Shortly after releasing a tool for synchronizing Google Calendar with Outlook yesterday, Google released another key in the synchronization puzzle: an API for accessing Google contacts. The API will enable trusted 3rd party sites to access your Google contact information without asking you to provide your login information. So next time Facebook, Plaxo, or another service wants to import your Gmail, Google Calendar, or Google Talk contacts you might not have to give up your email password. Likewise, 3rd party software and web sites will be able to export contact lists to Google. And developers could write software that will keep your Google contacts synchronized with your desktop or mobile personal information manager.
In other words, if someone has some free time on their hands, they can write an application that will allow you to synchronize your Outlook and Google contacts. You know, like the application we were kind of hoping Google would release along with Google Calendar Sync yesterday.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-06-2008 @ 10:24AM
kingkool68 said...
Hmmm there is something that feels fishy about this. I kind of like having to give my Google password to access my info from a 3rd party site, it makes me feel in control. Now I don't.
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3-14-2008 @ 3:36PM
Jeebus said...
You like giving your Google password to 3rd party sites? That sounds fishy to me.
My password stays with me.
3-06-2008 @ 11:17AM
Joe B said...
How about before Google starts worrying about syncing my address book and such, they actually build a decent address book feature instead of the crap they have right now.
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3-06-2008 @ 11:18AM
Clarke said...
For me, the big deal here is the possibility of never syncing my blackberry with my pc ever again. I am currently using Google Calendar Sync, and Gmail for the blackberry. The only things left are tasks and contacts. I don't use tasks, so when an app shows up to sync my contacts, I will no longer need to sync with my pc.
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3-06-2008 @ 11:32AM
rushangshah said...
This software already does sync between Google contacts and Outlook contacts:
http://www.companionlink.com/products/companionlinkforgoogle.html
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3-06-2008 @ 2:38PM
Claudio said...
Does this mean that whenever I load Tagged.com homepage they'll be able to read my contact list and send spam emails to all my contacts?
Wow, that's cool!
=_=
What do they mean with "trusted"?
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3-10-2008 @ 8:52AM
Alek Davis said...
"[I]f someone has some free time on their hands, they can write an application that will allow you to synchronize your Outlook and Google contacts."
This would be really nice. I can't wait for a free Google-Outlook contact synchronizer.
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3-26-2008 @ 9:58AM
@kingkool68, @claudio, ... said...
You do need to type your password, but to Google not the "trusted" web site. So, you don't trust that web site that much, after all. You only give them a *one-time only* access to *a given set of your data* and they never learn your precious little password. What's so fishy about it?
"Trusted" means they ask you first, and when you click "Allow access" they assume you trust the site.
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4-01-2008 @ 4:07PM
Paul said...
Did you know Microsoft is also doing this?
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb463989.aspx
This allows access in the same way as Google, but to your Hotmail and Messenger contacts.
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