Internet calendar

Google Calendar(Credit: Google) Google Calendar is probably one of the most successful Web-based calendar tools to hit the Web 2.0 scene. It has a very clean, easy-to-use interface, Gmail integration, the capability to share calendars with others, SMS notification reminders, and--like other Web-based calendars--immediate accessibility regardless of what computer you"re using (as long as you have net access). But perhaps the most useful aspect of Google Calendar is that you can carry it with you on your mobile device, as long as you know how. Google Calendar Sync lets you sync your Google Calendar with your Microsoft Outlook calendar. ***

Mozilla Foundation today announced the formation of a new subsidiary group titled Mozilla Messaging.  The new group will be focused on taking Mozilla’s mail client Thunderbird to the next level of competitiveness against established mail clients, including Microsoft Outlook.  David Ascher will head the new subsidiary that is not only aimed at email, but Internet communications, as stated on in his blog post announcing the new group. Mozilla’s ***

Since I started synchronizing my e-mail inboxes a few months ago, I rarely even open my Outlook mail client. I much prefer seeing the messages sent to my ISP's POP account and those sent to my Gmail account together in my Gmail inbox. But I still have to open Outlook to view my calendar, which I've been using for years, even though I now put many of my nonwork appointments in Google Calendar, which I can access from my iPhone or any Internet-connected PC. I thought I found a free program that would let me synchronize the two calendars automatically. Synchronization Technologies' SyncMyCal claims to let you sync multiple Outlook calendars with your Google Calendar. ***

Google Gears, that nifty (beta) application that enables certain other applications to work in offline mode, now works with Google Calendar. In fact, we can’t really confirm this is true, cause we’ve tried it out and saw no such thing. However, Andy Beal of Marketing Pilgrim claims that when he fired up his Calendar this morning, it was Gears-enabled. He supports these claims with a suspicious screenshot which you can see below. Real or Photoshopped? You be the judge. ***

It"s clear there"s a core group of computer enthusiasts who still love the command line, 1984 Apple advertisements notwithstanding. Ever notice that most screenshots intended to show off Linux user interface bling still sport a terminal window, usually with some green text on a black background? Or that one of the shiny new technologies coming out of Microsoft is the scripting and command environment called Monad? (It"s officially called Windows PowerShell, but I like Monad better.) The latest example of new-meets-old: the gcalcli command-line interface to Google"s online calendar application. It"s an open-source utility that lets people read and update Google calendars--either their own or shared ones. ***

Editor's note: This story was updated at 9:20 a.m. PST. WASHINGTON--A federal appeals court weighing the patent case that Verizon filed against Vonage heard arguments on Monday for an hour without reaching an immediate decision. After a federal jury ruled on March 8 that Vonage did infringe patents, the Internet phone company has been fighting for its life through the legal process. No injunction is currently in place, however, and Vonage has claimed to have a work-around. One hint about what the U.S. ***

BusinessWeek is reporting that Google is ready to mount a paid-for monthly subscription for Google Apps for Your Domain. The service, which launched several months ago, was offered free to beta users. With the graduation from beta status, Google is clearly aiming to make money off potential business users and take some business away from rival Microsoft. (Credit: CNET Networks) The service, which ***

From CNET News.com: Zimbra plans to introduce integrated instant messaging to its Web-based e-mail and calendar software next year, the company"s CEO said. The open-source software company is also set to release an "offline client" in December that will allow people to use the Web-based software when disconnected from the Internet. Zimbra"s software uses AJAX heavily, which means people can drag and drop items as in Exchange or Notes. The chat and presence features will allow people to exchange instant messages from within their e-mail/calendar client. And the offline client, when it"s available in December, will allow people to carry on when they"re offline and then update their mail when they get reconnected. Zimbra also plans to expand its offline client to work with e-mail servers other than Zimbra"s, CEO Satish Dharmaraj said. That would allow people to forward mail from other services and use the Zimbra client. ***

The mystery buyer of Web calendaring site Kiko has finally come forward: It's Tucows. There are always many reasons for such acquisitions, but what made this deal unusual was the way it was handled--by an auction on eBay. Tucows was apparently the real identity behind "powerjoe1998," the moniker used to win Kiko for $258,100 in one of 111 bids. In a post on Tucows' site, ***

Providers of voice over Internet Protocol services face yet another regulatory issue. The Federal Communications Commission recently expanded the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) reporting and contribution obligations to cover "interconnected VoIP" providers. Affected VoIP carriers must submit the next quarterly report for USF contributors, due on Aug. 1, and they must file certain information to register with the FCC before then. The USF is a complex program by which telecommunications carriers, and other parties offering telecommunications services, contribute a percentage of their telecommunications revenue to subsidize certain services. These include basic phone service in rural or other high-cost geographic areas and Internet access in schools and libraries. Unfortunately, VoIP service providers have ***

Mixing seemingly unrelated pieces and parts together can often yield exciting results. Take the guy who added a forked straw and a pair of beer cans to a baseball cap: Genius! The new RTXPortal phone has potential to be one of those exciting results. Like Emeril Lagasse combining ingredients in the kitchen, RTX combined some ideas and BANG: A VoIP/landline hybrid phone is born. According to RTX, the new phone is the first hybrid, Web-enabled cordless phone. It has myriad features, like a color screen that displays customizable Web content with news, local traffic, weather reports, buddy lists, calendar alarms, and instant messages. ***

Microsoft is roping off yet another free service and asking for subscription fees, its latest attempt to encourage people to sign up for its MSN 8 Internet service. This week the company is e-mailing users of MSN Calendar, an online calendar service, telling them they must subscribe to MSN 8 by June 24 or lose access to the service. "We regret to inform you that MSN Calendar will no longer be available as a free service as of June 25, 2003," says the e-mail, which also promises an improved calendar for MSN 8 users that will feature more printing and offline access capabilities. MSN representatives said the subscription plan was part of a continuing strategy to offer better services to paying customers. They also said they expected the subscription services to make up a larger part of MSN's revenue in the future. Many companies that currently offer free services are rethinking those plans as they try to turn a profit. ***