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PSA: Windows Phones to lose Google Sync activation on August 1st
Windows Phone users who want to use Google Sync for contact and calendar integration had better act quickly: today is the last day that they can link their handsets to the service before Google pulls the plug. From August 1st onwards, Google Sync will only work on a given Windows Phone if it's already configured. The GDR 2 upgrade keeps syncing alive through CalDAV and CardDAV support, although many users could go without that support for some time -- to date, Americans can only see the OS refresh on the HTC 8XT, Lumia 520, Lumia 925 and Lumia 1020. If you're not in that group and miss the Google Sync deadline, you'll just have to sit tight while Microsoft finishes rolling out the GDR 2 update this summer.
Google reverses course, makes CalDAV and CardDAV APIs open to all developers
Though Google chucked open API access to CalDAV back in March, it appears the company's had a change of heart. Up until today, only a select few whitelisted developers could make use of Google's calendar open standard; a decision it made based on actual usage data. But given the amount of feedback it's received from blocked devs in the time since, Google's decided to re-instate access to CalDAV APIs, in addition to those for CardDAV -- a first -- its open standard for contacts. The news won't make much difference for Windows Phone 8 users (CalDAV and CardDAV support was already promised), but at least your third-party apps can now continue to play nice with your social calendar.
Google to continue offering Exchange ActiveSync support on Windows Phones through July 31st
Today is the day that Google has been planning to shut off its support for Exchange ActiveSync, but it appears that the company has had a slight change of heart. Google has confirmed that it will allow Windows Phones to access Google Sync services for an additional six months, ending on July 31st. This move will allow Microsoft a little extra breathing room, giving the company more time to determine how to best resolve the concern that will affect countless Gmail fans that currently use Windows Phone as their primary driver; according to a blog post (linked below), Microsoft has indeed confirmed that it's working on building CalDAV and CardDAV support into Windows Phone. We reached out to Google and received this confirmation: "As announced last year, our plan is to end support for new device connections using Google Sync starting January 30, 2013. With the launch of CardDAV, it's now possible to build a seamless sync experience using open protocols (IMAP, CalDAV and CardDAV) for Gmail, Google Calendar and Contacts. We'll start rolling out this change as planned across all platforms but will continue to support Google Sync for Windows Phone until July 31, 2013."
Google now supports CardDAV making it easier than ever to import contacts
Jeff Ellingson, Product Manager at Google, announced this week that the search giant is adding CardDAV to its list of supported protocols. For iOS and OS X owners, this means you can now sync your Google contacts to Apple's built-in contacts app using this open protocol, instead of Exchange. You can add a CardDAV account to your iOS device using the instructions on Google's website, which are included below for your convenience. Google notes that syncing via CardDAV is only available for devices running iOS version 5.0 or greater. You can also use your Google account information to setup a CardDAV account in OS X via the System Preferences > Mail, Contacts & Calendars > Add Other Account > Add a CardDAV account. To Setup a CardDAV account on your iOS device, you will need to: Open the Settings application on your iOS device. Select Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Select Add Account > Other > Add CardDAV Account. Fill out your account information by entering "google.com" as the server name and your Google username and password. (If you've enabled two-step verification, you'll need to generate and enter an application-specific password.) You'll also need to add a description like "Google contacts" to identify the account in iOS. Select Next at the top of your screen and then make sure that the "Contacts" option is turned to ON. After you've completed setup, open the Contacts app on your device, and syncing will automatically begin.
Google adds CardDAV support to contacts for easier syncing with iOS and other third-party devices
The marvelous folks from Mountain View never seem to take a break from working on tools to help make almost everyone's life easier -- even if some of these folks happen to be on the other side. Today, Google announced it was adding CardDAV to the list of open protocols it currently supports to access Gmail and Calendar from mobile apps and devices alike, noting that with the recent adaptation it'll be easier for third-party clients -- such as iOS -- to access and sync with Google Contacts. Better yet, the company posted a full set of instructions on how users can do just that, which you will find at the source link below.