Planzo plotzes but Google calendar shows promise

I've mentioned the Planzo calendar here (note: this is spelled correctly, I'm not referring to the new one by Plaxo) as being a servicable product. One of my clients called me recently and asked why he was having trouble with it. The site was having serious problems with errors and was deleting people's accounts (including mine). This seems to have been fixed now but I thought it was time to look for an alternative.

I'm using the Google calendar these days because it works really well and meshes with my gmail account. If someone invites me to a meeting or other function, gmail recognizes that and allows me to change that request into a calendar item. The calendar can import the items from Outlook's calendar, too though it requires an to export from Outlook to a file first. This isn't as handy as some of the PDA or other programs that synchronize on the fly but it works. I'd plan on doing it once to move from Outlook to go online rather than thinking of it as a daily update.

You can send yourself reminders of upcoming calendar items as with other online datebooks. Reminders can be popups (a good thing in this case), emails or SMS messages to your phone. These are easier to set up than in some other programs because you set a default legnth for the warning message. That is nice but I prefer a little more control. For example, I like a few days notice on an upcoming birthday and an hour or so for a conference call reminder.

You can share your calendar with particular people or with the world. There is also an option that allows you to show only when you are busy and when you are available without any specifics. This can be useful to let an assistant or client know when they might be able to schedule an appointment with you or catch you on the phone.

As with other Google products, I imagine the calendar will only get better. For more info or to take a guided tour just click here. Over all, I think you'll be impressed.

The whole world of online and offline calendering is going crazy these days. Things that say they work together don't (palm and pocket pc phones that claim to sync with Outlook do sometimes and sometimes need lots of tlc or even a third party solution.)

Keep up with all the latest on the in depth blog Calendar Swamp.

A Wireless Network can be a blessing or a curse

A Wireless Network can be a blessing or a curse, usually the former.

If you have a wireless network (in the Atlanta, GA area) and do not know for sure if it is secure, I'd like to do a free wireless security audit for you. It takes less than 5 minutes and, while I figure out what kind of encryption (if any, it IS really important) you're using, we can check to see how far outside of your home or business your signal is reaching. You may want me to make adjustments to your wireless router to make it less visible or even invisible to anyone but you. Letting other people use your wi-fi connection to surf the Internet is a nice thing to do in some cases but since you are responsible if someone else uses your network for illegal music file sharing (for example) you might want to consider making some changes.

If you don't have a wireless network but would like to be able to use a laptop from anywhere in your home or business (maybe even on the deck) to check email, surf the net or even print documents, I'd like to set up a secure wireless system for you. I can do that starting at around $200 for one wired and one wireless computer if you'd like me to provide the hardware, less if you buy the router and wireless card. Note that, if you have a recent notebook computer, you probably already have the wireless card built in. Also, if you have a desktop comuter that you'd like to relocate but can't because of needing to be attached to the network cable, we can free it up with wireless.

If you have an older wireless setup (from more than a year ago) your network may not be as fast as it can be. Also, newer networks can reach further than the old type so, If you have dead spots on your property where your wireless network won't reach, you might need an upgrade. I can take care of that, too. The wireless audit will determine if you have the slower type of setup.

Of course all the security for your wireless network isn't worth much if your individual machines aren't secure or if you don't have a regular automated backup system. Remember, safe computing is more fun and can avoid down time in the case of an emergency. Let me work on your lost time prevention plan as soon as you have time to schedule an appointment.

Best regards,

Alan Thornton
Decatur Computer Help and
In-House Tech Support
alan@inhousetechsupport.com
404 932 4348

subscribe to my google calendar

why would you want to do this?
I'm not sure.
online calendaring is somewhat interesting.
some of them sync with outlook's calendar.
outlook's calendar syncs with some handheld info managers.
sometimes you can share a calendar with your SO or business associates to see what the other person is up to. sometimes you might just have a calendar show when you're busy or available.
i used to use planzo and now tend to prefer airset.