UMCal for the iPhone

UPDATED: Screengrabs changed to allow for syncing more events. Check out C4 below.

This is off topic for the normal blog content, but here goes.

iPhone users at the UofM know that getting data from UMcal into your iPhone is painful at best, obnoxiously painful at worst. It involves a one way sync into iCal, then a sync through iTunes under the phone.

Not anymore! Synthesis AG has released “Todo+Cal+Sync” (clever names, those Germans). It’s a $14.99 app for the iPhone which can sync with the UMcal servers. It’s a standalone application on the phone – it doesn’t sync into the phone’s calendar app. That’d be ideal, but at least this solves the issue of adding events on your phone, or double checking an event, etc. No longer will I get to the east bank and then realize I don’t know what building I’m going to.

Here’s how to get it set up.

A) First, purchase and launch the app. Tap the sync settings icon in the upper left:

Syncsettings

B) Next, select the settings tab at the bottom. You’ll be modifying settings in the three areas I’ve highlighted below.

Settings Menu

C) First go into the server settings menu (B1). Add your username (C1) and password (C2) (university X500), and set the SynML version to 1.1 (C4).

Serversettings

D) Then, tap the url field (C3) and make it look like the screenshot below:

Serverurl

Get back to the main server settings screen (B1 above) and go into the Calendar and Todo settings. Make each of them look like they do below. You can choose the number of “past days” and “future days” – longer spans will take longer to sync.

Photo Calendarsettings

You’re done! Click done on the settings screen, click the synchronize button, and it (should) work.

6 thoughts on “UMCal for the iPhone

  1. Ha! Yes! This tutorial worked like a charm! Thanks for posting! I now have my calendar on my iPhone. No longer will I be on the West Bank and wonder what building/room I’m in.
    I used to think this “blogging” phenom was for losers, but this wonderful post has changed my mind! Thanks!

  2. Thanks, this is very helpful and I’ve shared it with colleagues here in Duluth. Have you figured out audible event and meeting notifications? I’m not getting then, even after setting a “Reminder at” in the calendar detail?

  3. I don’t think notification will come until the iphone gets background tasks, or the push notification service that apple promised arrives. Right now, the software can’t schedule things to happen when it’s not running, so it can’t pop up an alert.

  4. So how is this working?
    I’ve an ATT Tilt which I basically hate but it does sync with UMCal, via SyncML.
    Want and iPhone but worry about UMCal sync.
    Work well?
    TIA – Mike

  5. Like, people here have said it works, but… doesn’t integrate with the real iPhone calendar, doesn’t (can’t) warn you of up coming meetings. If you’ve used the SyncML client for Windows Mobile, you’ll be a little disappointed.
    Basically you’re paying $15 to have a nicely formatted view of your tasks and calendar, rather than having to long in and trying to use Safari to do these.
    Colin, do you not use the Contacts? If not, why not?
    It seems to be a good way to get contacts on the iPhone, if you’ve jailbroke and unlocked it.

  6. Just purchased this app and so far, this seems to work pretty well. Thanks for posting these instructions.

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