How does Sandy make it easier for me to schedule things on Google calendar?

You are right...not very cool.

But, something to look forward to in the future!

Thanks!

Anyone tried to link Sandy's calendar to ScheduleWorld.com? I know the website can synchronize with Google Calendar, but I can't figure out how to use another calendar program. (I'd like to do this so I can get Sandy appointments and todos onto my Palm PDA without having to go through the step up of importing individual ICS files into Google.)

My opinion is that if Sandy creates a relatively simple option to place appointments onto Google Calendar, then they will receive a significant number of additional users. Having emails come across from a different calendar does not help me that much.

And to the Sandy devs ... I'm not sure how it would work, but I know it's possible. I'm using Jott to connect to the following service that does this very thing: http://www.grinn.net/blog/dev/2007/09...

It would definitely add a differentiator between your great service and at least one other web-based reminder service that I've used with Jott.

Yes, that would cut to the chase. Hear hear!

I've done a workaround with a cron job on my web server that retrieves the ICS file from Sandy periodically, and import my copy into Google Calendar. Not perfect, but workable for me, for now, until Google or Sandy smartens up...

I just found Sandy yesterday, and she has real potential. But the lack of Google Caleedar synching will probably be a deal-breaker for me.

I've finally gotten to the point where I rely on my G-Cal for the events in my (and my family's) life. It was my hope that Sandy could read my G-Calendar, and send my reminders of my upcoming events -- and that I could use Sandy to add events to my G-Cal without opening the web page (I tend to live in my e-mail during the day).

Having Sandy be able to add to my G-Cal would be nice, but that's only half of what I need. I ned her to be able to read my calendar, too.

I'll continue trying out Sandy, but I *need* this!

Alex, that sounds like just the solution I need.

Question: after you cron job pulls the ICS file, how di you automatically import that copy into Google Calendar?

Thanks in advance..

The cron job puts the ICS file on the web server. Import the file into Google Calendar by creating a new calendar from the URL on your server.

Downside: Google apparently only grabs the file every few days. If you host the file on icalx or something, it'll grab it much more often. Long term, I'm thinking Spanning Sync is the likely way to go.

Incidentally, why not use Google's own notifications for stuff on your Google calendar? It'll email you, text you, or show a popup in your browser. I find those work pretty well...

I will admit to stupidity. What is "cron job?"

Cron is a Unix tool that performs tasks at periodic intervals.

I also need Google Calendar integration

Same here please. Integration with Google Calendars or iCal would help me to keep everything centralized, until then Sandy is just *another* thing I need to remember to do.

There is already integration with iCal

I thought integration was only one way? I can subscribe to my "Sandy" schedule but can't alter it. Apologies if incorrect.

sorry I didn't understand you wanted two way integration.

Better Google Calendars integration is a must-have deal breaker feature for me. Hopefully Sandy can improve in this area soon :-)

Alex, thanks for the tip on the Cron job...

The G-Cal notifications are only a small part of what I need. Here are some examples (Sandy developers, are you listening?):

I get an e-mail invitation to something my family wants to attend. I forward the invite to my husband, and also to Sandy, who puts it on my Calendar

My daughter e-mails me that her Anime Club is cancelled (and I don't have to pick her up). I e-mail Sandy and she deletes this week's Anime Club event from my G-Calendar.

I want my daily reminders from Sandy to include events for 3 of the 4 G-Calendars I maintain.

Eventually (and I'm dreaming here) I'd like Sandy to be able to scan my Omni Focus file, and pull actions with a special tag to incorporate into my daily list. Some day ...

I've recently been trying out AirSet's shared calendar app, which kicks the snot out of Google's calendar if you want to share and synchronize the calendars of many people, especially if you want to have multiple calendar categories or views per person (work, home, school, etc.) Integrating a really powerful calendar like AirSet's could actually wind up benefiting a lot more people than adding support for Google's calendar. I have no relationship with Airset, I just know a better calendar when I see one...

I believe very much that one of the cornerstones of online organization tools like sandy is having a very well thought out and easy to use user interface design. I have been using sandy for 1 day now and was already able to have a very productive day today. As a result, I already have about a dozen ideas of how I think you can improve sandy.

Pertaining to Google Calendar, one of the things you need is either

a. Completely seemless two-way synchronization with Google Calendar so that you can leverage all of the notification, sharing, and intelligence built into Google Calendar.

b. Build all of the Google Calendar's sophistication into Sandy like having calendar views, sharing, notifications, etc..etc..

I strongly recommend you DO NOT attempt the second option. It's the wrong path, IMHO. Focus instead on making Sandy more intelligent.

Ways to make Sandy more intelligent:

a. Create a programming environment for users to implement new ways of speaking with Sandy or to make her more intelligent and capable of understanding natural human language. eg: "Sandy, today's appointments are too packed in. Reorganize them please.".. or .. "Sandy, I want to spend 2 hours this week with Mary".. or.. "Sandy, Mark's appointment is very important, please make sure he arrives on time".

b. One area you really need to do some serious work are your emails. It's our first contact with Sandy on new items and your emails should be presented nicely. All text is fast but it takes time to read the emails. Use some colors and graphics and good placement of important information. I have some ideas about this. Ask me.

c. Find really good text-to-voice technology and have Sandy give users a a phone call every morning with their daily agenda (PRO feature?). Add a wave file via email as well.

d. Create multiple avatars that have their own unique style like Mike, Charles, Samantha..etc...

Remember, your primary user base with sandy are heavy email users with typing skill. Good luck and keep up the good work! I LOVE Sandy!

Mayur
www.redprimary.com

P.S. If you want more free strategic advice, please contact me. I would LOVE to work with you guys and make Sandy smarter. :)

echoing the thread here:

* don't quite get why you claim google calendar integration?
* when i click on an attached event, it kicks off ical - not google calendar...
* i LIVE in gcal, and so does the team (we have google apps for domains)
* there is a twitter account that ALREADY posts straight to gcal - you should talk! http://twitter.com/gcal

any idea if there's any thought to synching with iscrybe calendar?

Sandy = pretty good.
Sandy + Jott = well good useful, I love it.
Sandy + Jott + gCal = BEST THING EVAR.

I want to be able to use sandy as a calendar buffer - slide things back and forth between google calendar and sandy, as seamlessly as possible.

And don't forget us that use google apps for domains - don't tie it in with ONLY regular google calendars; share the love with domain users as well!

PLEASE!! SOON!!

YES. Good summary imonroe

Anyone knows GCaldeamon?
A little java application to sync a thunderbird, outlook or iCal calendar with Google Calendar. You can also access your gmail addresses as a LDAP server, be used as a notifier and other cool stuff. An amazing software.
I currently use it to sync iCal with Google. If you can sync Sandy with iCal , your one step away to sync it with gCalendar I think. (Haven't tried it yet.)

Maybe be a work-around for the time being.

I agree with everyone here, Sandy needs Gcal! Gcal could really use a good Sandy! :)

I use google calendar wth Palm OS with Agendus calendar. I sync the palm calander with Gcal using Gsync, a great little free program that syncs them two-way and does it perfectly. I've added Jott to the mix and find Jott to be amazing.

So why Sandy? If im already on the computer and i want to manage my emails more efficiently, it seems that Sandy would be better for updating my Gcal, and besides Gcal does not have its own task list. Its more efficent than picking up a phone and calling Jott, as once on the key board its just a few strokes to email to Sandy.

The kicker is that sandy and gcal have to be able to sync with each other!

Also, i am looking at Toodledo which seeems to have infinite features. What do you think, anyone used it?

Since you asked, I've chosen Toodledo as my to do list manager after trying nearly every alternative out there. It's the best I have come across in terms of features, integrations and support. Emailing my to do's etc. to Toodledo is as easy as emailing them to Sandy. Setting up reminders is better with Sandy but there are other ways to accomplish that goal. I just couldn't wait any longer for Sandy to add the features I need.

Oh yeah, Toodledo's task list can integrate with Gcal.

Sandy has much promise though... especially if she can take advantage of some of the features that poor neglected Stikkit has/had.

Ah, if I could only get gsync to work with Outlook 2007/Windows Vista and my Palm OS v. 5.4 -- I would be in heaven. But I haven't given up on the "Holy Grail" of synchronization: PDA <--> Outlook <--> Gcal with Toodledo and Sandy/Jott being able to interject and populate back to my PDA ultimately. Jon, I would love to ride in your backseat to see how you get along in your journey. As for your question regarding Toodledo-- I like it a lot, but the inability to get the tasks visibly integrated with other functions (i.e., my PDA) has limited its usefulness.

Hi Stimpmark

Do you mean that gcal and outlook have no sync utility yet? Strange!!! I guess Microsoft is not fond of the popularity of gcal yet, but what is inevitable is inevitable. Hey, you can definitely be in the back seat on this journey, even venture to the front seat if you dare!!

Jon

Try syncmycal for Outlook/Gcal syncing.

I think part of the GCal integration problem is that you can't subscribe to calendars in GCal. And, if you subscribe to a GCal -- like with iCal -- you can't update events from the subscribed software.

I.e., in iCal, I can't select an event from a Google calendar and edit any details.

I think Google is working on adding this functionality, and until they do your stuck. Something else GCal doesn't do: you can't email events there.

Sandy probably shouldn't claim "integration" with GCal. Maybe that they just play well together...

Austin, FYI I use some software called Spanning Sync for two-way integration with gCal + iCal (I use Entourage at work, sync to a local iCal, that syncs to a gCal account that in turn syncs back to an iCal on my home computer *phew*) - and it is two way, i.e. I can edit an event on my iCal and it updates my gCal.

http://spanningsync.com/

*If there was ever a need to push a standardised calendar format, perhaps we can start it here ;-)

**I'm in no-way affiliated with Spanning Sync, BTW.

I use a Blackberry and just noticed the new Google Sync app for Calendar and Todos.

I haven't played with Gcal much, but I like their quick add feature. I wonder how Sandy is going to stay useful on my phone with all these new Google mobile features.

Help meh!

1981:
*If there was ever a need to push a standardised calendar format, perhaps we can start it here ;-)

Most of the solutions out there speak SyncML: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SyncML
If Sandy could, we'd be able to synchronize to many calendaring systems using many clients. I have no problem keeping a Treo and Gcal in sync, while using Outlook as the "master" db.

I still love the way Sandy interprets natural language and integrates with IM and email, but I need her to sync my stuff! gcal. sandy. form like voltron. please.

so awesome!! that's really exciting!

well, if you can send an iCal/ics file to Sandy and she can parse it for events and appointments (as seems to be working), that's pretty close to integration if you subscribe to your Sandy calendar in gCalendar. The bit I am hoping for is not to have to make changes in multiple places, but to be able to. So if I update the calendar in iCal I can send that to Sandy, and the changes are incorporated. Likewise, I send her an update (forget #2, or remind me tomorrow) and those changes are visible everywhere I look.

Is that what's meant by synchronization in this thread?

I put together a tutorial of how I got it iwantsandy to update my Google Calendar and my mobile phone using scheduleworld.com
http://ozlady.com/2008/05/17/synchron...