Automatic data synchronization across applications installed on multiple devices via mail server

A method comprising:

• providing a first device comprising a first application instance and a first data storage;
• providing a second device comprising a second application instance and a second data storage;
• providing a mail server, coupled to the first and second devices via a network;
• making a first data change by a first user at the first device in the first application instance;
• including information about the first data change to a first email and sending the first email with the first data change addressed to a predefined email address to the mail server;
• at the second device, receiving the first email for the predefined email address with the first data change;
• making a determination whether to apply the first data change to the second application instance on the second device;
• and
• if the determination is true, altering the second application instance using the first data change, wherein the making a determination whether to apply the first data change to the second application instance on the second device comprises
• determining a data type of the first data change as being an updatable type or replaceable type, wherein when the data type is the updatable type, the altering the second application instance using the first data change comprises
• updating the second application instance using the first data change.

A method comprising:

• providing a first device comprising a first application instance and a first data storage;
• providing a second device comprising a second application instance and a second data storage;
• providing a mail server, coupled to the first and second devices via a network;
• making a first data change by a first user at the first device in the first application instance;
• including information about the first data change to a first email and sending the first email with the first data change addressed to a predefined email address to the mail server;
• at the second device, receiving the first email for the predefined email address with the first data change;
• making a determination whether to apply the first data change to the second application instance on the second device;
• if the determination is true, altering the second application instance using the first data change;
• if the determination is false, not altering the second application instance using the first data change,
• wherein the making a determination whether to apply the first data change to the second application instance on the second device comprises
• determining a data type of the first data change as being an updatable type or replaceable type, wherein when the data type is the updatable type, the altering the second application instance using the first data change comprises updating the second application instance using the first data change,
• when the data type is the replaceable type, the altering the second application instance using the first data change comprises replacing data of the second application instance using the first data change,
• comparing a date of a second data change already stored in the second data storage to a date of the first data change received at the mail server, wherein
• when the date of the first data change is newer than the second data change already stored in the second data storage, replacing the data change already stored in the second data storage with the first data change downloaded from the mail server,
• when the date of the second data change already stored in the second data storage is newer than the first data change, sending the second data change to the mail server via a second email from the second device to the predefined email address;
• after the receiving the first email for the predefined email address with the first data change at the second device, checking if the second data storage is empty, and when not empty, determining whether a date of the first data change is newer than a data change already stored in the second data storage, wherein
• when the first data change is newer, replacing the data change already stored in the second data storage with the first data change, and
• when the first data change is not newer, not replacing the data change already stored in the second data storage with the first data change;
• automatically updating the first data storage at the first device with a current state of the first application instance according to a predefined schedule;
• sending the current state stored in the first data storage by a second email for the predefined email address to the mail server;
• receiving the second email at the second device with the current state;
• and
• altering the second application instance based on the current state received via the second email;
• maintaining a queue of emails at the mail server for the predefined email address with change information is greater than a predefined maximum number of emails;
• and
• if a number of emails in the queue exceeds the predefined maximum number of emails, deleting emails with change information stored at the mail server for the predefined email address, wherein the oldest emails are deleted first.