There are some applications that I think fit perfectly in the context of cloud computing, and I think two of those are calendars and task management (i.e. a to-do list). We’ve all been in this situation:
What are you doing the weekend after next?
Uhmmmmm I think I’m free? I’ll have to check my calendar and get back to you.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could always answer those types of questions, on the spot?
Separation of Concerns
You may currently think of a calendar as a place for appointments as well as tasks/to-dos. However, I find it very helpful (and even necessary) to separate these two concepts and give them their own homes. You read it here first – Ian C. Anderson supports task/appointment segregation.
Here are the problems with putting your tasks/to-dos on your calendar:
- What if you don’t get the task done? You have to manually move it forward in time. If you forget to move it, you may completely forget about it.
- Whenever you have time to do a task, you have to look at your calendar and distinguish between appointments and tasks, increasing the chances of you missing an appointment or abandoning a task.
So, I tend to put my appointments (any events with a strict date and time) in my Google Calendar, and my tasks/to-dos (that simply need to be done when there’s time) in my Remember the Milk account. The layout of my tasks and lists and tags within RTM is another story, but it’s basically a take on Emily Boyd’s “Advanced GTD With Remember the Milk” method. GTD stands for Getting Things Done, which is a productivity methodology invented by David Allen.
The PDA Problem
Sure, the concept of having a mobile computer-based calendar isn’t a new one. The rise of the Palm and other PDA’s in the 90’s was responsible for a lot of people, business-oriented or not, moving their calendar and task systems to a machine. In may ways, this was superior to traditional paper-based day planners. However, keeping this data in the cloud offers convenience that the PDA can’t offer:
- What if I lose or break the device? Your calendar is gone.
- What if I forget my PDA at home? The calendar is unavailable to you.
Ubiquitous Access
The beautiful thing about using Google Calendar and Remember the Milk is that your appointments and tasks are available no matter where you are. This is, of course, assuming you always have access to a smartphone or a computer. I will indeed assume this, because mobile computing is only growing, and will continue to grow insanely fast, as more and more people get iPhones and Android phones and Palm Pres.
There are several ways to access your Google Calendar and Remember the Milk accounts:
- Web
- Smartphone apps
- GCal is built into the mobile Android platform, which I use and love. Its mobile web version works on Blackberry, iPhone, Palm, Pocket PC, etc.
- RTM has excellent apps for both Android and the iPhone. The apps are free, but they require that you be an RTM pro member, which costs $25 a year. Sounds like a bit much, but I can’t live without it, so I’m happy to pay.
- Browser extensions
- Email interfaces
- RTM has a nice email interface, which is handy for the times when a full web browser is unavailable, but plan-text emailing is available.
- SMS/Text interfaces
- Gmail gadgets
And the list goes on… For the full list of Remember the Milk services, head to their listing.
Other Cloud-based Alternatives
Obviously, GCal and RTM are only the tools that I use, and they each have decent alternatives.
Google Calendar alternatives:
Remember the Milk alternatives:
Ditch that planner for RTM and GCal
There are some applications that I think fit perfectly in the context of cloud computing, and I think two of those are calendars and task management (i.e. a to-do list). We’ve all been in this situation:
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could always answer those types of questions, on the spot?
Separation of Concerns
You may currently think of a calendar as a place for appointments as well as tasks/to-dos. However, I find it very helpful (and even necessary) to separate these two concepts and give them their own homes. You read it here first – Ian C. Anderson supports task/appointment segregation.
Here are the problems with putting your tasks/to-dos on your calendar:
So, I tend to put my appointments (any events with a strict date and time) in my Google Calendar, and my tasks/to-dos (that simply need to be done when there’s time) in my Remember the Milk account. The layout of my tasks and lists and tags within RTM is another story, but it’s basically a take on Emily Boyd’s “Advanced GTD With Remember the Milk” method. GTD stands for Getting Things Done, which is a productivity methodology invented by David Allen.
The PDA Problem
Sure, the concept of having a mobile computer-based calendar isn’t a new one. The rise of the Palm and other PDA’s in the 90’s was responsible for a lot of people, business-oriented or not, moving their calendar and task systems to a machine. In may ways, this was superior to traditional paper-based day planners. However, keeping this data in the cloud offers convenience that the PDA can’t offer:
Ubiquitous Access
The beautiful thing about using Google Calendar and Remember the Milk is that your appointments and tasks are available no matter where you are. This is, of course, assuming you always have access to a smartphone or a computer. I will indeed assume this, because mobile computing is only growing, and will continue to grow insanely fast, as more and more people get iPhones and Android phones and Palm Pres.
There are several ways to access your Google Calendar and Remember the Milk accounts:
And the list goes on… For the full list of Remember the Milk services, head to their listing.
Other Cloud-based Alternatives
Obviously, GCal and RTM are only the tools that I use, and they each have decent alternatives.
Google Calendar alternatives:
Remember the Milk alternatives: