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Any.DO's Cal app vies for your attention on Google Play (video)
While a ton of calendar apps already populate Google Play, we bet Any.DO fans will still be happy to hear that Cal has finally made its way to Android-land. The software retains most of its iOS counterpart's features, including built-in access to Google Maps and Uber. However, this version comes with tighter Any.DO integration (just like what we wished for when we tested out the iOS iteration), allowing users to place their to-do items into the appropriate dates on the calendar. The new app also brings an Android widget and a landscape mode in tow. Finally, it instantly syncs with Google Calendar, making it that much harder to forget about that meeting you'd rather avoid.
Any.DO's Cal app scores Uber, Waze and Google Maps integration (updated)
The stock iOS calendar works just fine for basic scheduling, but if you religiously use Uber, Waze or Google Maps, Any.DO's Cal could be worth checking out. An update to the popular productivity outfit's brainchild brings integration with the three aforementioned services, which means you can now call a cab via Uber without leaving Cal, so long as you're in an area where the town cars roam. You'll also be able to navigate your way using Waze and Google Maps without having to launch them. As a nice bonus, Any.DO is introducing a new gifting feature that lets you buy straight from Amazon or Gifts.com from within the app itself. Cal is still nowhere to be seen on Google Play, but iOS users can score the refreshed application at the source. Update (10/08/13): The folks at Any.DO have informed us that you can't access Uber without leaving Cal after all. There's actually an Uber link within the calendar that launches the request-a-ride app. The amended press release is attached after the break if you'd like to know more.
Sleek new Cal app from Any.DO spices up your iOS calendar
With months still to go before the official release of iOS 7, there's one built-in app replacement category that's found a sweet spot -- the calendar. If you're not a fan of Apple's default appointment management approach, you have a slew of alternatives to choose from. Fantastical, Sunrise and Calendars+ all deliver UI enhancements and quick entry savvy; Cue, Tempo, Donna and the Google Now elements of the Google Search app focus more on delivering "smart assistant" functionality. These next-gen applications use a bit of anticipatory computing to suss out what you're likely to want to know next, much as Apple's upcoming iOS 7 "Today" feature is supposed to do. (Developers building tools that behave like a human assistant may need to be particularly careful about their "gendered" branding.) The field may be crowded, but Cal, the latest entrant, has a leg up: millions of users are already happy with a sister application. Israeli entrepreneur Omer Perchik and his team at Any.DO started off with their eponymous app, a slick and sensible to-do manager for iOS, Android and Chrome. Any.DO has proven to be a hit, with its "have a great day" attitude, easy task entry and a solid synchronization story to the Chrome plugin; I particularly like the way the plugin puts a next-action field right into the context of a Gmail message, encouraging you to write down what you have to do. Cal, which spent the spring in private beta, is the datebook pairing for Any.DO's task list. With lovely photo theming and easy Facebook or email sign-up, you can quickly show any of your iOS calendar items (synced natively with Google Calendar or Exchange) with lots of context: who are you meeting, where are you going and more. Each invited contact can be messaged, called or emailed with a single tap, or you can check the location map to know where you're headed. Right now you'll get birthday reminders if you link to Facebook, but some additional social integrations will be coming soon. Aside from the ample visual glitz (and audible glitz; the app plays a brief music video in the background on first launch, which may take some users by surprise), there's an interface concept that delivers some different information than most other calendar apps. Cal includes your free time as "gaps" on your calendar, which are directly addressable for creating appointments. "We believe [the gaps] are key to help you have a good day," says Perchik. "Used intelligently, these 'gaps' are true opportunities to help you find the perfect balance between work and play." If the Cal and Any.DO interfaces seem surprisingly iOS 7-ready, that's a happy alignment. Perchik told Mashable that he was "humbled" to note the similarities between his apps and the new direction for Apple's mobile OS when it was revealed at WWDC. Cal is a free download in the App Store for iPhone or iPod touch. An Android version is planned soon (but apparently not soon enough for this cranky band of Facebook commenters).
With Cal, Any.DO hopes to bring its productivity magic to calendars (hands-on)
When Any.DO -- the brains behind the popular iOS to-do app -- announced Cal for iOS last month, we had high hopes for its take on calendar functionality. Starting today, Cal will be available for download in the App Store, but we had a chance to play with it early to see what it was all about. The app marks the company's initial foray into a full-blown suite of productivity apps (as teased in their press release below), which will include, at some indeterminate point in the future, Any.DO's own e-mail app. Any.DO is determined to hit a home run with its life-management line, but does Cal live up to the hype? Read on to find out. %Gallery-193598%
Any.DO announces Cal, promises a suite of connected life management apps (video)
It's only been a few hours since we wrote about Any.DO getting redesigned with a fresh new look and logo. The company's also been teasing "a new way to manage your day" on its website. Well it all makes perfect sense now -- Any.DO just announced Cal, a new calendar for the iPhone. The app seeks to change the way we interact with our calendar through location, contact and social integration. Of course it works seamlessly with Any.DO and features the same beautiful and simple design. Cal is still in beta but will be launching later this summer -- better yet, the company's promising a "suite of connected life management apps." Hit the break for the promo video and PR, and try to guess which app will come next (hint: we think it's email).
Microsoft's going to make it pricier to bring your iOS device to work
When you can't beat 'em in the tablet and smartphone market, license 'em. That seems to be the tactic that Microsoft will begin using on December 1, 2012 when it starts charging more for user client-access licenses. Many companies are now embracing the BYOD (bring your own device) model, allowing employees to bring their own tablets, smartphones or laptops to work. According to a post on Business Insider, businesses that use Microsoft enterprise software like SharePoint pay for the part that runs on the server and also for the number of clients that are using the software. Companies with more employees pay more than those with fewer people on staff. There are two kinds of client access licenses (CALs) that enterprises can buy: a "Device CAL" that covers each device, and a "User CAL" that covers all devices that a particular employee uses. For companies using the BYOD model, User CALs were a pretty good deal. Well, that's what Microsoft is going to start charging more for on December 1, raising the price of a User CAL by 15 percent. It should be noted that the higher price also pertains to Windows phones and laptops and Surface tablets, although Business Insider does point out that better deals are probably available from Microsoft for an all-Windows environment. The enterprise software affected includes Microsoft Exchange, Project Server, SharePoint Server, Visual Studio Team Foundation Server and multiple CALs for Windows Server.
Found footage: Using an iPhone to control reconnaissance aircraft
The clever folks at UC Berkeley have developed a system to issue commands to unmanned aerial vehicles using a device we all know and love: the iPhone. While the iPhone is specifically restricted from piloting the drones themselves, the team uses Mobile Safari on the iPhone to enter coordinates and select tasks for its airborne fleet. A web server then relays the tasks to the aircraft mid-flight. The video shows, in real time, an exercise where a remote-controlled airplane is instructed to photograph a particular area underneath it. The photo is then transmitted wirelessly back to a workstation at ground control. While not quite James Bond-level technology yet, it's certainly an extreme study in using the iPhone as a remote control. [Via Hack a Day.]
