Google adds offline access to Calendar

Life

Google has introduced offline access for its Calendar tool.

Users will be offered read-only access to their Google Calendar via the firm’s open-source Gears technology. Google said that it has added a new ‘Offline Beta’ link on the top right corner of the Calendar page.

Users of Google Apps Standard Edition will be able to take advantage of the feature straightaway; for Premier and Education Edition users, domain administrators will first have to switch on the feature via the ‘Domain Settings’ page of the Google Apps control panel.

The move signals Google’s commitment to providing more offline working capabilities, after having released offline Google Docs last year and Gmail offline support late last month.

“On top of organising your Gmail inbox while you’re travelling or without a strong internet connection, you will be able to see your events in Google Calendar from wherever you are,” said Joyce Sohn, Google Apps marketing manager.

“Offline Calendar will let you view your existing schedule and events, but not edit them, so you don’t have to print out calendars the night before a trip.” During an interview with the firm in late January, Google revealed to vnunet.com that it planned to release offline Calendar access “within the next few weeks”.

The new service comes after the addition of location technology in Latitude, which tracks users’ location via Google Maps and Ocean, which adds the ability to explore the seabed.

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