iPhone Google and Gmail integration

This is something that has been on my To Do list for ages. I always gets in talks with other iPhone users about how I use my phone, cool things to install on it, to jailbreak or not to jailbreak. So, there is SO much that I love about my phone and so much that I have done to it, that i usually just zone out when I sit down and think about where to even start this post.

A couple people have asked me to do this recently, so I thought I would go ahead and get it done. I think this will be a series of posts instead of one huge one. First I will stick with the “legal” things to do, then we will get into the fun stuff!

Google/Gmail Integration: I wrote about this before. If you need to keep any kind of schedule what-so-ever, or need to keep up with your email while on the go, you should be using Gmail. Otherwise you are just NOT cool!! You can have your email, contacts, calendar, and tasks on your phone syncing over the air for FREE! And of course the desktop interface of Gmail rocks!

• Gmail does not yet offer PUSH for email, but IMAP is almost as good. Setting up your account is simple. Check out their instructions to get started.
• Setup Activesync to handle your contacts and calendar: The instructions for that are also pretty easy. IF YOU HAVE EXISTING CONTACTS ON YOUR PHONE, BE SURE TO BACK THEM UP FIRST BY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS ON GOOGLE’S SITE.
• Setup your Tasks: From your phone, visit http://m.google.com/tasks.  Click on the “Visit Now” link. Once you are logged in and viewing your Tasks list, click on the + in Safari and Add to Home Screen. You will then have an easy button to get to your Tasks.
  
• Setup the Gmail Mobile website: Even though you will have your Email, Calendar and Contacts syncing to your phone, keeping a shortcut to Gmail Mobile handy is useful for doing the few things that the iPhone does not support. This includes searching your email, archiving, starring mail, and inviting attendees to meeting appointments. Visit http://m.gmail.com and bookmark that one.
• You are also able to view and read your Google News feeds from the above link. And click on “More” for a flurry of other useful Google options.
• Install the Google Mobile App: From the App Store on your phone or in iTunes on your desktop, search for Google. Install the Google Mobile App for fast searching of web pages, local addresses and more. What is really cool is it support voice search!
• Google Talk: the Google Talk widget works from the iPhone as well! Visit http://m.google.com/talk from Mobile Safari and then add an icon to Springboard like you did above.
• Google Earth: Always cool to play with, this is supported on the iPhone as well. The App can be found in the Apple App Store.

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