Connected Well

Sync is hard.

I’ve never used any synchonization software that gets it right all the time. However, I am pretty pleased with Google’s Sync program, launched nearly 2.5 years ago, now part of their suite of mobile apps for smartphones, including BlackBerrys.

Google Sync for BlackBerry

Every once in a while, my calendars get out of sync, and I need to delete and reset my BlackBerry. Normally, you can reset the sync by:

• Go to Google Sync on the phone (either find the app icon, or scroll to the top of the BlackBerry-button menu while looking at your calendar.
• In Google Sync, click the BlackBerry button*.
• In the menu, choose “Options”
• In the options screen, click the BlackBerry button* again.
• In the menu, choose “Reset Calendar Sync”.

This action removes all the synchronized events on your calendar. Then you can re-sync again to get everything pulled back down from Google Calendar to your device.

However, the last time I did this, I also corrupted something, so my BlackBerry’s “default calendar” had a duplicate set of events from my Google Calendar. This isn’t bad, jut really annoying. I also had recurring events that don’t exist anymore, that I was having to manually delete. Not productive

To solve this problem, I had to take more drastic measures. Follow along:

• First, I synchronized my calendar manually from the BlackBerry, ensuring that it succeeded.
• Next, I followed the instructions above to Reset my synchronized calendar, removing it from the device. Note that I did NOT resync at the end of the reset.
• Then, I connected my BlackBerry to my computer and saved a full backup.
• Next, following instructions from this BlackBerry Forums post, I removed ALL of the calendar events on my BlackBerry.
• Finally, I went back to the BlackBerry, launched Sync, and did a manual sync (BlackBerry Button* > Sync), ensuring it was successful.
• This removed the offending calendar(s) and now my calendar information is an exact copy of what’s online in my Google Calendar.

For simplicity, I am copying the instructions from the BlackBerry forum and inserting them, below, with links to screenshots:

If you are having errors in your Calendar or Address Book on your BlackBerry, and you wish to delete the entire Calendar (or Address Book) database on your BlackBerry, follow the directions below. Make certain you have a good copy of your Calendar or Contacts elsewhere, as this procedure will complete delete ALL Calendar entries and/or Address Book entries on your BlackBerry.

1. Open Desktop Manager on your PC.

2. Open up Backup/Restore > Advanced.

3. From Advanced you’ll see a split pane screen. The left pane is what is going to be backed up from your device and the right is a list of the currently existing databases.

3. Highlight on the right side your Address Book database (or your Calendar database) and click the arrow in the middle pointing to the left. This will copy the information over and prepare it for back-up.

4. Once the back-up has completed, hit the Clear button at the bottom to erase and clean out the entire address book database (or Calendar database).

5. After it’s finished, it will ask you if you want to save the back-up you’ve created, say yes and check the device to make sure the address book (or calendar) has been properly cleared out. Now, resync the necessary contact information and you should be set to go.

* The BlackBerry button is the “Menu” key on your berry.  It looks like

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I have an 8830 “world edition” blackberry smartphone from Verizon wireless and I have to note a few things I wish could be improved.

* There’s a GPS built into the device, but VZ disabled it so you can’t use it because Verizon wants you to pay an extra $20/month for their Navigation service. That stinks.

* The 8830 seems to have a severe memory management problem, dumping txts and email, phone and call logs without warning, a few times a week.

* Having no camera is bad enough, but not able to receive Picture messages without using the web browser is kinda dumb.

* Other devices allow YouTube and streaming video/audio but not so on the 8830, presumably so you’ll sign up for “vCast”.

* More of an “I wish” for Verizon itself, the fact that I can’t use just the data plan (or the phone+texting without data plan is pretty ludicrous. Its just money, after all, but while going with Verizon may mean great cellular service (reception) it also means a hefty bite from your wallet each month.

Hopefully, Verizon won’t leave 8830 users behind as they roll out software for the Pearl, Storm and other new Blackberries.

Update: It does appear I am not the only one reporting problems with the 8830.

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Sharing the things you find as you journey through life is half the fun of being well-connected. And, of course, a picture is worth thousands and thousands of those words. Flickr, the popular online photo storage site, has published a cool uploading tool that allows you to choose and send photos from your blackberry to your account on the Flickr website, but you can also “geotag” photos (adding information to the photo revealing the location it was taken), and even send photos you have already put on Flickr to your Blackberry contacts! From the Blackberry site:

This mobile photo uploader is designed to offer the same features and functions you’re used to using on your computer. And, because of the familiar BlackBerry smartphone keyboard, menus and prompts, it’s easy to learn, fun to use and it’s free. Upload photos easily Snap a picture, put it in the right album, tag it, and even adjust its size. Then post it with just a few quick clicks. Geotag your pictures If you’re using a BlackBerry smartphone with GPS capabilities you can also geotag images so that people who look at your pictures can tell where you uploaded them. Download Flickr Photo Uploader for BlackBerry Smartphones.

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