰(iPhone 3GS)를 드디어 28일부터 배포하며, 현재 예약을 받고 있다.

애플 KR 홈페이지와 KT SHOW SITE에서도 예약 개시 안내 페이지가 표기되고 있으며, 주변 지인들도 속속 예약하고 있는 분위기인 것 같다. (무슨 엑소더스도 아니고.. )그간 답답한 휴대폰(Smart Phone)에 대한 인식을 한번에 바꿔놓은 아이폰의 영향력을 대단하다고 본다. 벌써 지인분 중에 두분이나 관련 사업으로 전향하셨다.

필자는 Windows Mobile 기반의 휴대폰을 가지고 있고, Google Sync for Windows Mobile을 이용해서 Google 주소록(사진포함), 칼렌더, e-Mail을 Sync 받고 잘 쓰고 있지만, Mac을 즐겨쓰는 필자에게 iTunes와 완벽히 연동되어 사진,음악,RSS,달력,메일 및 주소록을 기반으로 통합된 휴대폰으로 사용하고자 하는 욕심이 들어, SHOW 예약 페이지에서 가격 비교를 하러 보니 너무 복잡하다.
나름 24개월 약정 기준으로 매월 내야할 실제 납부액(기본료+부가세+월할부금)을 기준으로 간단한 표로 만들어 보았다.

구글 메일/주소록/칼렌더의 iPhone과의 Sync는 Mail, Calendar, & Contacts Setup: Set Up Your iPhone or iPod Touch 글을 참고하면 될 것 같다. 굳이 Mac or Windows에 붙여서 Sync할 필요없이 iPhone에서 바로 Sync하면 된다.   
필자도 사용하고 있는 Mobile ME 를 이용한 방법도 있긴 하지만, 유료이고 수대의 컴퓨터가 아니면 별로 효용도 없을 듯. Find My Phone은 별로 쓸일은 없지만 매우 요긴한 서비스 같다. (자동차의 ABS 효과 처럼) iPhone의 최고의 Accessory는 Mac이 아닐 듯…
필자 TF가 추진하고 있는 아이폰 App(오디오북)의 개발이 완료되었음에도, App의 첫 등록인지 걸리는 것이 많아 아직 등록을 완료못했는데, 조만간 출시되어 아이폰에서 돌아가는 것을 보고 싶다.

Originally introduced as a 2006 model, the Ford Fusion is a mid-sized car slotted between the compact Focus and the full-sized Taurus.  Redesigned for 2010, the Fusion has been an instrumental part in Ford’s reinvention of itself as a quality American car maker.  I put emphasis on “car” because Ford’s F-150 truck has been the top-selling truck for a long time, but their cars, as of late, have not garnered much positive praise.  To better compete with their rivals, Ford has begun offering a hybrid version of the Fusion, the subject of this review.

The 2010 Fusion has a redesigned exterior, adding Ford’s new corporate “3-bar” grille to a newly-styled front end, and redesigned rear.  While the new car isn’t completely changed from the previous Fusion, it’s a more attractive look, which spills over into the interior.

Getting into the car, you notice the well-appointed interior, with a fair amount of soft touch materials.  If you squint, you’d almost think you’re in a 3-series BMW from earlier this decade.  The hood over the instrument cluster, the shape of the air-conditioning vents and the feel of the dashboard pay homage to the Bimmer.  Most of the hard plastics in the car are painted an aluminum color or faux carbon fiber pattern, which look good.  At night, you’ll notice the illuminated cup holders, part of Ford’s Ambient Lighting feature, along with illuminated foot wells.  Sitting in the driver’s seat, you notice how deep and supportive it is, an obvious nod to the Fusion Sport model that Ford offers, and a boon for anyone who likes going around corners, even in a hybrid.

The air-conditioning vents are at the top-center of the dash, moving the navigation screen and associated controls lower on the dash.  While not my favorite design, the designers of the Fusion at least tried to keep the most often-used buttons and knobs as high on the dash as they could, and the navigation screen is in a decent location height-wise, allowing you to view it without taking your eyes completely off the road.  With navigation being such a popular option these days, it’s a wonder more cars aren’t laying out their dashboards like the Lincoln MKS, with the vents off to either side of the navigation screen, which is at the height of the dash.  The Cadillac CTS and Mercedes-Benz C-Class also have this design, albeit their designers took slightly different routes, giving their navigation screens pop-up motors, hiding them when not in use.

The review vehicle I drove was equipped with optional SYNC, and the optional navigation package as well, which as I’ve experienced before, is well-designed and easy to use.  Alongside the SYNC system, the tester had the optional Sony 12-speaker audio system, which while not as great as some of the other systems I’ve heard, is still far better than the base stereo in most cars.  The SYNC system on the Fusion Hybrid also includes an Hybrid Electic Vehicle (HEV) screen, which gives you a visual readout of how the power is being routed through the hybrid system.  It’s a neat display, and being in the main navigation touch screen, it is in a good place for your passengers to see.  The driver gets a customizable display, split into two LCD screens flanking the speedometer.  The information displayed on them can be changed using buttons on the steering wheel, and contain all of the information shown in gauges on regular cars, as well as hybrid-specific information such as whether or not the gasoline engine is running and the state of the hybrid batteries.  The display modes can help you stay in EV, or “Electronic Vehicle” mode longer, thereby increasing fuel mileage.  Thoughtfully, Ford built a “demo” mode into the display, to get a new hybrid driver up to speed on the functions of the instrument cluster, but anyone who buys a Fusion Hybrid is going to want to spend some quality time with the manual, reading up on all the acronyms used by the car.

Which leads me to the question a lot of people have asked me: How does the Fusion Hybrid drive?  The answer is a bit more complicated than if it were pertaining to a regular car.  The short answer is that the Fusion Hybrid drove well.  The real answer, however, is that it is an interesting drive.  With the hybrid system, there are a lot of features and functionality to get used to.  Accelerating from a dead stop to keep up with normal traffic, the car stays in Electronic Vehicle (EV) mode up until about 5 mph.  Then, the gas engine starts up, providing power almost at idle, which gives it a slightly rough start, which smoothes out quickly once you’re getting up to speed.  It’s at this point that you can hardly tell you’re in a hybrid car, as the transition from gas to electric and back at any speed over 5 mph is downright seamless.  Surprisingly, once you get away from a stop, there is plenty of acceleration to be had, owing to the hybrid motor’s power.  At highway speeds, that power seems to drop off quickly, as the electric motor is no longer helping out.  The flip side of this is driving in a city, where you have to stop every block or so for stop lights and signs.  By accelerating slowly and keeping an eye on the instrument cluster, I was able to keep the Fusion in EV mode for several blocks, boosting my fuel economy by almost 2 mpg.  The disconcerting bit here is the car’s transmission.  Most people are used to regular automatic transmissions, but some cars have been offered with Continuously Variable Transmissions, or CVTs.  The difference in operation between them is slight, the most noticeable being that there are no gear changes on a CVT, so you have a constant engine noise while accelerating.

Overall, the driving experience of the Fusion Hybrid is pretty close to a 4-cylinder Fusion.  While the Hybrid may not have as much acceleration from a stop as its gasoline-only sibling, the Hybrid accelerates just as well once speeds climb, with much less fuss and noise.

The Hybrid handles almost as well as the gas-only Fusions, but the extra weight of the hybrid motor and batteries is evident, and the Fusion Hybrid pays the penalty in curves.  It still handles well, but doesn’t feel as light on its feet as the 4-cylinder Fusion.  It appears as though Ford aimed again at the BMW 3-series when it tuned the suspension and steering of the Fusion, although it’s not quite there.  With front-wheel drive and more of its weight in the front of the car, the Fusion just simply isn’t going to handle like a BMW.  When driving over speed bumps or potholes you can feel the suspension work, but it won’t spill your morning coffee, and the steering is set up to tell you exactly where the front tires are pointed, which helps when going around turns.

When ferrying passengers around, you’ll be glad to be in the driver’s seat.  Comparatively, the rear seat is just not as comfortable.  It’s not overly firm, and there is a good amount of leg room, especially on a car in this class, but the head room was lacking.  At only 5′8″, my head was too close to the roof of the Fusion, something which may cause taller passengers to complain if they have to sit there.

Opening the trunk, you can see that the engineers at Ford had to modify its shape on all sides in order to fit the hybrid battery and other components.  There are air flow vents on the sides, and the front and bottom of the trunk are covered in access panels, hiding the batteries and their cooling fans.  While the hybrid parts are intrusive, you’re still left with a sizable trunk which can easily swallow a good amount of luggage or groceries, the latter being more likely.

Conclusion:

The redesigned 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is a great car.  Based on a well-rounded platform which supports a range of options and models to meet almost any commuter’s needs, the Fusion shows Ford’s drive to be competitive in the crowded mid-sized sedan market.  Featuring a comfortable and roomy cabin, as well as all the safety and technology options todays commuters want, the Fusion Hybrid has garnered the media’s attention, and should be a strong seller for Ford in the foreseeable future.  Recently, it won Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award for 2010, one which should boost its sales even further.

Competitors: Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda Mazda6, Mercury Milan, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry

As-Tested:

Year: 2010
Make: Ford
Model: Fusion Hybrid

EPA Fuel Mileage: 41/36 City/Highway

Base Price: $27,625.00

Options:

$5,215: Rapid Spec 502A (includes Navigation System – Voice Activated, Driver’s Vision Group, BLIS w/Cross Traffic Alert, Rear View Video Camera, Moon & Tune Value Package, Power Moonroof, Sony Sound System – 12 speakers, Leather-trimmed Heated Front Seats)
$345: Powercode Remote Start System

Total: $33,185

Rapid Spec Savings: $1,270

Destination: $725

As-Tested Price: $32,640

Ford has an online Window Sticker viewer.  Click here to view the Window Sticker for the actual test vehicle.

Special thanks to Steve Fransisco and Century Ford of Mt. Airy, MD for loaning the tester to Road Reality.  Click here to view their web site.

By John Suit