The Back Story

Google Sync for Mobile, like practically every Web-based service the search giant offers, is technically in "beta." (Introduced in 2004, Gmail is still in "beta," too.)

Google Sync for Mobile lets you wirelessly sync your Gmail contacts and up to five Google calendars with the address book and calendar programs on supported handhelds. Your phone will need a data plan in order to sync over the air with Google Calendar and Gmail contacts.

The concept is similar to and Microsoft Exchange, which is often used in corporate environments. In fact, Google Sync for Mobile uses Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync technology to sync contacts and calendars.

Here's how it works: If you make a change to your calendar on your handheld device, that change is automatically pushed wirelessly to your Google Calendar on the Web. You don't have to physically connect your handheld to your computer in order to sync the change to your master calendar.