Here is a run-through of what you can expect.
Download
Xobni will email you a link to the download page. You will need to sign in with the email address you used to register for the invite. I have 2 accounts and tried to use my first email and it would not let me through.You will need to have your Android set to install applications from unknown sources. If you do not, your device will prompt you to do so.
Setup wizard
There are a few steps to the setup, none of them are hard. You will be signing into your email and other apps. There are also a few settings you will be able to toggle on and off.
Xobni account
The first step is to log into your Xobni account. Again, you will need to use the email address you used to sign up for the invite. If you do not have an Xobni account using this email address, you can create one.
Choose an app
This is where you need to choose whether you want to use Gmail or Outlook. Since I use Thunderbird instead of Outlook to manage all of my Gmail accounts, I chose the Gmail option here.
Sign in and authorize
You will need to log into your Gmail account. This can be any Gmail or Google Apps account. If you are using a Google Apps account, click the link at the bottom of the Gmail sign in screen. You will be asked to put in your email Google Apps email address.
Once you are logged in, you will need to grant access to Xobni. You will see the list of things it can access here.
Social sites
If you are a Xobni user from Outlook, web-based Gmail or another device, you will know you can keep up-to-date with your contact’s social profiles right from your inbox/address book. The Android version is no different. Choose the accounts you would like to sign into and do so here.
Other mobile data
Xobni can also get more information from your phone. If you’d like, it will look through your SMS (text) messages, calendar and phone logs to help you keep up-to-date information about your contacts.
While this may seem a bit scary, you might like to have a record of the last interactions you’ve had with your contacts while you are mobile.
Using Xobni
When the setup is all done, you are ready to use Xobni for Android. Here is the start screen you will see when you open the app. in the search box, you will be able to type their name and see their profile with recent activity.
Depending on what social sites you’ve granted access to and what apps on your phone you allowed information to be drawn, you may have a lot or a little information about the contacts.
Final thoughts
With many people becoming more mobile, having more information on your mobile device is almost mandatory. Applications like Xobni will be the life’s blood of the business person and freelancer in the very near future. There will be a huge push for mobile productivity. Why not start now? What are your reasons for wanting social account and information about recent interactions with your contacts while you are mobile?
