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Verizon's RemoSync brings Direct Push email to select handsets
Hankerin' for some bona fide push email on your VZW handset, are you? If this is indeed the case, look no further than RemoSync, the latest Get It Now application that enables a handful of the carrier's handsets to get their Exchange-hosted email pushed directly to them. More specifically, those who purchase the app will be able to read, compose, reply, delete, forward, etc. emails, download Outlook contacts and view those immensely annoying calendar events. The pricing structure is quite curious, though. First off, it'll cost you $9.99 per month, and while a data plan isn't required per se, those without one will be charged $1.99 per megabyte (or "airtime") when using RemoSync. For a list of compatible mobiles, tap the read link and give that scroll wheel a few turns.[Via PhoneScoop]
Apple looking to push ActiveSync onto iPhone?
We've reported rumors about this should-have-been-in-the-initial-offering feature since well before the iPhone's launch date and here we are, half a year down the road from iPhone day and we're still kludging along with IMAP support. All that may be set to change with Apple's recent job posting looking for an "iPhone Windows Outlook/Exchange QA Eng" in Cupertino. Of course, this new position may simply exist to help bolster the team working on the IMAP features in its "ongoing effort to improve your mobile mail experience" -- but we hope not. We're hoping that this will usher in the era of real push mail from Exchange on iPhone, and we'd be willing to bet the proverbial farm that there are a ton of others out there thinking the same.[Via AppleInsider]
Apple, Microsoft to push Exchange Direct Push to iPhone?
Rumor has it that Apple has licensed Exchange Active Sync after all, so let the Direct Pushing begin. Of all the gripes we've heard since this handset was announced, this one was by far the most prevalent, and indeed even a showstopper for some. It seems that Microsoft will announce the licensing of EAS tomorrow, though we aren't sure if this support will be included out of the box, or as an update in the near future. So now all the iPhone faithful will be armed with one more tool to defend themselves against the non-believers -- and here's hoping that the keyboard won't fail them as they begin pushing those missives out. [Thanks, Arneh]
Emoze push mail "outberries" Blackbery at CTIA
Emoze, the Emblaze spin off, had another high noon showdown of sorts versus a Blackberry (we aren't making this up, peep the poster over yonder) at CTIA. Standing back to back -- one was armed with a run of the mill mobile, the other a Blackberry -- the mailslingers took three steps away from each other and then fired blank emails to Gmail, a large screen displaying the mail account clearly showed Emoze as the winner. OK, so we know this isn't going to convince the Blackberry-toting masses to abandon the device, but what Emoze was actually doing was demonstrating its new push mail service. The first generation Emoze client had a desktop connector that had to be running on your PC in order for the push to work; but this new release does away with all that in favor of a built in Exchange Outlook Web Access component. The Emoze client will securely sync email, calendar, contacts, and tasks from every major handset maker to just about every type of mail server. But the best part is that it doesn't cost one red cent, so hit the read link and go get some.
Palm pushes Direct Push to Palm OS
Users of Windows Mobile 5 have been enjoying Direct Push for some time via AKU2 (from the manufacturers that have decided to offer it, anyway) -- but getting that always-fascinating corporate email beamed straight on down to your Palm OS Garnet OS device, on the other hand... well, that's novel concept, indeed. Palm has announced that an update for its 680 and 700p handhelds will be made available Monday to add automatic synchronization of email, contacts, and calendar with the Exchange Server of your choice. Cobalt, it ain't, but at this point we'll take what we can get.[Via Phone Scoop]
Will the iPhone support Exchange Direct Push?
During the Jobsnote, Steve said that the iPhone would support many different email systems including Exchange -- and as we well know, the most precious Exchange feature to a mobile user is Direct Push, which allows your device to receive updates instantly for email and other data from your server. Steve did specifically mention that the iPhone would support Push-IMAP from Yahoo, but didn't mention any details about Exchange Direct Push like the Windows Mobile phones have. To many, this is the killer app for business users and it isn't too much of a stretch to believe that Apple could include it on the hot new iPhone. Exchange Direct Push is a Web Service that runs on the Outlook Web Access server; WM5 devices connect via HTTP and make calls for data and then leaves port 80 open for updates from the server, keeping the device up-to-date just like a BlackBerry. Because this is all done via HTTP, it is possible to reverse engineer the protocol -- in fact, Zimbra has already done this, and WM5 devices can sync with a Zimbra server the same way they would an Exchange 2003 sp2 server. Reverse engineering OWA WebDAV (an extension of HTTP that allows users to manage files on a Outlook Web Access server) service is also nothing new, as Ximian first did it almost 5 years ago with its app Evolution, bringing Exchange Server functionality to Linux. It is also not new for Apple, which has used it to sync OS X users' Apple Mail and Address Book with Exchange since OS X 10.3. Coincidentally, this is also how Microsoft's own Entourage connects to Exchange, versus using MAPI (Microsoft's Proprietary mail API) like Outlook. As important as up to the second email is to business users, we don't see how Apple could afford to leave this feature out.
DataViz brings Direct Push to Windows Mobile 2003 SE
Are you HP hw6500 owners out there feeling like the brave new world of MSFP is passing you by? Do you keep looking down at your device, hoping for pushed email that just never comes? DataViz has you covered, updating its RoadSync Exchange client to support Direct Push, GAL lookup, and all the other goodies that MSFP users have been enjoying for a few months now. Initially, it sounds like DataViz will only be supporting for the Samsung i700 series (a little bit late for that, guys) and the HP hw6500, but we see no reason it shouldn't work on other WM2003 SE Pocket PCs as well -- so if you're holding out for that Hermes, this might make your wait a little more bearable.[Via Geekzone]
