text:
Version 126.96.36.199
Bug corrections:
- Windows Mobile: after an event was created or modified in Thunderbird and synchronized to the Windows mobile device, after the mobile device was reconnected, the event was synchronized again to Thunderbird
Version 184.108.40.206
Bug corrections:
- BirdieSync now better handles the synchronization of a high amount of events on iPhone (BirdieSync app 22.214.171.124 required on iPhone)
- Under some circumstances, mobile device with "Find host" enabled could not find a host with BirdieSync running
- If a specific version of adb was running (when HTC Sync 3.0 was running for instance), BirdieSync could not succeed in connecting via USB
- If synchronization frequency is set to "Manual", synchronization is no longer started if an item is modified on the Android device
Version 220.127.116.11
- Support of Thunderbird 24.x & Lightning 2.6.x
Version 188.8.131.52
- Support of Thunderbird 24.1
Version 126.96.36.199
- Support of Thunderbird 24.0
- Support of a more recent version of adb.exe 1.0.31 for Android
Bug corrections:
- Android & iPhone: in monthly and yearly recurrence, the use of a "last week" is no longer considered as a 5th week
- A tooltip and an application name was added to BirdieSync system tray icon so that the icon can remain hidden after a reboot
Version 184.108.40.206
If several devices with a similar operating system are synchronized (like an iPhone and an iPad), it is strongly suggested to install this new version.
Caution: Due to a new cleaning performed when BirdieSync starts, in some specific circumstances, the first synchronization could lead to the synchronization and creation of new items on the mobile device and on the desktop leading to potential duplicates.
- In log archiver, if the connected mobile device is an iPhone or an Android device, a warning message is now displayed asking to transfer again the mobile device log
- BirdieSync on the desktop and on Windows Mobile devices, Thunderbird and Sunbird extensions now have circular logs for better analysis
- Last version of adb.exe (1.0.31) is now provided to avoid potential USB connection problems with devices with new versions of Android.
Bug corrections:
- If several devices with the same operating system were synchronized (an iPhone and an iPad for instance), under some specific circumstances, the modification of an item on the desktop could lead to unexpected synchronizations on the other device.
- If an error occurred while deleting an item during the removal of duplicates, it may not be possible to relaunch the removal of duplicates with an unexpected error displayed.
Version 18.104.22.168
Bug corrections:
- If Thunderbird main menu bar was hidden, BirdieSync menu was not present in Thunderbird application Tools menu
Version 188.8.131.52
- Support of Thunderbird 17.0
- An option was added (File/Options/Miscellaneous) to be able to disable automatic start of BirdieSync when user log in (option specific to each user)
Bug corrections:
- If another instance of Thunderbird was running with a profile different from the synchronized one, it could take 1mn to launch the new instance of Thunderbird
- If several mobile devices were synchronized with BirdieSync, in some specific circumstances, if an item was modified or deleted while the mobile device was connected or if an unresolved item was resolved, it could affect the synchronization of an item on another mobile device
- Android/iPhone: if the IP address of the desktop dynamically changed, "Find host" no longer worked on the mobile device and needed a restart of BirdieSync on the desktop
Version 188.8.131.52
- Support of Thunderbird 16.0
- If a calendar is in read only mode and synchronization way is not "From PC to mobile device", an alert message is now displayed.
- A specific error message is now displayed if timezone service or calendars cannot be accessed and Lightning add-on needs to be reinstalled.
- In configuration wizard, current Thunderbird/Sunbird profile and path is now automatically selected.
- In the tool to remove duplicates a status is now displayed mentioning the beginning and the end of the operation.
- If Thunderbird/Sunbird profile and path are not set in BirdieSync options or wizard, an error message is now displayed
- If Thunderbird/Sunbird path are not directories with thunderbird.exe/sunbird.exe in BirdieSync options or wizard, an error message is now displayed
- A specific error message is now displayed if installed adb.exe could not be found.
- In Sunbird wizard, Sunbird is now selected as the default calendar application instead of Lightning
- iPhone: an error message is now displayed if BirdieSync is not authorized to access to contacts or calendars on the iPhone.
Bug corrections:
- Installer better handles installation on Standard or Limited user account
- Icons were not displayed in alert messages
- It is now possible to transfer mobile device log when no category of items is selected to be synchronized
- It is no longer possible to ask for a transfer of the mobile device log with Windows Mobile devices
- In log archiver, status mentioning the result of the archive generation was displayed too briefly
- If the tool to remove duplicates encountered and error while enumerating items, Thunderbird could crash.
- Configuration wizard can no longer be hidden at Thunderbird startup
- In BirdieSync wizard or options, errors could be displayed with a scrollbar
- Android/iPhone: tasks and mails are no longer mentioned in help message refering to Activation tab
- iPhone: if an event was present more than 1 year in the future in Thunderbird, after being synchronized on the iPhone, at next synchronization, event could be deleted
Version 220.127.116.11
- Support of Thunderbird 15.0
Version 126.96.36.199
- Support of Thunderbird 14.0
Version 126.96.36.199
Bug corrections:
- The tool to remove duplicates could not delete duplicated items
- When a contat photo was synchronized from the mobile device to Thunderbird, editing the contact in Thunderbird could make the photo disappear (note that this behavior is fixed only for contact photos which have been synchronized again with this new version from the mobile device to Thunderbird)
Version 126.96.36.199
- Support of Thunderbird 13.0
Version 22.214.171.124
Although BirdieSync was heavily tested, before installing this new version, it is highly recommended to BACKUP your data as mentioned in this FAQ topic:
- Event synchronization for iPhone (requires BirdieSync 18.104.22.168 on the App Store and at least iOS 4.0)
Note that for iPhone, only events withing 1 year in the past and 1 year in the future are synchronized.
Version 22.214.171.124
Bug corrections:
- At installation or uninstallation time, an error could be displayed mentioning that it was impossible to get temporary directory path
Version 18.104.22.168
Bug corrections:
- If an error happened while reading an event, Thunderbird could crash while synchronizing
- If Sunbird was selected to synchronize events, it was not possible to select mail folders to be synchronized in Thunderbird BirdieSync options.
- Component loader version was incorrect
Version 184.108.40.206
Although BirdieSync was heavily tested, before installing this new version, it is highly recommended to BACKUP your data as mentioned in this FAQ topic:
- Support of Thunderbird 12.0
Bug corrections:
- In Thunderbird, if a birthday or anniversary contact date was set prior to 1970, this date could be not synchronized.
Version 18.104.22.168
Bug corrections:
- Modified or deleted event occurrences could be not synchronized
Version 220.127.116.11
Bug corrections:
- Some Thunderbird contacts could be marked as unresolved because they could not be found in Thunderbird.
Version 188.8.131.52
Bug corrections:
- When wizard was launched at new installation, an error message with a parsing error could be displayed
- If BirdieSync window was maximized before being closed, then window was not maximized again when reopened
Version 184.108.40.206
Due to internal database changes, once installed, it is only possible to revert to a previous version of BirdieSync if you remove BirdieSync database at uninstallation, which will reset all synchronizations.
- Support of Thunderbird 11.0
- BirdieSync has been translated to German ! iPhone and Android version in German will be updated separately when their next version will be published. A big thank you to all users who participated to the translation: Christoph21x, servantoftheking, lhsei1, wolffc, mdumbsky and all the other contributors !
- BirdieSync window size and History column sizes are now saved and restored when application is restarted
Bug corrections:
- A big number of contacts in Thunderbird could slow down the synchronization of contacts. Performance has been improved.
- If two events had the same identifier in two different calendars in Lightning/Sunbird, the event could be marked unresolved with the reason mentioning that it couldn't be found on the desktop.
- On some computers, at installation time, an error message may incorrectly been displayed mentioning that a user account with administration rights had not these rights
Version 22.214.171.124
Bug corrections:
- When synchronizing events from the mobile device to a Google calendar, Thunderbird could crash.
Version 188.8.131.52
- Support of Thunderbird 10.0
Bug corrections:
- If a portable version of Thunderbird was used, mail folders may not be displayed in BirdieSync options.
- Android: If contacts had "SyncId" stored in a phonetic field because of the use of another synchronization software, all contacts could be sorted at letter S on the Android device.
Version 126.96.36.199
- Support of Thunderbird 9.0
- If an error occurs while accessing to Lightning calendars, it is advised to reinstall it.
Version 18.104.22.168
- Android: Latest version of adb.exe used to connect to the Android device via USB is included
Bug fixes:
- If Lightning was not enabled in Thunderbird, an error was displayed when opening BirdieSync options
Version 220.127.116.11
- If a calendar is renamed and synchronized with an Android device, a warning is now displayed advising to reset event synchronization
Bug fixes:
- If an address book or calendar was renamed, opening BirdieSync options again still displayed the old name. A restart of Thunderbird or Sunbird was necessary to take the renaming into account.
- If an address book or calendar was renamed, synchronization process still used the old name. A restart of Thunderbird or Sunbird was necessary to take the renaming into account.
- In BirdieSync options, mail folders are now no longer displayed if current Thunderbird profile no longer matches the profile selected for synchronization.
- If a new Thunderbird or Sunbird profile is selected for synchronization, old address books, calendar or mail folders previously selected to be synchronized are now no longer selected.
- In French, a few translations hadn't their parameters replaced.
Version 184.108.40.206
Caution: Due to changes in Thunderbird 8.0 regarding the installation control of third-party add-ons, it is necessary to authorize the installation of BirdieSync add-on in Thunderbird. In new 'Install add-on' tab for BirdieSync, check 'Allow this installation'."
- Support of Thunderbird 8.0
- BirdieSync on the desktop is now fully translated in French.
Bug fixes:
- If abd.exe process could not be stopped, BirdieSync could display an unexpected error when started
Version 188.8.131.52
Bug fixes:
- Opening BirdieSync options in Sunbird could display an unexpected error
Version 22.214.171.124
Caution: Installing this new version can possibly lead to the full resnchronization of contacts.
- In BirdieSync options in Thunderbird, "Contact" panel, "Miscellaneous" tab, it is now possible to select how to synchronize the "Display name" field in both synchronization ways: "Not synchronized", "Remote 'Display name'", "First name Last name", "Last name, First name"
- Android: it is now possible to synchronize the "Display name" field
- Android: A synchronization icon and a notification is now displayed in the notification bar when BirdieSync is synchronizing
- If the versions installed on the mobile device and the desktop don't match, an error message with more precise explanations is displayed.
- An error message is now displayed at BirdieSync starting on the desktop if preference file was corrupted
- If an error happens when opening or using BirdieSync options window in Thunderbird or Sunbird, an error window is now displayed about the error suggesting to send logs to support.
Bug fixes:
- Android: In some particular circumstances, synchroning a modified item on the device or the desktop could lead to the unnecessary re-creation of another item on the device with an incorrect item name in the history.
- Android: Android system could stop BirdieSync process while synchronizing and disrupt the communication between the Android device and the desktop
- Android: on HTC devices, during synchronization over the air, the display no longer goes to sleep to avoid connection disruption even if the Wi-Fi sleep policy is set to "Never".
- Windows Mobile: If "is 'Diplay name' field filled with 'Last name, first name'" option was not checked and if a contact had no first name and last name but only a company name, "Display name" on Windows Mobile device was <unknown>
Version 184.108.40.206
- Support of Thunderbird 7.0
Bug fixes:
- In some rare occasions, BirdieSync synchronization could hang
Version 18.104.22.168
Bug fixes:
- When started, BirdieSync could crash displaying 0xc0150002 error
- After BirdieSync has been updated to 18.104.22.168 and Thunderbird 6.0, BirdieSync menu could no longer appear in Thunderbird
- Using the tool to remove duplicates, enumeration of items during duplicate search could be very slow.
Version 18.104.22.168
- Support of Thunderbird 6.0
Bug fixes:
Windows Mobile: Mail with an empty body synchronized from the mobile device could have an incorrect body.
Version 126.96.36.199
- Android: An error is now displayed if no event account was selected in BirdieSync settings on the Android device
- Android: A specific error is now displayed if a contact is placed in a group whose account is different from the contact one.
Bug fixes:
- Android: If an important number of contacts were modified in Thundebird, synchronization of contacts and events could lead to unresolved items.
Version 126.96.36.199
- Support of Thunderbird 5.0
In order to allow Android users to still use the stock application to manage accounts, BirdieSync account is no longer used to synchronize contacts.
To bring more flexibility and to solve some specific problems with some Android devices, it is now possible to choose which contact and event accounts you wish to synchronize in BirdieSync options on the Android device.
After having installed BirdieSync on the Android device, please open BirdieSync settings and review account settings. Refer to BirdieSync help (Android account settings) for more information.
Contact synchronization should be RESET. If your contact were up-to-date in Thunderbird, you may choose "Replace" option at next synchronization.
- Android: Display name is no longer synchronized because it cannot be edited with stock calendar application.
- Android: It is now possible to manually remove calendars in accounts where calendars can be created by the synchronization (Menu/Remove calendar)
- Android: System log and BirdieSync device preferences are now archived by log archiver to easy bug investigation.
Bug fixes:
- If BirdieSync cannot listen to incoming connections because of a firewall, an explicit message is now displayed instead of an unexpected error
- If was not possible to launch help or log archiver from Thunderbird or Sunbird
- Android: Import of events could not propose to import events from accounts which had several calendars
- Android: In some particular circumstances, contacts could be synchronized from the mobile device to the PC each time you connected your mobile device.
Version 18.104.22.168
This version is only compatible with Thunderbird 3.1 and Sunbird 1.0b1
Although BirdieSync was heavily tested, before installing this new version, it is highly recommended to BACKUP your data as mentioned in this FAQ topic:
To avoid problems with some specific Android devices, it was necessary to create an independant BirdieSync account to store contacts on the device. Contacts must be now created in BirdieSync account to be synchronized, and no longer in the default account of the Android device.
Therefore, if your Android device had already been synchronized with BirdieSync, it will be necessary to synchronize again all the contacts from Thunderbird to the empty BirdieSync account. To avoid duplicates with contacts already synchronized in the default account, it is necessary to remove them. The option to remove them will be displayed at the first synchronization. You may choose this option if you want to avoid having duplicates (the same contact would be present in the default account and in BirdieSync account). You can also remove events in the default account later using the menu "Remove events" on the mobile device.
If you now want to create or edit a contact that you wish to be synchronized with BirdieSync, choose "Create BirdieSync contact" or "Edit BirdieSync contact" after you asked the contact application to create or edit a contact.
- Android: Contacts are now synchronized in BirdieSync account and no longer in default contact account.
- BirdieSync contact creation and edition have now their own screen.
- Android: It is now possible to import contacts and events from other accounts in BirdieSync account (on the mobile device, menu Import/Remove)
- Android: With Android 2.1 devices not supporting HTC Sense, it is now possible to synchronize events with calendars belonging to other accounts than Google.
- Android: Display name is now synchronized.
- Android: If an item has an incorrect format and stops the enumeration of items on the mobile device, an error is now displayed identifying the problematic item.
- Android: An error is now displayed if several calendars have the same name in the same account.
Bug fixes:
- Under some circumstances, an unexpected error could be displayed when starting BirdieSync
- When the window to choose the synchronization mode (replace/combine) was displayed on the desktop, the synchronization status was not displayed on the mobile device
- If the selection of a Sunbird calendar to be synchronized was modified in Thunderbird (and vice versa), the calendar could not be found at next synchronization and the calendar could appear unselected in Sunbird.
- Windows Mobile: If an item was marked unresolved and if another item was modified on the mobile device while connected, the latter could be not synchronized on the desktop. Also application could not exit.
- Android: On some devices, if a Google account was created, new contacts were added to this account and could not be synchronized with BirdieSync
- Android: On some devices, contacts previously synchronized with BirdieSync in default contact account were considered as deleted at next synchronization
- Android: On some 2.1 devices, new contacts created on the mobile device were added to BirdieSync account and were not synchronized by BirdieSync
- Android: An unexpected error could be displayed with Android 3.x devices when synchronizing events
- Android: Although "Screen name" was synchronized on the Android device, it wasn't displayed in Android Contact application.
- Android: Connecting with a WAN hostname could take 30s
- Android: If a calendar name has \ (backslash) in name, after the first synchronization, items could be deleted on the desktop at the next synchronization.
- Android: Some events with a specific duration format could lead to an unexpected error
- Android: Some recurring events with an incorrect recurrence format could stop the synchronization with an unexpected error
- Android: If other calendar applications were installed on the mobile device, synchronization could stop with an unexpected error
- Android: If a calendar was no longer selected to be synchronized in Sunbird BirdieSync options while synchronizing with Thunderbird (or vice versa), that could lead to incorrect deletions of events on the desktop in this calendar.
Version 188.8.131.52
Bug corrections:
- When a communication failure happened with the mobile device, it could be displayed for Thunderbird or Sunbird instead
Version 220.127.116.11
Android: On Android 2.1 mobile device, not supporting HTC Sense, as a workaround, it is now possible to synchronize with Google calendars.
Android: Keyboard is no longer immediately shown when Settings are displayed
Bug corrections:
Android: If no Wi-Fi or cellular network was present, asking for a connection could make the application crash
Android: When interacting with Android synchronization service, another BirdieSync process could be created and crash and the synchronization icon could remain in the status bar
Version 22.214.171.124
Bug corrections:
Android: If USB debugging was not enabled, a warning was displayed when the mobile device was plugged. Application could crash when pressing the OK button.
Version 18.104.22.168
Android: BirdieSync now runs in background on the mobile device. If a contact or an event is modified on the mobile device while it is connected to the desktop, synchronization is automatically launched.
Android: It is now possible to enter the local PC hostname instead of the IP address to connect over Wi-Fi.
Android: Huge performance improvement in contact comparison between the mobile device and the desktop after first synchronization
Android: If a local address is used while connecting over the cellular network, an alert is displayed
Android: If the connection fails and if the mobile device is connected over the cellular network, it is suggested to switch to Wi-fi if the host address is local.
Bug corrections:
- If an item could not be created on the desktop and appeared unresolved, clicking on "Deleted item" removed the item, but it sill appeared unresolved. Potential crash could happen during the resolution.
- If a single item category was synchronized, then the progress bars of the other categories were also reset.
- If a mail folder was no longer selected to be synchronized, a warning was unproperly displayed to the user mentioning that items would be deleted on the desktop and the mobile device
- Android: If password was not set on the mobile device and if the mobile device was connected over USB, an unexpected error could be displayed
- Android: It was necessary to set the password to be able to connect over USB
- Android: If BirdieSync was not running on the desktop or if the firewall didn't authorize BirdieSync to accept incoming connections, connection attempt could never end
- Android: If the USB connection error message was displayed on the desktop, it could then be impossible to reconnect the mobile device
- Android: If a calendar was no longer selected for synchronization and if the mobile device was not disconnected, items were removed on the mobile device at next synchronization
- Android: If a calendar was no longer selected to be synchronized and if the mobile device was reconnected, a warning was unproperly displayed to the user mentioning that items would be deleted on the desktop and the mobile device
Version 184.108.40.206
Bug corrections:
- After having synchronized with "Combine" options, if duplicates were removed at the end of the synchronization, at next synchronization, an incorrect warning could be displayed mentioning that items will be deleleted on the desktop and the mobile device
Version 184.108.40.206
Bug corrections:
- Icon displayed in error message could be incorrect
- Android: Over the air connection could be disrupted during the synchronization
- Android: If the mobile device was rotated, the synchronization status was set to "Not connected to host". Connecting could then display an error.
- Android: If a mobile device had been connected over the air, plugged and then unplugged, the connection was disrupted
- Android: If Wi-Fi and cellular networks were disabled, it was not possible to connect with a USB connection
Version 22.214.171.124
Bug corrections:
- Android: BirdieSync application could freeze when trying to connect to the desktop over USB
- Android: On some devices, BirdieSync could not connect over USB, displaying an error message on the device and no message on the desktop
- Android: Events synchronized from the desktop didn't raise an alarm on the device (no sound or notification message) although the alarm was properly synchronized
Version 18.104.22.168
- Android devices can now synchronize over a USB connection
Bug corrections:
- A message is now displayed if BirdieSync server port is already used
- Android: Some recurring events with an incorrect recurrence format could stop the whole synchronization with an unexpected error
Version 22.214.171.124
Bug corrections:
- On Android devices, in some particular circumstances, calendar synchronization way could be incorrect.
Version 184.108.40.206
Bug corrections:
- BirdieSync process could exit immediately after being started in a new installation
Version 18.104.22.168
Bug corrections:
- Upgrading from a version of BirdieSync newly installed since 18.104.22.168 could lead to an unexpected error
Version 18.104.22.168
Bug corrections:
- Windows Mobile: An unexpected error could be displayed when connecting the mobile device
- Android: At the very first synchronization, if calendars selected for synchronization didn't exist yet on the mobile device and events were present in other calendars on the mobile device, synchronization in "Combine" mode could lead to unresolved items.
Version 126.96.36.199
Bug corrections:
- Installation of Microsoft VC Redistributable could leave file in C:
- Android: Recurring events synchronized from Thunderbird with deleted occurrences could lead to unresolved items
- Android: On Motorola device, a contact which was manually created on the mobile device was not synchronized in Thunderbird
- Android: On Motorola device, rebooting the mobile device could lead to the deletions of contacts in Thunderbird previously synchronized from Thunderbird
- Android: On Morotola device, birthday date was not properly synchronized
- Android: Version was not traced in the log
Version 18.104.22.168
Bug corrections:
- Android: On Samsung devices, synchronization could stop with an unexpected error during enumeration of the events on the mobile device.
- Android: On HTC devices, contact emails were not synchronized to Thunderbird.
- Windows Mobile: Thunderbird contact, event and task descriptions with only one character was not synchronized on the mobile device.
Version 18.104.22.168
Bug corrections:
- Android: Because of the specific definition of some recurring events, synchronization could stop with an unexpected error during enumeration of the events on the mobile device.
Version 18.104.22.168
- Event synchronization for Android devices
Users who tried BirdieSync Android version previously can test these new features during 10 more days of trial period
Although BirdieSync was heavily tested, before installing this new version, it is highly recommended to BACKUP your data as mentioned in this FAQ topic:
Bug corrections:
- If items were deleted on the mobile device, it could lead to the duplication of other items at next synchronization.
- If an occurrence was modified on the device in a all day series, after synchronization in Lightning/Sunbird the series event still appeared beside the modified occurrence.
- Windows Mobile: In some rare circumstances, if the difference of times between the mobile device and the desktop was too important, the synchronization could stop with an unexpected error.
- Android: application exited when the orientation of the device was changed
- Android: In settings, the "Save" button could remain grayed out even if fields were properly filled.
Version 220.127.116.11
Bug corrections:
- Under some circumstances, BirdieSync could not be started and a message "Cannot get user application directory" was displayed
- It was not possible to use BirdieSync if Thunderbird/Sunbird profile was accessed with a NTFS junction point.
- Android: If a field different than contact name fields was modified in Thunderbird, synchronization could lead to an unresolved item
Version 22.214.171.124
- Support of Android contact synchronization
- IP addresses are now listed on several lines when displayed in BirdieSync synchronization options
Bug corrections:
- Sometimes, exiting BirdieSync desktop application had no effect
- Thunderbird could crash after being set online again.
- In some particular cases, synchronization of recurring events on Windows Mobile devices could lead to unresolved items
- Sunbird and Miscellaneous panel are now hidden in BirdieSync options if the mobile device is an iPhone
- If an error happened while reading the characteristics of a particular storage device, the list of storage devices could not be filled in BirdieSync options
- The installer no longer mention events, tasks and mails when installing BirdieSync for iPhone devices
- No error message was displayed at startup if the user application data directory could not be found
- iPhone: application could crash while synchronizing particular contacts already present on the iPhone
- iPhone: entering a hostname instead of an IP address in the settings made the application crash when connecting
- iPhone: if the hostname could not be resolved, no error message was displayed
- iPhone: in some rare circumstances, identical passwords set on the desktop and the mobile device could mismatch
- iPhone: the "File as" field in Thunderbird contact was emptied when the contact was synchronized from the iPhone
Version 184.108.40.206
Bug corrections:
- If ActiveSync (XP) or the Windows Mobile Device Center (Vista or 7) had never been installed, a crash or an error mentioning that the DLL rapi.dll was not found could be displayed when launching BirdieSync. BirdieSync options could not open in Thunderbird.
- On Windows Mobile devices, when disconnected, BirdieSync log could abnormally increase.
- BirdieSync window did not open when BirdieSync was minimized in the system tray and another instance of BirdieSync was launched.
Version 188.8.131.52
- Support of iPhone contact synchronization
Bug corrections:
- Some error messages displayed on Windows Mobile devices could be hidden
Version 184.108.40.206
During installation of this new version, before the new mobile device part of BirdieSync is installed, you may see an "unexpected error" displayed: please ignore it. It comes from an incompatibility with the previous version still installed on the mobile device.
Because of internal changes in Lightning, synchronization of events and tasks will be reseted and you'll have to choose again which calendars you wish to synchronize for events and tasks in BirdieSync options. Then you'll have to activate again event and task synchronization in BirdieSync "Activation" tab.
Before the installation of this new version, it is highly recommended to BACKUP your data as mentioned in this FAQ topic:
- Support of Thunderbird 3.1 and Lightning 1.0b2
Users who tried BirdieSync previously can test these new features during 10 more days of trial period
Version 126.96.36.199
Bug corrections:
- If the time zone on the mobile device had no Daylight Saving Time (DST), an unexpected error could be displayed when connecting the mobile device
- Creating a new mail account could lead to a crash of Thunderbird
Version 22.214.171.124
- An error is now displayed on the mobile device if a Windows Mobile 2003 version is installed instead of the correct Windows Mobile 5.x/6.x version.
Bug corrections:
- If mails were downloaded from the internet on the mobile device and then synchronized in Thunderbird, it could lead to a communication failure with Thunderbird which could sometimes crash.
- If a Windows Mobile 2003 version of BirdieSync was installed on a mobile device with Windows Mobile 5.x or 6.x, an error was displayed when BirdieSync was started on the mobile device, even after the correct version was installed again.
Version 220.127.116.11
- The context of the synchronization is now displayed in Birdiesync log.
Bug corrections:
- If some items could not be synchronized, BirdieSync could sometimes crash on the desktop.
- Synchronizing a recurring event with a lot of modified occurences could lead to additional synchronizations from the mobile device at the end the synchronization. The speed to synchronize such events is now improved.
- If several mobile devices were synchronized with BirdieSync, removing a mobile device in the Activation tab could lead to a full new synchronization of the other devices with duplicates on both devices. The history was also unproperly cleaned for all devices.
- If an unresolved item was duplicated, it could stop the first full synchronization with an unexpected error
Version 184.108.40.206
- BirdieSync now supports Sunbird 1.0b1
- It is now possible to order the columns of the History tab and for instance to keep the most recent entries at the top of the list. The setting is kept even if BirdieSync is restarted.
- The period of time to detect that BirdieSync mobile part could not connect was increased
- It is now possible to choose to hide the message mentioning that BirdieSync mobile part could not connect
Bug corrections:
- Mobile device contacts created from Google and then synchronized in Thunderbird could have an incorrect birthday date
- If an address book/calendar/mail folder selected for synchronization was not found, its name was not present in the error message. This message is now more detailed.
- When BirdieSync desktop program is not running while the mobile device is connected, connection errors are no longer traced to avoid increasing the size of the log on the mobile device.
- On Windows Mobile 5.x-6.5 devices, synchronization of modified contacts without photo from the desktop could lead to additional synchronizations from the mobile device at the end the synchronization.
- On very particular circumstance, the log archiver could not start and displayed an unexpected error.
- Directory listing in logs displayed the first file of a folder twice.
- If Sunbird was running when reinstalling BirdieSync over a previous installation, it could be impossible to install some files
Version 220.127.116.11
Caution: Users who installed 2.0.1.x are advised to update to 220.127.116.11
Bug corrections:
- When reconnected, the mobile device could be sometimes identified as a new one leading to a full resynchronization
- During installation, an error could be incorrectly displayed mentioning that the user used to execute the installer was different from the session user
Version 188.8.131.52
- BirdieSync now installs for all users on the computer
- In uninstallation, it is now possible to remove synchronization data
- Installation log is now only stored in temporary folder
- Mobile device installation log now contains the 2 phases of the installation
Bug corrections:
- BirdieSync installer could crash
- After an installation on a new mobile device, an unexpected error could be displayed preventing the connection of BirdieSync mobile device part
- BirdieSync could leave installation files in temporary folder
- Uninstallation could leave files if Thunderbird or Sunbird was running
Version 18.104.22.168
Caution: installing this new version could lead to the synchronization of some items from the mobile device to the PC during the first connection
- The mobile device no longer needs to be "application unlocked" which was generally the case of Smartphones (no touch screen)
- On Windows Vista and 7, the Windows Mobile Device Center is no longer needed to install BirdieSync. So now BirdieSync can install and run without needing the Windows Mobile Device Center.
- If an item is synchronized to a read only calendar, the failure reason is now displayed in the unresolved items list
- Logs and data on mobile device were moved to BirdieSync application data directory
- Registry key names are now properly displayed in logs
- Progress status and mobile device status are now distinct in log archiver
- New error messages are now displayed:
Impossible for BirdieSync on the mobile device to connect to the desktop
Impossible to lock a mail folder
Impossible to access a mail folder
Listing of mails in a folder is interrupted
BirdieSync is not installed on the mobile device
BirdieSync is not compatible with the version of Thunderbird or Sunbird
Another instance of BirdieSync is running under a different user windows account.
Bug corrections:
- BirdieSync now fully supports the installation on a Windows standard user account (elevation with administrator rights is still needed)
- The creation of new mail folders synchronized on the mobile device could lead to a communication failure.
- Synchronization of mails on the mobile device could be slow on Windows Mobile 5.x devices.
- On Windows Mobile 2003 devices, synchronization of recurring events with alarms from the desktop could lead to additional synchronizations from the mobile device at the end the synchronization.
- An error displayed after a previous one could display incorrect parameters.
- If lines in Thunderbird or Sunbird profiles.ini were commented with a ';' character, an error was displayed during installation when cleaning profiles.
Version 126.96.36.199
Bug corrections:
- Contact category was not synchronized
- Desktop events and tasks with non local date and time were not synchronized with the correct time
- If a mobile device appointment had attendees, synchronization of this item in a Google calendar could lead to an unresolved item
- Sending of invitations is now disabled when synchronizing an event in a Google calendar
- If an appointment synchronized with a Google calendar was modified twice on the mobile device, it could lead to an unresolved item
- Synchronization of contacts could sometimes lead to an "unexpected error"
- If a contact with a photo was modified on the mobile device and then if the contact was edited in Thunderbird, the photo was no longer displayed in the photo tab.
- In the confirmation window to delete items during the synchronization, a tip was added to reset the synchronization.
Version 22.214.171.124
The long awaited BirdieSync 2.0 is now available ! This is a major step for BirdieSync since it now has its own synchronization engine, no longer relies on ActiveSync for synchronization and supports Thunderbird 3.0 and Lightning/Sunbird 1.0. Here are some of the new functionalities available in this version:
Supports of the new versions of Thundebird and Sunbird:
- Thunderbird 3.0 and Lightning (1.0b1)/Sunbird 1.0b2pre (17th of January) support
- Photo synchronization
Better control of synchronization:
- New synchronization engine (no longer uses ActiveSync for synchronization)
- History of all the operations performed during the synchronization
- Easy identification and management of the possible unresolved items
- You can now synchronize with more than 2 computers (ex: home, work and laptop)
- Setting of the synchronization frequency (it was not possible with ActiveSync in Vista and 7)
- Possibility to choose which version to keep if an item was simultaneously modified on desktop and mobile device (it was not possible with ActiveSync in Vista and 7)
- Possibility to replace all your items on the mobile device at first synchronization (it was not possible with ActiveSync in Vista and 7)
- You can also restart from start the synchronization of a single category of items (contacts, events, etc.)
More user-friendly:
- Errors during synchronization are now clearly displayed (no more "attention required")
- Independent synchronization set up and no more confusion with Outlook synchronization
- It is no longer necessary to reconnect the mobile device after BirdieSync options were updated
- Common errors on the mobile device no longer disconnect the mobile device and are displayed on the desktop
- All synchronization information is accessible from a single window
More security:
- Confirmation requested if the number of deleted items is superior to a configurable threshold
- Warning displayed if the mobile device hadn't been synchronized for a long period of time
This new version relies on an entirely new synchronization engine. Although this version has been thoroughly tested, before installing it, it is STRONGLY recommended to BACKUP your data as described in this FAQ topic.
Known problems:
No warning is displayed if items are deleted on the mobile device because there were synchronized in a folder whose synchronization way is "From PC to mobile device".
If you install BirdieSync on a restricted Windows user account (no administrator rights), it is necessary to exit BirdieSync (and possibly Thunderbird or Sunbird) at the of the installation and to save again BirdieSync synchronization options as well as BirdieSync options in Thunderbird or Sunbird. It may also be necessary to clean up extension cache as described in this FAQ topic.
Download and installation:
You must first install Thunderbird 3.0 and Lighthing 1.0b1 or Sunbird 1.0b2pre (17th of January). Caution: these versions are not finalized so they could be unstable.
It is recommended to UNINSTALL BirdieSync (also on the mobile device) before installing this new version.
You may DOWNLOAD the version and try it for 21 days.
Although BirdieSync has now its own synchronization engine, it is presently still necessary to install ActiveSync or the Window Mobile Device Center.
On XP, it is still necessary to install ActiveSync to be able to connect your mobile device and access to your mobile device files from the desktop.
On Vista and 7, it is only necessary to install the Windows Mobile Device Center to be able to install BirdieSync on the mobile device. But it should be possible to uninstall the WMDC afterwards.
License upgrade:
Registered users of BirdieSync may upgrade to this new major version for half the original price. Users who have registered their version of BirdieSync in the last 3 months before the official release of BirdieSync 126.96.36.199 (so from the 26th of October 2009) are offered a free upgrade.
Future developments:
This new synchronization engine gives the possibility to overcome a lot of ActiveSync limitations and offer exciting possibilities of new features. Stay tuned !
Specials thanks:
Thanks to all the users who tried the beta and helped improving the quality of the final release !


text:
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Explore the help topics, and if you can't find your answer or just want to say 'hi', please come by the forums (which are filled with friendly folk, we promise!) or email us.
Top questions
Quick question?
Tweet @rememberthemilk
How does task deletion work?
Be very careful deleting tasks. Please remember that if you delete tasks in Microsoft Outlook and then synchronize with Remember The Milk, the tasks you deleted in Microsoft Outlook will also be permanently deleted from your Remember The Milk account (and vice versa).
Still need help?
Contact a human


text:
The end to the football season could not have come quickly enough for Arsenal fans, as their team once again failed to maintain its challenge for honours, falling away to a disappointing fourth place after being Manchester United's main challengers for so many months. Those of a more artistic persuasion might well have reflected on the words of TS Eliot, "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper", while baseball aficionados might have opted for Yogi Berra's classic, "It's déjà vu all over again."
Arsenal's form declined so much that they only won once in their last seven Premier League games, though with typical contrariness that was against the champions, and lost three times to the might of Bolton Wanderers, Stoke City and Aston Villa. Six points in seven matches is unlikely to bring the long awaited silverware, in fact, it's relegation form. Little wonder that Arsenal fans exhorted the club to spend some money during the away trip to Fulham, though their message was delivered with a great deal more earthiness.
It has become abundantly clear that Arsenal need to strengthen the side during this summer's transfer window, adding some experience and steel to the young talents already there. Manager Arsène Wenger has confirmed that there are "resources available" and that he intends to be "very active" in the transfer market, but it is unclear exactly how much the club could afford to spend.
"Robin Van Persie - there is value in the market"
Fans would be little wiser from reading the newspapers, as they have provided a variety of figures. In the last month alone, the Mail on Sunday warned that Wenger would only have £30 million, but the Sunday Express spoke of a £50 million war chest. Falling neatly in the middle, the Daily Telegraph thought that £40 million sounded about right. The only thing that they had in common was a complete lack of explanation of how they had arrived at their figures. Of course, one of them could well be correct, but that's almost certainly more by luck than judgment.
To be fair, the club has not exactly helped them with their assessments with Wenger saying that he did not know how much was available either, though he added, "The only thing I can say is that the club is in a healthy financial situation and, if needed, we can make a big transfer."
Unfortunately, this sounds horribly like the noises coming out of the club last year, when chief executive Ivan Gazidis stated, "We have money available to invest in the transfer market when we can identify the right players to add into the mix that add something to the squad." Even old school chairman Peter Hill-Wood was at it, "We have got more money than we've had for a long, long time and we would like to spend it. But we want to spend it sensibly. There is plenty of cash, although not in comparison to Manchester City."
"Cesc Fabregas - will he stay or will he go?"
However, all this bravado didn't add up to a tin of beans with the only arrivals being the inexperienced Laurent Koscielny, the disastrous Sebastien Squillaci and Marouane Chamakh (on a free transfer).
Clearly, Arsenal would be foolish to show their hand to other clubs by divulging the size of their transfer budget, but it might be instructive to some fans if we try to make a reasoned estimate of what they could spend, if only to manage expectations.
The first thing to say is that the club actually does have a formal war chest in the shape of the ring-fenced Transfer Proceeds Account (TPA). As a condition of the Emirates Stadium financing deal, the 2006 bond prospectus clearly states that 70% of net sale proceeds must be deposited into the TPA and only used for certain specified reasons including players. The idea is that this protects lenders by ensuring that the club continues to invest in its core asset, i.e. the playing squad, either by buying new players or extending existing contracts.
"Another bargain basement buy"
However, what most people do not appreciate is that this account can also be used for other purposes, such as purchasing other football assets or prepayment of debt, so it's not absolutely guaranteed that these funds will be used on players. Therefore, it's not a straightforward exercise to work out how much money remains in the TPA.
Many point to the money received from the £40 million sales of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure to Manchester City in 2009, suggesting that this means that at least £28 million should be in the account, but there have been reasonably pricy purchases since then (Vermaelen £10 million, Koscielny £10 million and Squillaci £4 million) and, as we have seen, money could also have been legitimately spent on developing the stadium or academy. In other words, the TPA is no more than a useful indicator of the money available, though the highly respected Arsenal Supporters' Trust (AST) have estimated a figure of £27 million here.
Perhaps the best starting point for an analysis of Arsenal's transfer fund is the actual cash balance, which was £110 million in the last published accounts (as at 30 November 2010). The club is keen to emphasise the seasonal nature of cash flows, e.g. money taken from season ticket renewals at the beginning of summer will be used to pay expenses over the next few months, with Gazidis stating, "We are not sitting on a cash balance of over £100 million. We need operating money over the course of the year."
That's absolutely correct, but if we look at Arsenal's cash balances over the last few years, it is clear that the trend has been upwards, rising from £53 million in November 2006 to £110 million in November 2010. Furthermore, the cash balance every May has been around £25 million higher than the previous November, so the current figure should be even higher than the most recent accounts.
In other words, Arsenal's executive hierarchy might be accused of being a little conservative here, though they do have to maintain £23 million as debt service reserves for the stadium financing, which would mean a net balance of £87 million.
In fact, Arsenal's ability to generate free cash flow has been very impressive, considering that: (1) most of the cash for the commercial deals with Nike and Emirates was paid upfront; (2) they have also managed to repay all the property debt incurred for the Highbury Square property development (just under £140 million).
Given all these factors, it is virtually impossible to work out how much cash is available without making a few assumptions, so that's exactly what we are going to do. First, let's assume that the club requires £42 million for expenses in the second half of the financial year (net of receipts), which is based on the £35 million estimate made a year ago by the good folk at the AST, who are closer to Arsenal's accounts than anyone else, which I have increased by a prudent 20% primarily to reflect the cost of higher wages. That would leave us with net cash of £45 million.
"Jack Wilshere - a great argument for the youth policy"
We should also deduct transfer fees still owed to other clubs, which are listed in the accounts as £13 million, though Arsenal are also owed £1 million. Given that these other creditors cover both the amounts owed within a year and beyond, it's safe to estimate a net payable of £10 million in the next 12 months. The club also has contingent liabilities of £14 million, where payments are made based on certain conditions being met, such as number of appearances for the first team or a player's country, but these are considered less likely, so I have excluded them from our calculation.
So, deducting the £10 million for transfer fees still owed would reduce the net cash to £35 million. Maybe the gentlemen of the press do know something after all, as that is not too far away from the estimates I discovered earlier.
However, Arsenal still have an ace up the sleeve, which is the money they can expect to receive from property sales. Chairman Peter Hill-Wood has confirmed that the property business is now debt-free, so all future sales proceeds (less costs to complete) will boost the cash position. The club has not provided an estimate of how much this will be worth beyond stating, "The next few years will see the accumulation of a fairly significant cash windfall for the Group", which is accounting speak for a lot of money.
"Arshavin - back to Russia with Love?"
There are two elements to this: (1) the remaining 35 apartments at Highbury Square (620 of 655 have already been sold); (2) other developments acquired as part of the stadium move, including the market housing at Queensland Road (with planning permission for 375 apartments), Hornsey Road and Holloway Road.
Again, we cannot be certain how much these are worth, but we can take an educated guess. Based on the price achieved in the first half of 2010 for Highbury Square (£22.5 million for 50 apartments), we would calculate £15.8 million. Using a similar calculation for 2009 (£96.6 million for 261 apartments), the sum received would be £13 million. An average of the two would imply around £14 million.
It's even more difficult to place a value on the other developments, but I note that the social housing element of Queensland Road brought in £23 million last year.
In total, the accounts include development property at a cost of £28.2 million, but formally state that the directors consider the net realisable value to be "greater than their book value." Using a 50% uplift, based on previous transactions, would suggest a value of £42 million, which is very close to the £45 million estimate made by the AST a year ago.
If we assume that the remaining Highbury Square apartments are sold reasonably quickly, we could add £14 million to the £35 million transfer fund we calculated earlier, giving a total of £49 million. Let's be generous and call it £50 million. OK, there are a few assumptions behind this figure, but these are based on a degree of logic.
That does not include any money from the other property developments, which should be worth around another £30 million (£45 million total less £15 million assumed for Highbury Square). Although that is unlikely to be available for a while, it should under-pin any money laid out this summer.
Given this safety blanket, it is reasonable to ask why Arsenal are still so cautious in the transfer market. After all, everyone knows that they make huge profits, right? Last year, Arsenal reported a record profit before tax of £56 million, but this was no flash in the pan, as they also averaged £41 million in the previous two seasons.
Truly impressive, especially if you consider that only three other Premier League clubs made profits in 2009/10 and all of those were significantly lower than Arsenal: Wolverhampton Wanderers £9 million, WBA £0.5 million and Birmingham £0.1 million. However, while a strong balance sheet is laudable, that cannot be the club's primary objective, as Hill-Wood admitted, "Our business goal is not to generate profits as such, but rather to grow the club's revenues, so that they can be re-invested in the team and the long-term success of the club."
Furthermore, if you look under the bonnet, there are some underlying issues that suggest that the financial picture is not quite so wonderful as it has been painted. In fact, if you exclude the £11 million property profit and the £38 million made from player sales, then the remaining football profit in 2009/10 would only be £7 million. That's still very respectable, especially as it is net of £14 million interest payments, but the interims really bring the ongoing challenges to the fore.
For the first six months of 2010/11, the club actually made a loss of £6 million, largely because property profits fell to £3 million, while the profit on player sales sharply declined to £4 million, mainly from the sale of Eduardo to Shakhtar Donetsk. In fact, the pure football business produced a loss of £13 million.
To be fair, part of that is due to timing differences with two less home games than the previous season and TV merit payments, but it does suggest that the business model is not quite as robust as previously thought. There has been an undue reliance on player sales with an average £25 million a year being generated from this activity since 2006. Good business, but it makes it hard to build a winning team.
Like every other football club, Arsenal have also had to contend with explosive growth in the wage bill, which has risen from £83 million to £111 million in just four years. This "increased investment in football wages" has further increased the payroll by £4.5 million in the first six months of 2010/11, reflecting a deliberate policy of renegotiating contracts. As Wenger's budget covers both transfers and wages, just because money is available to him does not necessarily mean that he will use it to purchase new players. Indeed, there is already talk of extending the contracts of Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Johan Djourou this summer.
Arsenal's wage bill of £111 million is still substantially less than Chelsea (£173 million), Manchester City (£133 million) and Manchester United (£132 million), but it is also a lot higher than the chasing pack. In particular, it is a hefty £44 million more than Tottenham (£67 million), who finished just one place lower in the Premier League.
This sometimes comes as a surprise to many fans, given Arsenal's well-publicised sustainable model, but is due to a couple of factors. They have a large squad and, while the wages at the top end might not be the highest, the fringe players like Denilson and Rosicky are handsomely awarded, as are the young players.
This is a policy that is worth reviewing, as a degree of complacency would appear to have set in at this level and some judicious pruning of the dead wood could free up wages for a couple of genuine world class talents. In addition, it would be worth introducing a higher element of performance-related pay to concentrate the collective mind on striving to win trophies.
Clearly, wages are a massively significant factor when it comes to signing new players, even though that great sage Jamie Redknapp has ludicrously asserted that "you can't get cheaper than a free transfer." For example, Marouane Chamakh cost the Gunners nothing when he arrived from Bordeaux, but a five-year deal on a reported £50,000 a week represents a £12.5 million commitment. That said, any increase in the wage bill from incoming players could be largely met by the reductions from departing players, so this argument cuts both ways.
There would also appear to be scope for some cost cutting elsewhere, as the annual costs of £55m for "other operating charges", i.e. excluding salaries and amortisation, are on the high side. Unfortunately, the club does not provide much detail for these costs, but they must include items like stadium operating costs, travel and training. On its own, the absolute figure is fairly meaningless, but it accounts for 27% of Arsenal's total costs, which is a higher proportion than any of the other leading Premier League clubs with the others ranging from 18-23%.
One area that has really restricted Arsenal's ability to operate at the higher end of the transfer market is their woeful commercial income of £44 million, which lags way behind the rest of Europe's elite. According to Deloitte's Money League, Bayern Munich £142 million and Real Madrid £123 million generate three times as much revenue from such activity, while Manchester United have announced that they will break the £100 million barrier this year.
Arsenal's weakness arises from the fact they had to tie themselves into long-term deals to provide security for the stadium financing, which arguably made sense at the time, but recent deals by other clubs have highlighted the lost opportunities. The Emirates deal was worth £90 million, covering 15 years of stadium naming rights (£42 million) running until 2020/21 and 8 years of shirt sponsorship (£48 million) until 2013/14. Similarly, the club signed a 7-year kit supplier deal with Nike for £55 million until 2011/12, but that has since been extended by 3 years until 2013/14.
So, following step-ups, the shirt sponsorship deal is reportedly worth £5.5 million a season, which compares highly unfavourably to the £20 million earned by Liverpool from Standard Chartered and Manchester United from Aon. It's the same story with the kit deal, which now delivers £8 million a season, compared to the £25 million deal recently announced by Liverpool with Warrior Sports and the £25.4 million paid to Manchester United by Nike (yes, the same company that pays Arsenal much less).
It's not overly dramatic to say that Arsenal leave over £30 million a season on the table, because of their poor commercial deals, which is the equivalent of one great player a season.
Arsenal's new owner Stan Kroenke has said that he "intends to use his experience to help Arsenal continue to grow its global brand", including persuading Wenger to take his side on a pre-season tour to Asia, but he might also consider whether it would be worth buying out these punitive commercial contracts, as Chelsea did a few years ago.
Arsenal have restructured their commercial team at great expense, recruiting Tom Fox from the NBA in August 2009, but to be perfectly candid they have not delivered much to date. In fact, commercial revenue actually fell £4 million in 2009/10. They might argue that their hands are tied with the long-term deals, but if that is the case, what was the point in hiring such costly executives? In any case, they should be able to work freely on secondary sponsor deals, which has been an important source of United's impressive growth. When the interim results were announced, Gazidis said that fans would "begin to see some results over the next year" – let's hope so.
Another factor that could impinge on Arsenal's spending plans is the imminent arrival of UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations, which aim to force clubs to live within their means. Over the next two seasons, a club will only be allowed to make an aggregate loss of €45 million, but that assumes that the owner covers the loss, which has not been the modus operandi at Arsenal to date. Otherwise, the acceptable deviation is only €5 million.
In other words, if Arsenal opted to accept a few losses while they spent big on transfers, FFP might present them with some problems, even though they would be able to exclude costs incurred for the academy and stadium construction. Given the manager's frequent criticisms of financial doping, such a move must be considered highly unlikely, but we are exploring all possibilities here.
Even Wenger mentioned that his policy might be about to change: "The market will be hyperactive because everyone believes financial fair play will happen soon. So we are quickly doing the last buying before the stores will be closed. And for the first time for a while, I will be very active too." Although this is encouraging news to many fans, it is a little worrying to us financial types, as it implies that Wenger does not full appreciate that the resulting amortisation from buying new players will be included in UEFA's break-even calculation – somewhat surprising, as he has a master's degree in economics.
More positively, what could Arsenal do to enhance their spending power?
The most obvious tactic would be to sell some under-performing players and add that money to the transfer fund. Arsenal are well-versed in this art, being the only leading club to make money from buying and selling players in the era of foreign ownership (starting from the arrival of Roman Abramovich at Chelsea). Since 2003/04, Arsenal have net proceeds of £3 million, while Chelsea and Manchester City have spent almost £400 million. The "Redknapp factor" has helped Spurs spend £132 million in the same period, though his predecessors were no slouches in this department.
Most Arsenal fans would agree that there's no shortage of candidates that could depart with minimal impact, though the most likely to go are Denilson and Nicklas Bendtner, who have both openly spoken of their desire to leave and could raise around £16 million. Others might also be given a nudge, like the inconsistent Diaby, the erratic Eboue, the dreadful Manuel Almunia and Tomas Rosicky, whose best days are sadly behind him.
One potential difficulty would be finding clubs willing to match their exorbitant salaries, but there are ways and means. Of course, these players would have to be replaced, though I reckon this could be done more cost effectively, especially if cheaper, hungrier youngsters like Henri Lansbury, Francis Coquelin and Benik Afobe return from their loan spells. That would also ensure that the club did not fall foul of the Premier League homegrown player rule.
"When will Silent Stan become Stan the Man?"
This would represent a fairly radical change in policy from Wenger, who has been quoted in the past as not wanting to introduce too many new players at the same time, but the performances in the last few weeks of the season were so dispiriting that he might just throw caution to the wind. That might also include the sale of one or more of the team's stars, like Cesc Fabregas, Andrei Arshavin or Samir Nasri, which would release substantial funds for a major rebuild. Personally, I wouldn't bet on this, but nor would I be hugely surprised if it did come to pass.
There is another aspect of how transfers work that is not always fully appreciated, namely many fees are not paid upfront, but in stages. In this way, a club might only have to lay out, say, £8 million immediately for a £24 million player with the other two slices being paid over the next two years. This is fairly standard practice on the continent, which was why Barcelona owed Arsenal so much money for so long for Henry and Hleb (though they don't any more). That's one way of "increasing" a club's transfer fund, but this method should be used with discretion, otherwise you might just be storing up problems for the future.
On a similar theme, Arsenal could also take on more debt, as the balance sheet is very strong. Some supporters erroneously believe that the club is now debt-free, as they have paid off all the property development debt, but it is true that they have managed to reduce their gross debt to £263 million, which effectively represents the long-term "mortgage" on the Emirates stadium. Given that the gross debt has been reduced from the £411 million peak in 2008, there is clearly some room to manoeuvre here.
On the other hand, this would be a great opportunity for Stan Kroenke to make an immediate impact at the club by paying off this debt early in order to reduce the cost of servicing these loans (around £19 million a year including £5 million of capital repayment). The money saved could then be used to improve the squad. Frankly, given Kroenke's praise for Arsenal's self-sustaining model, this does not seem too likely, but other club owners have been known to go down this path.
Even though Kroenke is one of the wealthiest men on the planet, he gives every sign of being a careful investor, waiting for Arsenal to flourish under UEFA's Financial Fair Play restrictions. His motto for the time being appears to be no major change, which would militate against the club embarking on a spending spree this summer. That said, he would like to be associated with a winning club, so there might be some encouragement for the manager to act more decisively when pursuing a new player.
In any case, we do know that Arsenal will benefit from some revenue growth , as they expect to generate £4.5 million from the deeply unpopular 6.5% increase in ticket prices for next season. Although part of this is down to the 2.5% VAT rise, the remaining inflationary increase is a bitter pill to swallow for fans that already pay the highest prices in world football.
In the business world, price increases are often considered the path of least resistance, and football club owners are proving increasingly happy to adopt the same approach, as their "customers" have the fiercest brand loyalty around. After all, an Arsenal fan is hardly likely to switch his allegiance to Spurs.
Arsenal's fifth place in Deloitte's Money League owes a great deal to their £94 million match day income, which is only surpassed by Real Madrid and Manchester United. In fact, 42% of Arsenal's total revenue comes from match day, far higher than any other club, emphasising how reliant they are on their fans (including the "prawn sandwich brigade"), though it also serves to underline how feeble the commercial income is. Among the top 20 clubs in the Money League, only Aston Villa earn a lower proportion of their revenue from commercial activities.
In addition, the Premier League's new TV deal, running from 2010 to 2013, is much higher than the previous contract following the significant increase in overseas rights. Hence, Arsenal's distribution in 2010/11 has increased by £4.5 million to £56.3 million, even though they finished one place lower in the Premier League.
However, that also reinforces the importance of a team succeeding on the pitch from the financial perspective.
Not only has Arsenal's deterioration in April and May devastated the club's fans, but it has also hurt their bank balance. The immediate impact of dropping from second to fourth place means that their Premier League merit payment is £1.5 million lower, but the damage does not stop there, as it also has an effect on money from next season's Champions League.
"No need to buy a new keeper after Szczesny's emergence"
The revenue distribution from UEFA comprises participation fees, prize money plus an allocation of the market (TV) pool, which is split 50% between progress in the Champions League and 50% based on the club's finish in the previous season's Premier League.
For England, assuming that four clubs reach the group stages, the latter element is divided as follows: 40% to club finishing first in Premier League, 30% for second, 20% for third and 10% for fourth. This year, that process resulted in the club finishing second in 2008/09 (Manchester United) receiving £10.6 million, while the club that finished fourth (Spurs) got £3.5 million – a difference of £7.1 million. This will be mitigated to some extent by the gate receipts from Arsenal's qualifying match, but that brings other potential problems.
Speaking of the Champions League, Arsenal's failure to win the group last season, due to pitiful defeats against Shakhtar Donetsk and Braga also cost them dear. First, each win in the group stage is worth €800,000, while a draw brings a club €400,000. Then, if Arsenal had won the group and avoided Barcelona, they might well have reached the quarter-finals, which would have been worth another €3.3 million prize money and €1.3 million from the market pool progress allocation. Let's assume Arsenal had pulled their collective finger out, drawn the last two group games and reached the quarter-final. That would have been worth an additional €5.4 million (or £4.6 million).
This is all very theoretical, but the point remains valid: a little more effort on the pitch would have brought higher financial rewards, which might just have avoided the need to raise ticket prices. Go figure, Arsenal fans.
Of course, the doomsday scenario is that Arsenal don't actually qualify for the Champions League group stages. They will be seeded, but could still draw an awkward opponent at an inconvenient stage of their preparation, so it's far from guaranteed that they will get through – yet another drawback of finishing fourth. If they don't make it, they will lose out on at least £25 million, not including additional gate receipts.
Arsenal's bond prospectus confirmed that more revenue could be generated from commercial deals if the team does the business on the pitch: "AFC can earn additional bonus payments depending on the performance of the first team." Apart from such uplifts in existing deals, it is evident that sponsors like to be associated with winners, so this should also be a consideration when it comes to deciding how much to spend on buying new players. That ignores the increase in shirt sales and other merchandising that normally results from a club having a world-class player or two on its books.
Given the revenue shortfalls from a relative lack of success, another way of looking at Arsenal's transfer policy is to ask whether the club can afford not to spend, especially as others seem happy to buy their way to success. The traditional "Sky Four" has been gate-crashed by the extremely wealthy Manchester City and the big-spending Tottenham, so Arsenal can no longer take for granted that they will secure the lucrative Champions League qualification every season. Besides, on the form of the last few weeks, I'm not sure that Arsenal could approach any match with a great deal of confidence.
"Nik Bendtner - must be worth £10m of someone's money"
However, there is no doubt that this Arsenal team does have potential, as evidenced by rousing victories over Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United, so it's not entirely unreasonable when Wenger said that it would be "completely stupid" to make significant changes to the squad this summer. He has argued that he does not want to "kill" his young players' development, "If I go out and buy players, then Jack Wilshere does not come through", which may be true, but there are other players in the Arsenal team that do not possess the same ability, nor demonstrate the young Englishman's desire on the pitch.
There do seem to be some mixed messages coming out of North London these days. On the one hand, Wenger attributes his unwillingness to spend to a profoundly held belief in his policy, "You cannot come to a conclusion that this team needs a massive change. We are there, but because we have not won trophies, people destroy us completely." However, this sounds terribly similar to his words last summer, when he argued, "I feel we have made huge steps forward this year compared to last year."
On the other hand, he sometimes implies that his hands are tied financially, "Even if people say you have to spend money, we have to be realistic. We can't buy players for £50 million. That is a fact." However, there are several arguments against this perspective: (a) few sensible supporters want Arsenal to spend that much on one player; (b) very good players can be bought for much smaller sums, e.g. Mesut Ozil, Nuri Sahin and Rafael Van der Vaart; (c) as we have seen, money is available to improve the squad, probably around £50 million.
"Thomas Vermaelen - like a new signing"
Indeed, Wenger himself seemed to suggest that was the case, saying that the club has the resources to secure the services of a top talent. While his priority might be to keep his star players, he has also admitted that he wants to strengthen, though this does not necessarily imply lots of comings and goings, "It's not the number, it's the quality." That might not be such a bad outcome for Arsenal fans. If the club does manage to buy 3-4 proven, world class players with the requisite winning mentality, that could make an enormous difference to such a young team.
For many years Wenger was effectively fighting with one arm tied behind his back, due to the financial constraints imposed by building the new stadium, but the club now has sufficient funds available to spend again, albeit not at stratospheric levels, without compromising its sustainable model. They need to do something, because one thing is certain: if you keep doing the same thing, you'll keep getting the same results.


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Last week the ESRB decided that Loot Boxes are not gambling. We're talking about "loot boxes" in the sense of in-game rewards, not "loot crates", the physical merch you can subscribe to. Also remember that the ESRB is a non-government, non-profit, self-regulatory organization. They're the equivalent to the MPAA in the realm of Hollywood films.
I haven't played a lot of games that use loot boxes. I played Counter-Strike, but that was in decades past, long before loot boxes. I played Team Fortress 2, but I was losing interest in the game just as the loot-based economy was taking off. (And there the boxes are free, but the keys to open them cost money.) I played the original Titanfall in online multiplayer, but I only spent a few evenings with it and I certainly never bought any microtransaction stuff. The point I'm getting at is that I have basically zero experience with boxes of the lootish variety. I can't speak with any authority on how the the process works or how exploitative it might be. I'm not really here to convince you in-game loot packages are a good thing or a bad thing, only that I think this debate over "gambling" is an interesting one.
For reference, here is how I understand the system: The game will have some sort of reward-over-time mechanic where you slowly earn "boxes" of in-game items. The contents of the boxes are random. In the games we're talking about in regards to this particular ESRB rating, these games will also offer you a choice to outright buy these boxes for real money. The trick is that not all boxes are created equal. Some boxes contain things that are so common they're basically worthless, and some boxes contain exotic in-game goods that can only be obtained through boxes. Again, every game is a little different. Sometimes there's a meta-currency somewhere along the process and sometimes the boxes are given randomly instead of over time, but this is the idea in broad strokes.
When the ruling was announced, the overwhelming response was, "DUH! OBVIOUSLY THIS IS GAMBLING HOW CAN YOU BE SO BLIND?!"
My response was, "How interesting. What do you mean by 'gambling'?"
It turns out this is one of those insidious discussions where everyone has a slightly different ad-hoc definition that they assume is universal to all.
What's At Stake
In the ESRB system, there's "simulated gambling" and "real gambling". If a game is categorized as "real gambling" then it gets slapped with the dreaded Adults Only rating. This is a more serious category than "Mature", which is where stuff like Grand Theft Auto winds up. Adults Only is usually given to stuff like pornographic games. Stores won't carry AO titles, which means that it's basically the kiss of death for a game. If a certain system is considered real gambling then developers will stop using it, because nobody in the AAA space can afford to take that kind of risk.
Lots of people hate this loot box business, and so they really want to see it categorized as gambling so developers will be forced to stop putting it in their games. They figure if the game meets any possible definition of gambling then it should be classified as gambling. While I sympathize with the desire to see this business practice die, this sort of regulatory sledgehammer is probably a bad way to go about solving that particular problem.
Imagine you hate modern military shooters, so you get them classified as "pornography" on the basis of them containing "gun porn" in the form of modern real-world weapons. You pat yourself on the back, thinking the industry won't be dominated by the likes of Call of Duty or Battlefield anymore. But using this trick means that many other games will get caught in your regulatory net. Suddenly a bunch of turn-based strategy games you love are pulled from the shelves because they also feature real-world firearms, and it was already hard enough to get your hands on that kind of thing. Meanwhile, Call of Duty just replaces their machine guns with pew-pew lasers and the industry continues on as before.
I know this sounds far fetched, but consider this: If loot boxes are gambling, then what about Hearthstone and other collectible card games? Random packs of goods are a much larger part of those games than the shooters we're talking about. You could end up causing a lot of collateral damage and creating problems for other fanbases. Meanwhile, there's no guarantee these publishers won't replace their loot boxes with something even more obnoxious.
For example, if you rule that loot boxes are "real gambling" then the publishers could easily replace them with (say) pay-to-fight bosses. Pay some money, fight the (completely pushover) boss, and the boss drops what would have originally been inside of the box. To the publisher, it's the same deal: Randomized loot for money. They can always keep adding different steps to the process until they've effectively routed around your definition of gambling. If you're trying to get rid of loot boxes by having them classified as gambling, then you'll end up in a never-ending game of rules-lawyering. And you really don't want to play that game against companies who have a staff of real-world lawyers, because they literally do this for a living.
"For Every Complex Problem, There Is an Answer That Is Clear, Simple, and Wrong."
H.L. Mencken never actually said this but it's still a fun quote.
Defining Gambling is Obvious, Right?
We can agree that slot machines are gambling, right? You put in moneyFor the purposes of this discussion, "money" is also anything that can be directly converted to money at a fixed rate, such as tokens or poker chips. A Beanie-Baby that can maybe sell for around $1,000 on Ebay is NOT money, while a poker chip worth exactly $20 is money., and sometimes you get money out. Gambling, right?
And I think most of us can agree that breakfast cereal is not gambling, even if the box might contain a prize and even if that prize can vary significantly in value based on random chance. You pay money for cereal and you might get something of unpredictable value. Despite this, it's usually considered not gambling.
What I hope you've noticed by now is that it's hard to draw a clear line between these two. You can push breakfast cereal into the realm of gambling by increasing the potential value of the prize. If the box might contain a ticket for a million dollars or the keys for a new car then people might treat the cereal like lottery tickets: Buy the box and throw away the food because all you care about is the prize. I think that would count as gambling to most people. Likewise, you could change a slot machine to dispense goods rather than money and end up with a machine that isn't considered "gambling", even thought it clearly is. In fact, that's what a prize grabber is. It's a game of chance masquerading as a game of skill where you pay money for a chance at a non-cash prize.
In the United States, there are laws against certain kinds of gambling. The thinking is that lotteries exploit the poor and desperate, so if you try to run one you will go to jail. (Unless, of course, you're a state government, 89% of which make an exception only for themselves.) Obviously there are still prizes offered by companies as part of various promotions. McDonald's ran their McMillions program for years. Other companies give away cars and trips and piles of money.
The trick here is that it's only a lottery in the legal senseAgain, talking about the USA here. if people must to pay to enter. If you can get a chance to win for free, then it's not technically "gambling". So in order to comply with the law, companies must offer some way to get a chance to win for free. They tend to make this method really inconvenient, like asking you to mail them an already-stamped envelope, thus making you pay for postage both ways. You get one entry per envelope, so if you want to enter ten times then you're going to spend a lot of money on stamps and a lot of time filling out envelopes. This is inconvenient enough to make spamming for free entries unattractive, thus encouraging people to just BUY THE STUPID PRODUCT YOU CHEAP BASTARD.
When we're talking about the definition of "gambling" we're usually doing so because we're trying to regulate or control it. Usually this is in the context of governments, but with the ESRB we're talking about a non-profit organization with voluntary compliance. In order to nail down the definition, I think you need to consider these questions:
- Is it a game of chance? (As opposed to a carnival game where you throw balls or shoot targets.)
- Do you have to pay real money – either directly or by buying a given product – in order to play it?
- Does the game pay out in cash, or in goods and services?
- Is the opportunity itself the product (lottery) or is it simply a marketing tool for an unrelated product (breakfast cereal prizes) that would still be viable without the prize?
Depending on how you answer these, you might conclude that only slot machines and roulette wheels are actually gambling, or you might conclude that playing a Diablo clone is gambling. Heck, you could argue that pre-ordering games is more like real gambling than loot boxes. It's easy to come up with a definition that seems reasonable and then realize you've accidentally included or excluded something obviously inappropriate.
What I'm getting at is that I understand this sort of thing is tough and I think reasonable people can have very different definitions of what gambling is.
The Rationale
I wanted to trace this story back to the source, but the ESRB doesn't issue press releases or post official statements on their site. So if you want something official you have to email them and then post their reply, which means we can't have a definitive link that can be cited for reference and the whole thing turns into a game of telephone.
Since we're playing telephone, the best I can do is quote Kotaku's email from the ESRB where they explain why loot boxes aren't gambling.
While there's an element of chance in these mechanics, the player is always guaranteed to receive in-game content (even if the player unfortunately receives something they don't want) We think of it as a similar principle to collectible card games: Sometimes you'll open a pack and get a brand new holographic card you've had your eye on for a while. But other times you'll end up with a pack of cards you already have.
While I wouldn't personally rule that loot boxes are "real gambling", I think this particular justification is an odd one. I'd lean towards ruling that it's not gambling because the things you "win" are non-liquid and non-transferable. People don't buy these things to gain wealth, which is the danger we often associate with gambling. But instead the ESRB based their decision on the fact that you always "get something". I'm bettingThis is rhetorical betting, and thus not gambling. this rationale exists to protect titles like Hearthstone. Still, if you use their definition that it's not gambling if you always "get something" then even the lottery isn't gambling because if you lose you still "get" something. (A worthless bit of paper.)
So I agree with the ESRB's conclusion, even if I disagree on how they got there. In any case, I doubt we'll get rid of loot boxes by classifying them as gambling. Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to my single-player games. Those don't have loot boxes.
[1] For the purposes of this discussion, "money" is also anything that can be directly converted to money at a fixed rate, such as tokens or poker chips. A Beanie-Baby that can maybe sell for around $1,000 on Ebay is NOT money, while a poker chip worth exactly $20 is money.
[2] Again, talking about the USA here.
[3] This is rhetorical betting, and thus not gambling.
Linux vs. Windows
Finally, the age-old debate has been settled.
The Best of 2018
I called 2018 "The Year of Good News". Here is a list of the games I thought were interesting or worth talking about that year.
Blistering Stupidity of Fallout 3
Yeah, this game is a classic. But the story is idiotic, incoherent, thematically confused, and patronizing.
Was it a Hack?
A big chunk of the internet went down in October of 2016. What happened? Was it a hack?
Joker's Last Laugh
Did you anticipate the big plot twist of Batman: Arkham City? Here's all the ways the game hid that secret from you while also rubbing your nose in it.


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Alma Solis, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Systematic Entomology Lab, and her husband, Jason Hall, a researcher with the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, are, at first blush, a natural match.
Both are entomologists, a career that requires long hours, field work and travel for months at time — all without huge pay. But the couple soon learned that though they shared a passion, they did not share a specialty.
Hers: moths.
His: butterflies.
In the world of entomology, Solis explains, that makes rare specimens.
"Butterfly people usually stick with butterfly people and moth people usually stick with moth people," she says. "We were the only moth-butterfly couple up until about a month ago, when we had some colleagues in Finland get married. But we were it until then."
"It's a very unusual shared passion," Hall adds.
She collects specimens at night, with a huge, lighted sheet in the forests of northern Mexico. He scales Ecuadorian mountains with giant nets, braving mosquitoes and waist-deep mud. Ecuador, in fact, was something of a first date for the couple.
"He took me out into the field, I think, because he wanted to make sure I could do this before he could even think about marrying me," Solis says.
When they're not traveling, the couple relax in a vast butterfly garden they've built surrounding their suburban Maryland home.
"It's very quaint," Hall says. "But that's part of the reason to have a little butterfly garden. When you're not in the field, it keeps the butterflies close — keeps them in sight. Reminds you of what you enjoy doing."
To hear more of the couple's interview with NPR's Jacki Lyden, click the audio link above.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Chlamydia is cured with antibiotics. It is important to follow treatment guidelines to make sure the infection has been cleared:
- Both you and your partner need to be treated. If your partner is infected or exposed you will become reinfected.
- Wait at least 7 days before you have sex again.
- All of the medication must be taken as directed.
- Return to your doctor for retesting to make sure the infection is gone.
If your partner refuses to get medical attention, your doctor may be able to prescribe medication for them. This way your partner can be treated without needing to seek medical attention.
Reinfection is common. If you still have symptoms after the medication is finished, you may need to be tested again, generally within a few weeks. Even if your symptoms disappear, you are encouraged to return 3 months after treatment is completed to be retested. Pregnant women should return for follow-up testing at 3 weeks and 3 months after medications are completed.
Treatment for chlamydia involves:
MedicationsLifestyle changesReferences
Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/default.htm. Accessed January 29, 2021.
Chlamydia—CDC fact sheet (detailed). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/STDFact-chlamydia-detailed.htm. Accessed January 29, 2021.
Chlamydia genital infection. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T114223/Chlamydia-genital-infection . Accessed January 29, 2021.
Expedited partner therapy for sexually transmitted infections. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T114223/Chlamydia-genital-infection . Accessed January 29, 2021.
Mishori R, McClaskey EL, WinklerPrins VJ. Chlamydia trachomatis infections: Screening, diagnosis, and management. Am Fam Physician. 2012;86(12):1127-1132.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board David L. Horn, MD, FACP
- Review Date: 03/2020
- Update Date: 01/29/2021


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Nov. 7, 2012 — "Overwintering'' plants usually means deadheading, dividing, pruning,
mulching or bringing them indoors to protect them from the cold.
Nov. 7, 2012 — "Overwintering'' plants usually means deadheading, dividing, pruning,
mulching or bringing them indoors to protect them from the cold.
Increasingly, though, varieties are being introduced that flower into winter and rebound in spring in many zones. They need no special care and deliver more blooms for the buck.
Two noteworthy examples are Ball Horticultural Co.'s Cool Wave petunias and pansies.
"These flowers have more hardiness because they were developed in many different locations, and strains were chosen from breeding stock that did best in temperature extremes,'' said Cool Wave plant manager Claire Watson.
"Not only are they resistant to cold but they also are more tolerant of heat.''
Some other flower varieties introduced recently to provide colour over longer periods of time are bearded iris, daylilies, clematis and shrub roses. Many of those perennials bloom repeatedly through the growing season, unlike earlier editions.
Cool Wave's extended flowering petunias have been on the market five years, quickly becoming consumer favourites.
Pansies were introduced this year.
"They need less maintenance, have large-size flowers and their colours intensify with the cold,'' Watson said. "They tolerate several light frosts and simply go dormant after a hard frost. They bloom even in the snow.''
Cool Wave series flowers can be mixed with traditional late-season plants like ornamental cabbage and peppers, kale, mums, lavender and millet. They return in spring to complement such early arriving bulb varieties as daffodils, tulips, hyacinth and crocuses. In short, they display well with others.
These are vigorous flowers, capable of spreading 24 to 30 inches. That makes them a vibrant groundcover. It also means that not as many plants are needed per pot or for filling bare spaces in borders or beds. Their extended bloom ability gives gardeners more versatility for flowerbed design.
The new pansies and petunias provide three full seasons of bloom when grown in the South. Those planted in the Snowbelt are capable of surviving Zone 5 conditions (-10 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit) and will reappear soon after the snow melts.
"They can use a light layer of mulch as wintertime insurance but don't really require it,'' Watson said.
A great deal of breeding work has been done over the past several decades to insert the cold gene into different plant varieties, said Anthony Tesselaar, president and co-founder of Tesselaar Plants in Silvan, Australia.
"Winter gardening is the ultimate challenge in this kind of work,'' Tesselaar said. "That's what we all aspire to.''
Many plants are tested. Few, however, make the cut.
Hybridizers who do upwards of 200,000 plant crosses a year might be lucky to emerge after a couple of seasons with just one to 10 plants that look new or promising enough to bring to market, Tesselaar said.
"On average, any time you get good genetics in plants it takes 18 to 25 years before you can get comfortable with them or predict their behaviour,'' Tesselaar said. "They don't just pop out of the box.''
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