Coming soon to a computer near you is the new Google Calendar. For those of you who use Google Calendar on a mobile device this is going to be nothing new.
Here is a screenshot of the new calendar.
The first thing you will notice is the add button in the bottom right. It looks like the add menu in google classroom and lets you add events in a nice expanded dialog.
What I really like about the new add event screen is that it gives you a nice overview of the entire event. Notice also that you can use rich text in the descriptions of events. This would include hyperlinks and bold and italicized text.
The next improvement how you view an event when clicked on in the calendar.
A single click on an event shows the whole event in one view as shown above. Double clicking an event will take you into edit mode and let you make changes to the event.
Another nice feature is the ability to find a time that works for all your invitees. Click on the find a time tab and you will see all your invitees in one screen with their availability. This really makes scheduling meetings a breeze.
Speaking of meetings, if you are using Google Calendar for room scheduling there is now the ability to see room features as well as room availability right from the create/edit event screen.
So how do you get the new Google calendar? Simply click on the blue Use new Calendar button that will eventually appear in your menu bar next to the more menu.
If you don’t see it yet don’t worry. Google is rolling out the new calendar to all domains but this will take a few weeks before everyone will have it available.
Once you click the button you will be taken to a welcome screen.
Click Got it and you will be updated.
If you decide you don’t like the new calendar or find a feature is missing, you can always go back to the old calendar using the gear (setting menu) and choosing Back to classic calendar.
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