For those of you syncing your Gmail and such using Google Sync, you’ve probably noticed that it hasn’t been feeling like itself the last couple days (not the first time). According to Google’s Mobile Help Forum, the issue stems from an extended problem with one of Google’s datacenters.
This problem only affects users running Google Sync, meaning a manual update should allow you to reach your data just fine. It’s also worth noting that this only seems to be a problem for Windows Mobile, iPhone, and S60 devices. Also those of you using a third party tool such as the SEVEN Beta, PushEffect, or XImapPusher to get your Gmail should be immune.
Has anyone else noticed that they can't sync Google Gmail via Activesync over the past few days? At first I thought it was just me but soon came to find that the "Error Synchronization" message was being displayed on other Windows phones.
The official error code is 0x8600050c (Communications Error) and in looking over at Google Mobile's Help Forum, there are a few solutions available.
The first suggestion is to delete the current Exchange Server relationship and re-create it. Another solution suggests to un-check the email option in Activesync, reboot the phone, re-check the email option and sync. The latter seems to have the most success.
We couldn't find anything official from Google on the cause of these errors or of a "official" solution. If we hear of anything we'll pass it on.
Early this year Google released Google Sync, which makes your calendar and apps work is if they were on an Exchange server. Missing from the app, of course, was push capability for Gmail.
That day has come, people.
Google just announced that Google Sync now supports push Gmail for Windows Mobile (5.0 and higher). The usual caveat applies, however: If you're already using an Exchange server for other e-mail, you're out of luck.
If you've been toiling at trying to find a way to sync up your Google Contacts and Calendars with your Windows Mobile phone -- switching between Nuevasync and Goosync and, well, whatever other kind of sync you've tried, take heart. Google just announced on their blog that WM finally gets some parity with BlackBerry on this front with the Beta release of Google Sync for Windows Mobile.
This is a good news / bad news sort of thing. If you're not already using Exchange to sync -- this is good news, because Google is basically mimicking an Exchange interface for you. If you *are* using Exchange to sync to your corporate email, well, see above for other options.
First they give us Latitude, now they give us Sync ...it's nice to see Google caring about platforms not named "Android." Now if they'd work with Microsoft on getting their email pushed out more easily, the Gmail users amongst us will finally feel complete.
Update: here's the direct link to instructions for setting up Google Calenar and Contacts via Activesync. Update 2: Be sure to check out the Known Limitations page (2 minor issues) and if you're on a Google Apps domain (i.e. you have Gmail but you have a custom domain), be sure to point your administrator to this link.
Ok, one last update. The real story here may be that Google licensed Exchange ActiveSync from Microsoft, which is to say that they may use it for email down the line. More importantly, it also helps to cement EAS as the industry standard in Microsoft's ongoing war for the hearts and minds of IT managers. RIM: this news isn't a body blow for your push email and PIM solution, but it's definitely a slap in its face.
