Many people use Plaxo to synchronize their contacts from different email providers and multiple devices. But how do you synchronize contacts from multiple Google Gmail accounts and how can Plaxo ensure that those address books remain in sync, updated, and accessible on your computer, mobile phone, and tablet?

In this edition of Plaxo Tips, we’ll show you an easy way to link multiple Google Gmail accounts using Plaxo.

On Google’s Website

Step1: Log into the first Google account.

Step2: Click on the drop-down arrow next to your profile picture in the upper right corner. Click the Add Account button.

Step3: Now, sign into the other Google account.

On Plaxo’s Website

Step1: Login to Plaxo and go to the Sync & Backup tab.

Step2: Click on the Google Mail icon and click the Setup Sync button.

Step3: On the pop-up window, choose the first Google account you would like to sync and click accept.

Step4: On the following page, click the Start Syncing button.

Step5: Repeat steps 2 through 4 for the second Google account.

After you have completed all the steps, on the Plaxo Sync & Backup tab you should see all your Google Gmail accounts as new sync points!

From this point on, any changes you make to one Gmail address book will automatically reflect in your other Gmail address book. Thanks to Plaxo, your contacts are now in sync and never out of date.  By the way, if you also synchronize Plaxo with your Mac, Windows or iPhone, these very same changes will reflect there too.

Do you have any tip we missed? Let us know by emailing or leaving a comment below.

Sometime in early 2012, the beloved Twinkies snack disappeared from store shelves shortly followed by its sidekicks, Ding-Dongs and Ho-Hos.  By November of that year, Hostess Brands eventually followed the way of Compaq, Plymouth and Pan Am.  And along with it went America’s favorite snack food and comedic punchline – forever.  Or so it seemed.

At around the same time, we announced our defocus on supporting desktop systems “based on where we see the post-PC era”.  And with that one blog post, Plaxo for Mountain Lion and, implicitly, Plaxo for Windows were no longer going to be supported.

America was sad.  And the world lamented a future without these iconic must-haves.  Oh and the Twinkies were going to be missed too (grin).

But recently announced a few days ago is a big comeback – the Twinkie has been brought back to life with less calories and a longer shelf life. It’s return is dubbed as “the sweetest comeback in the history of ever.”  It rings the same joy as other famous comebacks like:

• Michael Jordan’s return from baseball
• Lakers beating Portland in the 2000 Playoffs Game 7
• Rocky Balboa (except Rocky 5)
• Bills defeating Houston in 1982
• Robert Downey Jr (2 words… Iron Man)
• The Eagles (because hell apparently froze)
• “The Play” in 1982 (if you don’t know, search for it)
• Liverpool over AC Milan in 2005
• The Heidi Game
• “That’s what your mom said…”

Good comebacks indeed and there are countless more.  So at Plaxo, we were inspired.  If they can bring the Twinkie back, isn’t it an imperative that we also bring back Plaxo for Mac and Plaxo for Windows support?  We humbly agree.

Today, we released Plaxo for Mac with support for Mountain Lion and Plaxo for Windows compatible with Outlook 2010 (And for users of Outlook 2013, fret not as a new version is coming soon).

Will there be more?  You bet.  Stay tuned.  And in the meantime, what are some good comebacks that you remember?

The holidays are in full swing. Chances are you’ve been extra busy buying gifts, making sure travel arrangements are all taken care of, coming up with the big dinner menu, tying up any loose ends on the work front and reading all of your beautiful holiday cards. That’s when it hits you. You forgot to get your own beautiful cards and now they won’t be delivered in time.

Not to worry, holiday coordinators. With Plaxo eCards, you can still send your best season’s greetings to your family, friends and co-workers without worrying about if they’ll get them in time. There are tons of gorgeous cards to choose from with great options like being able to choose your background color, font and border for each cards. If you’d rather upload a personal image, just choose an eCard with that option and add away. You can send a different eCard to everyone on your list, or send the same eCard just by adding your recipients’ email addresses. And, because you’re so busy this time of year, you can either send your eCards right away, or schedule a delivery date in advance. Either way, it’s one more thing you can cross off your list.

If you fancy yourself to be a social media elf, Plaxo lets you deliver your eCards right to your friend’s Facebook wall. It only takes a few, easy steps and done! It’s a wonderful way to share your special, customized Holiday and New Year greeting on Facebook.

So, what are your waiting for? Check out Plaxo’s line of free and premium eCards now.

Ah, the office holiday party. It’s like the holidays, themselves. You can’t keep it from happening, so you may as well get on the train and stamp your ticket to merry-ville.

Holiday office parties can be a lot of fun. You spend quite a bit of time with the people you work with. An end of the year holiday celebration is a great way to thank employees and let down your hair…Halfway. If you stick to a few golden rules, you can enjoy the party and be able to show your face the next day.

1. Attend the party – Going to your office party shows that you’re a team player and that you like hanging out with your co-workers. It’s also perfect for networking and getting some priceless time with the head honcho.
2. Conduct yourself accordingly – There’s nothing wrong with dancing, dining and drinking. As long as you do everything in moderation. Give yourself a drink minimum and stick to it. Remember, this is an office party. Not your neighbor’s party.
3. Ask, if you don’t know – Can you bring a guest? Is there a dress code? Will there be a cab service provided? Not knowing the answers to these questions may bring on embarrassing, and unforgettable, situations you can’t take back.
4. Talk minimal business – It is a party so even though it’s okay to talk work, make sure it’s at a minimum. You don’t want to be the person who talked everyone’s ears off about the latest software update.
5. Network – Use this time of merriment to casually network with those in your company who could lend a hand up the ladder. Again, don’t go overboard. Be entertaining and professional.
6. Enjoy yourself – You’ve worked hard all year, so take this time to enjoy yourself. Be in the moment and act genuine.
7. Say thank you – Don’t forget to thank the person or persons who put the whole party together. Take the extra step and send a thank you card. Or, better yet, send them a Plaxo eCard. They’ll appreciate the thought.

What’s that saying? “Time is of the essence.” It means that you have a certain amount of time to get the job done. This statement pretty much runs our lives on a daily basis. Every day you wake up with specific to do’s and the items that don’t get crossed off that day just get added to the next day’s list. And, on and on it goes.

Since we can’t magically create more time, we have to do a better job of managing the time that we have. Get things done in a more efficient way that actually saves us time…And a little sanity.

• Upgrade your communication devices – It’s not about keeping up with the Joneses or being immersed in all things work related 24-7. It’s about becoming a more efficient person. If you don’t have a device that allows you to check emails, send texts, store contacts, share information, schedule calendar events, etc. away from the office, then you are doing yourself a huge time (and work) disservice.
• Schedule, schedule, schedule – For some scheduling is simply tedious. For others, it’s a religion. Giving yourself a schedule and timeframe of what to do and how long you have to do it is beyond helpful. It really is the only way to keep track of everything in today’s non-stop, action movie that is your life. Helpful tip – before you leave work, make a list of what you’ll need to do the following day. That way, it’s fresh in your mind.
• Utilize cloud software – Being able to grab your data from any one or your devices is a huge benefit. All of your pertinent information is stored in the cloud and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Plaxo’s Address Book is a great example of a cloud based solution. Your contacts travel with you everywhere and updates made using one device are immediately updated on all of your connecting devices. Your priceless contact information is never lost, because everything is stored in the cloud. Talk about timesaving.
• Learn to say “no” – Adding activities to your already busy day is not fun. It’s okay to turn down invitations, an extra meeting, a long lunch date, etc. If you know that they’re only going to give you less time to do the things you really want and need to do, then don’t do them. Take a raincheck. Chances are, you won’t enjoy yourself anyway. You’ll be too stressed out over how much time it’s taking.

We can’t add more hours to the day. But, we can make more time for ourselves by working smarter, not harder.

The end of the year is known for long nights, brisk days and holiday celebrations. But, this time of year is also known for major career changes. It’s a time when people leave their current positions to begin a new endeavor elsewhere. With so much shuffling going on, it’s important to stay up to date on all of your contacts’ information.

If you are one of the many who use Plaxo (and why wouldn’t you?) then coming to terms with updating your online address book is easy as pie. You don’t have to concern yourself with new changes (company, social media, etc.) because Plaxo does it all for you by automatically updating all of your contact’s information. The service proactively looks for old, outdated and missing information and updates as needed, even filling in the missing gaps. You can also say goodbye to those pesky duplicate entries when using Plaxo because it automatically merges those for you.

One of the amazing benefits of using Plaxo is the ability to sync your address book. The same applies for updates. When information in your address book is updated, the new information appears in all of your devices. You’re guaranteed the most up to date information available to you wherever you are.

And if you are the one who’s getting that awesome promotion or who’s moving on to a new company or even your own business, then Plaxo is the only service you should consider when you want your friends, family and colleagues to know with Plaxo’s Contact CardSharing tool. You can easily update your contact information and share some or all of it with whomever you wish – Plaxo sends them an update email for you.

Changing jobs is an exciting time. Join in the celebration knowing that your contact’s latest information is automatically updated, stored securely and is always at your side with Plaxo.

Even in today’s high tech workplace, a business card is still considered one of your most important marketing tools. The information on a business card is one of the most simplified, yet strategic forms of communication today. Yes, you have those who say that a business card has no place in the business world today, but I disagree.

A business card is a work of wonder. It’s something that is given to someone in hopes of further conversation, future business. It has your name, service and contact information all in one, little place. Sounds pretty essential to me. So, it’s not really that there’s no place for business cards anymore. It’s more about your business card being relevant. Being current. In other words, what are you doing with yours to bring it into the 21st century?

Back in the day, your “calling” card had your company name, your name, address, phone and fax number. Today, it’s all about website information, email addresses and your social media information. Oh, and your hard, printed business card is now a digitally accessible business card.

Yes, you knew it was coming. It’s okay, even good, to have a hard business card. But, that should not be your only vehicle for exchanging your business information.

If you haven’t already, consider Plaxo’s Contact CardSharing tool. With Contact CardSharing, you can send clients your information via email, SMS or QR Code. You can personalize your Plaxo Online Business Card to include your business information, plus your social media information for Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn and more. You can even include your picture so your contacts will know it’s you the minute they see your gorgeous mug. And, your Online Business Card can be made available to your clients via your very own URL. And you have full control on what you want to display publicly. Want to see mine? Go to redgee.myplaxo.com.

Your business card still has a job to do. Just make sure yours is doing its job in the 21st Century.

In honor of Halloween, the spookiest time of year, we thought it would be fun to come up with a few scary ways on how to run your business.

1. Using an actual hard business card

Wow! They still make those? It would be pretty scary to give your business card to someone only for it to end up in the trashcan (where it usually does). Don’t be frightened to replace your old, hard, doesn’t-fit-in-my-pocket business card for a savvy Online Business Card with Plaxo. You can create your own online business card with your very own URL (mine happens to be redgee.myplaxo.com). Publish what you want, including your social media info. and you’re all set. How cool is that?

2.  An unprofessional looking logo and a wacky website

In case you hadn’t figured this one out yet, if you have a logo that looks like it was made by your 7-year-old niece, it’s time for a new one. Your logo is usually the first thing a customer or client sees. Do you want it to represent your company or look like it should be taped to your refrigerator door next to the grocery list? And, if your website’s design and functionality harkens back to the time when websites were first introduced (flashing content, every color in the world, count display, etc.) then I beg you to stop it. Just thinking about those sites give me the creeps.

3. Out of date contacts (Yikes!)

Something keeping you up at night? Maybe it’s your outdated contacts. Trying to reach a client without having their new information is beyond frustrating; it could cost you that big deal. People move, change jobs, update phone numbers and emails. Instead of losing sleep over it, take advantage of Plaxo’s online address book. It updates your contacts automatically and can be accessed anywhere in the cloud.

4. Not appreciating your customers (Boo!)

Bad service scares away your customers. Yet, bad service takes place all the time. Your customers and clients are the reason your business is a success or a failure. You may offer an amazing product, but if you treat your clientele like ghosts, you may as well kiss them (and your business) goodbye. Care for your customers like they are the stars in your epic movie. Not like they’re Person #2 in a bad horror flick.

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Almost Famous”, about a teenage journalist who travels cross country with a rock band in the early 70’s, there’s a great scene where an editor at Rolling Stone is telling the young writer how to send them his story long distance. He refers to the device as a “Mo-Jo”, saying “It’s a very high-tech machine that transmits pages over the telephone. It only takes eighteen minutes a page!”

Of course, we all know he’s talking about a fax machine. What makes this even more ironic is that he’s talking about a means of communication that back then was considered to be an advancement in modern technology, but when viewing the movie in its present day, is considered to be ancient (or “classic” if you will).

It goes to show how much technology has advanced over the decades. How much it’s advanced over the past few years, even. We’ve gone from fax machines and pagers (remember those?) to social media and texting. How we communicate today has forever changed the way we do business and the way we interact with each other personally. Some may say that these types of advancements have stunted us socially, but I tend to look at these changes as a way to better improve our communication.

Today, it’s expected for businesses to have a website. If you don’t, you’re thought of as being out of touch. But, it’s a good thing because having a website means you can communicate with your customers and clients 24/7. As does a Twitter account, Facebook account and other social media sites. And, if you have a mobile device, you can access that communication from wherever you are.

On the personal side, your friends and family are at your fingertips via texting, online updates, email and the like. They can also see you from miles away over your computer or smart phone. And, with cool apps like BirthdayGram, you can send your video birthday wishes from wherever you are in the world. Pretty amazing.

So, yes, high-tech “mojos” have changed how we communicate today. Just imagine what it will be like ten years from now. Whatever the new tech is, I’m pretty sure it won’t take 18 minutes to do anything.