Contact Syncing for Massive Productivity Booster

Google significantly increased my quality of life recently. How? Let me explain.

While I am a firm believer that cloud computing should never be viewed as a replacement for the current desktop/ model, I must say that I am now a huge fan of storing my data on the internet. Not all of my data, keep in mind, but information that needs to be accessed by multiple computers, of course – but that goes without saying.

This nuanced view of cloud computing from 2009 proves remarkably prescient—advocating for hybrid approaches rather than complete cloud dependence. The distinction between "replacement" and "complement" remains relevant in today's discussions about edge computing and local-first software.

I have always had the problem of not being able to keep track of all my data. I switch computers and operating systems so often, I can't keep track of my contacts at all. And when I update one, I have to go through and update many different databases – not the most efficient method.

So, the ultimate solution is – obviously – to consolidate all of my contacts into one database. I used to keep all of my contacts on my Samsung Blackjack cellphone. This worked well, since I could easily sync it with a computer. This caused a problem, however: I could only sync it with one system. If I was at work or on another system, I had no way to get to my friend's email addresses.

Last month, Google Contacts started to support Exchange Syncing, which happens to work flawlessly with my Windows Mobile 6.1 install.

The genuine excitement about contact syncing reflects the pre-smartphone era's friction points. What seems mundane today was genuinely transformative in 2009—a reminder of how incremental technological improvements compound into revolutionary changes in daily life.

My life will never be the same. Thank you, Google. I am eternally grateful.

More details soon!