Google Calendar Celebrates 10th Anniversary With iOS 'Goal' Events

[MacRumors]

Google is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Calendar service with the addition of a new feature in its iOS app that aims to help users meet personal goals.

The new feature uses machine learning in an effort to help users stick to projected goals by sending reminders and rescheduling around other events in their calendar if necessary.

Tapping on the new Goal option in the Add menu brings up a list of preset goal choices. Goal types include "Exercise", "Build a Skill", and "Me Time", or users can create their own.

After choosing a goal type, users are asked how often they'd like to achieve it and what time of the day is best for them, after which Google Calendar will attempt to automatically find an open slot in the diary and offer to send notification reminders.

If another event is added that conflicts with a set goal time, Google Calendar automatically reschedules it for another available time. Google claims that the more the feature is used, the better the app gets at choosing ideal times for set goal activities.

Google Calendar is a free download in the App Store for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Google Calendar Celebrates 10th Anniversary With iOS 'Goal' Events

 

[thefourthpope]

Seems like a nice feature. The "auto reschedule" probably makes it too easy to quit on whatever you're trying to do, but it's better than nothing. Schedules are crazy; I know sometimes mine feels like it could only be organized by an AI.

 

[Kebabselector]

...whilst selling your personal information to health insurance and gym membership organisations.

 

[KALLT]

Sounds clever. This is what I imagined a real ‘intelligent assistant’ would do. Being able to monitor certain things and engage with you through notifications, calendar entries, todos and such. It certainly seems as though Apple is heading towards this, but what they achieved in iOS 9 still falls short compared to what Google and Microsoft are doing. As much as I dislike Google, I admit that they sometimes have such delightful and innovative apps that make it really, really difficult to say no. Apple used to have such novelty in software too, but nowadays they are much more conservative about these things. Apple needs a bit more lateral thinking again.

 

[69Mustang]

...whilst selling your personal information to health insurance and gym membership organisations.

Wow. Ignorant post is ignorant. Don't propagate the fallacy. Like 'em, don't like em. No biggie. At least be truthful.

 

[drewyboy]

Wow. Ignorant post is ignorant. Don't propagate the fallacy. Like 'em, don't like em. No biggie. At least be truthful.

Sounds like he is being truthful. We all know Google collects your data from any of their services you use, bundles it and sells it to advertisers.

 

[AppleMactablet]

...And still no iPad App SMH

 

[dawson865]

This is Timeful brought back a year later with half the features.

 

[69Mustang]

Sounds like he is being truthful. We all know Google collects your data from any of their services you use, bundles it and sells it to advertisers.

It would sound true only to those who don't know any better. Google doesn't sell customer information. Think about it. If they sold customer information to advertisers, the advertisers wouldn't need Google beyond a one off transaction because they would possess the customer information. They could advertise directly to the customer.

Don't want to write a book, but if you really wanted to know what Google actually does the info is easily accessible.

 

[KALLT]

This is Timeful brought back a year later with half the features.

Ah never mind what I said earlier. Google actually bought and killed off a decent-looking iOS app for this? Screw Google.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Sounds like he is being truthful. We all know Google collects your data from any of their services you use, bundles it and sells it to advertisers.

If the advertised could give me some advertising that is specifically for me, why not? It is not like Google is giving away my identity. I prefer targeted advertising than being simply give me advertising.

If I am looking at PC, I rather get advertising about PC and deals. Not advertising about iPhone.

And Google don't sell your identity, they sell advertiser something to advertise. And I don't mind about that.

 

[unixphone]

i think the ad is funny
Love it

 

[krwllms]

If the advertised could give me some advertising that is specifically for me, why not? It is not like Google is giving away my identity. I prefer targeted advertising than being simply give me advertising.

If I am looking at PC, I rather get advertising about PC and deals. Not advertising about iPhone.

And Google don't sell your identity, they sell advertiser something to advertise. And I don't mind about that.

Exactly, if there has to be ads on the websites I visit, I'd prefer useful, targeted ads.

 

[Hustler1337]

Looks like you need to input every single activity in your daily life to be able to use this effectively. I don't use the Calendar app on my iPhone besides putting in important appointments that I know I'd forget.

Seems like a nice feature. The "auto reschedule" probably makes it too easy to quit on whatever you're trying to do, but it's better than nothing. Schedules are crazy; I know sometimes mine feels like it could only be organized by an AI.

Lol, I was thinking the same, encouraging you to have an 'ah, Google will reschedule it later, I'll hit defer' attitude But yeh, better than nothing.

 

[kdarling]

Sounds like he is being truthful. We all know Google collects your data from any of their services you use, bundles it and sells it to advertisers.

No, we all do not know any such thing.

Advertisers don't get a list of people like you seem to think.

Google, just the same as Apple does with their iAds, sells ANONYMOUS targeted slots. That's how they can make money off their users continuously, instead of just once with a list. And it's why the big ad shops like Google have plenty of reason to keep everything they know about us private. The info they have on us is worth money only if it's kept secret. It's the smaller ad providers that are the privacy worry, not Google.

For example, an advertiser might submit an ad and say, okay, I'd like this ad to be seen by males 24-35, just out of college, with a job somewhere on the East Coast, and no kids. Then Apple / Google shows that ad to people who meet the specifications.

The advertisers get charged a little bit each time their ad is shown to someone that meets their criteria, and get a larger charge if that person clicks on the ad and is forwarded to their website. But they never know who clicked on the ad, unless that user voluntarily enters their info on the advertiser's website.

Personally, I like getting really cool services paid for this way. The ads only become annoying when say, Google, does NOT know enough about you. Like when you shop for a car and then you get automobile ads everywhere for weeks. Sure, you can go into your Google Dashboard and remove "Automobiles" from the list of ads you're being served, but it'd be nicer if Google's computers already knew I'd bought a car or had lost interest

 

[jlnr]

Where have all the other petty flat/material design haters gone? This illustration is hilariously bad. Especially the Long Shadows(tm).

 

[flottenheimer]

Fine, but...

It would be way better if Gmail/Google Apps calendar invitations were made compatible with the Inbox feature of the stock iOS calendar app.

Come on Google/Apple.

 

[alllexx]

This is Timeful brought back a year later with half the features.

This was my first thought! I've missed Timeful so much!!! I hope this is an adequate replacement!

 

[dawson865]

This was my first thought! I've missed Timeful so much!!! I hope this is an adequate replacement!

Timeful was a great app, just another of the apps google has bought and failed to deliver on. I just don't know why they do this - they could probably just license the tech.. why do they have such a thirst for blood?

 

[Tilpots]

While we're speaking of Google Cal, anyone know how to embed it into a wordpress site so it looks like the iOS app?