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Cloud Computing

Notes Due to its vast resources, Smartr pulls together many more contacts than are actually stored in
the traditional contacts app. And, in doing so, it’s the only contact application that does the work
for you.

Example: If you have been corresponding with a new connection via email, Smartr will
produce automagical links to connect with him on Twitter and Facebook, even if you had no
idea he was on that social media site. Because of these benefits, Smartr actually encourages a user
to interact with its easy to navigate interface and to learn more about connections that have been
made regularly.

Cons

There actually isn’t a whole lot to hate about the Smartr system, but a couple of stumbling blocks
do keep the experience from reaching the level of mind-blowing.
One important thing that feels missing from the Smartr equation is the ability to access a
comprehensive and organized list of all contacts. Because the system works so hard to cull
contacts from email and social media, it ultimately boosts the number of reachable folks by an
order of magnitude. But, there’s no way to actually see who Smartr has pulled from your system
and the closest you can get to a browsing feature is disorganized jumble of all contacts available
when you perform a blank search. It can be a pain point, especially for those who are eager to
optimize their contact system.

Another difficulty with Smartr is its lack of useful list maintenance tools. You won’t find a
deduper, although at times it is desperately needed, and the service’s additive nature means that
any cleanup of a list is a pain. The service is what it is, and it doesn’t offer much in the way of
personal organization or cleanup. You just have to embrace the chaos.

Bottom Line

Smartr adds so much to the contact list experience, and that alone makes it an attractive feature
to have in any productivity arsenal. But type-A personalities beware: clean is not an option.
6.2.4 Tacts

Tacts for iPhone is the product of Chinese startup Terntek, and it has broken through
internationally with its English language version, which was released in 2010. Although it’s not
a major player in the contacts service, its steady and reliable platform has enabled Tacts to
increase in popularity over time — now it is considered one of the more formidable next-gen
contact managers.
It’s important to note that Tacts is a contact manager primarily, but also offers in-app purchases
to boost the service’s capabilities. These premium additions, which include a functional T9 text
predictor and various icon sets, can also be had through the procurement of virtual coins; users
can earn coins by either downloading and opening a specific list of apps that Tacts has partnered
with or by using another meeting service, Bump, to exchange contact information. For the sake
of brevity, none of these other services were included in the test run of Tacts.

Pros

Tacts has a primary goal of organization — and what it does, it does well. Once the user’s address
book is imported, Tacts enables the ability to group contacts in any sort of manner via a simple
tap interface. The service also develops “Smart Groups,” which lumps contacts together by

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