Buzz
A snapshot of a blank Google Calendar
©2008 MytourCalendar tools are essential for managing time. Busy professionals turn to these programs to juggle back-to-back meetings, social figures use them to plan parties and gatherings, and those prone to disorganization rely on them to stay on top of important events. Among the many calendar tools available, one that's gaining significant traction is Google Calendar.
Developed by the tech giant Google, Google Calendar allows users to set up both private and public calendars after registering for a free Google account. These calendars are stored within Google's cloud computing infrastructure, meaning the company keeps the data on its servers. No special software is required; the calendar is accessible through any Web browser.
With conventional desktop calendar software, data is stored on a user's personal computer or storage device. This means users can only access their calendars from that specific machine. However, since Google Calendar is based on the web, users can make changes and view their schedules from any device with an Internet connection.
A Google Calendar filled with scheduled events
©2008 MytourWith calendars stored online, it's easier to share them with others. This simplifies scheduling and sending invitations. Want to know if your friend is free this weekend? If they choose to share their calendar with you, you'll be able to check if there are any overlapping events that could affect your plans. If conflicts arise, you might be able to reschedule your own activities.
As with any tool, Google Calendar is only effective if used regularly. It won't automatically organize your life, but it certainly helps make the process much simpler.
Curious about Google Calendar's key features? Learn more in the following section.
Google Calendar is compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and above, Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or newer, and Apple Safari 3.1. To ensure proper functionality, users need to have Javascript and cookies enabled in their browsers.
Features of Google Calendar
The agenda view organizes all your appointments by date.
©2008 MytourThe Google Calendar interface is straightforward. On the left side, a small calendar shows the current month, with today’s date highlighted. The rest of the screen displays a larger calendar view. Google Calendar provides different viewing options: day, week, month, or a four-day view. Additionally, an agenda view lists all scheduled events in a straightforward format rather than a calendar layout.
Regardless of the view you're using, you can easily block off time on your calendar. In most views, Google Calendar allows you to schedule appointments by simply clicking and dragging. In the day, week, and next four days views, you can create appointments in half-hour blocks by dragging the cursor over the desired time. In the month view, you can block time across multiple days, which is especially helpful for vacations or extended trips.
Google Calendar allows you to add extra details to your appointments, such as location and additional notes.
©2008 MytourYou can keep your appointments simple with just a title, or opt for more detailed information. You can add a location for the event and a brief description. Additionally, the "repeat" feature allows you to set up recurring events, such as weekly meetings or annual celebrations like birthdays.
Many of these features are common to other calendar applications. However, Google Calendar stands out by integrating unique tools that leverage Google's strengths. One of the standout features is Google's powerful search functionality. With Google Calendar, you can search not only your own calendars but also any public calendar within Google's system.
The Google Calendar search tool allows you to explore public calendars as well. For instance, if you search for theatre events in Atlanta, you'll get relevant results.
©2008 MytourImagine you're attending a conference, and the organizers have made the event schedule available through Google Calendar. You can easily search for the event's calendar and sync it with your own. Google Calendar will display a tailored search results page for calendar entries. Once you select the right event, the full schedule is automatically imported into your calendar.
If you manage several calendars, some private and others public, you can use the search feature to find specific events across all of them. Google Calendar will show a search results page indicating where those events are scheduled within each of your calendars.
These features are just the beginning of what Google Calendar has to offer. Want to explore even more advanced capabilities? Continue to the next section for further details.
Google has integrated its Google Calendar with Gmail, its email service. When composing a message, you have the option to attach an event invitation. Clicking this option opens a form where you can fill in event details. Once complete, Google Calendar will add the event to your schedule. If the recipient uses a compatible calendar program, such as Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook, accepting the invitation automatically adds the event to their calendar as well.
Advanced Google Calendar Features
The monthly view in Google Calendar closely resembles a traditional paper calendar.Many of Google Calendar's advanced features are powered by the fact that it is a Web service. Unlike other calendar programs, which are either stored locally on your computer's hard drive or accessed through a local area network (LAN), Google Calendar operates entirely on the Web, with all data and the application hosted online.
One of the Web services that Google leverages is short message service (SMS) support, the system used by cell phones to send text messages. Google Calendar allows users to receive reminders via SMS on their phones. As an event approaches, the system sends a reminder to the registered phone number. While the service itself is free, users may incur charges from their mobile carriers if they exceed their monthly texting limits.
Google encourages a vibrant community of developers who utilize Google's application programming interface (API) to create new programs built on Google's technology. These creations are referred to as Google gadgets. Many of these gadgets integrate with existing applications, including Google Calendar, enabling users to add custom events to their schedules. The possibilities are vast, ranging from adding photos to including Google Maps to display event locations.
Google Calendar makes it simple to invite others to events. After creating an event and entering its details, you can click on the "add guests" option. This opens a field for you to input e-mail addresses. Once the event is saved, Google Calendar sends invitations via email. As guests respond, their replies are displayed in the event details on your calendar.
When a user chooses to share or publish a calendar, others can comment on individual events. This allows for discussions about upcoming appointments or post-meeting reflections. The event page transforms into a space for interaction among guests and viewers of the calendar.
Curious about what powers Google Calendar and keeps it running smoothly? Find out in the upcoming section.
One limitation of Web-based services is that if you can't connect to the internet, you can't use the service. While there's talk of Google introducing offline functionality for Google Calendar in the near future, there are only a few options at the moment. One is syncing your Google Calendar with Microsoft Outlook, allowing you to view your calendar offline in Outlook. However, this requires purchasing Outlook. Another option is using third-party applications created by independent developers to view, modify, and sync your Google Calendar.
Google Calendar's Software and Hardware
One of Google's data centers located in Oregon spans the size of a football field and houses thousands of servers.
Craig Mitchelldyer/Getty ImagesIf you're familiar with Google, you likely know they prefer to keep their operations under wraps. There's limited public information available about the system behind Google Calendar. However, some details about Google's operations are known, and we can speculate on other aspects of how things work behind the scenes.
Think of the Google Calendar system as a client/server model. A client is a requester of a service, while the server provides that service. Both the client and the server may use specialized software to communicate with one another. Interestingly, a single computer can act as both a client and a server in this setup.
On the backend of Google Calendar, Google utilizes the Java programming language to create applications. Developed by Sun Microsystems, Java is an object-oriented programming language. Programs written in Java can function independently from other software. It's these Java applications that manage all the data and processing behind Google Calendar.
Users interact with the client side of Google Calendar, which consists of a Web interface powered by Javascript. Although both Javascript and Java share similar names, they are not the same. Java is used to create full applications or smaller applets, whereas Javascript is primarily used to enhance Web services. However, it can't be used to create applications that run outside a Web browser.
That covers the known aspects of Google Calendar's system as understood by those outside of Google. However, we can make some educated guesses about the system's inner workings:
- Google is known for using cost-effective hardware in its systems. Instead of splurging on advanced technology capable of handling vast amounts of data, Google opts for affordable hardware that integrates smoothly with existing networks. While this hardware may not have the advanced features of pricier alternatives, it serves its purpose. Its low cost makes it easy to expand the system's capacity, ensuring it is scalable.
- One potential hardware setup could include application servers and database servers. The application servers handle the programs that enable Google Calendar to function, including its integration with other Google apps. The database servers store data. Additionally, Google may use a control or administrative server to manage access and oversee operations.
- One of the drawbacks of using low-cost hardware is its reliability. Less expensive machines are prone to malfunctioning more often than their pricier counterparts. Google anticipates this and designs its file systems with this in mind. The company uses a technique known as redundancy, where data is stored on multiple machines. This ensures that if one server fails, another can immediately take over. Google's primary aim is to minimize service interruptions while ensuring user data remains safe.
While Google doesn't disclose the exact number of machines dedicated to running services like Google Calendar, the company operates multiple massive datacenters. A datacenter is a facility that houses computer equipment, often stored in racks made of metal shelves. A large datacenter may contain thousands of servers, but the exact number of servers running Google Calendar is a secret, known only to Google's internal team.
Sharing your private information with a third party always raises security concerns. Even with trusted parties, potential security risks are still present. A blog post by computer security journalist Brian Krebs in The Washington Post tells the story of a network administrator who accidentally exposed sensitive data on a public Google Calendar. Krebs discovered the leak by simply searching for the term "password." While Google asserts that it does everything possible to safeguard your information, users themselves must also take responsibility for their own data security [source: The Washington Post].
