How To Add Google Calendar To Apps Page

If you rely heavily on Google Calendar, check out an extension that makes viewing and adding to upcoming events a snap.

Google Calendar is the only calendar I use. I use Google Calendar throughout the day, every day of the week. To that end, I keep a tab pinned in Google Chrome, so the calendar is only a click away. But there's an easier method--and it's one that doesn't require pinning a tab.

The solution is the official Google Calendar extension. With this simple addition to Chrome, you get instant access to your upcoming events, as well as the ability to add new events (using language such as "Meeting with Olivia 7 pm tomorrow"). Other features include:

Shows a preview of your calendar with a single click
Allows you to quickly add events from supporting sites
Support for hCalendar microformat or derivative microformats such as hResume

The feature list isn't huge, but what the extension adds by way of efficiency is massive.

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Installing the Google Calendar extension

This extension can be used on Chrome for any platform: Linux, Chrome OS, Mac, or Windows. Installation is quite simple--just follow these steps:

Open Chrome.
Point Chrome to the extension link on the Chrome Web Store.
Click ADD TO CHROME.
When prompted, click Add Extension.
Allow the extension to install.

Make sure you are logged into your Google Account (the one associated with the Calendar from which you want to work) and then click the newly added extension icon on your toolbar to open the Google Calendar extension (Figure A).

Figure A

The Google Calendar extension in action.

When you open the extension, you can do three things: edit the settings, click a calendar event to view the details, or add a new calendar event.

Before you add an event, you'll want to click the gear icon and configure the extension. There are a few configuration options: You can enable/disable the show time remaining feature, enable/disable all day events (for the calculation of time remaining), and/or enable/disable the calendars you want available to the extension (Figure B).

Figure B

The Google Calendar extension configuration options.

Adding new events

Now to the heart of the extension...adding a new event. This is quite easy--just follow these steps.

Click the + button.
Select the specific calendar from the drop-down.
Enter the details (Figure C).
Click ADD.

Figure C

Adding an event to your calendar has never been easier.

When you're adding an event, you can enter them in numerous ways, such as:

PR Event Friday 11 am
PR Event October 14 11 am
PR Event at 11 am on Friday
PR Event at 11 am October 14

By way of an incredible AI, the Google Calendar will understand what you're saying. You can play around with the language of adding events and then open the Calendar page to see what best suits you.

You can also do events that span a number of days, like so:

PR Event from Oct 14 to Oct 17

Once you've added an event, it will show up fairly quickly on your Google Calendar.

A must-have for Google Calendar power users

This extension is the easiest way to add events to your Google Calendar. Not only is it incredibly simple to use, it'll free up one more tab from your already massive collection of tabs--each of which take up CPU cycles.

Give this extension a go, and see if it doesn't make it more efficient to use Google Calendar.

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Also see

Google Maps for Android integrates Google Calendar events (ZDNet)
How to set site-by-site permissions in Google Chrome (TechRepublic)
Google Chrome security tips for the paranoid at heart (TechRepublic)
How to clear corrupt Google Chrome sync data (TechRepublic)
How to quickly add to Google Keep from Chrome (TechRepublic)