Web calendar

Love it or hate it, iCal comes with the Mac OS X operating system, so I’m always on the lookout for how to use it better. Once Google added synchronization support for iCal back in July, I did integrate the basic scheduler into my web work, but I always found it cumbersome to add events quickly. For a while, I actually found it easier to just create events in my Google Calendar since I already had my browser open. Then I stumbled onto FlexCal, a freeware utility that’s not glitzy, but does the trick.

Google appears to have finally noticed that Mac users would like to sync their desktop calendars with their online ones: they’ve released (in beta form) Google Calendar CalDAV support. By following their instructions, you can set up synchronization between your OS X Leopard calendar and your Google one.

For those who have Microsoft Exchange as their email system, they know its utility for keeping multiple devices in sync with emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, and so on.  However, buying and managing an Exchange Server is a time consuming and expensive proposition.  Mail2Web features a hosted Exchange account with “limited access”.

We were lucky enough to get a chance to play with one of AOL"s works-in-progress, a version of the company"s popular Web mail service done entirely in Microsoft"s Silverlight. It was briefly shown off at Mix "08 last week, but is not due to get into your hands for another month or two--where it will be an opt-in alpha before going out to everyone else when Silverlight 2.0 leaves beta. In its current form it doesn"t look a whole lot different from the regular version of AOL"s mail. The big difference is in the new skinning technology and speed improvements. I"ve been playing with a private build of it, but it"s noticeably snappier than the service"s current in-box. ***

Regular readers of this blog know that I don't believe that Google Apps is a viable alternative to Microsoft's Office. While Microsoft is not releasing a completely online version of its Office on Tuesday, it is releasing Office Live Workspace, an online-collaboration tool for Office that works in cooperation with the desktop application suite. Workspace enables users to view documents online, even if their computer doesn't have Office installed. However, if they want to make edits, they have to download it and make changes in the appropriate Office application. ***

Databases. An intimidating subject for many, with a rather high learning curve. As with just about anything else nowadays, you don’t have to be a MySQL or even MS Access expert to build a simple database. There are several online tools that are built to let you share your data with others online, as well as pre-made templates which will have you up and running in no time. Cebase.com - Currently in beta, Cebase is a mixture of traditional collaborative databases and online app/forms production. They focus heavily on no need for technical knowledge, and several drag-and-drop features. ***

At Zimbra, the game plan remains largely the same, even after consumer Web giant Yahoo acquired the company last year for $350 million. But what happens if Microsoft succeeds in its acquisition of Yahoo?Zimbra on Tuesday will release a new version of its e-mail and collaboration software, with features for reading mail and creating documents offline from a Web browser. Zimbra Documents lets people create and share documents and mashups from a browser.(Credit: Zimbra) Zimbra Collaboration Suite 5.0 also adds support for BlackBerry clients and Java 2 mobile-equipped phones and now has integrated instant messaging. ***

Google integrates apps on iPhone and offers word suggestions when you type.(Credit: Google) Google has optimized its applications for the iPhone so they are integrated into a single interface and operate faster. Now, if you go to Google's home page on your iPhone you'll see the Web search box and links to Gmail, Calendar and Reader up at the top of the screen for quick access. Google also offers word suggestions as you type to make the query entry faster. And once you click on links, the pages download faster than before. "When you click it's instantaneous," says Gummi Hafsteinsson, a senior product manager at Google. "Just like on the desktop; there's no difference between the two." Google plans to optimize its applications for other phones eventually, he said. ***

Google integrates apps on iPhone and offers word suggestions when you type.(Credit: Google) Google has optimized its applications for the iPhone so they are integrated into a single interface and operate faster. Now, if you go to Google"s home page on your iPhone you"ll see the Web search box and links to Gmail, Calendar and Reader up at the top of the screen for quick access. Google also offers word suggestions as you type to make the query entry faster. And once you click on links, the pages download faster than before. "When you click it"s instantaneous," says Gummi Hafsteinsson, a senior product manager at Google. "Just like on the desktop; there"s no difference between the two." Google plans to optimize its applications for other phones eventually, he said. ***

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 ***

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. ***

Yahoo is buying e-mail software provider Zimbra for about $350 million, the companies announced on Monday. Zimbra offers branded e-mail with calendar and mobile features as well as the ability to work offline. The company has more than 200 educational, business and ISP partners, including Comcast, that offer branded e-mail service to roughly 9 million subscribers. What differentiates Zimbra are the "Zimlet," Web service mashups that offer richer functionality in e-mail. For instance, people can simply mouse over airline flight information in an e-mail to check on flight status. Users are also able to track FedEx deliveries and get maps, stocks and other information in e-mail too. The Zimbra acquisition, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, and Yahoo's ***

Among the announcements at the Office 2.0 conference this week, Jotlet"s online calendars will provide two-way synchronization with Microsoft Outlook later this month. At first glance, the calendars appear elegant and easy to use, with visual niceties such as color coding. Personal accounts are free, while corporate accounts allow a company to use branded Jotlet calendars within their Web sites. While heavily customized calendars such as those displayed during the conference demo might cost in the ballpark of between $100 to $200 per month, Jotlet"s prices vary widely with the features and support offered. Jotlet allows user permission controls with customized events and tasks, as well as ICS and VCS compatibility. Mobile support will come later. Jotlet is available as a standalone service, and it just joined the ***

The new version of Yahoo Mail comes out of beta on Monday, and it sports some spiffy new features, like the ability to send text messages to a cell phone--the first free Web-based mail provider to offer that function. A button at the top of the page gives you the option to choose between sending an e-mail, chatting over IM or sending a text, or SMS, message, for free. You enter a contact's name, type in the mobile phone number, and send a message. It appears in a talk bubble next to your avatar in the Yahoo Mail window. The person receiving the text message can simply respond via text. Yahoo Mail now lets you send a text message to a mobile phone.(Credit: Yahoo) This feature will be useful for reaching people when you know they aren't online but likely have their cell phones with them. It is also appealing for those of us who are SMS-phobic. ***

Yahoo is set to announce two major additions to Yahoo Mail tomorrow: the addition of text messaging to mobile phones and the integration of Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger. The new Yahoo Mail (formerly “beta”) is also going global on Monday and losing the beta tag, although the free text messaging will be limited to the US, Canada, India and the Philippines. As shown in the screenshot below, the new text messaging feature will allow you to enter in a phone number and send a message (for free), initiating a conversation from within Yahoo Mail. The upgrade also brings the interoperability of Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger inside the Yahoo Mail interface, so you can exchange instant messages with users of the respective networks. ***

The new version of Yahoo Mail comes out of beta on Monday, and it sports some spiffy new features, like the ability to send text messages to a cell phone--the first free Web-based mail provider to offer that function. A button at the top of the page gives you the option to choose between sending an e-mail, chatting over IM or sending a text, or SMS, message, for free. You enter a contact"s name, type in the mobile phone number, and send a message. It appears in a talk bubble next to your avatar in the Yahoo Mail window. The person receiving the text message can simply respond via text. Yahoo Mail now lets you send a text message to a mobile phone.(Credit: Yahoo) This feature will be useful for reaching people when you know they aren"t online but likely have their cell phones with them. ***

IBM plans to release the next version of its Lotus Notes platform and Domino applications on Friday. The release will be by electronic means only, with the physical distribution and documentation slated for September 21. The release, Lotus Notes and Domino 8, is based on the Eclipse open-source software framework and is built around a new platform called Expeditor. Expeditor enables developers to create Eclipse-based code for use within the client that can function on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. In its prerelease notes, IBM says version 8 will "offer a modern Web-like look and feel," with a sidebar that displays contacts, the day at a glance, RSS and Atom feeds. ***

Zimbra, the web-based email client, has been working hard on a Zimbra Desktop tool, which is an offline, AJAX option for the Zimbra service. The latest version is now available for download, for Linux, Mac and Windows, though Windows users must re-sync. The offline access for calendars is a new development that has been included in the most recent version of Zimbra Desktop. The batch message syncing tool has been improved, as well as any mailbox changes on the server side, as they’re now reflected faster in the user interface. Overall, Zimbra Desktop mimics the web-based tools more, and switching from offline to online is more seamless. The search tools have also been improved, and the mail inbox will self-organize in a useful manner. ***

JaJah is an emerging "dial-around" service. From your computer, you tell it who you want to call, and it dials your phone, then the other party, and connects you to each other. The advantage of using a dial-around product like this: cost. JaJah charges 3 cents a minute for international calls. (Credit: JaJah) The iPhone"s strong Web browser should make it a great platform for JaJah, and JaJah just created a special iPhone version of its site, FreeYouriPhone.com. You use the slick interface and big screen to initiate a call, then wait a second for the iPhone to ring you before it connects to the other side. ***