Plaxo is dead, Google is crappy !

Since Plaxo sync is dead the only way to store contacts over the air is Google contacts.
We can do this using nuevasync or google sync service
But both of them seems to be buggy when syncing field address.
We know that google uses only one field to store the address. Thank you google for this stupid choice !
So iPhone fields address are assembled in one google address field. But the field's order to sync one way is not the same for the other way and this for google sync and nuevasync.
Which mean that this is impossible to modify a contact other than from the application (Google WebUI or Contact iPhone app) it was created.

First an example with Nuevasync. I create a new contact on Iphone
Address:A1
Address:A2
Zipcode:Z1
Town: T1
Country: C1

After first sync, you can find in Google contact this address field
A1
A2
T1 Z1
C1

Which look likes good. It you change something from the Iphone, you still have the same fields order in Google.
But if you change something from Google, like this example:
A1-1
A2-1
T1-1 Z1-1
C1-1

After new sync, the iphone contact look like this:
Address:A1-1
Address:A2-1 T1-1 Z1-1
Zipcode:1
Town:C1-1
Country:

Amazing ! Isn't it ?

Ok, let's try with Google Sync Service.
First sync, contact created on Iphone
On google:
A1
A2
T1
Z1
C1

Changed Google to:
A1-1
A2-1
T1-1
Z1-1
C1-1

Gives on Iphone
Address:A1-1
Address:
Zipcode:Z1-1
Town:A2-1
Country:C1-1

So what can we do ?

Thank you.

This is obviously a bug in our service somewhere (possibly the Google contacts API changed since we tested this).
The way Google handles addresses at present is broken (for want of a better technical term), and I think they
acknowledge as much on the Contacts API developers forum. We've attempted to code around the brokenness,
but it looks like something isn't going to plan in the test case you cited.

FWIW we've been looking around for another contacts service to sync after the demise of Plaxo, but
so far nothing is looking terribly popular or useful. Suggestions are welcome.

Unbelievable that google is not able to give a better service !
Who are the Google's developers. Someone here ? We have to talk seriously

Unfortunately I don't know other contacts service. Plaxo was the deal !

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 29 Oct 2009 11:39 PDT

I must have missed something, what happened to Plaxo?
How about Yahoo?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 29 Oct 2009 11:41 PDT

Plaxo sync service is "closed", more precisely unavailable for a very long time, no forever !

Ah, that clears it up.

Interesting you brought up Yahoo. They do have a contact service, and and API.
We looked at support for Yahoo contacts a while ago. At the time
you had to request special access to the API to get write access, and to be allowed
to generate high traffic levels. We couldn't find a person a Yahoo to give us that
permission (not through lack of good connections with Yahoo people -- we have
those, but they couldn't track down the responsible person either).
Since that time nobody has asked for Yahoo support until was mentioned here.

May be worth another try.

So..although Yahoo has a contact API it isn't usable for our application without receiving special access (the public API is read-only for example).
Yahoo won't give us that special access.

Well thats a bummer.

The problem after communication with Plaxo is that an API that was no longer supported all the way back in 2008 was still being used by nuevasync. Nuevasync it appears did not work on a solution to use the new api. Nuevasync has let plaxo die and they need to get working on a solution. Any of us not wanting to pay for Mobile Me or deal with Google's lousy contact system trusts nuevasync to just work.

tcoliver wrote:Well thats a bummer.

It looks like we were successful in having their their policy changed: http://developer.yahoo.net/blog/archives/2009/12/yahoo_opens_write_access_to_contacts_api.html

how can my iPhone contacts all disappear just like that? I've synced them from google with nueva. Suddenly this morning I realised all contacts gone from iPhone and caanot get them back from google even tried all..

Matrixlawn wrote:how can my iPhone contacts all disappear just like that? I've synced them from google with nueva. Suddenly this morning I realised all contacts gone from iPhone and caanot get them back from google even tried all..

Hi, you need to report the problem to support on our web site (log in and go to the troubleshooting page), so they can investigate.

Well.. it was second time all my contacts vanished from iPhone (synced from google with nueva). I don't like contacts vanishing. So I just investigated Google own sync and it seems to work now very nice. Synced all mail, contacts and calendar.
I cannot find any reason for Nueva any more. Ty and bye

http://m.google.com/sync -- change your language to ENGLISH there for it to work and not give misleading error message.