Do you use multiple Google products (e.g. Gmail, Google Voice, Google Latitude, etc.) and wonder what information Google is storing in your account?

Google Dashboard now provides an account summary of all the data stored in each of the Google products you use.

The Dashboard also provides direct account links to help you manage data settings for each account.

Visit http://www.google.com/dashboard for more information.

The new XPERIA X10 looks pretty awesome.  Its camera even has smile detection!

Specifications include:

• Google Android OS
• 8.1 megapixel camera with face recognition and smile detection
• 4-inch touch display, 450×854 pixels wide
• 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU
• 1 GB onboard memory and 8 GB microSD memory card included
• All the other standard stuff…

This method uses a roundabout way to export your Lotus Notes address book and has three prerequisites.

1. You must have a mobile device that syncs with your Lotus Notes address book (i.e. a BlackBerry device.)
2. You must have a Gmail or Google Apps account with Google.
3. Your mobile device must be supported by Google’s Mobile Sync software.  (Click here to check) 

1. Install Google Sync for your mobile phone.
2. Configure Google Sync to connect to your Gmail account.
3. Sync your contacts.
4. Log in to your Gmail account and view your Contacts.
5. Click Export and select an option.

**Remember – Google Sync is a BETA product. Please be sure to back up your mobile device before installing Google Sync.

Free is good. Google has two hosted email solutions that offer great SPAM protection – Gmail and Google Hosted Apps. The fact that you, as a small business owner, can take advantage of Gmail and other Google apps using your own domain name is pretty powerful stuff.

SOLUTION ONE – Google Gmail Solution. Not a perfect solution. I’ll explain why in a minute. The Google SPAM filter worked extremely well during my tests. This is the easier of the two solutions to implement.

The following assumes that you have POP3 email server and account information for your domain.

How does it work?

1. Register for a Gmail account at Google.com.
2. Add you’re your POP3 email account to Gmail.
3. Gmail checks your email account and automatically filters SPAM and viruses.

What are the issues?

1. If you send a new POP3 email or reply back to a POP3 email using Gmail, Gmail adds the following to the ‘From:’ line: your_username@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it on behalf of Your Name [ you@yourname.tld This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ]A little sloppy. Not terrible.
2. In Gmail, you have two options for checking email with your POP3 email account.
   1. Download email to Gmail and delete it from your POP3 email server. Your email will no longer show up in your desktop email client. This will work fine if you plan to use Gmail as your mail client from now on.
   2. Leave a copy of the email on the POP3 email server. Your email will stay on the server and will be downloaded by your email client when you connect – SPAM and all!

SOLUTION TWO – Google Apps. Although this solution gets pretty technical, I highly recommend it. Feel free to drop me a line if you choose this option. I’ll do what I can to help you with the configuration. Basically, it involves you redirecting the email function from your current provider to Google. Your current provider may continue to host your website if you’d like. Google will take over your email hosting; most likely providing far superior SPAM and virus protection. This solution also eliminates both of the Solution One issues listed above.

Here’s the catch – Your current domain registrar must allow you to make the redirect changes to your existing domain.

Your registrar must allow you to make MX record changes to your DNS. Your MX (a.k.a. Email server) records must be updated to point to Google.com, NOT your current registrar. Other DNS entries for your website will remain intact.

DNS changes (including MX record updates) are typically done from an online control panel at your domain registrar.