CompanionLink (link) is the first app that I came across. This app syncs directly from Outlook to your Android. It syncs your email, contacts, tasks, etc. from Outlook. You must use your data cable and have an app called DejaOffice (free in the Market) already on your device to get this program to work. Some might not like the price at $39.95, but if you need Outlook and want to bypass Google, this is one of your few options. CompanionLink only works on PCs.

The Missing Sync for Android (link) is also $39.95, but this program syncs your Outlook data to Google then to your device. You can do this syncing wirelessly or via Bluetooth. Sticker shock aside, this program simply works. Future features include Outlook tasks. The Missing Sync works on Macs and PCs.

gSyncit (link) is another option that is a little less expensive at $14.99. It syncs Outlook email, contacts, tasks and calendars by syncing to Google then to your phone. It also syncs wirelessly. This program works on any Android powered device.

Touchdown (link) is perhaps the most popular of the Android-Outlook sync programs because it ties in with Pure Widgets like Pure Calendar and has a lot of features. With a 30 day trial, you can decide if you want this app, which retails at $19.99.

The default Email client on Android will sync your Outlook email and contacts to your device. Unfortunately, it won’t sync anything else, but you could sync tasks into a task manager like Remember the Milk with SprinxCRM.

Do you have suggestions on how to sync Outlook to Android? Let’s hear it in the comments!

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3. Day 5 – A letter to my dreams

1. You woke up. No matter how bad things are, you woke up this morning! This is a great accomplishment. So many people – young, old, infirm, healthy – did not wake up this morning. Families around the world wish their loved ones were with them for one more day. So enjoy these precious moments.

2. You have a good life. Most people in the world survive on less than a $1 a day. There are entire villages that still live by candlelight. Millions don’t have the ability to read this post. Maybe they don’t have electricity, internet, or even able to read. One in five Americans goes to bed hungry every night. Kind of puts it in perspective, right?

3. You’re awesome. Think about it. You were born. You’re still here. And you’re smart enough to be reading this blog. That’s awesome.

4. You’re curious about the world. Even if it is using Facebook or Twitter, you’re curious about the world, and the people in it. So take advantage of it. Reply to people who have something positive to say. Making them will make you feel good, and they’ll feel good, too.

5. Remember this is just temporary. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and feel like nothing will ever go right again, but it’s just temporary! Things can change on the drop of a dime. Look forward, not backward, and keep seeking out the good that’s seeking out you!

What are your tips for being happier? Let’s hear it in the comments!

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I love LauncherPro. This app adds a toolbar along the bottom of your screen for up to twelve additional icons! Not only does this save space on your homescreen for other icons, but it puts your most frequently used icons front and center for you to use no matter what screen you’re on. There is a donate version that unlocks some additional features such as themeing, but the free version works just fine. It has several dozen options, so you can tweak to your heart’s content.

I love a great deal. And Groupon has the best ones. I can use this app to show the stores, restuaruants and attractions I visit instead of wasting paper by printing a coupon! I’ve used it on a tour of Manhattan and it was easy. Groupon is in a lot of cities, so you might find this useful, too. You can check on the status of your Groupons and also buy new ones if you see something that suits your fancy!

While it is not the prettiest Twitter client out there, Twidroyd PRO is definitely one of the full-featured clients that I keep coming back to. With the PRO version (which is about $5 USD), you get colored themes (I prefer Aviator Black) and multiple account support. That might not seem important to the average user, but if you’re a power user like me, you’ll find this handy! The size of the app has been pared down some, which is good, and with video support and bit.ly support, most users will find that Twidroyd is the best app for them.

Games on Android are notorious for being inferior to those on the iPhone. Since I have never used an iPhone, I can’t really say, but I’ll take everyone’s word for it. Despite the quality (or lack thereof), Replica Island is my favorite game on Android. It reminds you of old school Super Mario Brothers in its simplicity and game play. The gist of the game is to locate a mysterious artifact on the island. You are going to have to use your super powers and a little ingenuity to make this happen. This free game has 35 levels and 3 alternative endings.

Sprint (and other service providers) add bloatware to their phones that automatically start whether you want them to or not. Startup Auditor generates a list of these apps and gives you the choice of stopping them from starting upon phone boot up (to decrease boot time) or from starting at all. This app has a free version with ads, but I found this app so useful that I paid for the ad-free version.

doubleTwist Player is the only free player I’ve found that plays my compilation albums without breaking it up into dozens of albums because the artists are different! This no-nonsense app has a widget now and looks a lot better than the default Android player. Also, it comes with a desktop client that syncs your iTunes playlists to your Android phone for listening on the go and lets you purchase Amazon.com music right from the desktop app.

I need to view ALL of my day’s appointments at one glance. The free CalWidget makes it oh so easy to view all of my appointments in widgets that range in size up to 4×4. I use the 2×2 one on my homescreen. You can customize the colors of the widget, so it color coordinates with your homescreen wallpaper or your favorite team’s colors! This app is a must have if you are busy and Google Calendar’s one appointment at a time display doesn’t work for you.

SMS Backup does exactly what the name implies – it backs up SMS messages to your Gmail account. Options include marking the imported messages as read and syncing in smaller batches. It does not put your messages back onto your phone, but I don’t really care about that, when I can search threaded conversations directly from Gmail on my phone. It even threads the emails in batches of 100 by name in Gmail, so it is easily searchable and stops your inbox from looking like a huge disaster zone.

In addition to my day job of being a geek girl, I am also a political nerd. I love all things politics and enjoy learning more about the political process. Congress is an app that puts the current legislation and happenings on Capitol Hill at my fingertips. I can search and see what my congressman or Senators are doing or not doing. Is there a bill about farms out? Who sponsored it? Who didn’t vote for it? All of that is available through this free app.

Android users, what’s your favorite app or apps? What apps would you like to see? Let’s hear it in the comments!

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3. And the winners of the WIN BIG with thepinkc contest are…..

I forgive you.
Ellie

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Yeah, I’m writing you. I want to talk to you and find out if you really meant for us to be doing all of the things we are doing, if you ever intended on leaving Judaism and forming your own religion and more. What was life like back then? Do you know that we count time based on your death? Were you married? Did you look like me?

I really want to know the real Jesus – the person behind the stories, religion and myth. The man who has changed the world for better or worse.

I’ll be awaiting your response!

Ellie

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Dear A,

We don’t talk as much as we should. I remember a few years ago when we would stay up half the night talking, laughing, debating and just enjoying each others’ company. Then, life changed for both of us, and we don’t talk as much anymore. Now things have changed again, so maybe we’ll rekindle our friendship and pick things up where we left off!

I miss your constant questioning of “Why” and “How” and the sound of your laugh.

Love,
Ellie

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The icons on the main screen are:

• Scan for viruses
• Backup your data (to 5GB of space in the cloud)
• Allow/Block programs
• Contact support (free during your subscription)
• Online Drive
• System status
• Check for updates
• Your Bullguard Account
• Upgrade

Each of these icons when clicked takes you through what needs doing without being complicated. On my geek girl scale, I always test software assuming that I’m my grandmother. This internet security software just works well because there are no multiple layers of menus to work through, and the software has been designed with the average user in mind, so that whether you’re a computer novice, or an IT enthusiast, you can easily use this software to keep your system safe.

A number of key features within this software offer various methods of keeping your computer secure, they are:

• Antivirus
• Antispyware
• Antiphishing
• Spam filter
• Instant messaging protection on Yahoo!, MSN and Skype

With the number of hackers targeting people via their instant messaging software these days, the instant messaging protection offered with this package is very important and my favorite feature of the software.  While you can’t avoid spammers, you can make yourself safer. When you exchange pictures, files and other data through this method, this software will check them just as it would if they were being downloaded from a website, or had come in via an e-mail.

The system also offers a backup system as well where you get 5GB of backup storage space with your account to store all your highly valued data, such as documents and photos.  This means that even if you don’t have an external drive to back your work up onto, you will have one here giving you added security so that if the worst did happen and your computer got infected with a virus, you would know that your most important data was protected.

One of the things that Bullguard believes in is that most people really don’t care how something works as long as it does work, and I’d agree with this.  Most people aren’t tech savvy, so Bullguard makes it easy to protect yourself with internet security software.What they’ve done is to take all those fussy little yes or no questions away where most people just click to agree with the recommended option anyway.  Instead, the system just gets on with securing your PC and doesn’t worry you with information you don’t need.  One feature they have brought in which gives greater control to the user, is that Bullguard has done away with the three tier virus scanning options on other clients.  Instead of choosing between quick scan, complete scan, and deep scan, you can customize your scan – choosing what gets scanned and what doesn’t putting you in control instead of the system.

Overall, this software has saved my geek girl life several times. A few months ago I was cleaning a friend’s PC and installing Bullguard. She always had problems with spyware and had her email account hacked twice. I accidentally backed up a bunch of files important to her work in my over-zealousness to get her computer back in working condition. Then, I remembered that I backed them up online. 5GB of storage space is more than sites like Dropbox, so you can store more files and data with ease.

Since I Skype with my family a lot, I can rest assured that my mom isn’t sending me infected files. Now, I can rest a little easier when swapping files with my loved ones.

Have you tried Bullguard? What are your favorite features? Bullguard is available for about $60 for a one year subscription and also comes with a 30 day trial, so you can decide if this is software you can’t live without.

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I would love to meet you because you have shown great resilience and a calm demeanor unseen in ages. I want to emulate your behavior the more I see you and hear about the things that you’re doing to improve America. I don’t always agree with your methods or the things you’re doing, but I admire you for sticking with your promises to yourself and country.

I’d love to talk with you about what it was like as a Senator versus President, how your family is faring in Washington and what goals you’d like to complete through the rest of your term.

I hope to meet you one day.

Ellie

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