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Sunrise shuts down its calendar app on August 31st
If you guessed that Sunrise's calendar app wasn't long for this world after Microsoft bought the company... well, you guessed correctly. Sunrise has revealed that it's phasing out its fan-favorite software. The app itself will vanish from digital stores over the next few days, and it'll stop working entirely on August 31st. Like it or not, you can't keep it around for the sake of familiarity -- you'll either have to switch to Outlook (which has some of Sunrise's DNA) or find an alternative.
Google Inbox can keep up with your changing calendar
Ever struggled to keep up with a calendar event as people email changes in their plans? You won't have to panic after today. Google is updating Inbox with a smarter approach to Google Calendar events that pools together all the emails from an event and shows changes in one place. If someone can't make it or the time changes, you shouldn't be caught off-guard.
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.
Google's calendar reminders are coming to the web
Google announced on Tuesday that it will begin rolling out the calendar reminders found in its mobile app to its web interface this week. The reminders will behave identically online as they do in-app -- in fact, they'll sync across all of your devices and platforms including Keep, Inbox and the Google app. This means that you'll be able to manage your tasks throughout the day regardless of whether you're at your desk or on your phone.
Facebook preps in-store purchases for Messenger
Facebook already lets you send money to friends through its Messenger app, but it appears the social network has much loftier ambitions for financial transactions. The Information reports that Menlo Park is preparing to offer its chat app as another way to pay for things thanks to a feature for in-store purchases. Based on code for the iOS app, Facebook is working on a way for you to use Messenger to pay for goods in person. As The Information notes, this would put Zuckerberg & Co. in the mobile payments fray that includes Apple Pay, Android Pay and several others.
Cortana helps you keep deadlines by scanning your email
Remember telling Ted in accounting that you'd get the Tuttle figures over by Wednesday morning? No? Well, Cortona does -- it can now read your emails and remind you of any written commitments. Microsoft revealed that the new tweak, and others, are now available in a new Windows Insider release. If you email your spouse promising to get cinema tickets, for instance, then Cortana will pop up to tell you so the next time you open up your PC. The feature works much the same as Microsoft's flight and package tracking, and data is kept locally unless you ask for a reminder. You can also opt out.
Google Calendar gets reminders to keep track of your tasks
Google's services have had reminders for a while, but they've usually been kept apart from your day-to-day schedule. That's a bit counterintuitive, isn't it? However, the company is finally setting things right by incorporating those reminders in Google Calendar. As of this week, mobile users (the web is coming soon) can create and track reminders from within the Calendar app. If you need to remember to get groceries, you'll know right away if there's a conflict with your kids' recital. And importantly, you don't have to worry about those reminders being lost in the shuffle -- if you don't tackle them one day, they'll show up in your itinerary for the next. All iOS users should see this overdue upgrade today, while Android users will see it roll out over the course of the week.
Google wants your suggestions for new illustrations in its Calendar
As a part of an overall Material Design facelift, last year Google added helpful illustrations to its Calendar app that automatically highlight what you'll be doing, and now it's expanding the feature. According to a post on the Gmail blog, there's now a dozen more illustrations for common events like weddings and Halloween parties (timely), and they can appear in up to 30 additional languages. It's not stopping there however, and is crowdsourcing suggestions for its next round of illustrations. You can suggest some photo inspiration by tweeting (but not Google+-ing) a picture with the hashtag #makethemost attached -- we're sure you will handle this power wisely.
Amazon Echo now supports shared Google calendars
Amazon's odd but intriguing Echo personal assistant / speaker has received a number of useful updates throughout its short lifespan, and today Amazon announced a few more tweaks to the device. If you're a Google Calendar user, the Echo now supports shared calendars, whereas before it could only pull in details from calendars that were owned by your personal account. In the Amazon Alexa app, you enter your Google Calendar details; from there, you can pick specific shared calendars to add to the Echo. That way, when you ask the Echo what's on your schedule, it'll only tell you things that are on the calendars you selected.
Skype for Business is coming to your mobile device
Two months after Microsoft launched Skype's Business edition, which integrates into MS Office Calendar and allows for group messaging/video chats/calls for up to 250 people, the video conferencing company announced on Tuesday that a mobile version for both iOS and Android devices is in the works. The mobile app will feature a central dashboard from which the user can search for contacts, check for and RSVP to upcoming meetings and dig through past archived conversations. Additionally, actually contacting people will be easier thanks to larger onscreen buttons and a full-screen video chat option.
Recommended Reading: Does Comic-Con have a piracy problem?
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Comic-Con Makes Everyone a Pirate: The 'Problem' of Leaked Trailers by Susana Polo Polygon As you can probably imagine, studio execs weren't too happy that early footage from Deadpool and Suicide Squad leaked online last week. Well, that's what they said, at least. Cellphone video was taken at private events and posted for the world to see. This isn't the first time this has happened to Warner Bros. and yet the company still brings "exclusive" trailers to the supposedly behind-closed-doors events. Does Comic-Con have a piracy problem or are studios counting on leaks to help build hype for highly anticipated films?
Google Calendar won't send you text alerts after June 27th
We hope you didn't lean too heavily on Google Calendar's text message alerts in order to keep your life organized. Google is warning that Calendar's SMS notifications will vanish for regular users (education, government and work are safe) after June 27th. The search firm argues that they're no longer needed in an era when smartphones give you a "richer, more reliable" heads-up. It's true that modern mobile devices render SMS a bit redundant. With that in mind, this isn't good news if you can't justify a smartphone on your budget, or prefer to keep most notifications off -- you may remain blissfully unaware of an event change until you reach a computer. [Thanks, Kristy]
Sunrise calendar app tweaks your keyboard for easy scheduling
If you're as big a fan of the Sunrise calendar app as the folks at Microsoft, scheduling meetings just got a lot easier. There's a new feature called Meet that adds a tab to your device's keyboard offering quick and easy access to your availability. Not only can you immediately see what time slots you have free without navigating elsewhere, but you can select a handful of options to send to your colleagues, friends and family. Once they decide what works best, Sunrise automatically schedules the event for you. And it even works for folks who aren't using the app. All of that means that you'll save a significant amount of time inputting dates and swiping through multiple apps. Itchin' to give it a go? Both the Android and iOS versions have been updated with the new tool, so you can start thinking about what you'll do with all of that extra time.
Google buys a firm that organizes your calendar around your life
Google has been striving for smarter apps that are built around the way you really live, and it's reinforcing that today by acquiring Timeful. The startup built a system that organizes your calendar around both your schedule and your priorities. You can tell it how often you'd like to hit the gym, for example, and it will slot in those workouts based on when you're actually going to be free. Google expects the technology to find its way into Calendar, Inbox "and beyond," so don't be surprised if these apps do a better job of adapting to your daily patterns in the near future.
Google Calendar comes to the iPhone
Do you prefer the iPhone, but would like to use Google's calendar app to keep track of your life rather than Apple's own? That's finally an option. Google Calendar has launched for the iPhone, giving you the same schedule view, Gmail events and broad account support (including Exchange and iCloud) as your Android-toting buddies. You won't get any special perks in this iOS version, but familiarity is really the point here -- you can hop between platforms without switching interfaces.
Google Calendar for Android lets you link files to events
Want to make sure everyone at your next shindig has a copy of the itinerary? You'll probably want to snag the updated version of Google Calendar for Android, then. The refreshed app lets you associate Google Drive files with events -- you don't have to send that big presentation in a separate message to make sure everyone gets it. There are a few other welcome (and arguably overdue) upgrades in store, such as a 7-day week view, pinch-to-zoom navigation and the option of importing the .ICS calendar files that you frequently get through email. The Calendar upgrade might take a few days to hit your device, but it should be worthwhile if you're determined to organize your life.
Microsoft confirms its purchase of popular calendar app Sunrise
Last week, reports surfaced that Microsoft nabbed popular calendar app Sunrise. Today, the folks in Redmond confirmed the purchase. For the unfamiliar, Sunrise is a well-designed calendar for the web, Mac, iOS and Android that pulls info from iCal and Google Calendar. It also taps into Twitter, Facebook, TripIt, Evernote and more to make sure all of your commitments are accounted for. The app will continue to exist on its own and support those third-party add-ons, and Microsoft says it'll soon reveal how Sunrise's features will fit into its universal apps and services.
Microsoft reportedly buys social calendar app Sunrise
If you're an Android, iOS or Mac user who doesn't like the stock calendar app on your platform, you've probably tried (or at least heard of) Sunrise, whose socially-savvy software often fills in the feature gaps. And apparently, Microsoft has tried it too -- both TechCrunch and Recode claim that the Windows maker is buying Sunrise. While the reasons for the reported acquisition remain a bit opaque, our TC colleagues say that the Redmond crew will preserve Sunrise's existing apps while folding some of their features into Microsoft products. Neither Microsoft nor Sunrise has commented on the claim so far. However, it's pretty easy to imagine both Windows and Outlook getting upgraded calendars that will keep you from scrounging for alternatives.
If this alleged Google Calendar iOS app isn't real, it should be
Google's recently reinvented Calendar app on Android left many counting down the days for the eventual iOS iteration, and if The Next Web's allegedly leaked screenshots of the iPhone version are anything close to real, it's looking quite nice. It should be no surprise that the supposed iOS version closely mimics its Android counterpart, with a clean aesthetic, the ability to add photos and map details to events, and full integration with other Google apps. We know a Google Calendar app is coming, and given that, these images aren't exactly a stretch, so if it doesn't look exactly like this, you can probably bet on something very, very close.
Sunrise calendar, Things productivity apps updated
Sunrise calendar has always been a 3rd choice for me, behind Apple's and Readdle's excellent Calendars 5 (I use Fantastical + BusyCal on my Mac). But after hearing a lot of smart people rave about Sunrise, I've decided to give it a try. Lucky for me, a new update adds some great features and a great widget. Sunrise now integrates Eventbrite and Google Tasks. TechCrunch has more. I recently switched from OmniFocus back to Things, and have loved it. Things may not be chock full of features like OmniFocus, but what it does it does extremely well. It's a pleasure to use for task management, and looks good doing it. Things recently updated its iOS apps to support Handoff (so you can start a task on your iPhone and finish on your iPad). Oddly enough I've never used the iPad version, but it has been completely redesigned for iOS 8.
