Google just announced a beta version of Google Sync that will let you sync over the air your Gmail Contacts and Google Calendar with your iPhone. Google Sync uses Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to allow updates (except Gmail) to be pushed between your Google account and your iPhone.

Instructions on setting up can be found on the Google Support page but do take note on a few points. As it is still beta, it is best that all data on the iPhone is fully backed up and your Mac’s AddressBook and iCal are updated.

Some additional points:

• Requires firmware 2.2 on both iPhone and iPod Touch
• If you already using another Exchange ActiveSync account with your iPhone, you can’t use Google Sync as the iPhone only supports one ActiveSync profile
• Gmail Contacts and Google Calendar must be updated before initiating the first sync as data on your iPhone will be deleted during setup
• Google Sync currently can support up to 5 calendars – read here on setting up the calendars to be synced
• Once you use Google Sync, you will not be able to sync your Calendar and Contacts on your iPhone via iTunes although you can use iTunes to update Gmail Contacts
• Google Sync is also available for those that has their own domains that uses Google Apps
• Not sure whether it will have any conflict with syncing via MobileMe concurrently with Google Sync. If you have both running side by side, do let us know
• Go to Google Mobile Help Forum for more information, problems listing and tips with using Google Sync

Watch a video introduction from Google about Google Sync:

Google released a new tool called Calaboration that simplifies the work to add your Google Calendars into iCal into a few simple steps.

1. Download the Calaboration setup tool from Google Code
2. Run the app and key-in your email and password to log into Google
3. Once signed in, you will see the calendars that is in your Google Calendar, simply select those you want to add into iCal and click the “Add to iCal” button
   • You’ll need ownership privileges before the calendars can be added

In a few moments, when you open your iCal, you will find those selected Google Calendars appearing on the left of your iCal. To find out more information, click on Preference and select Accounts. There you can find the various Google Calendars’ information.

Pretty easy to setup.

Syncing is pretty fast. Entries made in iCal is immediately sent to the cloud and appears in Google Calendar. Entries made in Google Calendar will also appear in iCal upon refreshing, whether automatically depending on the refresh rates set in Preference->Accounts, or done manually.

One issue when adding entries to the Shared calendar is you have to select the correct calendar on the left hand sidebar you are syncing to Google before you can create the entry in the calendar. No options to select other Shared calendars. Likewise, if you are selecting a native iCal calendar, you cannot add entries to the Shared calendars. This should be easily fixed…

One other thing I hope to be able to do now, is to sync a calendar from iCal to Google Calendar, including the ability to add/edit items while in Google Calendar. You can add your iCal calendar to Google Calendar if you publish it to MobileMe or your own server but it is only a read-only calendar.

When that happens, the cycle is complete!