Google Calendar Brings Time, Search Together - Flexibility and Options
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If you don’t like the idea of finding the right space in the calendar and then clicking on it, just click the “Quick Add” link in the upper left corner. You get a text box, and here is where Google really starts to shine. It uses text recognition to make sense of what you type in. So when I typed “Doctor’s appointment for 9 AM tomorrow,” Google knew what I meant and slotted the event into the right place.
It’s probably that same text recognition that lets Google find events in Gmail and let you slot them into your Google Calendar. This integration with Gmail should make it popular among those who already have and use the search engine’s brand of email.
Here’s a nice touch. When you add the location to your event, Google adds a “map” link right next to it that takes you to a Google Map of the area, which is great if your event is at a place you’ve never been before. (In my case, it let me know in a hurry that I’d probably have to leave earlier than I’d anticipated).
Those already using other calendars will really appreciate the import/export features. You can import events from other calendar programs, including Yahoo! Calendar and, yes, Microsoft Outlook; any calendars that use the iCal or CSV formats will work. One analyst noted that this process is trickier than it needed to be, but at least Google documents it thoroughly.
Have a tendency to forget events? Me too. Google Calendar offers you the option of being reminded of an event by email, popup window, or by a text message sent to your phone. You choose to do that in the same area that you edit events. You can get a reminder sent to you anywhere from 10 minutes to two days in advance.
If you’re the kind of “power calendar user” that Google had in mind, you’re actually juggling several calendars. I’m not as busy as some of my co-workers, but my schedule includes work, two or three not-for-profit organizations I belong to and participate in sporadically, and two very close friends whose plans directly affect mine (and vice versa). Google thought of that; it allows users to create additional calendars. You can color-code these calendars to distinguish them, and view events from as many different calendars as you like – all color-coded so you know which events belong to which calendar. If you’re a single parent with several busy kids, I can see how this would be a godsend.
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