markspace
Latest
Mark/Space Welcome Home eases us into new Nokia Lumias, lifts the burden of app hunting
So you just bought a Nokia Lumia 900 and are wondering how on Earth you'll get all your old phone's data over to that new Windows Phone. Nokia and Mark/Space have you covered with a new, Lumia-tuned Welcome Home to Windows Phone app. The Mac- and Windows-based utility goes beyond just shuffling calendars, contacts and media; if you're jumping ship from Android, a BlackBerry or an iPhone, it will scan apps linked to the outgoing hardware and offer QR codes to download either direct or close-enough equivalents for the Windows Phone world. Fresh Lumia owners might appreciate the price more than anything -- unlike the Android porting tool, the Lumia version is a free treat just for joining the Nokia flock. It's available today, but we have a feeling that most of the demand will come after September 5th.
Mark/Space introduces GoGadget media synching software
Accurately syncing content and data between portable devices and computers has long been a hassle for users, especially those who tried to venture out of closed ecosystems. Mark/Space and its Missing Sync product came to the rescue of countless users, especially those with Macs who want to sync Palm and Windows Mobile devices. Mark/Space has just introduced a product called GoGadget designed to sync media content such as photos, videos and music to a variety of phones, digital photo frames and media players. So far Mark/Space has released only a Mac version with a Windows variant promised soon. On the Mac, GoGadget promises to sync iTunes playlists and iPhoto albums directly to the likes of the Palm WebOs phones, Nokia N900 and Sandisk Sansa clip. GoGadget promises a simple user interface and offers a seven-day free trial. For now version 1.0 is priced at US$19.95 but that will be going to $29.95 eventually. We'll be trying it out shortly and providing a review with some of our non-Apple devices. [via MacMegasite]
Mac version of Missing Sync for Palm Pre goes gold, available now
If you've been yearning to get your desktop computer better acquainted with your Pre's quirky personality, look no further than Mark/Space's The Missing Sync for Palm Pre, which has now gone final following a brief beta period. As is usually the case with Missing Sync versions, the software seems to be capable of syncing just about anything you could possibly want to sync down to your handset including ringtones, Office documents, video, podcasts, music, and photos -- plus contacts and calendars over WiFi. Mac's out now for $39.95, while a Windows version is expected "soon."[Via Palm Infocenter]
Palm Pre owners: Mark/Space has a Missing Sync for you
The Missing Sync line of software from Mark/Space has been around long enough that just about every handheld operating system made can now sync data with a Mac. As a result, it's not surprising that Mark/Space has announced Missing Sync for Palm Pre.The $39.95 Mac application (also available in a two-license Business Edition for US$89.95) starts with the usual tasks of syncing contacts and calendars whenever you're in Wi-Fi range of your Mac, but then adds syncing of music, videos, podcasts, and photos to the mix. There's a built-in ringtone editor for creating your own ringtones from your music, and syncing PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents is a snap. If the screenshots of the application are any indication, Missing Sync for Palm Pre uses the tried and true user interface found on its siblings. Mark/Space has also announced that they are developing a Fliq app for Palm Pre (four Fliq apps are currently available for iPhone) to provide syncing of Safari bookmarks.I'm sure there are a few Palm Pre owners out there who read TUAW; if you're one of them, could you let others know how this product works by leaving a comment?
Missing Sync beta available for Pre
Palm would have us all believe that the "cloud," a dash of EV-DO, and a smidge of WiFi are all you need to get your webOS-based device synced to the rest of your world, but back in the real world, we all know that's not necessarily the case. MarkSpace -- well-entrenched in the world of getting BlackBerrys, Windows Mobile phones, and everything in between to play nice with Macs -- has released a beta version of The Missing Sync for Pre, letting you sync your music, bookmarks, ringtones, files, pictures, and just about everything else using its Proximity Sync tech which automatically hooks into your machine when it's in WiFi range. It's free for the time being while it's in testing, but don't use it unless you're willing to shell out should you get hooked -- the final retail version will run $39.95 when it's available.[Via PC World]
First Look: Fliq Docs
In early January, TUAW featured a face-off between Fliq for Mac and Mobile DropCopy. At the time, I noted that Fliq for Mac and Windows was better in terms of moving content created on the iPhone (address cards, notes, photos) to a Mac or Windows PC, while Mobile DropCopy was better for viewing or moving other content such as Microsoft Word documents or PDF files.About six weeks later, Mark/Space has responded by not only updating Fliq to version 2.0, but also releasing a new free iPhone application called Fliq Docs (click opens iTunes). Fliq Docs requires Fliq 2.0 for Mac or Windows (US$19.95, free upgrade for registered users of Fliq 1.0, or US$9.95 to owners of any Mark/Space Missing Sync application), and is a full-featured document viewing and transfer application for iPhone. Click the Read More link to find out more about Fliq Docs.
First Look: Fliq Tasks
Mark/Space has added another member to their rapidly growing family of iPhone file transfer applications. The new baby in the family is Fliq Tasks, which joins Fliq for Mac and Windows, Fliq Notes, and Fliq for iPhone. As with Fliq for iPhone and Fliq Notes, Fliq Tasks is available in the App Store for free (click opens iTunes). Mark/Space is providing their iPhone applications for free, while charging for the Mac and Windows "host" software. Fliq for Mac and Fliq for Windows are available for US$19.95 (US$49.95 for a 3-pack) each. If you want to transfer files between iPhones over a Wi-Fi network, all you need are the free iPhone apps. When you add the functionality of transferring information to and from your Mac or PC, you'll have to purchase the desktop applications.Fliq Tasks is a full-featured task manager with big, clear, and easy-to-use interface similar to that found in Fliq Notes. Tasks can be listed by name, date due, category, and priority. You can add categories to better match them to your requirements, and there's a simple setting to hide completed tasks. Using the soon-to-be-released Fliq 1.1 for Mac or Windows, you'll be able to send or receive tasks from your iPhone to your big computer.Current Fliq users should be sure to give Fliq Tasks a try, and the price is definitely right. Check out the mini-gallery below for more screenshots. %Gallery-43213%
TUAW Faceoff: Mark/Space Fliq for Mac vs. Mobile DropCopy
A few months ago, Mark/Space delivered Fliq for iPhone, a free utility for sending contacts and photos to other iPhones and iPod touches that are also running Fliq. Later, they shipped Fliq for Mac, a US$19.95 application goes beyond the capabilities of the iPhone app by providing an easy way to move photos, contacts and notes from your Mac to any Mac or iPhone on your Wi-Fi network.There are several free or low-cost utilities that perform similar tasks, most particularly 10base-t interactive's DropCopy and Mobile DropCopy. The latter is a new iPhone app that, like Fiiq and Fliq for Mac, facilitates transfer of non-DRM data between iPhones and Macs. Since news of both of these apps appeared in my inbox on the same day, I decided that a faceoff was in order. So how do these apps compare, or am I comparing Apples and oranges? I think you'll find that they're similar in operation, but different in what they mean to accomplish.Read on to see how they fare in a TUAW faceoff!
Social networking for iPhone: Fliq your friends
Longtime Mac developer Mark/Space, Inc. has just announced their first app for iPhone, and it's free.Fliq (click opens iTunes) runs on the iPhone and iPod touch and is billed as a "real-time social networking app between friends in close proximity." If you and your friends are on the same Wi-Fi network, and if the free Fliq app is running on all of your iPhone or iPod touch devices, you can send contacts and photos to each other. Upon launching Fliq, a list of nearby devices also running Fliq is displayed (see screenshot). After selecting who to Fliq information to, a screen prompts you to send your pre-selected "business card", another contact, or a photo to the other iPhone.In practice, Fliq works very well. My wife and I were able to send photos and contact information back and forth with no issues. I'd like to see Bluetooth transfer capabilities built in for those situations where there's no nearby Wi-Fi network.The Fliq Web page notes that Fliq will soon have the ability to transfer contacts and photos to a Mac or Windows PC.In the interest of full disclosure, blogger Steve Sande has done consulting work for Mark/Space in the past, although not for this product.
Mark/Space offers up Missing Sync for Symbian
Just over a month after surfacing in Preview form, Mark/Space has loosed the finalized version of The Missing Sync for Symbian on the world. Yes, Mac lovers, this means you can now get your beloved computer to play nice with your Sony Ericsson, Motorola or Nokia-based S60 / UIQ handset. There's even a swank Proximity Syncing feature that enables your mobile and Mac to exchange hellos (and sync, obviously) whenever they are within Bluetooth (around 30-feet) range. The download is available now for $39.95, while packs with more licenses are available for $169.79 and up. Who's game to give it a go and confess whether or not it was worth the coin?[Via TUAW]
Mark/Space ships Missing Sync for Symbian
Mac sync software developer Mark/Space has announced the release of The Missing Sync for Symbian. Designed to sync Mac apps to Symbian S60 and UIQ smartphones, the new $39.95 product (electronic download) has a unique feature -- Proximity Syncing. When your Mac and Symbian phone are within Bluetooth range (about 30 feet / 10 meters), they automatically sync to insure that both are up-to-date.The Missing Sync for Symbian syncs personal information such as contacts, calendar tasks, and events, and also uses proprietary Call Log and SMS applications to move the phone's call log and text messages to the Mac. Video, photo, music, and document files can also be synced. If you think that the iPhone is the only smartphone on the market, it's important to realize that well over 100 million Symbian-based phones have been sold worldwide, with Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola being the biggest vendors. As a result, the Missing Sync for Symbian is available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish versions.In the interest of full disclosure, I wrote the help system for this application under contract to Mark/Space.
Mark/Space offers up Missing Sync beta for S60 / UIQ devices
Mark/Space's Missing Sync -- an OS X lovers best friend -- has just loosed the Symbian Public Preview for all who dare to download. Currently, the build stands at v1.0.0 (028 Preview), which suggests that there are quite a few bugs just waiting to be discovered. Still, those handling S60 / UIQ-based mobiles can certainly give it a go and see just how effective it is at syncing information between your Mac and that beloved handset. Chime in below with any overly dramatic success / failure stories.[Via AllAboutSymbian]
The Missing Sync now plays nice with WM6
The Missing Sync, the near-ubiquitous peace pipe that lets Windows Mobile devices play nice (and by "play nice" we mean "sync") with Macs, has just been upped to version 4. That in itself isn't huge news -- the new version offers up support for videos, call logs, and text messages -- but what is huge news is that the product now features Windows Mobile 6 support. That's great news for the ever-growing contingent of folks rocking Wings, upgraded Dashes and Treo 750s (and hopefully Blackjacks in the not-too-distant future) who dare to span the Microsoft-Apple divide.[Via TUAW]
Missing Sync goes gold for BlackBerry
Hear ye, hear ye, Mac faithful: your definitive BlackBerry solution has arrived. Mark/Space has just completed its beta cycle for Missing Sync's BlackBerry variant and it's available to buy. Besides the obvious sync capabilities, the product adds a couple nifty features like iTunes synchronization and charging via USB (nice). Get it for $40 now -- or, if you're migrating from another Missing Sync version and tossing that Windows Mobile device, just $20.[Via TUAW]
Missing Sync for Blackberry out of beta
Rejoice, o ye owners of Pearls and such: Mark/Space's Missing Sync for Blackberry is out of beta and on sale today. $40 for new licenses, $20 for cross-grades from other Missing Sync editions... but wait, you say, isn't PocketMac for Blackberry free of charge now? Yes it is, and you get what you pay for. (Kidding. Much love, PocketMac.)A couple of key features in MSfB for the road warriors among us: iTunes and iPhoto syncing for capable devices (eh), you can charge your Blackberry via your laptop's USB ports (yay!), and Notes sync now includes Yojimbo as a data source (YAY!). Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a demo download available at the moment, so I suppose you pays your money and you takes your chances.
Missing Sync for BlackBerry Preview Released
Back in January we mentioned the forthcoming release of Missing Sync for BlackBerry from Mark/Space scheduled for a nebulous "Q1 2007." Yesterday Mark/Space hit the mark, making a "Preview" edition available for download. Like the other "Missing Sync" products, the BlackBerry edition will sync your contacts, iCal calendar entries, notes, iPhoto pictures, iTunes tracks and more (though some of these require more advanced devices like the BlackBerry Pearl). The site lists compatiblity with several different series of BlackBerry devices running version 4.0 and later of the BlackBerry OS. Be sure to check out the known issues page before you download.Mark/Space does not appear to have announced final pricing, but they do note that they will offer upgrade pricing for registered users of Missing Sync for Palm and Windows Mobile. The preview is available for download now (scroll all the way to the bottom of the page).[Via MacNN]
Mark/Space releases SyncTogether 1.0, the alternative to .Mac syncing
Mark/Space's has at last released SyncTogether, the spawn of their acquisition of MySync. SyncTogether fills the much sought-after void of application syncing on the Mac, a niche which Apple's .Mac currently has cornered. A $50 one-time purchase which covers up to 3 Macs will allow you to sync everything Apple's SyncServices (which .Mac uses) can, with a few additional perks. For example, instead of syncing your entire Address Book between two Macs, you could keep most of your contacts private by syncing only a specific group with family members. In contrast to Apple's $100 yearly subscription .Mac service (which, to their credit also offers email, web hosting and more), SyncTogether looks to be a powerful alternative for many who are only interested in this specific feature. SyncTogether doesn't come without its disadvantages. First, if you own more than three Macs you want to sync, you'll need to purchase a second $50 license to cover those other machines. Also, SyncTogether uses a direct connection between Macs (even when you're out and about) to do the actual syncing, which is a double-edged sword: on one hand, the security nuts in the audience will likely have peace of mind knowing that their data isn't lying around on anyone's servers, but this also means that setting up SyncTogether isn't quite as "it just works" as Apple's .Mac. Lastly, and this is a major gripe many users have against Mark/Space's practices: SyncTogether doesn't have a demo. The company seems fond of forcing customers into paying up front to get their hands on the software, so all we can tell you is purchase at your own risk. Any readers care to share experiences in the comments? At the end of the day, this .Mac customer is definitely interested in what SyncTogether has to offer, especially since I'm only on board these days for app syncing and the iDisk. Still, I think I'm going to have to wait until comments roll in from those more adventurous (and financially mobile) than I before making any leaps of Mark/Space faith.
SyncTogether - a solid .Mac syncing alternative
One of the key features of .Mac is extensible application syncing. Sure, there have been roll-your-own-.Mac contests, plenty of solutions for individual apps and even a guide for switching from .Mac to Google, but none of these have offered a serious replacement for the entire syncing umbrella that .Mac offers. SyncTogether from the makers of Missing Sync, looks to change all of this. This new syncing app from Mark/Space works with many of the same fundamental apps, such as Address Book, iCal, Mail and Safari, but it employs some unique features. For example, you can chose specific groups in Address Book (instead of simply 'everyone'), and you can then share this information with other users on your home network. Want to let mom, dad and the kids all collaborate and add iCal events for Macworld 2008? SyncTogether has you covered, though it might be a little clunky to work with: local syncs sound easy, but the system requirements state that you must know a machine's physical IP if you're going to sync remotely while you're away from that machine. For now, SyncTogether is planned to drop Q1 of 2007, and until then, there is least one major question that I haven't been able to answer from Mark/Space's product page: Will it be open to 3rd parties like Apple's Sync Services? As far as pricing is concerned, users who are unhappy with .Mac's yearly subscription model will probably rejoice that SyncTogether's price is already set at a flat $49.95, but those are all the details we have for now.[Update: Our own Mat Lu clued me in (via email) on the fact that SyncTogether is very likely the product of Mark/Space's acquisition of MySync. MySync, for those who aren't familiar, *did* support any extra 3rd party apps that plugged into Apple's Sync Services, so in theory, apps like Yojimbo and Transmit should already be along for the ride, with no extra work on Mark/Space's part necessary. However, Mat also pointed out, and I agree, that it's kind of strange that SyncTogether's page makes no mention of this extensibility.]
The Missing Sync on the way for BlackBerry
For the several Mac users that still give two flips about their BlackBerrys in light of yesterday's events, rejoice: a (hopefully) superior sync solution is near. The Missing Sync, long a staple of those turncoats rolling deep with Windows Mobile devices on their Macs, is getting ready for its coming-out party in BlackBerry form later this quarter. Virtually all BlackBerrys will be compatible with the package, and Pearls will even get to rock some iTunes (sans protected music). Gear up to grab 'er in the next few weeks for $40.[Via TUAW]
