Google Calendar is a time management and scheduling calendar service developed by Google. It became available as a limited beta release on April 13, 2006, and out of beta stage in July 2009. It is available on the web and as a mobile app for Android and iOS mobile operating systems.
Google Calendar allows users to create and edit events. Reminders can be enabled for events, with options available for type and time. Event locations can also be added, and other users can be invited to events. Users can enable or disable special calendar visibility, including Birthdays, where apps pick up the date of birth from Google contacts and display annually birthday cards, and holidays, country-specific calendars that display special event dates. Over time, Google has added functions that utilize machine learning, including "Events from Gmail", where event information from a user's Gmail message is automatically added to Google Calendar; "Reminders", where users add activity to do that can be updated automatically with new information; "Smart Suggestions", where apps recommend titles, contacts, and locations when creating events; and "Goals", where the user enters information on a specified personal goal, and the app automatically scheduling the activity at the optimal time.
The Google Calendar mobile app has received polarized reviews. 2015 reviews about Android and iOS apps praised and criticized the design. While some critics praise the design for being "cleaner", "brave" and using "colorful graphics", other reviewers affirm that the graph takes up too much space. The Smart Suggestion feature is also liked and disliked, with varying degrees of success in apps that actually manage to suggest relevant information on the event creation. The integration between Google Calendar and Gmail is praised, however, with critics writing that "all relevant details are there".
Video Google Calendar
Features
Google Calendar allows users to create and edit events. Events have a set start time and a stop time, with the option to "Events throughout the day." Users can enable the "Repeat" function with optional parameters for frequency. Users can add color to events for recognition or differentiate events from others. Users can optionally set notifications, with options for type (email, mobile push notifications) and time. Locations can be added for easy understanding of the venue. Events can be viewed in different types of setup, including days, weeks, months, or schedules. Users can invite others to the event; for other Google Calendar users, the event becomes visible on their calendars, and for non-Google Calendar users, email will have options for "Yes", "No", or "Maybe". Privacy settings allow the user to specify the level of public visibility of an entire calendar or individual event. Although the default calendar displays the user's event time in their local time, the user can specify a different time zone for an event. Users can enable or disable special calendar visibility, including Birthday calendar, which automatically retrieves the birthday of the user's Google contacts and displays the date of each year, and the Holiday calendar, the country-specific calendar showing the special date of the occasion.
The user interface of Google Calendar was originally designed by Kevin Fox. Google Calendar allows users to import events from different calendar apps, with important support for both Microsoft Outlook and Apple iCloud calendars.
Update
In December 2010, Google added the ability for users to select the time zone for an event, an important feature that was previously lost; the feature absence was criticized in the media.
In August 2015, Google added an "Events from Gmail" feature, where event information from a user's Gmail message was automatically added to Google Calendar. This feature, enabled by default, will also update events with new information based on newly received email messages, such as flight delays.
In December 2015, Google added the "Reminders" feature, allowing users to add activities to do as Reminders, with events displayed on the calendar along with regular events. Google also states that Reminders can automatically add useful additional information to Reminders based on known details, such as numbers or addresses. The reminder serves as a cross-service feature, which means Reminders also appear in Inbox by Gmail, Google Now, and Google Keep.
In January 2016, Google added "Smart Suggestions" to Google Calendar on the mobile app. Smart suggestions recommend event titles, as well as locations and contacts. At the same time as Smart Suggestions, Google also added holiday calendars for 54 new countries, adding up to a total of 143 country-specific holiday calendars.
In April 2016, Google added the "Goal" feature. A goal is an activity that the user wants to complete. After answering a short question, including "How often?" and "Best time?", Google Calendar will automatically "find the best window to pencil in time for that purpose", with calendars that adapt to the user's schedule over time, such as rescheduling of target activity if an event is added that causes direct conflict with time of destination. This feature was expanded in January 2017 with support for Google Fit and Apple Health, to see the progress made to complete a goal.
In March 2017, the iOS app was updated to support iPad features, and it was updated again in July to add widgets on the iOS "Today" panel.
In June 2017, following the announcement of the Google New Family Groups feature in some of its services, Google began launching "family calendars" for users in Google Calendar. This feature allows family members to create a shared event visible in the "Family" calendar option.
G Suite
For Google G Suite service users, a subscription service for business, education, and government customers that offers additional functionality, Google Calendar features a "Discovered stop feature" that can suggest the best time for an event with a group of people, based on the time available to each individual in group. In addition, the feature can also schedule a meeting room.
Maps Google Calendar
Platform
Google Calendar entered a limited beta release on April 13, 2006, and out of beta stage in July 2009. Originally available only on the web and on the Android operating system, an iOS app was released on March 10, 2015.
Reception
In a March 2015 review of the Android app, Sarah Mitroff of CNET writes that the new Materials-inspired Design app is "cleaner", with "fewer annoyances and colorful graphics that add a lot of personality to the otherwise app boring ". He praised the Smart Suggestion feature for making new show-making easily, adding that "Even after just a few letters, the app will suggest the most relevant appointment.This is a great feature to create repetitive events, like haircuts or doctor appointments, because app remember the phrase you're using ". He praised the integration between Google Calendar and Gmail, writing that "All relevant details are there, including confirmation numbers, links to source email, even gateway assignments", and calling it "one of my favorite parts of the app" but also notes that the feature can be turned off. In addition, he praised the "personal design touches that make it look boring", an app that offers visual illustrations for certain types of events, such as a box of popcorn for a movie show, or a visual map of the event location, as well as themed illustrations for different months, including " snowy mountains and skiers "for December. Overall, he writes that Google Calendar "is a reliable, simple, and fun alternative to your device's default calendar" and it's "efficient and easy to use".
Instead, Allyson Kazmucha of iMore criticized some aspects of iPhone apps. He writes that "The first thing you notice about Google Calendar is a bold interface," adding that "Google automatically detects certain types of events and puts the graph behind them, which is a nice touch". However, he criticized the amount of space needed by charts, writing that "it wastes a lot of space that can be used to display more events in an instant.This is not a big annoyance, but for anyone who has a busy calendar, can generate a lot of scrolling." He also criticized Smart Suggestions, writing that "in a short while I use Google Calendar, natural language support leaves a lot to be desired, I'm having trouble typing or for days and getting Google to understand it." However, he, like the available display options, wrote that "The three-day view is one of my favorites", but also noted that there is a "lack of ability to quickly drag events around to reschedule them". Kazmucha also criticized the lack of widgets in the Notification Center, but wrote convincingly that "Google Calendar is turned off for a good start but that does not make me switch from [current calendar app]."
Derek Walter from Macworld , praised the iPhone app, writing that "This is a beautiful calendar app that mines your Gmail account to automatically add events", with "color splashes and graphs for effects". Walter also criticized his lack of widgets in the Notification Center, as well as the lack of support for the iPad. Walter calls Material Design "somewhat elegant and polished, focusing on gathering information for easy viewing, registering touch with subtle sparks on the screen, and using many visual cues," but noting that "it's not for everyone, especially if you prefer reform Apple design was first introduced in iOS 7. You will also find that some of the Material Design elements are not well translated to the iPhone, such as the loss of slide motion to return ".
See also
- List of apps with iCalendar support
- List of personal information managers
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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