Online-scheduling alternatives to Google Calendar

I'm a Google Calendar user. It's easy to use. And for the most part, it helps keep the schedules of individual users organized. But one of its shortcomings is in scheduling meetings. In my experience, it just isn't nearly as advanced as it should be when it comes to things like arranging meetings among a group of people in various time slots. And unfortunately, the same goes for Yahoo Calendar and Microsoft's Live Calendar.

So I've decided to venture out in search of online applications for scheduling. Some are better than others, but many are worth trying out.

Scheduling apps

Calendarfly: Calendarfly is designed for schools, small organizations, or families. After you register with Calendarfly, you're immediately brought to a cluttered page that's difficult to understand, at first. But after a while, you'll get used to it.

When you start adding events to your calendar, Calendarfly lets you share them with others. Parents can also have their child's events added to their own calendar in a different color, keeping them apprised of what's going on in their child's life. Calendarfly lets you input the location of the event you're planning, thanks to its new geo-coding feature. It can be a little buggy, but it usually works well. If you're a teacher, parent, or coach, Calendarfly isn't a bad scheduling option.

Calendarfly has categories for schools and families.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Divvy: Divvy isn't your typical scheduling tool. In fact, it's designed to help you make more money in your business. But its scheduling tool is really handy. When you want to create an appointment, the tool brings you to a simple input page that lets you pick the time, as well as add a description and a title.

If you're operating a business, you can also input how much the appointment will cost. Thanks to Divvy's vanity URLs, you can direct people to your personal Divvy page, giving them full access to your appointment availability. They can then schedule a time on your page in seconds. It works well.

Check your availability in Divvy.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Genbook: Genbook, similar to Divvy, is designed for small businesses that want to streamline their scheduling. The tool first requires you to input your business information. From there, you can list your services and input on the app's calendar when you'll be available.

Creating appointments is made easy with the site's appointment tool. But my favorite feature is Genbook's Customers module, which automatically saves pertinent customer information whenever one signs up for an appointment. It displays the customer's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. It's really helpful. Genbook comes in three versions--Free, Solo ($19.95 per month), and Standard ($39.95 per month).

GenBook makes it easy to set up an appointment.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Jiffle: Jiffle claims that the average user sends seven e-mails back and forth before they can nail down a meeting time. To solve that, the company allows you to selectively share your availability calendar. You can assign your available time slots for the week and send it off to people with whom who you want to meet. Once they pick the time they can meet, it immediately triggers a notification message alerting all parties. The tool can then be integrated into your Google Calendar, or you can keep track of your meetings on the site. Jiffle even has a toolbar for Outlook users to streamline the scheduling process.

I'll be available all morning on Jiffle.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Mixin: Mixin is an extremely simple calendar tool that makes it easy to plan your day. When you first sign up for the site, you'll be brought to a scheduling screen where you're asked to input what you plan to do, when you plan to do it, and for how long you plan on doing it. It's then added to a timeline beneath that field.

You can share that with friends on social networks like Facebook. You can invite others to join in on that event. And you can even comment on it as you're performing the task. Mixin isn't nearly as powerful as most calendaring tools, and some people might need a little more than what it offers. But if you want something quick and easy, Mixin is for you. (For a hands-on of Mixin, click here.)

Mixin is simple, but easy to use.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Scheduly: Scheduly is a great tool for contractors or small businesses that want to conveniently schedule appointments with potential clients. Once you sign up for the free tool, you can set your weekly agenda. From there, clients can view your Scheduly business page to set up appointments. You can even embed your schedule into your Web site. If you don't like Scheduly's built-in calendar, you can sync it with Google Calendar, iCal, and others to view your appointments.

Scheduly has a great appointment-taking mechanism.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

TimeBridge: TimeBridge makes it easy to set up a meeting. Once you click the "schedule a meeting" link, you're brought to a page giving you the option to send invites to a group of people. You can then enter the meeting topic, propose times when you're available, and send them a description of the meeting.

My favorite TimeBridge feature is the option of starting a Web conference or holding a call. When you pick the conference call option, the site provides you with a dial-in number. If you want to hold a Web conference, you'll need to pay. TimeBridge charges $8.95 per month or $89 per year. All your meetings can be integrated into Google Calendar.

TimeBridge's appointment input page.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

TimeDriver: TimeDriver is designed specifically for business professionals who need more power than what a tool like Google Calendar can provide. It makes it easy for others to schedule appointments with you. In TimeDriver, you can pick times throughout the day when you can meet. You then send your calendar to people with whom you want to schedule meetings, and they will pick a time that works for them.

To enhance its appeal, TimeDriver also allows you to bring e-marketing into the mix. You can put your company's logo and URL in the e-mail you send to those with whom you plan to meet. Although TimeDriver has a calendar of its own, any meeting you set up on the service can be synced with your Google Calendar or Outlook. Using TimeDriver after its free trial will cost you $29.95 per year. (Read the full review of TimeDriver.)

TimeDriver makes it easy to set up your schedule book.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

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Sun updates JavaFX and Java SE

Sun Microsystems has delivered updates to JavaFX, its platform for rich Internet application development, and to Java Platform Standard Edition.

JavaFX 1.2, launched at the JavaOne conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, adds support for Linux and OpenSolaris. The software previously worked with the Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Mac OS X operating systems only.

The Sun software, first released in December 2008, is a framework and language. It provides a unified model for developing internet applications running across different types of devices. The platform is integrated with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), so JavaFX applications will run on any device that already supports Java. Similar offerings from other vendors include Adobe's Flash Player and Microsoft's Silverlight.

Right now, JavaFX is used to build applications for the desktop, Web browsers, mobile phones, TV set-top boxes, gaming consoles and Blu-ray players. Sun plans to tailor it to other devices as well and, at JavaOne, the company demonstrated JavaFX running on a next-generation television.

The new version includes a new cross-platform user interface library, faster start-up for applications and the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) for streaming media support, Sun said.

At the conference, Sun also launched Update 14 of the Java SE 6 platform, used to create Java programs. It now comes with support for 64-bit plug-ins, as well as support for Internet Explorer 8 browser and Windows 7. Sun said it has also made numerous performance improvements, and it has added a Java Hotspot client virtual machine with with a "Garbage First" collector that aims to improve system memory management.

Matthew Broersma of ZDNet UK reported from London.________________________________________________________________

Green news harvest: Not holding breath on CO2 rules

A sampling of green-tech news with quick commentary.

• Green-energy gurus not holding breath on CO2 rules - MarketWatch
  The word from the money people is: "Give us the rules and let us lead the way to transitioning to a low-carbon economy."
• Roll-Up Solar Panels - Technology Review
  Toledo-based Xunlight makes progress on flexible solar cells using combination of silicon and other materials.
• Startup Green Energy Tech Installs First Small-Wind Concentrators - Earth2Tech
  Having uncovered a couple of companies that also concentrate wind to get more power, I'd say this is officially a trend.
• New Chips Can Boost Solar Power - Wall Street Journal
  One example of how IT companies are providing tech for measuring and monitoring, in this case it's theperformance of solar panels.
• European body sees algae fuel industry in 10-15 years - Reuters
  Reality check on algae biofuels, which will take at least a decade to reach commercial scale.
• Cap-And-Trade Would Have Varying Effect on S&P 500 - Sustainable Business
  Some companies will be affected more than others from carbon regulations. The S&P 500 emits more than all the cars, trucks, buses and aircraft in U.S.
• VC group's Heesen says clean tech still hot - Reuters
  Snap shot of clean tech investing where the U.S. is lagging other countries and investment is down sharply in Q1 this year.
• Dreams of dollars blown away: Kittery wind turbine turns out to be an underperformer - Fosters Daily Democrat
  Via a reader, this Maine town finds that a 50-kilowatt wind turbine underperformed because of nearby structures.
• We've got no choice but nukes and carbon-capture tech, says Jeffrey Sachs - Grist
  Economist Sachs brings China into the climate change/energy discussion.

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Intel to buy Wind River for $884 million

Chip giant Intel is set to acquire Wind River Systems, a maker of software for embedded devices.

Intel has entered a definitive agreement to buy Wind River for $11.50 per share in cash, which works out to a total value of approximately $884 million, Wind River said Thursday. Wind River would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel, reporting to the chipmaker's Software and Services Group, headed by Renee James.

The pending acquisition, Wind River said, would fit into "Intel's strategy to grow its processor and software presence outside the traditional PC and server market segments, into embedded systems and mobile handheld devices."

Embedded systems can include consumer electronics devices, car dashboard gear, and networking equipment.

During its fiscal year that ended in January, Wind River had revenue of $359.7 million. The Alameda, Calif.-based company has more than 1,600 employees.

The acquisition is expected to close this summer, pending regulatory approvals and other conditions.

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Palm Pre Unboxing

Just a few more house before the palm pre release....

See CNET Unboxing...

I gotta say all these phones coming yet still amongst alot of people I still believe and know

the Apple Iphone is the best!!!!

See More Palm Pre Videos

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Debating the power of Google's Wave

We've had about a week to absorb the Google's pitch for Wave, its new experimental communication platform, and about a day to try the actual early "sandbox" build of the service. See our hands-on review. But there's more to talk about with Wave. It's not just an app, it's an important evolution in the philosophy of written communication.

People will see Wave in different ways. For some, it's a clever take on e-mail. Others will see it as instant messaging with new features. Developers will look at Wave's open specs and APIs, and see a framework for new collaborative apps. But is it really any of these things, or just a crazy experiment from Google's Australian outpost?

Is it better than e-mail?

CNET Editor Rafe Needleman: In some ways, it really is. With Wave, you don't reply to a message with a new message, you instead add your reply to the message itself. When there are multiple people involved in a conversation, this can prevent a lot of confusion. There's only one "wave" in a conversation, not a volley of messages flying around that repeat each other.

CNET Senior Writer Stephen Shankland: Gmail users accustomed to conversation view, which stacks the back-and-forth discussion into a single view, will have an easier time adjusting to Wave's ways.

And just as Gmail works best if you only deal with one e-mail at a time, Wave is good at only one wave at a time. That's fine for a lot of IM-like chats, but if you work in depth on multiple waves simultaneously, think about opening multiple browser tabs. There are boldface indicators of new activity in your inbox, which tell you who's active, but with multiple tabs you won't always see them--especially if your inbox gets crowded with new waves.

Needleman: It's fun to play with now, but we don't know what using Wave will be like once we start getting overflowing inboxes of waves.

Shankland: Right. Every Net communication technology goes through a honeymoon period where just you and your close contacts use it. Then the whole Net discovers it and your little paradise becomes just another conduit for spam, inane jokes, and trivia. Expect the same issues with Wave.

Needleman: The thing everyone is going to make a big deal of in Wave is that you can interrupt someone who's carefully writing a message to you. You can barge into a message before they're done with it, demand the writer's immediate attention, and force them to shift from composing to replying. There will be a way to hide your real-time activity in Wave, but the default mode is real-time. It's interruptive and very different. There will be people who hate it.

We used Wave to write this story. It worked pretty well.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET)

Shankland: In my misspent youth, I used a Unix terminal command, talk, that was something of a precursor to instant messaging. I quickly grew to loathe the fact that every keystroke was visible. How many times have you had second thoughts about an instant message or e-mail? Think before you type.

Needleaman: I'm in trouble. I don't only think before I type. I think before, during, and after. My mother taught me that "writing is re-writing." I hope Wave doesn't prove her wrong.

So is it better than instant messaging?

Needleman: Again, it's different. In Wave, an e-mail conversation can become like IM, or a multiparty chat room. If there are multiple people in a thread, Wave does a pretty good job of making it clear who's responding to what. One big difference is that you can reply to anything anybody said, anywhere, so you can end up with a big, hairy mess of threads in a single wave. Hopefully the developers will add a way to collapse threads.

Shankland: To me, Wave felt more like an instant-messenger chat room than e-mail. E-mail gives time to pause and reflect, even in today's everything-is-urgent world. Wave imparts a sense of urgency when multiple people are using it simultaneously. With Wave, you feel rude if you don't respond to a question soon, at least when your contacts are actually in the wave at the same time.

As we were writing this document, I found myself wanting to use regular old IM to see if you heard what I was asking about. Maybe that's just a matter of getting used to Wave, but maybe it's because it's is so open-ended it's hard to tell exactly when a response is sought or provided.

Needleman: I did drop into regular IM. The wide-open structure of a Wave message might be a little too open. It's easy to miss things.

Shankland: Such as the question I asked you twice that took you two hours to respond to.

Needleman: I didn't see it. So I agree, Wave needs better notification features.

Shankland: Welcome to the limits of Web apps. HTML 5 has some notification work under way, so perhaps that'll improve in coming years.

How about as a collaborative editor?

Needleman: Wave is a lot like Google Docs. Several people can work on a document at the same time. Wave actually is more responsive than Docs and does a better job at letting people know who's editing what and where.

Shankland: Google Docs has plenty of weak points, but I find its collaboration feature a more profound and powerful change than any new features in the last few iterations of Microsoft Office. And Google Wave is like Google Docs on steroids when it comes to collaboration. Wave can spotlight the very area where others' attention is focused, which is important data when collaborating, even if you're sitting side by side.

But the what-everybody-else-is-doing visibility factor is also greatly diminished when you can't see where others are working in the limited screen real estate of Wave. The immediacy of the visible edits vanishes as soon as the other work is happening elsewhere. With Wave, there are plenty of trees falling in the forest that you don't hear. For example, in composing this document, I asked a question at the top of the Wave discussion thread. You didn't see it, either because you were away from the discussion or working elsewhere, and there's no notification about which particular part of the discussion changed. A green number next to the wave in the inbox provides some help.

Needleman: That's easy to fix. A little arrow pointing up or down in a document could indicate where others are typing, if they're off your screen.

Wave sounds confusing

Needleman: It is at first, but I found that I acclimated to its concepts pretty quickly. What I really appreciate about Wave is how easy it is to move between different modes. You can start a message like an e-mail, and then see it become a chat or IM conversation, and then go into collaboratively editing a document. I know it sounds horribly confusing but I found that it didn't take long to adapt to it.

Shankland: I acclimated rapidly, too, but I can see how the multi-edit chaos could be distracting even if you know what's going on. If you're the kind of person who can talk on the phone, send a text message, IM, and surf the Web at the same time, you'll be fine with Wave, but most of us have only so much attention span to go around, and Wave has the potential to overtax.

The user interface is also rough. Finding the vanishing button you need to click to edit a wave is a drag, especially when you lose your place in a wave by having to scroll up to the top when it occurs to you that you want to add some text.

Needleman: Lighten up. It's a developer preview.

Shankland: OK, fair point, and I'll withhold some criticisms of search syntax and contacts management that probably will be improved. But I think this issue could be bigger. One problem with Wave is that the servers have to know which waves are open for editing and when. It's easy for Google to shut off a user's editing privileges after a period of inactivity so the server can free up the resources required to keep a communication channel open, but it's a pain for the user to have to re-enable the privilege frequently, as I had to do while working on this piece. My preference would be that the reply/edit button hovers over the top-right corner of the window even as you scroll so it's always available.

Wave as a business platform

Needleman: I think Wave is a great platform for getting work done, but there are dangers. It can take a process that is deliberate and thoughtful and make it into a frothy and superficial back-and-forth. But there are some business process tools that could really benefit from real-time notifications and presence indicators, and from Wave's capability to show people where others' attentions are. I'm thinking of the Bugzillia platform, for example. It'd be great to know when a developer is working on a bug I've filed, so we can skip the e-mail ping-pong and work through problems in real-time.

Also, since Google will open up Wave's code and its APIs, companies that want to bring Wave in-house without putting all that corporate data on the Internet or in Google's servers could set up their own private Wave networks. And if they want, they can layer in any auditing or compliance features that Wave doesn't ship with. Theoretically, anyway.

Shankland: Expect businesses to go through an adjustment period as Wave arrives. There was a day when e-mail was a novelty, and later instant messaging, too, but now they're settling down to be ordinary tools. Arguably Twitter and social networking are headed that direction for some work purposes, too, and I suspect Wave will go through the same growing pains. Just as with other electronic communications, one person's active and engaging chat channel is another person's annoying, productivity-sapping distraction.

What's next for Wave

Needleman: Wave does feel like modern e-mail, and it relies on the modern Internet to work. Unlike old-fashioned e-mail, which was created when servers didn't have persistent connection to each other, Wave works because the machines on the Net are now, for the most part, constantly connected to each other. It also brings together different communication styles--e-mail, IM, chat, collaborative editing--into one app. I think that's great, but I'm not sure how well this idea will scale or what will happen as a broader user base starts to adopt it.

Shankland: Wave feels like some crazy crossbreed of Docs, Gmail, and IM, but I overall I find that refreshing more than troubling. And it's interesting that Google wants Wave to be not merely extensible through a programming interface, but also a brand-new communication protocol for the Internet. Google tries to use openness to advance its agenda, which is tactically intriguing.

Overall, it's a strong entry from a company that understands what the Internet enables, even if Google itself isn't a social network powerhouse. Google must convince people not only to sign up for Wave, but also to get their contacts to do so as well, which probably will be as much of a challenge as making the technology work. But the company is more likely to get ahead in the social realm by doing something different, like Wave, as it did with Gmail, and not by trying to out-Twitter Twitter or out-Facebook Facebook.

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