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Google brings Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Talk out of beta (updated)
Guess what, internoodle? Google Apps is officially out of beta. Do you know what that means? It means that Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Talk are losing that "beta" signage / language you've come to know and loathe. It also seems to mean that Google will be taking a much more direct and serious approach to courting businesses for its Apps suite. At first blush, it looks like the company has all but squashed the "Standard Edition" free hosted Apps package that many now use, though that isn't the case (yet). We say "all but" because while it looks like the pro bono package has been zapped out of existence by the magic raygun of capitalism, a tiny link to the service still exists on an arcane page buried deep in the casefiles of one T. Google Merryweather III. Or just Google. To be completely clear, however, regular old Gmail will still be freely available to anyone and everyone who wants a crack at it. At any rate, you'll be happy to know that the beta tag will be scuttled later today, and you can start getting righteously mad at Google for not taking care of their proper, released products immediately. Now maybe they can get to coding up nice native versions of Gmail for the iPhone and webOS... eh?Update: The folks at Google, bless 'em, have posted a quick note on their blog stating explicitly that the Standard version of Apps isn't going anywhere. In their words, "We have no intention of eliminating Standard Edition, and we apologize for any confusion." Nice!
Gmail gets pushed to select BlackBerrys
There's a new push purveyor on the mobile scene, come to show the competition what's what -- despite being completely dependent on that competition, at least for the moment. Hot on the heels of RIM adding a push API, Google is enabling some BlackBerry users to get their Gmail and Google Calendar goodies shoved straight to their handsets. However, there are a number of shortcomings here that make this addition somewhat limited in usefulness. For one thing users have to be connecting to BlackBerry Enterprise Server instances, and furthermore those instances have to be backed by Microsoft Exchange. Additionally, only 250 users per Enterprise Server instance can get their mobile Gmail on, changes made to appointments on a handsets cannot be pushed back to Google Calendar, and to top it all off searching for Gmail messages still requires a separate app. Updates and improvements are coming, but until then it's caveat emailor.
Gmail gets pushed to select BlackBerries
There's a new push purveyor on the mobile scene, come to show the competition what's what -- despite being completely dependent on that competition, at least for the moment. Hot on the heels of RIM adding a push API, Google is enabling some BlackBerry users to get their Gmail and Google Calendar goodies shoved straight to their handsets. However, there are a number of shortcomings here that make this addition somewhat limited in usefulness. For one thing users have to be connecting to BlackBerry Enterprise Server instances, and furthermore those instances have to be backed by Microsoft Exchange. Additionally, only 250 users per Enterprise Server instance can get their mobile Gmail on, changes made to appointments on a handsets cannot be pushed back to Google Calendar, and to top it all off searching for Gmail messages still requires a separate app. Updates and improvements are coming, but until then it's caveat emailor.
New Mobile Google Calendar on the iPhone too
Hot on the heels of the new version of Gmail Mobile for the iPhone comes a new mobile version of Google Calendar leveraging some of the same technology. The previous iteration was frustratingly feature-poor, allowing you only to view your appointments and add new ones using a natural language interface which could be frustrating with the iPhone's keyboard. Thankfully the new version has a more typical appointment entry screen. Better appointment entry is nice, but the big new features in the new version of Google Calendar for the iPhone are the ability to edit existing appointments, invite other people to events, and the ability to manage appointment invitations and attendance statuses. Although the official announcement on the Official Google Mobile Blog inexplicably downplays it, Google Calendar now has a modicum of offline functionality on the iPhone and Android phones. Now even if you have no network connection it can still show you appointments that you've previously viewed, though you can't edit them. Hopefully this matures into a true offline capability in future versions, but it's sure nice to know that you can get to your appointments if you need to when you're without a network connection.
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 to include Google Calendar to iCal capability
If you're iCal-based for your scheduling needs and you want to share calendars with family or colleagues, you're probably already hip to BusySync and the delights of iCal syncing Mac-to-Mac without a .Mac account. Now the BusySync team has announced a key feature for 2.0, shipping in February: Google Calendar synchronization. You should be able to share calendars across the internet with other Google Calendar users, and if they have BusySync on their machines the Gcal data will slide neatly into iCal for them.BusySync 2.0 will ship for $24.95 per computer, a $5 price increase -- if you buy a BusySync 1.5 license today for $19.95, you can upgrade for free to the new version. There's also a public beta on the way if you want to check it out.
TUAW Tip: Google Calendar works well on your iPhone
Yesterday my co-blogger Dave Caolo was lamenting the fact that there's no easy way to get his iPhone and Google Calendar to sync (although purchasing Spanning Sync is certainly an option). While it is true that the iPhone's Calendar app only syncs with iCal on a Mac (or, via this trick, Entourage as well), I replied to Dave's woes with: who needs sync, anyway?I am a happy iCal/iPhone/Google Calendar syncher, thanks to Spanning Sync, but I realize that one man's cup of tea is another man's grubby water. For those that would prefer to simply stick with Google Calendar for all their calendaring, the service actually scales incredibly well for an iPhone. This isn't an iPhone-specific UI or portal like so many other companies are launching. Rather, it seems to be their streamlined UI designed for most mobile phones. Either way, the list of upcoming events looks great, and all you need to do is visit the standard calendar.google.com on your iPhone to get redirected.
Plaxo 3.0 is available
Plaxo is an online address book and calendar manager that can synchronize your information between Outlook, Google, Yahoo!, AIM, your Apple apps and more. Today they released version 3.0 which includes a number of improvements, like: Google Calendar synchronization Calender "countdowns" to important events Improved reminders Best of all, Plaxo is free. It's still in beta, so take that into consideration before you try it out.
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]
Google Notifier update brings 'Quick Add to Calendar' right-click menu
A recent update to the official Google Notifier app has added a slick (and apparently Mac-only) feature that should make it easier to add events to Google Calendar while you work. A new "Quick Add to Google Calendar" contextal menu item does exactly what you might think - it allows you to right-click a selected piece of text in most Cocoa apps and create a new event in gCal from it, set for the specific time you used said option. Now this might not offer the flexibility of the Google Calendar Quicksilver module we mentioned, but it's a really handy way to rapidly fire off events based on information and text you're already dealing with throughout the day, and you can easily visit your Google Calendar to organize and manage their specific details at your convenience.There only way I caught this update, however, was downloading what I perceived to be the latest Notifier from Google on a new machine. Strangely, upon first running the Notifier, I was prompted to download an update which is what brought on this new feature. If you haven't been prompted yet, try restarting your Notifier to see if it kicks the update process into gear.
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.
gSync offers Google, iCal syncing
iCal and Google Calender synchronization is something that many people want. We've recently looked at Spanning Sync, which gets the job done (Spanning Sync is currently in beta).Today, TUAW reader Jim has pointed out gSync, another application on the scene. I played with it briefly this morning, and it seemed to work well. It's a little less polished than Spanning Sync, but still use-able.To tell you the truth, I'm content to use my Google Calendar for my day-to-day activities and just keep iCal as a reference. But that's me.Thanks, Jim!
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.]
Toffa unveils GooSync: Google Calendar on your mobile
Google has done quite a swell job tunneling its variety of niceties into mobile form, but syncing your online Google Calendar with that already-crowded version on your mobile / PDA isn't happening without some help from a generous third party. Toffa has unveiled GooSync beta, which "will seamlessly synchronize almost any mobile device with your Google Calendar" without charging you a dime. The seemingly impressive system starts by logging on and initiating a sync to GooSync's website from your handheld, which channels the info on your Google Calendar directly onto your cellphone, all without plugging a single cord into your device. While the list of supported phones is entirely too lengthy to list, be sure to hit the read link to find out if you can be a lucky guinea pig, and stop fiddling with two calendars at once, yeah?[Thanks, Travis]
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.
Ambient Clock combines Google Calendar and analog timekeeping
Yes, we've seen the projection clock, the pong clock and the venerable atomic clock, but leave it to our pals at Ambient Devices to come up with a way to combine a chronometer with a glanceable display, not unlike their previous orb and analog dial panel. Assuming that you keep your schedule in Google Calendar (and really, who doesn't these days?), you can link it up the Ambient Clock (via Ambient's "nationwide wireless network") to find out what your schedule is. Meaning, a quick glance will help determine when you have scheduled events (the block rectangles on the clock) and the clock itself will change color if you have an upcoming appointment. As of right now the Ambient Clock isn't actually in production, although there is an online beta so you can get a feel for the features and help the engineers decide certain aspects of the build. Still, we're not convinced that this will revolutionize time management, but if you have a penchant for post-modern analog clocks, then maybe you'll appreciate it.
