Although the methods I’ve outlined for syncing your data with MobileMe and Google are effective for most people, they aren’t the only means of keeping your data in sync between devices. A great many other syncing products and services exist. Here is a small sampling.
Calendars
To-Do items
Notes
Bookmarks
LastPass’ Xmarks service lets you synchronize browser bookmarks across browsers (such as Safari, Firefox, and Chrome), across devices, and even across platforms. The basic service is free, while a $12-per-year Premium subscription adds features and compatibility with the company’s free iOS app. However, Xmarks doesn’t have the capability of modifying Safari’s bookmarks on an iOS device, so on your mobile device you can only see the synced bookmarks within the Xmarks app itself.
Mac-to-Mac sync
For keeping personal data in sync between multiple Macs without the need for a cloud-based intermediary, one option is Mark/Space’s SyncTogether ( ; $50 for up to three Macs), which can sync Address Book contacts, iCal events and tasks, and Safari bookmarks, plus preference files, Mail settings, and other information. Another option is Eltima’s SyncMate. A free edition has basic features only; the Expert Edition ( ) costs $40 for a single license or $60 for a six-Mac family pack. This software lets you sync contacts and calendars with another device or with Google; you can also sync notes, Safari bookmarks, to-dos, and other data between devices (but not with Google).
[Senior contributor Joe Kissell is the senior editor of TidBits and the author of the e-book Take Control of MobileMe (TidBITS Publishing, 2010)].
SyncMate 2
Spanning Sync 3
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