Paging tech support: I need an online family calendar

greg66_tri_v2.0

There are many sources of friction within a family, but few work so well as the "we're going to [place] this evening".

"What? You've never mentioned this to me before. I want to sit on the sofa, watch shit tv and drink to forget."

"Well, I did, and they're our friends. So we have [sic] to go".

Much grumbling and discontent follows.

I'd like to be able to bring that argument forward in time to when the invitation is proffered, or better yet, be able to enforce an "if it's not in the diary, I know nothing about it and am entitled to decline all involvement" rule. You know the sort of thing.

So I'm after a cloud-based shared diary that automatically syncs between desktop and mobile devices.

Here's the set up:

Me: I have exchange server at work. Our work diary syncs appointments into our MS OL desktop diaries, and Exchange server is set to sync our OL desktop diaries OTA to our idevices. Entries that I make in the idevice diary sync back into my OL desktop diary. This works very well.

Mrs 66: idevices x2 plus OL on the family desktop pc. The three diaries are not sync'd with each other, unless an idevice is plugged into the desktop and manually sync'd via iTunes (happens about twice a year).

66 Major: iphone diary. Now at the stage of getting party invites, thus royally bollocksing my weekend evenings of drinking in front of the tv.

66 Minor: not yet on the party scene.

What I want:

A single cloud or web-based diary/calendar, that will
(a) import my MS OL diary, Mrs 66's idevice diary, and 66 Major's iphone diary
(b) merge them into a single diary that will still show who's appointments are whose.
(c) allow each of us to view the composite diary either via a web/device app, or within our OL/idevice calendar
(d) allow us to add appointments to the composite diary from any platform (ie the composite diary or a desktop or mobile device)
(e) allow us to amend our own appointments but not other family members' appointments.
(f) sync all "contributing" calendars, wherever they are stored, with the composite diary and vice versa.

Does such a thing exist, if so, what is it, is it any good and what does it cost?

The usual TIA.

spasypaddy

google calendar should do it all.

greg66_tri_v2.0

I thought that, but google calendar doesn't seem to play nicely with OL these days (there is legacy compatibility, but not current).

tgotb

I use Google Calendar for precisely this. Allows you to set up multiple calendars, control whom you share them with, and easy to sync to iPhone/Android. On a desktop I access it via browser.

Also use the Tasks functionality for a cloud-based shopping list. Add items using an Android tablet stuck to one of the kitchen cupboard doors (also used to run Spotify and show cycling videos) and then access it via phone in the supermarket.

Edit: Just seen the comments about Outlook compatibility; can't help there I'm afraid.

mpatts

spasypaddy wrote:

google calendar should do it all.

I used to use that, but we now use the iphone calendars. Works a treat.

Google calendar is not secure.

rjsterry

Google Calendar seems to work pretty well. Managed to sync my home and work calendars with my Android phone, and the iPad, laptop and work computer. No idea how it works with MS OL, but I'm sure there's a way (a quick google suggests there is). I think it ticks most if not all of your boxes.

rjsterry

mpatts wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

google calendar should do it all.

I used to use that, but we now use the iphone calendars. Works a treat.

Google calendar is not secure.

To what degree, and is this really an issue? I mean obviously it has some security.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Hmm. Maybe I'm seeing complications where there are none.

Simpler version: can I achieve what I want simply by using the calendars on my, Mrs 66's and 66 Major's idevices as the contributing calendars?

And if I do, I take it I end up with a google calendar app icon on my iphone where the calendar icon currently sits. Right?

(Since my MS OL calendar syncs with my idevice calendar, the latter is a mirror of the former; therefore if I can use the latter as the contributor, any changes I make to OL should end up in the composite and any changes I make to the composite should end up in OL, in both cases going via the idevice "mirror").

tgotb

rjsterry wrote:

mpatts wrote:

Google calendar is not secure.

To what degree, and is this really an issue? I mean obviously it has some security.

Might be an issue if you store all your credit card details and online banking details in your calendar.

If anyone's really interested in what races I'm planning to do, when my daughter's playing football and whether I'm running out of sugar, they just have to ask...

tgotb

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

And if I do, I take it I end up with a google calendar app icon on my iphone where the calendar icon currently sits. Right?

Nope, it's more seamless than that. I can't remember the steps, but you configure the iPhone to sync with Google, and then use the native iPhone app(s). It's sufficiently intuitive that my technophobic ex managed to do it on her new iPhone without any assistance.

Edit: It's a while since I set it all up, but there might be a one-off step to transfer any existing appointments onto the new Google calendar(s). When you create new appointments they are created in one of the Google calendars rather than created in some other calendar and then synced. This is transparent once it's set up, though...

It's worth thinking about whether you want to set up multiple calendars. For instance I have my personal one, a family one and one with races I might be interested in doing but haven't committed to, and only the family one is shared. The appointments assigned to different calendars appear in different colours. It's easy enough to define which calendar a new appointment goes into, and you can move them between calendars too.

cyclingprop

Office 365 would work.

rubertoe

big calender in the kitchen and a biro works for me and Mrs Toe.

mpatts

rjsterry wrote:

mpatts wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

google calendar should do it all.

I used to use that, but we now use the iphone calendars. Works a treat.

Google calendar is not secure.

To what degree, and is this really an issue? I mean obviously it has some security.

Only an issue if you get divorced and remove your ex from your shared Callander. I discovered that google still emailed her my movements every day. Fortunately we get on well, but it could have been painful "Tuesday, visit aggressive lawyer" ! It's a known issue apparently.

alan_sherman

Just get everyone to set up a distribution list with the whole family on it. Everyone manages their own diaries on whatever device they care for. When someone wants to set a meeting then they 'invite' the rest of the family. You can decline those you don't want.

I'd suggest keeping family stuff out of your work Outlook email. Just get it on your mobile.

greg66_tri_v2.0

rubertoe wrote:

big calender in the kitchen and a biro works for me and Mrs Toe.

I am beginning to come round to this. Having spent some time looking at this, setting up a google calendar is easy enough. Getting the contents of my brand new google calendar (ie nothing) into my ipad calendar is easy too. Getting the contents of any of my ipad calendars into the google calendar, however, still appears inpenetrable, short of exporting the calendar as a file and uploading - not terribly obvious how to do that on an ipad...

slowbike

if you've all got iDevices then just use the iCloud calendar function - it works across 6 devices we have without issue.

I'll have a look and see if I can introduce it as an additional calendar into Outlook **

** hmm - as I use Outlook 2003 at work it looks like that's a nonstarter - you need 2007 or later - I don't so can't test for now ...
I can get my Exchange diary on my iDevice though - just adding it as another email service - it does mean that work/home entries stay separate!

Agent57

rubertoe wrote:

big calender in the kitchen and a biro works for me and Mrs Toe.

Works for Mrs57 and myself, too.

Last year it was a Harry Potter calendar. This year it's Doctor Who.

itboffin

cyclingprop wrote:

Office 365 would work.

you wash your mouth out and go spend a week in commuting general :twisted:

G66 just use Google cal its perfect for the job, i/we have a google business account so i can restrict some of the app store and content functionality for the little one ...no not my wang :roll:

YIMan

Slowbike wrote:

if you've all got iDevices then just use the iCloud calendar function - it works across 6 devices we have without issue.

I'll have a look and see if I can introduce it as an additional calendar into Outlook **

** hmm - as I use Outlook 2003 at work it looks like that's a nonstarter - you need 2007 or later - I don't so can't test for now ...
I can get my Exchange diary on my iDevice though - just adding it as another email service - it does mean that work/home entries stay separate!

This is what me and the Mrs do, it works well as you've always got the calendar with you unlike a wall chart in the kitchen. We need a joint calendar as she works unpredictable shifts which I need to be aware of when arranging anything.

mtb-idle

rubertoe wrote:

big calender in the kitchen and a biro works for me and Mrs Toe.

me too. I use my Blackberry for work shoot and keep some personal stuff on there like beers with mates etc. If I want the old lady to know about it i send her an e-mail that starts 'dates for the fridge calendar'.

Talk about first world problems

greg66_tri_v2.0

Slowbike wrote:

if you've all got iDevices then just use the iCloud calendar function - it works across 6 devices we have without issue.

I'll have a look and see if I can introduce it as an additional calendar into Outlook **

** hmm - as I use Outlook 2003 at work it looks like that's a nonstarter - you need 2007 or later - I don't so can't test for now ...
I can get my Exchange diary on my iDevice though - just adding it as another email service - it does mean that work/home entries stay separate!

Ta dah! We have a winner. Simplest solution. OL remains the odd man out, sitting its own idevice calendar and not part of the iCloud calendar. But that means I can keep work stuff separate on my devices and add only the stuff that affects Mrs 66 (eg boys' beery nights out) to the family calendar.

Thanks to all who've chipped.

Mikey23

We've got that countrywide charity calendar with all those fabby pics ... Awesome