Using ACT! Connect with my Blackberry

ACT! Connect is a great way of keeping your smart phone (Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Android) updated with your ACT! Contacts and Calendar. I'm using it to update my Blackberry's contacts and calendar.

To set it up, there's a link in ACT! 2012 under "Connections", helpfully called "ACT! Connect". Click on the free 30 day trial link. Once you've registered, you are sent a link to download an App to your phone and another one to install the software on your PC or Server. Follow the instructions and install the app and the PC software.

The synchronisation is all done through a secure Sage Portal, which usefully gives you a web calendar and contacts that you can view from any browser, like the iPad, and your laptop via Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari. You can schedule the PC to sync automatically with the portal. Your phone then syncs with the portal, which you can do manually or schedule this as well.

It's simple and it works and I like it. Have a look at the demo:

https://www.sageactconnect.com/js/auth/tours/SAC_demo.htm

Keep Shopping Around For Energy Deals?

There's a lot in the news at the moment about energy companies - you know, they're greedy, profiteering and so-on. Then I hear that only 15% of households actually do shop around for better energy deals.

The problem is that the 15% who do shop around find out after a while they're no better off. Plus people don't understand the bills they get. So is it any wonder people don't shop around?

I joined Utility Warehouse as a customer so I didn't have to keep shopping around for these reasons. The deal with Utility Warehouse is simple; they provide a price promise:

• The UK’s cheapest Home Phone
• The UK’s cheapest Home Phone and Broadband bundle
• The UK’s cheapest Mobile tariffs
• The UK’s cheapest standard Gas and Electricity

Or they will give you back Double the Difference!

Plus, there's a 10% discount available after a year. Simply put, good value. And, I can understand the bill!

You can save even more money by taking a CashBack Card.

For me this is what makes Utility Warehouse unique. No other utility company can do this.

The Cashback card is linked to your bank via a standing order. It is automatically topped up much like a pay-as-you go mobile. Or, you can top it up instantly by phone or online.

It is a Mastercard, so you can use it everywhere. Use it in-store at Utility Warehouse’s 39 partner stores and you receive a monthly discount off your Utility Warehouse single bill averaging 5% of what you’ve spent on the Cashback Card. Big name partner stores like Sainsbury’s, Asda, M&S, Boots, B&Q, Argos, Halfords, Homebase, Miss Selfridge and many more.

You can use your card to earn CashBack in conjunction with coupons, the Nectar Card, money off vouchers, promotional deals and online special offers too!

There's a one-off application fee of £9.99 for each card you request. There is no monthly fee for the first six months; after that each card costs £1.00 a month. There is also a 35p charge each time you top-up your card.

How much you save depends on how much you spend, but I would expect to save between £30 and £40 every month, bigger families will save much more.

Is that a better deal?

Find out more at http://www.1bill.co.uk