Google Calendar

The web is awash with news that Google is apparently working on its own calendar (CL2) program to integrate with Gmail. The closed beta is ongoing with about 200 participants of which I am unfortunately not one. I am, however, very excited and interested by this news.

I have been looking, unsuccessfully, for some time for a collaborative calendar application that I can access from anywhere and sync with the many pieces of technology I carry with me. I must admit I was probably approaching the problem in the wrong way. I carry a mobile phone with me at all times (who doesn't), and it has a simple calendar function built in. In theory this synchronizes with Microsoft Outlook (a product I don't use unless I have to). I also have a Compaq Ipaq (which now mainly runs Tom Tom software), several computers running various operating systems (the main one running Linux), and a wife-to-be who needs to be able to access and input into the same calendar.

I tried synchronizing all these solutions. If you feel tempted to try the same thing, one word, don't! There are replacements for Microsoft's Activesync available for Linux, but they have varying degrees of success. Even staying proprietary and keeping everything Microsoft, the entries entered directly into the phone would be ignored or even wiped out by synchronizing with Outlook as would the entries in the Ipaq (which also wiped the phone if done that way). As for the Linux computer, forget it!

I then tried collaborative web solutions. Tiki Wiki seemed the way forward for the 3 days I wrestled with it. However, if I found it overly complicated, the my better half wouldn't have a hope!

I have long been a supported of Google. Their search is by far the best out there. I have transferred the majority of my mail needs to their Gmail application. I use Google desktop when I am on Windows machines (I wish they would produce a version for Linux). Picasa is a fantastic application for dealing with photos. The Google gateway software is my home page wherever I am. The ability to aggregate all my normal content into one page where I can get uptodate from one screen is fantastic. The accumulation of text based news-groups into an easily searchable format is by far one of the most used Google applications for me (even if they encourage top posting and not including the previous post by default)

So, when I heard that Google was doing a calendar, I was excited. Not only a calendar, but one tied into my mail application of choice. With luck, this is the application I have been waiting for. Something I can use from anywhere, can allow other people to view and access, and cross check everything with the e-mail or conversation it relates to.

So what does it look like? The main screen is below


The create event detail can be viewed in more detail here:

You can create events on your calendar in a number of ways. (The following is from the CL2 trusted Tester Guidelines:

Click 'Create Event'

• This brings you to the create event page, where you can enter information about your event.

Click on Quick Add (or type the letter Q)

• Quick Add gives you a text box where you can type all the information about your event in normal English, and we'’ll fill out the form for you. We'’re pretty excited about this feature, so please let us know how it works for you.

Drag-to-create

• If you'’re looking at the day where you want to create an event on your calendar, just click and drag your mouse from the desired start time to the end time. Once you've selected your time range, you can just choose a title for your new event.

Event Pages

• Whenever you create an event, we create a web page which you'’ll see when you click on the '“more details' link on any event. This web page is only visible to you, unless you'’ve invited other people to your event or made the event public, in which case you can use the page to share information about the event with people who are attending or the public at large. Note: you don'’t have to be a CL2 user to be able to see event pages, so you can use these pages to share information with anyone involved with the event, regardless of what online tools (if any) they use. (Ever wish your favorite local band would learn how to use HTML and publish their calendar? Once we get your feedback and open CL2 to the world you can help them do just that.)

The following are various setting pages for the application:







That's all the information for the moment. I for one will be watching this very carefully, and as more news is forthcoming, I'm sure to comment on it!

Windows Live search

Windows Live search went 'live' today. Now, OK, it's only a beta, but it is released to the public, it's on display, and easily accessible. It's also accompanied by words from Microsoft that are give the idea that google should be quaking.

So off I trot, and what do I find? So much JavaScript and extra rubbish the page takes 2 minutes to load! Remember this is a search engine, and is directly in competition with google. When was the last time Google's homepage didn't open quickly for you?

I sat there looking at 'Loading' (with a lovely spinning logo) for a good minute and a half before the search page finally loaded something that looks like a bad rip of Google's gateway idea. ( www.google.com/ig for those that haven't been there is a great way to collect RSS feeds together with your gmail account, and the links you use frequently, and present them to you in an easily accessible manner).


Finally I get to search for something. Now what should I search for? It's a Microsoft search engine, so the obvious things were Linux and Google. What did I get? Well, more 'Loading' initially! Then some results. First thing that strikes me is the locality of the results. (well, actually it was the slow speed of the page, but I think you're getting the idea about the speed of the service!) The first 2 or 3 results are all .uk pages. Whilst this is admirable, no one is going to say that the most authoritative pages on Linux or Google are in the UK! If I was searching for an item I wanted to buy, then nationalized results are what I want, but not in every case. Direct comparison is with google of course. They re-direct me to google.co.uk on load, but give me the option of 'pages from the UK', and default me to 'the web'. Exactly what I want.

Second thing that strikes me is the way of displaying the results. There are 8 results a page, but those pages aren't real, I have a weird JavaScript scroll bar next to them, clicking (or dragging) this brings the next 8 results up further click brings more. As I flick through I get the third thing (and possibly the most annoying). The ads at the side of the search results (looking suspiciously like Google's!) change as I scroll, but unlike the results they don't do this is a 'nice' visual transfer way, they just change. I don't know why this annoys me, but it does.

So, down to results themselves. I've already mentioned the locality, so for the majority of my searches google is more accurate for the first hit. Google also provides more results in the main, but I find that pointless as a statistic. Who cares if one returns 800000 and one 10000000 I'm not going to search through more than 20 before I re-try my search, and I already know which is quicker to manage that!

Restricting searches with site: works as expected, but other google tricks like definition and maths problems don't. Currency conversion isn't there either. Obviously there is no local results at the top of the page for businesses. There is obviously no image, news, group (newsgroup) search. In short, it's just not there as a competitor.

So, Windows Live? Windows Terminally Ill more like! I don't think google will be quaking any time soon. And I for one won't be moving away from google!

Brief Outline

So, yet another IT geek spouting off on the web. Well, why not. But why? Read on....

I've been reading tech websites for years now. I have RSS feeds automatically collecting all the stories I have for me, I have more sources and opinions than I can possibly read. I belong to some of the webs most used web communities, but what I don't have is a way to be heard! Yes, this is all about ego ;)

I am probably more aware of technology than anyone else I know, and I have many opinions. However, posting on a site like Slashdot is a pointless exercise. By the time I get there, there are 20 odd top level posts, and everyone is arguing the finer points, the moderating kicks in, and anything added at this level now just disappears. Of course you are supposed to add something to a post that's there, but what's the point. I often don't want to agree or disagree with any of the top level posts, so no point posting there, I want to make a point of my own.

This all leads us here! I don't suppose anyone will read this, but it makes me feel better. New techs that come along, and interest me, will get commented on. The stuff spouted is my opinion. Maybe someone will find it interesting....