Steve Woda's blog

Google Calendar?

Is Google planning to launch a Google Calendar? Well there are lots of folks that seem to think so. The rumor mill is working overtime with speculation that Google will make a big announcement at the Web 2.0 Conference in Palo Alto, CA on Tuesday, and all signs point to a new Google Calendar.

This would be a terrific piece of functionality in my mind...if done well. There are a lot of calendar tools out there, and most fail miserably. I recently signed up for Trumba after participating in a BzzAgent campaign, and I really like the service. I can share my calendar with friends, family and co-workers on a scheduled basis, and it syncs seamlessly with my Outlook. Overall, it is better than anything else I have found.

Still, there is a lot left to be desired, and Google might be able to provide that answer. My biggest concern about Google Calendar is whether or not it will sync with my Outlook. If it doesn't, I probably won't use it. Let's hope it does.

Skype upgrades!

I am a big fan of Skype. I have been using it for about 6 months now, and it has basically replaced all of my other instant messenger programs. I enjoy the fact that Skype doesn't pollute their tool with a bunch of advertising, and I love the combined functionality of chat, phone, and conference calls. Honestly, it is head and shoulders better than all of the other chat/talk tools in my humble. I just wish it were a little more mainstream, so that more of my family and friends would feel comfortable switching as well.

This week, Skype rolled out an upgraded version of their software. Skype 2.0 is still in Beta, but it looks exciting. They have wrapped video into the software, so that you can now make video phone calls.

I haven't upgraded my version of Skype yet, but I plan to this weekend. Once I do, I will report back with my thoughts.

Also, in another post, I will give you my thoughts on what I think about Skype and eBay. There are lots of strong opinions on the wisdom of eBay's big investment, and I can't help but weigh in with my own. :)