Google Calendar Is Compatible with iCal

Yesterday, Google unveiled its new web-based calendar service. The application, which is still in the beta stages, seems to be more worthy of the name beta than its video sibling, and can be accessed without a Gmail account.

Practically a web-based calendar application, the new Google Calendar enables users to search for and add events from within the program or through Web sites that use open standards for calendars. And it doesn't stop there, you can add events from friend's shared calendars, or your compatible local calendar application.
Other nice touches include being able to send out invitations to an event via e-mail, or seeing a schedule for a certain time period at a glance. Events can also be created by typing simple messages like "Lunch with Kate 11:30 a.m. Wednesday" in the program's "Quick Add" bar.

The Application is compatible with Apple's iCal, and calendars and events can be exported, the only issue is that Safari is not supported. Like many other Google services, Safari is not on the supported list and you will have to make use of an alternate browser such as Firefox or Camino to access the service. You also need JavaScript and cookies enabled if it is to work at all.

This latest service from Google will no doubt spice things up between them and Yahoo and Microsoft as the battle over Internet services continues.