Calendars
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Outlook for iOS and Android syncs calendar info from other apps
Ever since it acquired Sunrise, the popular social calendar app, Microsoft's been bringing more of its features to the Outlook mobile apps. To that end, Outlook for iOS and Android can now sync with Evernote, Facebook and Wunderlist, which will let users get information from those third-party services directly on their inbox. This includes events, notes and tasks, making it easier for you to stay on top of scheduled meetings, reminders and other things that help with productivity. Microsoft says integration with these apps is just the start, hinting at support for others in the future.
Work Time is free today, gives your iPhone something to do while you work
Work Time (free today only, normally US$1.99) is a clever little desktop clock app keeps your iPhone busy while you're working, displaying upcoming calendar events, the current temperature and a weather forecast. Tapping on an event lets you edit it in the Calendar app or delete it. There is also a button to let you add new events. The event list is scrollable, and it's easy to select which calendars you wish to have appear on the display. Work Time has ten different color screen themes, and the app supports both landscape and portrait orientation. The app's developer says he wanted a useful desktop clock app but could not find one, so he did it himself. Using Work Time is simple, but I did have a small challenge trying to figure out how to change the style and colors. The control is a small right facing arrow, just next to the '+' symbol for adding an event to the calendar. Work Time is not a universal app. It requires iOS 7 or later and is optimized for the iPhone 5. If you are interested, be sure to grab it right away as it will be a paid app after Friday, August 15.
Timeful is a new calendar app that reinvents how you organize your time
Timeful (free) has launched today after a long development and beta phase. The app tries to capture everything that vies for your precious time and stores it in one place. It can import and sync your current calendars from iCloud, Google, Yahoo or Mirosoft Exchange. The app blends to-do's, events and what it calls "habits," which the developers define as a good practice you want to develop. When you enter anything into Timeful, you are asked about its priority and when the best time to remind you about that item is. It can be a specific time, or even something more vague like a weekday morning. There is a "frequency bar" to regulate how often you are flagged on lesser events. Timeful also wants to know when you sleep, so you won't be alerted during that time. The app comes out of a lot of research on how we use our time, so Timeful makes smart suggestions, rather than giving you alerts by rote. One of the people behind Timeful is Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, an expert in human fallibility and short-term thinking, so you get the idea that Timely isn't just another calendar app or To-Do list. "We've successfully applied technology to improve our lives in many domains – search, finance, music, shopping, you name it. And yet we haven't yet applied it to optimize the use of our most scarce resource – time – and there's so much algorithms and behavioral science have to offer," said Timeful CEO and co-founder Jacob Bank in a conference call we had last week. "Our first application is based on the simple observation that what doesn't make it onto your schedule is less likely to get done. By making it easier to put everything that vies for your time onto your schedule, including by automatically suggesting good times to do things, we hope to make you more productive and less stressed." Using Timeful is pretty easy, and there are some tutorial videos you can watch to fully understand how the app works. I was easily able to import my iCloud calendar, and I could decide if there were some categories I did not want to display or sync. What can become a problem with an app like this is that it takes a lot of time to enter items properly, which will, of course, have an impact on your time. It's also easy to get over-nagged by any app, which can also be a distraction. The Timeful developers seem to have thought about these things, and a lot of the scheduling and suggestion times happen behind the scenes and are driven by algorithms that should reduce distractions. Over time, Timeful learns what you do and when you like to do it, which will generate more accurate and timely suggestions. I think this app is worth a look for people who have busy schedules. Even retired people may like how it organizes your time. Timeful demonstrates some fresh thinking, and the app is sure to grow and improve. Although Timeful has some location awareness, I'd like to see it get more granular in that respect, knowing more than whether I am at home or work. Timeful requires iOS 7 or later. It is not a universal app, but will run scaled on any iDevice. The company is also working on a web-based version so you can interact with your calendar from anywhere. That version is expected to appear quickly.
Macworld's Jason Snell on the failings of digital calendars
For most of us, calendars are the cornerstone of our work and personal schedules. Though we own "smart" phones, the apps we use to track our days are still relatively dumb, argues Jason Snell of Macworld. In a lengthy article, Snell asks why calendars aren't more like a personal assistant -- smart enough to manage your schedule, not just pencil in dates and times. He brings up his own schedule which is filled with meetings and seemingly no breaks. An assistant would notice his meeting overload and pencil in free time accordingly. Snell doesn't offer any solutions to the problems facing calendars. He just brings up those areas that are weaknesses and asks people for suggestions on how developers can make our calendars become an intelligent management tool. You can join in the conversation at Macworld's website. Developers should join as well -- you could gain some insight into what people are clamoring for in their calendar apps.
Readdle rebrands its Calendar app, adds free version
Readdle expanded its portfolio of excellent apps today with a free version of its popular Calendars app. The free version will replace the paid version of Calendars by Readdle, which is now known as Calendars+. The new, free Calendars by Readdle is a basic calendaring app that lets you manage your iOS and Google calendars. It doesn't have all the features of the paid version, but the major ones are still there. The free version lets you create an event with just a few taps and then drag and drop it to change the date and time. The app also supports SMS notifications and offline syncing. Customers who bought the paid version of Calendars will still enjoy the advanced features of the app. Calendars+ offers support for multiple event reminders, recurring appointments, event invitations and more. You can download the free version of Calendars by Readdle from the iOS App Store. Calendars+ by Readdle is available for US$6.99.
Five apps to replace your iOS Calendar
Calendars are the cornerstone of our busy 21st century lives. Without them, many would not remember the long list of things they need to do and all the places they need to go. For some, the iOS default calendar is suitable, but many people want a calendar with a bit more oomph. Here's a list of five calendar apps for this group of power calendar users (all prices are USD). CalenGoo ($6.99, universal) CalenGoo is a calendar replacement that let you sync with Google Calendar. It easily syncs all your calendars (not just the default) and keeps their status so your hidden calendars remain hidden. It also supports Google calendar-specific features like Google tasks and Google's invitation system, so you can see whether someone accepted or declined an invite. If you don't have an Internet connection, CalenGoo will save all your changes offline and sync up with Google calendar when you have an active connection. At $6.99, this universal app is pricey, but worth it for heavy Google calendar users. Fast Calendar + Tasks (Calvetica) ($2.99, universal) Calvetica is an another favorite, but unlike CalenGoo, it pulls its calendar entries in from your default iOS calendar. This means setup is easy as you don't have to provide login information for Google and other services. It also means you can sync with a variety of calendars including iCloud, Exchange calendars and Google Calendar. This convenience comes at a cost as you lose some specialized features like Google task syncing. Calvetica does support tasks, but they're restricted to Calvetica, not an external calendar. If all you need is a good events calendar with alarm support, then Calvetica is fantastic. It's visually stunning and chock full of options to tweak how it looks and performs. There's also a bunch of gestures that let you navigate through the app with ease. And at $2.99, it is a very reasonably priced. Pocket Informant ($12.99 for iPhone, $14.99 for iPad) Pocket Informant is an oldie, but goodie. It was "the" calendar app for Windows Mobile and has been successfully ported to iOS and Android. Just like its older Windows Mobile counterpart, Pocket Informant for iOS is filled with features and options. That's one of the first things you notice about Pocket Informant - the five different views and all the settings that let you tweak the app to your heart's content. It's also more than a calendar app and includes tasks, notes and contacts as well. It may be $12.99, but you get a lot of bang for your buck. TouchBase Calendar ($0.99) TouchBase is described as "smart calendar" that works more as a digital assistant and less as a static calendar. It helps you add contacts and map information to each event you add to your calendar. This information can then be used with the apps 1-touch feature, which lets you notify others that you have arrived at your meeting location or send them a SMS to say you'll be late. It also has 1-touch calling and 1-touch access to maps. It syncs to a variety of calendars including Exchange, Google, Outlook, CalDAV and MobileMe. TouchBase is definitely different from most calendar apps out there and, at 99-cents, it's worth a look. Easy Calendar ($1.99) Easy Calendar is easy. It lets you create a new event with only three taps and edit an existing event with only two. It has a clean UI with support for colored calendars and search function that is integrated into the week view. It ties into the default iOS calendar and, as a result, can sync with MobileMe, Outlook, Google Calendar and other CalDAV calendars. It's an excellent choice for someone who wants something prettier than the default iOS calendar, but doesn't need the complexity of Pocket Informant.
EVE dev blog details Tyrannis API additions
EVE Online has always been one of the most open and accessible MMORPGs in terms of in-game data. The new Tyrannis expansion, recently delayed a week to May 26th, will expand on the game's history of making its APIs (application programming interface) available to players and enterprising programmers. "In Tyrannis we are delivering a vastly improved contacts system and the new calendar. For these features, we will be providing a new set of APIs for you to consume in your own applications. Not only will we expose this new data to you, we have made some changes to existing APIs, and two Outpost related APIs have been added to help ease outpost management," writes CCP Stillman in an EVE dev blog entry posted earlier today. Whether the new APIs are incorporated into the the plethora of player-developed EVE tools already in existence, or they inspire the creation of entirely new programs, we can't wait to see what New Eden's residents do with the new information. You can check out all the details over at the EVE dev blog.
iCalShare relaunches
After a long absence iCalShare.com has relaunched with new search tools and an improved user interface. iCalShare is a site dedicated to sharing calendars for use in applications like iCal, Google Calendar, or Outlook among dozens of other web and desktop apps. The site contains over 3,500 calendars across 40 different categories from Academics to Television. Calendars are free to download and can be used with any desktop or website application that can import iCalendar files. How it works: Just search the site for a calendar of your choosing, click "subscribe" and that calendar will automatically be added to your iCal. Since it's a subscription-based calendar, it will automatically update whenever the author edits the calendar. You can also create and share your own calendars on iCalShare for free after registering with the site. Whether you're a Harvard student, a DC Young Democrat, or a movie buff, there's a calendar for you. iCalShare was first launched in 2002 and spotlighted by Steve Jobs during his 2003 keynote speech. The site was created by Patrick Crowley, a technologist and long-time Mac user.
Stihl's autumn calendar automatically rips through to tomorrow
Unless they're incredibly quiet or potentially explosive, you won't find us waxing poetic (or even prosaic) about leaf blowers. But if a company that produced leaf blowers made a motorized calendar that tore off its own pages? We'd tell you about that in a heartbeat -- even if the wonderfully wasteful contraption turned out to be a viral ad by agency Euro RSCG rather than an actual household organizer, and even if its pages aren't nearly as saucy as Stihl's usual NSFW fare. Believe it or not, there's no blade inside that brushed aluminum shell; the process works by ripping out the bookbinding thread along the calendar's spine using a motorized reel. Join us in celebrating the wonder of pressed dead wood floating to earth all by its lonesome with a short video after the break.
Beta Beat: BusyCal from BusyMac
The BusyCal public beta is out! I got a preview of BusyCal while at WWDC this year, and have been anxiously awaiting the chance to put it into action. As the developers state on the homepage: "Think of it as iCal Pro." The next step from the makers of BusySync, BusyCal offers a full calendaring system with Bonjour and Google Calendar sync, iPhone sync via iTunes or MobileMe, full read-write access for multi-user calendars, and a plethora of other features and goodies. Dated to-dos are embedded in the calendar, optionally carrying forward if not completed on their due date. You can add recurring to-do items with the same carry-forward functionality. There are customizable views, including sortable list views, plus shared sticky notes, customizable graphics, live weather and forecasts (with sunrise/set times and moon phases), all in an easy-to-grasp, iCal-like interface. If you've ever thought, "Gosh, I like iCal, I just wish it had about 20 more useful features and could sync across my LAN and the internet," take the public beta of BusyCal for a spin. BusyCal will cost $40US per computer, or $10/computer for BusySync owners. Doing the math, BusySync is $25, plus the $10 upgrade is $35, so you could save yourself $5 taking the upgrade path, even with a new purchase of BusySync.
Apple apologizes for its MobileMe mess, admits bungle on "push," offers 30-days free
After six long days, Apple has issued an official statement on the debacle that was / is the MobileMe transition, and has offered a 30-day extension to contracts as an olive branch to disgruntled users. According to a form letter being sent to subscribers, the company openly admits that the switch to MobileMe was "a lot rockier than hoped," and claims that the service is now running smoothly. Additionally (and somewhat surprisingly) Apple rescinded its use of the word "push" to cover all of its services, conceding that while there is indeed push to-and-from iPhones and the "cloud," computers are still being polled every 15 minutes... which is the same as .Mac (and honestly Apple, you didn't know that wasn't technically push?). We suppose this would be all well and good provided that MobileMe was actually functioning as advertised, but indications from readers -- and our own testing -- suggest otherwise. Customers are still having difficulties with email and syncing between iPhones and the cloud (duplicate messages, deleted messages that don't leave the inbox, etc.), the advertised "auto-complete" on mail addressing doesn't function at all, and calendars are plagued with small moving / deletion problems, as well as being unable to sync subscriptions... and that's just off the top of our head (see the company's support forums for more). The 30-day extension is a nice gesture Apple, but we're thinking customers would prefer a service that works as advertised.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
.Mac and Me rumors: TUAW inside look at Apple's next-gen service
What's next for .Mac, Apple's much-maligned online service offering for OS X users? TUAW has learned that .Mac will no longer be sold by Apple after WWDC, as new users will migrate to the new MobileMe service (not too shocking, given the swirling rumors as of late). Existing users will have their @mac.com e-mail addresses forwarded to their @me.com address in perpetuity, which should provide some relief for nervous .Mac users who depend on that email.MobileMe is slated to include a host of new features, which we alluded to early in May; in addition, there will be new web interfaces for all aspects of MobileMe -- calendars will look just like iCal, Contacts will look just like they do in Address Book, etc. This is similar to the way .Mac Webmail works today, though we've heard that the new interfaces will be much snazzier (yes, that's a technical term). Apple should also be updating the .Mac dependent applications (iChat, iWeb, iPhoto etc.) to work with the new service. The new service will be backwards compatible with .Mac protocols for the time being -- so developers will not have to rush out updates as soon as they hear the official word.MobileMe is scheduled to be available sometime in late June/early July. We have also heard reports that the latest build of the iPhone beta firmware (2.0) has already undergone revisions to handle the new MobileMe service. Some of the features of the service on iPhone will include: over-the-air syncing of contacts, calendars, and photos. Interestingly, there is also a Windows version of MobileMe planned. Though we're confident in the source of this information, this is still a rumor until Apple reveals all. We should hear more information about MobileMe at the World Wide Developer's Conference starting on Monday (June 9th).
Apple extends iPhoto book/calendar discounts
You may recall us posting about Apple's winter iPhoto promotion. This promotion provides 20% off of books and calendars. This promotion was set to expire on February 29, 2008; However, according to Macworld, Apple has extended this promotion until March 7 (giving you a couple extra days to stock up on calendars and photo books). A recent thread on the Apple Discussions board prompted Apple to extend the promotion due to errors that users were experiencing during checkout. The codes for North American users are: NAWinterBook08 for books NAWinterCal08 for calendars We haven't heard if this extended promotion applies to UK users or not, however, if you would like to try, the codes for the UK books / calendar are: EUWinterCal08 and EUWinterBook08. [via Macworld]
iPhoto books and calendar discounts
If you want to "cash-in" on all of those after holiday sales, look no further than your Mac's desktop. Apple is starting a new winter promotion for iPhoto books and calendars. By using two promotional codes you can save 20% on books and calendars through February 29, 2008. Apple says that the book code will also work in Aperture. For calendars, use code: NAWinterCal08For photo books, use code: NAWinterBook08Thanks to everyone who sent this in!Update: a recent commenter shared with us the codes for the UK iPhoto: For calendars, use code: EUWinterCal08For photo books, use code: EUWinterBook08
Activation Video reveals some interesting details and... an 80GB iPhone?
Oh Apple, you're so sly with the way you slip in the useful (and sometimes bizarre) details with your iPhone demo videos. In the activation video posted today, more intricacies of what and how the iPhone synchs have been revealed with a walk-through of how to get one's iPhone set up at home with iTunes. First, it appears as though Apple and AT&T have thought of just about everything: The setup asks whether you already have an AT&T account and you'd just like to add your iPhone to it, or if you're creating a brand new account. Users can also activate two or more phones all from the comforts of their pajamas and iTunes.
MailTags 2 beta gets major todo and event enhancements, goes 'feature complete'
Scott Morrison has released a 6th beta of MailTags 2, his quintessential tagging and organizing plug-in for Mail.app that we're big fans of. This new beta heralds a 'feature complete' status for the plug-in, meaning that Scott has implemented all the new features and tricks that version 2 will have, and now it's simply time to clean up the code and stomp out the bugs. Also new in this version is an updated UI with a slick new pop-up window for entering todo and event information (pictured). This makes recording events and staying on top of things with MailTags much more functional and enjoyable, causing Scott's plug-in to rise even farther towards the top of my list of apps that help me get more done with my email.MailTags 2 costs $25 and can be had from indev.
Full synchronization of iCal and Google Calendar coming via Spanning Sync
Spanning Sync looks to be the holy grail of true, two-way calendar synchronization between Apple's iCal and Google Calendar. Yes: by 'two-way' I mean 'you can edit the same calendar in either place and the changes will synchronize.' Nasty translation I know, so maybe you should go watch their demo video to really get your mouth watering. In it, one of Spanning Sync's creators shows off how easy it is to link iCal calendars with equivalents in Google Calendar (bonus points for the ability to chose exactly which calendars shake hands), as well as moving an event in one calendar and having the change sync to the other. If this doesn't have you excited, please excuse me while I go check my blood pressure.Spanning Sync's blog has more details, and its release is billed as 'coming soon.' Stay tuned to TUAW as well, as I was fortunate enough to get my name in on the private beta before the signup list closed, and I'll have a screencast and a review for you as soon as possible.
Why wait for Leopard? Share and edit your calendars now with SyncBridge
By now you're probably picking up on a new theme of 'Why Wait for Leopard?' If so, good eye. If not: you really need to read more TUAW. In either case, we've tracked down another Leopard-busting app in the form of SyncBridge, which brings all the features of syncing, sharing and editing iCal calendars to the table, without the wait for Leopard or price of .Mac (sidenote: I'm a .Mac member and fan, so don't be hatin').The SyncBridge software uses Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger's built-in SyncServices to share calendars over the SyncBridge servers, allowing others to subscribe to and edit calendars, sending changes up to the servers and syncing back to your own calendars. Users can even log into the site to see their calendars displayed, though it isn't possible to edit the calendars on the web; that has to be done through an iCal client. A tour is offered at the site, explaining each step of the process.SyncBridge is charged as a yearly subscription service at £25 / $46, which probably places it outside the range of the casual calendar editing/sharing enthusiast. Nevertheless, this is a viable alternative to waiting for Mac OS X Leopard to land next spring.
Groupcal 3: manage your Exchange calendar from iCal
Are you a Mac user living in an Exchange world, forced to trudge through Entourage? (Don't get me wrong: Entourage is fine, but 'trudge' is just a good verb for dramatic effect.) Well trudge no longer with Groupcal 3, an addon for iCal that allows you to access, manage, edit and synchronize your Exchange calendars and tasks. Also on the feature list are: subscribing to coworker's free time, sending/receiving meeting invites, sharing/publishing calendars through .Mac or WebDAV and even syncing with an iPod or Palm through iSync.Groupcal 3 is a Universal Binary, a demo is available and a single licenses costs $55. As you might expect, multi-license packs are available starting at 5 seats, moving all the way up to 500 and 1000 pack licenses. [via MacMerc]
iLife updates abound in Software Update
Fire up Software Update, folks, as the iLife apps have received a boost. Specifically, iPhoto is at version 6.0.1, iDVD is at 6.0.1, iWeb reaches version 1.0.1 and the all-mighty iTunes has 6.0.3 ready to go. According to Apple, specifics on each update are as follows:iPhoto 6.0.1:"This update to iPhoto resolves issues with photocasting, viewing thumbnails in large libraries, and ordering cards, calendars and books. It also addresses a number of other minor issues."iDVD 6.0.1:"This update to iDVD 6 resolves issues with integration with the other iLife applications, importing of legacy projects and some theme related issues. It also addresses a number of other minor issue"iWeb 1.0.1:"This update to iWeb 1.0 addresses issues related to publishing and blogs. It also addresses a number of other minor issues."iTunes 6.0.3:"iTunes 6.0.3 includes stability and performance improvements over iTunes 6.0.2."Thanks to all the TUAW readers who sent this in!Update: iMovie (6.0.1) has been added as well. Thanks, Taylor!
