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Gmail lets us directly add time references as Google Calendar events, finally
As tightly integrated as Google's many services can be, the company has been dancing around a glaring omission: why couldn't we add times mentioned in Gmail messages as Google Calendar events? Logic is at last taking hold in Mountain View, however. Starting this week for those using US English, Google is rolling out a Gmail web update that automatically underlines dates and times; click on one and it will pop up a box to quickly add a calendar event scheduled for that time, with an option to edit basic details first. It's such a simple addition, but it could mean the world for those of us waiting for Gmail to catch up with our native email apps.
Gmail lets you add .ics calendar events directly to GCal with a single click
In a move that'll likely have event planners and meeting organizers around the world leaping for joy, Gmail has just announced that you can directly add .ics calendar attachments to your Google Calendar without having to download and import them manually. Google's email service will automatically detect the event in question and display an "Add to Google Calendar" button as seen above. Just click that, and it'll be added instantly -- no muss, no fuss. The created GCal events will even link back to the original email in case you need it. The feature is available right now, so feel free to test it by sending out attachment invitations. Hopefully to an event that's not already sold out.
Google and iCloud calendars don't play nicely together
So far, most of the buzz on Apple's iCloud service has been overwhelmingly positive -- I haven't seen any outages or had any issues myself so far. But it's not all unicorns and rainbows: ReadWriteWeb has tackled one of the more problematic issues with the service so far, which is trying to hook it up to Google Calendar. iCloud syncs with iCal just fine, but apparently it doesn't play quite so nicely with Google's Calendar service. Of course, this being an Apple device (and a calendar service), there are plenty of other solutions for doing what you need to do, the most basic of which would be to just log into your Google Calendar from your iPhone or iPad's Safari browser. And I actually do have my Google Calendar synced up through iCloud on my iPad, but as the RWW post says, it's "a fiddly process." Could it be easier? Yes indeed, partly because Apple and Google don't want to work together that closely over services that they may see as competitive. Despite having this inconvenience I think iCloud is still a pretty impressive service. Hopefully future iterations of iCloud will let the various services we use connect quicker and more easily.
SEVEN brings Google Calendar to legions of handsets
Mobile software vendor SEVEN may not be bringing any huge news to Vegas, but it's still making a small-to-medium sized splash by delivering Google Calendar access to millions of handsets. The access is being delivered via an update to the company's Integrated Mobile Messaging Platform, and any current mobile supported by SEVEN can take advantage. The improved calendar access is an extension of SEVEN's true push technology, and aside from giving users the ability view calendar requests, it also gives 'em the ability to update their calendar, create and delete appointments and more -- right on their phone. We'll be hitting the floor at CTIA to see what the fuss is all about, so be sure to keep it locked for more.
BusyMac announces BusyCal
BusyMac, makers of the awesome BusySync, has just announced its newest offering: BusyCal. BusySync is a great way to share and sync calendars across a LAN and sync with Google Calendar. BusyCal is a calendar application with the BusySync technology baked in. The screenshots have BusyCal looking very iCal-esque (BusyMac's website even says to think of BusyCal as "iCal Pro"), but with some additional features: Display graphics, icons and themes Add sticky notes to your calendar and share them across your network Live weather feeds within the calendar Rich text support Multi-user editing/offline editing Sync with the iPhone via iTunes and Mobile Me Sync with Google Calendar Sync with other Macs on your network with Bonjour So the inevitable question is, "Why not just use BusySync or Google's Calaboration utility?" Because iCal's To Do lists don't work with Google Calendar. Specifically, you can't create a To Do for a calendar that is set to sync with Google Calendar. So if you are like me, that means you have to maintain separate calendars (often an identical calendar) just to keep a To Do list or have a calendar integrated with a GTD app. The beauty of BusyCal is that you can add more stuff to your desktop calendar without losing support for MobileMe or Google Calendar or Sync Services. BusyCal will require OS X 10.5 Leopard and will debut this Spring. Pricing is $40 US, but if you use BusySync already or buy it before BusyCal is released, the upgrade will be just $10 US. BusyMac is at Macworld 2009 and we'll be sure to stop by the booth and take a closer look.
CalDAV support comes to Google Calendar
I'm a pretty big user of Google Calendar, because I like how I can automatically sync it with my BlackBerry. The problem for me has been that on my desktop, I really prefer iCal's interface. Syncing the two can be cumbersome. We've written about third-party programs that can sync iCal and gCal together in the past, and although those are great -- I have still wanted a native way to sync the two calendars together.Well, fortunately, Google has just quietly introduced CalDAV support to Google Calendar. CalDAV is the protocol that iCal uses to transmit data over the web. Although some other mail and calendar programs support CalDAV, right now Google Calendar is only compatible with iCal. Finally, iCal and Google Calendar can sync without having to use third party programs!After following Google's detailed instructions, you can add your Google calendar account to iCal. Any changes you make in iCal will be transferred over to Google and appear in Google Calendar within about 15 minutes. Likewise, any changes made in gCal will be updated immediately from iCal. If you use a BlackBerry, which also syncs directly with gCal, those changes will be updated on all sides as well.So does this mean that third-party syncing utilities have no place? Well, just based on my initial tests this morning, they are safe for at least a little while. Although sync support works perfectly, you have to create a new calendar account for each individual calendar you want to access. Additionally, if you have a calendar called "Home" on your Mac and a different calendar called "Home" in gCal, you can't just sync those two together. You'll need to either import all your iCal data into Google first, and then sync with the new calendar, or transfer the information over from one calendar to the other within iCal. Programs like BusySync and Spanning Sync allow syncing of designated calendars with one another.Still, this is a huge step in the right direction and I'm just happy that I can import my mobile calendar onto my desktop without having to run a background utility. CalDAV support for Google Calendar requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard's version of iCal. The Google Calendar service is free.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.[via Google Operating System]
BusySync 2.0 ships, adds Google Calendar
After six weeks in beta (not long at all in Google-weeks), the new version 2.0 of iCal-sharing tool BusySync is out. The headline feature for 2.0 is of course the new iCal --> Google Calendar synchronization capability, which opens up a wide world of cloud-based options for families and workgroups already using the LAN-based sync of earlier versions. You can keep multiple iCal users synchronized (even on the same machine), sync remotely via Google, and more.There are plenty other options for syncing your calendars with gCal, but if you need to keep more than one user's iCal coordinated (think family schedules!) then BusySync may be the product for you, starting at $25 per seat. The guys behind BusySync have a long history with Mac calendaring (including creating the late great Now Up-to-Date, which actually saw its first update in over a year last week) and I've been impressed with the quality of the beta release. We'll do a head-to-head comparison of the iCal sync options soon.
Show floor video: BusySync
BusyMac had a good thing going with BusySync 1 and 1.5: seamlessly share and edit calendar info across your home or business LAN using iCal. Version 2 (due next month) features sync via the cloud-- so you can sync a work and home computer, even if you don't work at home. There's also Google Calendar support in BusySync 2, which could be the holy grail many of us have been looking for. Mike does a quick run through in the video.
Google Calendar rolls out for mobiles
Google's rumored and real romp through mobile space continues with the announcement of its Google Calendar application's support for mobiles. The calendar seems to work perfectly, displaying a day by day view of your world and your plans for it, though, sadly, we couldn't find any way to remove events one they were added. Events can be added by typing a description of your appointment in the "Quick Add" box at the bottom of the screen. For example, typing "Pause for dinner today 16:00" (or 4 pm) adds that event to your calendar. This is a pretty handy tool if you rely heavily on your Google calendar or aren't into all that Windows Mobile Calendar syncin' business. Follow the read link to get to the goods![Via Mauricio Freitas]
Spanning Sync for iCal and Google Calendar goes 1.0, announces pricing
We've mentioned Spanning Sync, the first utility to truly sync iCal and Google Calendar, once or twice before, but until today it's been in that 'beta' status that's such a hit with the kids these days. As of this morning, however, beta is no more, for Spanning Sync has reached full 1.0 status and gone commercial. Now, users can bask in the wonders of a true two-way sync between iCal and Google Calendar, as well as syncing between multiple Macs and Google Calendar accounts, and even with iSync-compatible devices like iPods and mobile phones (before you ask: yes, once it's out, the iPhone is invited to the party too). Spanning Sync even works with Google Apps for Your Domain, Google's hosting service (free to individuals or companies of up to 25 users, commercial for more) that offers, amongst other things, Google Calendar and Gmail on your own domain. With the changeover to a full 1.0 app, Spanning Sync has also gone commercial. It now runs as a 15 day demo, and that two-tier pricing system we mentioned offers two choices: either $25 for a yearly subscription (a lá .Mac), or $65 to buy a copy in full. Check out the refreshed Spanning Sync site for more details and to download a demo.
Spanning Sync about to go 1.0
Spanning Sync, the bi-directional syncing utility for iCal and Google Calendar we've been covering, has released public beta v1.0b16 on their blog. Aside from the typical fixes and updates, the more significant announcement here is the possibility that this might be the final beta before going 1.0. Of course, beta still means beta, but this announcement also means that with 1.0, Spanning Sync will (we assume) be going commercial. While a price hasn't been announced yet, the pricing structure has. Spanning Sync will offer two purchase models: the first is a minimal subscription fee, while the second is a higher priced one-time purchase for those who like to grab and go. This flexibility should help make the majority of Spanning Sync's potential customers happy, and we'll be sure to drop some prices on you as soon as we receive word.For now, go pick up the latest public beta, as Spanning Sync seems to be shaping up quite nicely.
Spanning Sync public beta re-opened
Fellow Mac users looking to sync iCal and Google Calendar - rejoice! For the Spanning Sync crew have re-opened their public beta to one and all. After their servers buckled under their first attempt at opening up the beta, they had to shut down temporarily. Fortunately, Spanning Sync's own vendor stepped up to the plate and offered some serious upgrades in infrastructure horsepower, and new users can officially begin signing up to use the beta once again. If you head over and sign up, however, be sure to back up your calendars - after all, beta means beta. Doing something as simple as browsing to your ~/Library/Application Support/ folder and pressing Cmd + D on your /iCal/ folder to duplicate it will do just fine. To grab your own copy of the beta, head over to their re-opening announcement post for the latest version. Simply log in with your Google Account (or go create a free one) to get swept off to a land of desktop + web service synchronization.
Spanning Sync announces public beta
Charlie Wood from Spanning Sync, the 'missing link' software we mentioned back in November that can keep iCal and Google Calendar n'sync, just let us know that a public beta (version 1.0b11) is now available (zip download link). Getting started with iCal + gCal syncing bliss is simple: Download the aforementioned zip file Install Spanning Sync, which runs as a System Preference pane Enter your Google Account credentials, or go get one (they're free, and if you already have something like a Gmail address, you're good to go) Select which calendars from iCal you want to sync with Google Calendar (and if you haven't signed into Google Calendar at least once, do so now) Press "Sync Now" Sit back and marvel at the wonders of desktop + Google Calendar syncing I've been participating in their private beta for the last couple of months, and Spanning Sync has shaped up pretty well. The ability to keep my desktop synced with Google Calendar has been quite a life-saver for me, and I definitely recommend taking it for a spin, as I couldn't find any viable alternatives. The one catch that Spanning Sync has run into so far is alarm/reminder syncing. Since Google Calendar only supports alarms in your main, personal calendar, Spanning Sync can't include this feature until the gCal team shape up and fly right. Still, while I find myself using reminders for some of my key events, I didn't find this quirk to be a deal-breaker.As of this writing, a price is yet to be announced, though there will be two plans. The first is an annual subscription rate, while the second is a one-time, lifetime purchase for those who want to get past all the riff-raff. Stay tuned for more details.[Update: Woops - looks like servers fall down, go boom. Spanning Sync has temporarily closed the public beta to new users due to the veritable river of interest overrunning their servers. If you recall your 'Internets 101' lessons, water and server hardware don't mix well. However, users who got set up before they closed the beta are still in - the doors are simply closed to new users until Spanning Sync can add some equipment to handle the load. Their blog post announcing the bad news also states that they hope to re-open the public beta by Wednesday, so we'll keep our eye on things and let you know when new users can begin signing up again.]
Calgoo "first draft" takes Google Calendar offline, sorta
Our friends over at Download Squad reviewed Calgoo, an offline Google Calendar client, last month. The reason we didn't pick it up is simply because it didn't run on Mac OS X at the time. Recently that changed, so here we go - but it is very apparent why they call this a first draft (as opposed to 'beta' or even 'pre-alpha').Calgoo appears to be a Java app, or at least need it for something under the hood, and as you can see: it isn't quite on the Mac OS X side of the GUI fence. For some odd reason, users must register at Calgoo's site (which I begrudgingly did in the name of blogging) in order to be able to download and actually use the app. The actual setup is pretty straight forward, and syncing seemed to run well (a 'Message Log' tab in the upper right lets you keep an eye on activity), but navigating Calgoo's UI is anything but intuitive. Like Jason at Download Squad, I too couldn't see any of my appointments until I figured out their obscure calendar list in the lower left corner (hint: you can select and view individual calendars, or click at the top of the list to view them all. Why it's an actual process to get even any of your calendars to appear is anyone's guess). There are various other quirks and perks, such as Calgoo running on Mac, PC and Linux, event tagging/filtering and the fact that it downloads your Gmail buddies for easy attendance listing, but I was happy to see what is perhaps the most significant feature of Calgoo work like a charm: syncing with Google Calendar. I created a couple basic events in Calgoo and one in gCal, then synced. Once the dust settled, everything was reassuringly in order across both places, so at least that's a good selling point at this 'first draft' stage - cuz that UI sure won't be winning any Apple Design Awards anytime soon.So would I recommend Calgoo? Yes and no. If you're just gaga for gCal, sure - it seems like a decent client, but there's definitely a UI learning curve. However, this seems to be the only app I've seen that has put a good foot forward in accomplishing such a task as truly synchronizing with Google Calendar, so I'll tip my hat to Calgoo and hope to see what tidings its evolution brings.
.Mac's slow death
Somebody call the ambulance, because .Mac is dying...and Google is the assassin (with a little help from his sidekick Firefox). Now I've been using .Mac since it was free and called "iTools." I was initially lured in by the convenience of iDisk, the mac.com email address and so on. Web bookmark and contact syncing are also super-convenient, and as time passed I made use of some of the other .Mac services, like iCal publishing and so on. Everything was fine. Not free anymore, but fine. Then Google introduced (free) Gmail with oodles more storage than .Mac offers, calendars and so on. To make a long story short, I'm about to give .Mac the boot for good. After the jump, a breakdown of why.
A browser just for Google Calendar
Remember the distraction-free Gmail browser by Michael McCracken? He apparently struck a chord within Chip Cuccio, as Hawk Wings has tracked down Chip's follow-up with a browser just for Google Calendar. This app more or less rolls the same way too: it's based on WebKit and is designed only to give you clean, distraction-free access to staying organized with gCal. Heads up though: Chip isn't offering any support for the app, but you really shouldn't need any in the first place. However, he snagged the app's icon from Open Clip Art, so ping him if you want to spice the icon up a bit.
Google Calendar officially supports Safari
Users are reporting that Google Calendar now officially supports Safari. I can confirm, as I no longer receive the 'unsupported browser' warning on 10.4.6, and I must say gCal looks a bit nicer in Safari, though I unfortunately need to use Firefox for most of my browsing needs.It's nice to see Google going the extra mile to support Apple's browser with some of their products. Anyone want to place bets as to how soon a Safari-compatible chat will show up in Gmail?
Quicksilver plug-ins for Google Calendar and Gmail
While tinkering in Quicksilver's plug-ins panel this morning I came across two new plug-ins that should fit right in with my new Borg Google-infused daily activities: a Gmail Module and a Google Calendar Module. Both are actions that allow you to type in a string of text, then select either of these modules as an action, and off you go.The Google Calendar module seems to use their Quick Add syntax for adding events. For a quick tutorial on this: invoke Quicksilver and then hit period so you can begin entering plain text. Enter something like "Apple Store Opening Saturday 10 am," then hit tab to move to Quicksilver's second pane to chose an action. If you have the Google Calendar module installed, the action is titled "Google Calendar Event" (using 'gcal' works just fine for me). Hitting enter will send the event, and for bonus points, if you have Growl installed and Quicksilver using it to give notifications, you'll receive a Growl alert upon successful completion.The Gmail module (pictured) allows you to compose a message (or at least part of one) using the same method as both the Google Calendar and Mail.app compose actions. Once you type some text, tab over to chose the Gmail action, you'll receive a 3rd pane that allows you to specify an Address Book contact to send to. Hitting enter will create a Gmail compose window with all the information you chose from Quicksilver already inserted. Awesome.
Firefox Quick Add extension for Google Calendar
Elias Torres has put together a most excellent Google Calendar Quick Add extension for Firefox. If you aren't familiar with gCal's Quick Add feature, it's in the upper left of gCal (or just hit 'q' on your keyboard), and it's great: you can create a new event simply by typing it as a sentence, such as: "dinner with Jane May 1st 6 pm." No tabbing or clicking around to chose numbers and fields. Nice.Elias' Firefox extension does a great job of enabling this slick Quick Add ability from any other window/tab in Firefox, and so far it works flawlessly, though I have a couple of tips for you. First, make sure you've already opened gCal at least once during your browser session for this extension to work; it re-uses your session cookie instead of prompting for your password. Also, if you open this Quick Add window but decide you don't need to enter an event for one reason or another, simply hit esc to get rid of the window, as its close button doesn't work.[via Hawk Wings]
Using iCalShare calendars with Google Calendar
Yesterday, Scott showed us how to use iCal to subscribe to calendars created with Google Calendar (let's just say "gCal" to keep it short). Today we go in the other direction: How to use gCal to subscribe to iCal calendars. For the sake of this post, I'm using iCalShare to find a calendar I want to add to gCal. Specifically, the Boston Red Sox 2006 season schedule (Go Sox!). You can read more after the jump.
