Google Pins Up Free Calendar Service

By Geoff Duncan Published April 13, 2006

Google has taken the wraps off Google Calendar, a free, beta-release online calendar service, enabling registered users to manage their schedules and share events with others.

Known for it’s ambitious online interfaces (as well as services which seem to stay in perpetual beta testing!), Google Calendar enables users to move events via drag and drop, and utilizes natural language processing to streamline event creation. Creating an event no longer needs to involve typing a title, a descripton, and fiddling with onscreen controls to set times, dates, or contact lists. Instead, a “quick add” feature enables users to type simple phrases like “Lunch Friday with Tom” or “leave work tomorrow at 4:30 p.m.” and Google Calendar automatically translates the descriptions into calendar entries.

Recommended Videos

Events can be private, shared with selected friends, or made public via the Web. Shared calendars can be shared via XML or via iCalendar (a common calendar format used by Mozilla and Apple’s iCal calendaring programs, among others).

Google Calendar also integrates with Google’s free GMail Web-based email service, enabling GMail users to create calendar events while using GMail and invite people to events.

Google Calendar is currently available only in English, but the company plans to introduce internationalized version of Google Calendar in coming months. No word on whether the company plans to introduce advertising into Google Calendar, or perhaps add month-based (or weekly!) calendar images or wallpapering. Just think of the deal Google could make with Martha

Former Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

Deepfake bosses are crashing video calls, and researchers are trying to expose them

Seeing your boss on video no longer proves they are real

Researchers at Fraunhofer SIT are fighting against deepfake meeting video calls

Entering into a meeting with your boss and several familiar coworkers inside a video conference is the next area vulnerable to cybercrimes, and it's all because of deepfake technology. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT are working on a real-time warning system designed to identify attempted fraud during corporate video conferences.

The report states that criminals are increasingly targeting video meetings for identity theft and financial scams, taking advantage of the trust people place in familiar faces and voices. The intention is to flag suspicious activity while the meeting is still taking place. This gives an employee a chance to stop before following an expensive instruction from an AI-generated executive.

Computing

Apple will finally stop making iPhone-to-Windows copy-paste such a chore

Your iPhone may finally copy and paste with a Windows PC like it should

Apple Universal Clipboard feature

Copying something on an iPhone and pasting it onto a Windows PC should be one of the least remarkable features imaginable. While this simple process seems effortless between an iPhone and Mac, Windows users are still left waiting.

Now, Microsoft is formally asking Apple to provide interoperable clipboard access through the company’s European Union interoperability process. The request, submitted on March 25, argues that iOS restrictions prevent third-party platforms from creating an experience comparable to Apple’s Universal Clipboard. Apple has now reached Phase III and committed to developing a solution.

Computing

Chrome wants more extension reviews, but good ratings won’t keep malware out

Google is testing built-in extension review prompts, but good ratings can still hide malware

malicious-google-chrome-extensions-on-web-store

Google is preparing to add extension review links directly inside Chrome, putting feedback closer to the menus people already use to manage their add-ons.

A Chromium change, first spotted by Windows Report, points to review options in the Extensions menu, the chrome://extensions management page, and extension context menus. Only eligible Chrome Web Store extensions in good standing would qualify, and the feature is still under development.