Be More Productive with New Features in Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a tool that's been around for quite a while now, and Google has been quietly making gradual improvements to it over the years. But now with new features set to be released, it looks like Google Calendar is finally getting ready to go mainstream.

 

The other day while adding a "to-do" for my husband (more on this fantastic use of Calendar later), I noticed a message at the top of my screen: an invitation to see the Sneak Preview of new features.

 

 

More Collaborative Calendar Features

The Sneak Preview utterly changes the entire event display in Google Calendar, and shows a much smoother interface for planning meetings with others. These changes make Google Calendar functional enough to consider using as a viable business replacement for the ubiquitous desktop software.

 

 

Now you can see if someone is busy so you can plan around their schedule. If your meeting conflicts with the people you want to invite, all you need to do is drag the meeting to a time slot that works for everyone.

 

How to Schedule Meetings in Google Calendar

Let's use a real-life example of how you can schedule events in Google Calendar.

 

After completing the "to-do" we scheduled, my husband decides it's time we had a break and went to a movie together. Being a smart man, he schedules it in advance so I don't plan anything else that night. He sets himself a reminder and adds me as a guest to the "meeting".

 

 

Hmm... seems I already have something planned that evening. Maybe we can go to the late show?

 

 

One of the most useful features that's been in Google Calendar for a long time is the ability to create multiple calendars and share them with others. The new interface isn't a huge change, but it's a powerful one that shows how the system is slowly becoming business-ready.