Spanning Sync Beta Blog

Build 333 Available

Spanning Sync v2.0 Beta (333) is now available. All beta testers are asked to upgrade as soon as possible. As always, please submit bugs, comments, questions, and suggestions to beta@spanningsync.com.

What's New in Build 333

• Fixed crashing bug when syncing calendars
• Improved log readability
• Added a log entry to catch contacts which are sent without gids
• Added support for syncing Google Talk IM records
• Improved support for syncing large numbers of contacts

Also, please let us know your experiences with Mac OS X 10.5.3. It seems to have fixed the "stuck iCal" bug, but some people have had to reset sync history in iSync for the fix to take effect:

• Open iSync (in /Applications)
• Go to preferences
• Click Reset Sync History
• Wait for the button to be enabled again (after the reset finishes)
• Try syncing again

Build 332 Available

Spanning Sync v2.0 Beta (332) is now available. All beta testers are asked to upgrade as soon as possible. As always, please submit bugs, comments, questions, and suggestions to beta@spanningsync.com.

What's New in Build 332

• Improved support for huge (10,000+ events) calendars
• No longer forces server debug logging for calendars
• Fixes a problem with improper log snipping
• Contacts with no names are now ignored by default, with an option to use email addresses as names
• No longer offers to replace data on Google (RDOG) on first contact sync
• Includes a more portentous warning for RDOG of contacts
• Default group popup is now properly set in the pref pane
• Google auth token failures are handled better
• Phantom middle name bug fixed

Also, we've made a change to the Trial system so that expired trials will automatically reset after 3 months.

Note: If you used an earlier beta version and were affected by the Phantom Middle Name bug will need to restore your contacts from backup and then sync. Otherwise you may wind up with two copies of each contact in Address Book with slightly different names (e.g., "Charlie Wood" and "Charlie  Wood"—note the extra space).

Build 331 Fixes Problems on Non-English Systems

Some users have reported seeing the old pref pane (without the "Contacts" tab) and some unusual messages after installing the 2.0 beta. We believe this was due to the presence of some non-localized resources from the previous version. The latest build (331) should fix the problem.

Spanning Sync v2.0 Public Beta Opens, Beta Blog Debuts

Today we're opening the Spanning Sync v2.0 Public Beta, which not only adds support for syncing Address Book with Gmail contacts (click here to watch a video preview) but also improves the performance and reliability of syncing iCal with Google Calendar.

Much thanks to our private beta testers, who have provided invaluable feedback over the last few weeks.

Important: Before you start, please back up both your Gmail and Address Book contacts. Instructions are in the ReadMe.

If you'd like to help us test Spanning Sync v2.0b, you can download it from

http://spanningsync.com/beta-download

Remember, it's a beta, so we expect you to find problems. In fact, we hope you do! Please email all feedback to beta@spanningsync.com.

Today we're also formally launching the Spanning Sync Beta Blog where our beta users can keep up to date with the latest beta releases and join in the public conversation.

Once we've fixed all the bugs discovered during the beta process we'll officially launch v2.0, which like all Spanning Sync upgrades will be free to paid subscribers. Stay tuned to the Beta Blog for more.

Spanning Sync v2.0 Public Beta Candidate (329) Now Available

Spanning Sync v2.0b (329) is now available for download. Barring any unforeseen problems this will be the first public beta version of Spanning Sync v2.0.

What's New in Build 329

• Improved GID swapping for calendar events
• Improved GID swapping for contacts
• Improved handling of phantom deletes for child entities
• Fixed sync interval popup after "starting over"
• Allow deleting all Gmail contacts with "Replace Data on Google..."
• Fixed a "referenced without pushing" error involving Address Book groups
• Fixed wording on first time calendar sync

Please try it out and report any problems to beta@spanningsync.com as soon as possible. We're eager to get the public beta underway!

Build 328 Up, Public Beta Fast Approaching

What's New in Build 328

• Added missing elements from sync manifest
• Fixed a problem where deletes weren't properly processed
• Now properly removing instances of deleted contact child records from the push controllers
• Canceling from the "compatibility mode" UI turns contact syncing off like it's supposed to

Please upgrade as soon as possible and let us know if you find any problems.

We're on track to open the public beta as soon as we get some feedback on 328 and get a few more servers configured to handle the additional load we expect new beta users to put on the system.

By the way, have I mentioned recently that ServerBeach rocks? Well they do. If you decide to use them, please help support Spanning Sync by entering our referral code 4RM7Z4A99C when ordering.

Build 327 Available for Download

Spanning Sync v2.0b (327) is now available. You can either open the Spanning Sync (beta) pref pane in System Preferences to be prompted to upgrade, or download it manually from http://spanningsync.com/beta-download.

Here's a list of the changes in this and previous builds:

What's New in Build 327

• UI for contact compatibility mode (shown here)
• Support for "primary" fields
• Improved handling of deleted notes in Google
• Fixed a bug where contacts whose child records were added ended up in the "added" list
• Contact records now merging correctly on a refresh sync
• Fixed a bug with contact records marked for resend or lost
• Contact records without names will now show up as "(Contact has no name)" in the user log
• Fixed a bug where duplicate email UI showed up blank

What's New in Build 325

• Minor wording change
• Missing version information now included in push

What's New in Build 324

• The CAPTCHA alert window now displays correctly
• Only shows one "Unable to sync" alert at a time
• Contacts that are companies now show up correctly in the user log
• The user is now notified of contacts that Google can't accept because of duplicate email addresses

What's New in Build 323

• Fixed the "Show status in menu bar" checkbox
• Deletes from the server that should be ignored now are
• All contacts pulled from Apple Sync Services now getting their gid added to them before sending to the server

What's New in v2.0 Beta 1

• Contact syncing! Spanning Sync now syncs Apple's Address Book with Gmail and Google Apps.
• A user-friendly log window is now available from the Advanced tab. The log may be useful for troubleshooting or checking status.
• The preference pane UI is new and easier to use.
• Various bugs have been fixed, including one that caused a problem when syncing shared Google calendars.

Welcome to the Spanning Sync v2.0 Beta!

We've opened the beta of Spanning Sync v2.0 with contact sync to some of our most trusted users, including you! Thanks in advance for your help.

Before you do anything else, please back up your Address Book and Google contacts data. Instructions for doing so are in the ReadMe.

OK, got everything backed up? No? We'll wait.

Good. Now download and install the latest beta, do some testing, and let us know how it goes. We'll incorporate your feedback into the next beta release.

Again, please back up both your Gmail and Address Book contacts before using Spanning Sync v2.0b. You will have to restore from your backup at least once during testing.

Remember, it's a beta, so we expect you to find problems. In fact, we hope you do! Please email all feedback to beta@spanningsync.com. And thanks again for your help!

-c