Free Stuff: Online Calendar, SnagIt and More
December 05, 2007 (PC World) -- I know you like free stuff. This week I have a free Web-based calendar, a way to protect your phone number from telemarketers and free, licensed copies of SnagIt and Camtasia. Dig in...
Hello Google Calendar... Good-Bye Outlook
This is going to sound dopey, but the only reason I load Microsoft Outlook is to use the calendar. You heard right: I don't use Outlook for e-mail. I don't like about Outlook's e-mail feature -- opening a separate window for each message I'm replying to defies logic and I've always found Outlook's Contacts cumbersome.
A few weeks ago I started playing with Google's online calendar. For my minimal scheduling needs, it's a handy tool. I can do many of the same things I do in Outlook: quickly add events, change views (day, week, month, next four days), get appointment reminders (e-mail or pop-ups), share the calendar (public or private), and add recurring events. And I could get SMS notifications if my phone supported it.
In a few keystrokes, I was able to add a calendar button to the Google toolbar in my browser. One last neat plus: I absolutely love the idea of getting to my calendar from any PC with Internet access. For lots more details, take a look at Google's help page.
Import Outlook's Events to Google's Calendar
Importing Outlook's events into Google's calendar is painless. Google has step-by-step instructions and there's only one tricky part. Step 5 says:
In Google Calendar, ensure that you've created the calendar that you'd like to migrate events to. Then, at the top of the calendar list on the left, click the "Add" down-arrow button and select "Import Calendar."
It took me 10 minutes to find the spot they were talking about.
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Free Disposable Phone Number
Here's a way to play it safe when you put your phone number into a Craigslist ad or give it out to a salesperson. Grab a free, temporary, disposable and entirely anonymous phone number that forwards calls to your real cell or landline.