FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARK/SPACE ANNOUNCES VERSION 5.0 OF THE MISSING SYNC FOR PALM OS
Improves Handheld and Smartphone Synchronization with Latest Mac OS X
Address Book, iCal, iPhoto, iTunes and More
LOS GATOS, Calif.–November 2, 2005–Mark/Space, Inc. today announced
version 5.0 of their award-winning Mac synchronization software, The
Missing Sync for Palm OS(R). This major upgrade improves syncing with the
Address Book and iCal applications in Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger”, introduces
folder synchronization, Spotlight searching of memos and adds
synchronization of iPhoto albums and iTunes playlists.
“Version 5.0 of The Missing Sync for Palm OS represents the realization of
our two-year plan to deliver an improved Palm OS synchronization experience
for Mac users,” said Brian Hall, president and CEO of Mark/Space. “Last
year, with the release of version 4.0, the focus was on connectivity,
device management and usability. Version 5.0 completes the picture by
vastly increasing the types of information that users are able to sync,
including handheld calendar categories and additional contact record
fields, providing a better experience all around.”
Most importantly for users, this release of The Missing Sync interfaces
with Tiger’s new Sync Services technology, allowing contacts, calendar
events and tasks to be synchronized directly with the master database on
the Mac. Previously, users had to go through Apple’s iSync utility and
iSync Palm(R) Conduit. Unfortunately, the latter has not been updated to
handle the latest handheld database fields, such as calendar event
categories, multiple postal addresses, instant messaging addresses, and
birthdays. The Missing Sync now does all this and more, even synchronizing
contact photos from Palm Treo smartphones and other camera-enabled Palm
handhelds.
“With its folder, iPhoto and iTunes synchronization capabilities, The
Missing Sync allows Mac users to better realize the potential of today’s
handhelds and smartphones, highlighting the power and flexibility of
devices like Palm’s LifeDrive mobile manager,” said Paul Leeper, director
of developer relations at Palm, Inc. “The Missing Sync enhances the sync
experience for Mac users.”
ALL-NEW FEATURES
Beyond improved synchronization with Tiger’s Address Book and iCal
applications, version 5.0 of The Missing Sync for Palm OS has many other
new capabilities.
Version 5.0 introduces a new Folder Sync conduit that allows users to
define folders on their Mac and Palm OS device that are then kept in sync
automatically. For example, if a document is edited on a Palm OS handheld,
the updated version will be copied back to the Mac the next time the Folder
Sync conduit is run. Users can define multiple folders and unidirectional
or bidirectional synchronization.
New conduits for iPhoto and iTunes provide media synchronization. iPhoto
albums can be selected for synchronization, and photos can be automatically
resized for optimized viewing on the Palm OS device. Additionally, photos
taken with a camera-equipped handheld or smartphone can be copied to the
Mac, either into a specific folder or directly into an iPhoto album.
The new iTunes conduit lets users select playlists to be synchronized with
their device. All audio files in a format supported by software on the
handheld are automatically copied. The plugin even supports Smart Playlists
that select music at random, so new audio files will be sent to the
handheld during every sync operation. Both the iPhoto and iTunes conduits
can be set to ensure that a specified amount of storage space is left
available on the device.
New connection-aware Conduit Profiles give The Missing Sync the ability to
run a specific set of conduits based on the type of connection made between
a Palm OS device and a Mac. One use of this feature could be to have all
conduits run when the device is connected via its cradle or USB cable, but
then to only run a subset of conduits if the connection is over Bluetooth
or Wi-Fi, saving time when using slower connections.
Mark/Space’s bundled MemoPad application runs on Mac OS X and gives users a
way to create, edit and synchronize handheld notes. With the 5.0 release,
MemoPad gains sorting and searching capabilities, and it also responds to
Spotlight searches on Tiger, giving users more ways to quickly locate the
information they need.
With all these features and more, Mark/Space didn’t forget the importance
of easy setup and use. A new series of Setup Assistants walks each user
through installing bundled handheld applications and configuring
synchronization settings for their specific needs. The user only needs to
answer a series of questions, and The Missing Sync takes care of the rest.
THIRD-PARTY DEVELOPER SUPPORT AND INTEL-BASED MACS
With the pending arrival of Intel-based Macs, many Palm OS device users who
work on the Mac platform are wondering about the future of interoperability
between their favorite devices. Mark/Space is working to ensure continued
Palm OS device connectivity with Mac OS X. The company’s engineers have
developed a bridge library for third-party conduit developers that will
help them make the transition to an Intel-based Mac platform. Conduits that
incorporate this bridge library will not only work with future versions of
The Missing Sync and Mac OS X on Intel, but they will also function under
The Missing Sync and HotSync(R) Manager today. This software component is
available for free to interested conduit developers; it may be downloaded
from the Developers section of the Mark/Space website:
http://www.markspace.com/developers.html.
PRICING, UPGRADES AND AVAILABILITY
The Missing Sync for Palm OS is available for immediate download (as a
four-language installer, including English, French, German and Japanese)
from the Mark/Space Online Store at http://www.markspace.com. The
electronic download sells for $39.95; retail packaged CD’s will be
available starting several weeks later for $49.95.
All customers who purchased The Missing Sync for Palm OS on or after
October 1, 2005 are eligible for free upgrades, while owners of any
previous Missing Sync product, regardless of platform, are able to take
advantage of a special upgrade price of $24.95. For additional information
on features, upgrades and system requirements, please visit
http://www.markspace.com/missingsync_palmos.php.
About Mark/Space, Inc.
Founded in 1990, Mark/Space, Inc., http://www.markspace.com, develops and
markets mobile and wireless software, including the award-winning Missing
Sync products that connect a Mac OS computer to handheld devices from
Danger, Dell, Garmin, HP, Motorola, Palm, Samsung, Sony and others.