BusyMac will be exhibiting at Macworld/iWorld, March 27-29 2014, at the Moscone Center North Hall in San Francisco. Macworld/iWorld is the world's ultimate fan event for those who use, create and love Apple products.

This is our seventh year exhibiting at the show and we wouldn't miss it for the world. We look forward to meeting with customers face-to-face to hear how they use our software and what they'd like to see from us in the future.

If you're planning to attend the show, please stop by and say hello. And if you haven't purchased a ticket yet, we have a limited number of free Expo Hall passes available. Get them while you can.

We are preparing to release an update to BusyCal 2.5.5 that improves iCloud syncing performance, improves compatibility with other CalDAV servers and fixes a number of bugs.

Release Notes

• Improved iCloud syncing performance
• Support Kerio and Zimbra free/busy viewing in Availability Viewer
• Display "Private Event" for Zimbra private events with null title
• Support Synology CalDAV server
• Support eventnoted CalDAV server
• Support Fruux public calendar sharing
• Fixed Exchange time zone related bugs
• Fixed window sizing bugs in Tags dialog and free/busy viewer
• Fixed bug that caused unnecessary use of GPU

How to install the BusyCal 2.5.5 Public Beta

If you would like to test the new version, please download the public beta and let us know if you discover any issues.

Anyone can run the public beta, whether you are a new or existing BusyCal user. Once the final version of BusyCal 2.5.5 is released, you'll be able to purchase or download the update from the Mac App Store.

In order to sync your calendars between all of your computers and mobile devices, or to share calendars with others, you must sync BusyCal with a CalDAV or Exchange Server.

You can host your own server (OS X Server, Zimbra, Kerio, etc.) or use one of the free or low-cost cloud services available. The most common cloud services are iCloud, Google Calendar, and Exchange. This article examines the pros and cons of syncing BusyCal with each of these cloud services.

Each cloud service has its strengths and weaknesses and is best suited to a certain demographic. Some services are best suited for consumers while others are targeted at businesses. When choosing a cloud service there are many factors to consider including cost, device support, features, calendar sharing, group scheduling, and custom domain support.

You are not limited to one service. You can sync BusyCal and your mobile devices with multiple services simultaneously. However, for best results when performing calendar sharing and group scheduling, you should standardize on one cloud service for your entire workgroup.

Below is a matrix depicting the key features supported by each cloud service, followed by a summary of the pros and cons of each service.

BusyCal cloud service compatibility matrix

Glossary

• Mac OS X — BusyCal on Mac OS X includes native support for syncing with iCloud, Google Calendar, Exchange, and other CalDAV servers (e.g. Fruux).
• iOS — iOS includes native support for syncing with iCloud, Google, Exchange, and other CalDAV servers (e.g. Fruux).
• Android — Android includes native support for syncing with Google and Exchange. A third-party plugin is required for syncing with iCloud or Fruux via CalDAV.
• Windows — Windows Outlook includes native support for Exchange. Google provides an Outlook sync client for Google Apps customers. Apple provides an iCloud Control Panel for Windows. And Fruux provides several Windows plugins.
• Tasks — To Dos in BusyCal sync with Reminders on iCloud, and Tasks in Exchange. Google does not support syncing Tasks.
• Attachments/Graphics — Support for syncing file attachments or graphics.
• Calendar Publishing — Ability to publish a read-only calendar that others can subscribe to as an ics feed in a client app, or view in a web browser.
• Calendar Sharing — Ability to share a calendar with others on the same service.
• Group Scheduling (free/busy) — Ability to view free/busy time of other users on the same service.
• Custom domain — Ability to use a custom domain for the hosted service, so that meeting invitations are delivered from your business email address.

iCloud

iCloud is a free service offered by Apple with integrated support for Mac OS X and iOS. iCloud calendars are synced with client apps like BusyCal (as well as the built-in Calendar app on OS X and iOS) using the CalDAV protocol.

Mac and iOS devices have native support for iCloud, but plugins are required for syncing with other platforms (Android and Windows).

BusyCal works great with iCloud, which supports all of its advanced features including the ability to sync tasks, attachments, graphics and more.

iCloud supports calendar sharing, enabling you to share calendars with other iCloud users with read-only or read/write access. You can also publish your calendars in read-only ics format for others to subscribe to.

iCloud calendar sharing is ideal for families and very small workgroups but is not suitable for businesses. There are no admin controls for creating users, groups and shared calendars, which requires each user to individually share their calendars in a peer-to-peer fashion. There are no group scheduling features for viewing free/busy time and scheduling resources like conference rooms and projectors. There are limits to the number of calendars and events you can store on iCloud, which can easily be exceeded in a business environment. And there is no support for custom domains, which means any meeting requests you send will be sent from your personal icloud email address.

Pros:

• Free
• Integrated into OS X and iOS
• Good for individuals and families
• Supports all of BusyCal's advanced features (tasks, attachments, graphics, etc.)

Cons:

• Limited support for Windows and Android
• Not suitable for businesses

Google

Google Calendar is a free service for individuals or low-cost for a Google Apps for Business account. It syncs with calendar clients like BusyCal (as well as the built-in Calendar app on OS X and iOS) using the CalDAV protocol.

In addition to syncing with Mac and iOS, Google Calendar also syncs with Android devices and Windows Outlook.

Google Calendar supports calendar sharing, enabling you to share calendars with other Google Calendar users with free/busy, read-only, or read/write access. You can also publish read-only calendars for others to view in a web browser, or subscribe to in ics format.

If you are a Google Apps customer, admin controls are provided for configuring users and groups, and sharing calendars with members of your organization. And Google Apps supports custom domains, so you can send meeting requests from your business domain (as opposed to gmail.com).

Google would prefer that you use the web-based version of Google Calendar and does not provide full access to all of its features through its client sync interface. For example, some features like creating new calendars, sharing calendars, and free/busy viewing, can only be configured through the web interface. Further, Google's CalDAV syncing does not support some of BusyCal's advanced features (tasks, attachments, graphics, etc.).

Pros:

• Free for individuals; low-cost for Google Apps customers
• Syncs with all platforms (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android)
• Google Apps provides business-oriented features, such as admin controls for calendar sharing and custom domains

Cons:

• CalDAV sync support is limited; Some features only accessible in web-browser
• Does not support some of BusyCal's advanced features (tasks, attachments, graphics, etc.)

Fruux

Fruux is a free or low-cost cloud service targeted at teams and small businesses that wish to share calendars, tasks and contacts. Fruux syncs with client apps like BusyCal (as well as the built-in Calendar app on OS X and iOS) using the CalDAV protocol and plugins are provided for many other devices.

Fruux is primarily a sync service. It does not provide a web interface for editing calendar events. But it does provide a web admin interface for creating users, groups and shared calendars.

Fruux supports calendar sharing, enabling you to share calendars with other Fruux users with read-only, or read/write access. You can also publish read-only calendars for others to view in a web browser, or subscribe to in ics format.

In addition, Fruux supports free/busy lookup to clients that support it (like BusyCal) so you can view the availability of other users in your workgroup when scheduling meetings. And Fruux supports custom domains, so you can send meeting requests from your business domain (as opposed to fruux.com).

Fruux is a reliable sync service that supports most of BusyCal's advanced features. We think it's a great option for teams and small businesses that want to share calendars.

Pros:

• Free for individuals; low-cost for teams
• Syncs with Mac and iOS (with beta plugins available for Android and Windows)
• Supports all of BusyCal's advanced features (tasks, attachments, graphics, etc.)
• Provides business-oriented features, such as calendar sharing, group scheduling (free/busy viewing) and custom domains

Cons:

• Does not provide a web-based interface for editing calendars (but they're working on it)
• Based in Europe, so billing is in Euros

Exchange

Exchange has long been the gold standard for large organizations. But it's not just for big businesses. There are many service providers offering affordably priced Exchange hosting for small businesses, including Office 365, Rackspace, and GoDaddy, for as little as $4 per/user per/month.

Native support for Exchange is built-in to all platforms (Mac, iOS, Android and Windows). You can seamlessly sync BusyCal on your Mac with Outlook on Windows through Exchange, and Exchange supports all of BusyCal's advanced features including tasks, attachments, graphics, tags/categories and more.

Exchange supports calendar sharing, enabling you to share calendars with other Exchange users with free/busy, read-only or read/write access. You can also publish your calendars in read-only ics format for others to subscribe to.

Exchange supports free/busy lookup to clients that support it (like BusyCal) so you can view the availability of other users in your workgroup when scheduling meetings. Exchange offers admin controls for configuring users, groups, and resources, and for sharing calendars with members of your organization. And it supports custom domains, so you can send meeting requests via email from your business domain.

If you're in a small, medium or large business and need support for group scheduling and cross-platform compatibility, particularly if there are Windows Outlook users involved, Exchange is a great choice.

Pros:

• Syncs with all platforms (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android)
• Many service providers offer Exchange hosting (Office 365, Rackspace, GoDaddy, etc.)
• Supports all of BusyCal's advanced features (tasks, attachments, tags/categories, etc.)
• Provides business-oriented features, such as calendar sharing, group scheduling (free/busy viewing) and custom domains

Cons:

• Not free
• May require IT support for configuration

Summary

There are many cloud syncing services to choose from. Choose the service that is right for you based on the devices you use, and the people you want to share calendars or schedule meetings with. And remember, you are not limited to just one service. You can sync with multiple services simultaneously (e.g. sync work related calendars with Exchange and personal calendars with iCloud).

iCloud is a good choice if you are purely using Mac and iOS, and only need to share calendars with friends and family. It supports all of BusyCal's features.

Google is a good choice if you want to share calendars and schedule meetings with members of your workgroup, and use a custom domain. It also works well with Android devices. But some features can only be accessed through a web browser and it does not support all of BusyCal's features (tasks, attachments, graphics, etc.).

Fruux is a good choice for small businesses if you predominately use Mac and iOS, want to share calendars and schedule meetings with members of your workgroup, and use a custom domain. It supports all of BusyCal's features.

Exchange is a good choice if you want full-featured group scheduling and cross-platform (i.e. Windows) compatibility for small, medium or large businesses. It supports all of BusyCal's features.

BusyCal includes several features that make it easy to track the amount of time you spend on various projects. Using a combination of Tags, Smart Filters and the List View, you can generate a custom view that displays the total amount of time spent on a project for calculating billable hours, etc.

For example, to track the amount of time spent working on the xyz project each month, do the following:

1. Tags

Add a Tag to each of the events related to the xyz project in the Info Panel.

2. List View

Select the List View, choose a Month date range from the popup menu on the top left, then control-click on the column header area and add these columns: Duration, Total Duration, and Tags.

3. Smart Filters

Create a Smart Filter that remembers the current view settings and displays only events that contain the xyz tag.

Now, whenever you invoke this Smart Filter, it will switch to the List View, display only events that contain the xyz tag, with columns showing the Duration of each event and a running Total Duration for all events.

Thanks to Sid O'Neill for inspiring this post.

BusyCal 2.5.4 has been released and is available for download.

Release Notes

• Fixed menu bar calendar colors bug
• Fixed Exchange Time Zone bugs
• Fixed Exchange Mailbox Temporarily Unavailable error
• Added option to clear recents from time zone menu
• Sort time zone dialog by GMT offset
• Daylight Saving Time tweaks
• Changed menu bar shortcut key to CTRL-CMD-B to avoid Emoji shortcut key conflict
• Display darker background color when showing Banners as Events in Appearance Prefs
• Require 3 characters before performing attendee auto-complete
• Support copy/paste of tokens in attendee field
• Allow pasting events without selecting a date
• Display localized Birthday ages in a shortened format
• Update Birthdays feed when AddressBook Write Ahead Log changes
• Fixed Find bug that wouldn't select found To Dos
• Fixed To Do List retina display bug
• Fixed nil oubtox cycling on certain CalDAV servers
• Display prompt to allow access to Contacts when access disabled
• Display login dialog if iCloud login fails (e.g. if password has changed)
• Don't allow non-images to be added to Graphics Panel
• Show free/busy events marked as tentative with dotted lines
• Show unsubscribed calendars when adding a shared Exchange calendar

How to install the update

BusyCal 2.5.4 is a free update for all BusyCal 2.x customers.

• Mac App Store customers can download the update from the Mac App Store

• Trial users can replace their existing app with the new 30-day trial

Upgrading from BusyCal 1.6 to BusyCal 2.5

If you are currently using BusyCal 1.6, see Upgrading to BusyCal 2.5 for more info.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

BusyCal 2.5.3 has been released and is available for download.

Release Notes

• Fixed Mavericks related bugs
• Fixed new iCloud case-sensitive lowercase login bug
• Support managed attachments on iCloud and other CalDAV Servers
• Support timezones by reference on iCloud and other CalDAV Servers
• Fixed Google sync-collection bug that causes initial sync not to complete
• Fixed Google Inbox bug when subscribed to multiple calendars that contain the same meeting
• Added search filter to time zone dialog
• Time zone list remembers recently used time zones
• Disable swiping gesture on magic mouse when hovering over info panel
• Fixed line height problem when displaying emoji characters in title of all-day event (banner)
• Improved sorting of To Dos in calendar (sorts by due date, priority, title)
• Display up to two holidays per day (used to be one)
• Fixed inbox crash when meeting location updated
• Set relative To Do Alarms to absolute time for compatibility with iCloud and iOS 7 Reminders
• Recover from Exchange temporary mailbox errors
• Ignore bogus Exchange timezone offsets on date-only events
• Repair orphaned detached events on CalDAV, WebDAV and ics import
• Don't store asserted deletions for synthetic WebDAV calendars
• Fixed bug when creating meetings on Yahoo calendar
• Fixed Command-Up/Down-Arrow keyboard navigation in Notes field
• Fixed conflict that occurrs when dismissing a stale alarm for a deleted event
• Other miscellaneous bug fixes

How to install the update

BusyCal 2.5.3 is a free update for all BusyCal 2.x customers.

• Mac App Store customers can download the update from the Mac App Store

• Trial users can replace their existing app with the new 30-day trial

Upgrading from BusyCal 1.6 to BusyCal 2.5

If you are currently using BusyCal 1.6, see Upgrading to BusyCal 2.5 for more info.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Apple has released OS X 10.9 Mavericks. If you are running BusyCal or BusySync, please read the following information before you upgrade to Mavericks.

Sync Services is no longer supported on Mavericks

One of the biggest changes in Mavericks is the removal of Sync Services, an underlying framework on OS X used for syncing local calendars with OS X Calendar.

This change affects any app that syncs with OS X Calendar via Sync Services, including BusyCal 1.6 and BusySync 2.3. This change does not affect BusyCal 2.5 as it does not sync with Sync Services.

Syncing with an iPhone via iTunes is not supported on Mavericks

Prior to Mavericks, you could sync calendars with an iOS device via iTunes and a USB cable. That is no longer supported on Mavericks. The only way to sync calendars with an iOS device on Mavericks is through a cloud-based service like iCloud, Google or Exchange.

BusyCal 2.5 is compatible with Mavericks

BusyCal 2.5 is fully compatible with Mavericks. If you're running BusyCal 2.5, you can safely upgrade to Mavericks and ignore the rest of this document.

BusyCal 1.6 is not compatible with Mavericks

BusyCal 1.6 is not compatible with Mavericks, as it requires Sync Services for syncing local calendars with OS X Calendar. BusyCal 1.6 may work on Mavericks if you are syncing exclusively with iCloud or Google, but we do not support running BusyCal 1.6 on Mavericks.

Mac OS X, iCloud and Google are constantly changing. Apps that sync with them must be continually updated to maintain compatibility. BusyCal 1.6 is no longer being updated and we do not support running it on Mavericks. We recommend upgrading to BusyCal 2.5, which is under active development.

For more info, see BusyCal 1.6 Mavericks compatibility.

BusySync 2.3 is not compatible with Mavericks

BusySync 2.3 is not compatible with Mavericks, as it requires Sync Services for syncing with OS X Calendar. If you upgrade to Mavericks, you will have to discontinue using BusySync. We recommend migrating to a cloud-based service like iCloud, Google or Exchange and upgrading to BusyCal 2.5.

For more info, see BusySync 2.3 Mavericks compatibility.

Upgrade to BusyCal 2.5

If you plan to upgrade to Mavericks and are currently running BusyCal 1.6 or BusySync 2.3, now is the time to upgrade to BusyCal 2.5. BusyCal 2.5 is fully compatible with Mavericks, iCloud, Google and Exchange and includes a ton of great features. For more info see Upgrading to BusyCal 2.5.

BusyCal 2.5 has many great features that make it stand out from the built-in Calendar app on OS X. Here's a list of the top 10.

1. Syncs with iCloud, Exchange, Google and iOS

BusyCal syncs with iCloud, Exchange, Google Calendar, the iPhone, and other CalDAV Servers. You can even share calendars with other BusyCal users on your local area network.

BusyCal is compatible with the Calendar app and Reminders app on OS X and iOS. The first time you launch BusyCal it automatically imports your data from OS X Calendar and Reminders, so you can hit the ground running. And your data will remain in sync between BusyCal and the built-in Calendar app on OS X and iOS when sycning through iCloud, Exchange or Google Calendar.

For more info, see:

• Syncing with iCloud
• Syncing with Exchange
• Syncing with Google Calendar
• Syncing with the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch
• Sharing calendars on a LAN

2. Customizable Views

Like OS X Calendar, BusyCal allows you to view your calendar in Day, Week, Month or Year View. What makes BusyCal unique is its ability to customize these views.

You can choose the number of weeks to show in the Month View (from 1-12 weeks), and scroll one month at a time or one week at a time. What's more, the cells in the month view will scroll if there are more events than currently visible.

Similarly, you can choose the number of days to show in Week View (from 2-14 days) and scroll one day day at a time, or one week at a time.

Lastly, you can customize the appearance of your calendar by choosing a font face and size, time format and more.

For more info, see Calendar Views.

3. To Dos

In BusyCal, To Dos are integrated into your calendar, are displayed on the date they are due and carry-forward each day until completed. Once completed, To Dos are displayed with a checkmark on the date they were completed. You can even create repeating To Dos, like a status report that recurs each week

To Dos can also be displayed in a To Do List in the right sidebar and sorted by date, priority, calendar, title, tag, or manually.

For more info, see To Dos.

4. Alarms

BusyCal displays alarms in the BusyCal Alarm Window, which offers several advantages, including the ability to:

• Snooze an alarm any number of minutes, hours, or days.
• Snooze an alarm until x minutes before an event starts.
• Snooze or dismiss multiple alarms at once.
• See the name and color of the calendar that the event is stored on.
• Mark To Dos as completed.
• Navigate the alarm window from the keyboard.
• Move and resize the Alarm window.

What's more, you can set different default alarms intervals for new Events, all-day Events, To Dos, and Birthdays & Anniversaries. You can also set a default snooze interval, including the option to snooze an alarm for x minutes before the start of the event.

For more info, see Alarms.

5. Info Panel

BusyCal includes a non-modal info panel for viewing and editing event details. The info panel can be displayed as a floating window or embedded in the lower right corner of the calendar window.

The info panel makes viewing and entering event details a breeze without having to double-click on an event to view or edit its details. And if you prefer the keyboard over the mouse, you can select and edit events solely from the keyboard with intuitive keyboard navigation and quick entry shortcuts.

And the info panel is customizable. You can choose to show just the basics, or add additional fields like tags, graphics, even a Timestamp button for inserting the current time into the Notes field.

For more info, see Info Panel.

6. BusyCal Menu

BusyCal includes a menu bar app that provides one-click access to your events and to dos, even when BusyCal isn't running.

The BusyCal menu displays the current weather, a list of today's events and to dos, and a Quick Entry field for creating new events with natural language. You can display the BusyCal Menu by clicking the menu bar icon, or by typing a shortcut key. You can even mark to dos as completed from the menu.

For more info, see BusyCal Menu.

7. List View

In addition to traditional calendar views like Month and Week, BusyCal offers a powerful List View, which displays events in a list format, plus an expanded notes pane for the selected item.

You can customize the list view settings, including date range, columns shown, and sort order. You can even show a Total Duration column to calculate billable hours.

Once you've modified the List View settings, you can create a Smart Filter (see next) to remember those settings for future use.

For more info, see List View.

8. Smart Filters

Smart Filters are a powerful tool for creating calendar sets and saved searches that can be applied with a single click from the toolbar.

You can create all kinds of smart filters to instantly:

• Display a set of calendars.
• Show events that match certain conditions, such as a text string or event type.
• Apply view settings, such as the columns displayed and sort order in the List View.

For more info, see Smart Filters.

9. Weather

BusyCal can display a 10-day weather forecast in your calendar in three different formats — small, large and background:

You can also display moon phases in three different formats:

For more info, see Weather.

10. Graphics

Busycal allows you to add graphics to your calendar to highlight certain dates like holidays and special events.

You can browse through hundreds of Emoji images built-in to OS X, or type a keyword to search for images on IconFinder.com. You can even drag images into BusyCal from your desktop or from the web.

For more info, see Graphics.

11. More

And there's lots more. BusyCal includes dozens of other great features including calendar groups, search, tags, automatic backups, birthdays & anniversaries, holidays, journals and stickies, default start time and duration, sunrise and sunset times, and more.

Download 30-day trial

Download the BusyCal 30-day trial and see for yourself why Macworld said, "BusyCal 2.0 remains superior to Apple's Calendar".

We are preparing to release an update to BusyCal 2.5.3 that supports OS X 10.9 Mavericks. The update also fixes a number of bugs.

Release Notes

• Fixed Mavericks related bugs
• Fixed Google sync-collection bug that causes initial sync not to complete
• Fixed Google Inbox bug when subscribed to multiple calendars that contain the same meeting
• Added search filter to time zone dialog
• Time zone list remembers recently used time zones
• Disable swiping gesture on magic mouse when hovering over info panel
• Fixed line height problem when displaying emoji characters in title of all-day event (banner)
• Improved sorting of To Dos in calendar (sorts by due date, priority, title)
• Display up to two holidays per day (used to be one)
• Fixed inbox crash when meeting location updated
• Fixed new iCloud case-sensitive lowercase login bug
• Set relative To Do Alarms to absolute time for compatibility with iCloud and iOS 7 Reminders
• Support managed attachments on iCloud and other CalDAV Servers
• Support timezones by reference on iCloud and other CalDAV Servers
• Recover from Exchange temporary mailbox errors
• Ignore bogus Exchange timezone offsets on date-only events
• Repair orphaned detached events on CalDAV, WebDAV and ics import
• Don't store asserted deletions for synthetic WebDAV calendars
• Fixed bug when creating meetings on Yahoo calendar
• Fixed Command-Up/Down-Arrow keyboard navigation in Notes field
• Fixed conflict that occurrs when dismissing a stale alarm for a deleted event
• Other miscellaneous bug fixes

How to install the BusyCal 2.5.3 Public Beta

If you would like to test the new version, please download the public beta and let us know if you discover any issues.

Anyone can run the public beta, whether you are a new or existing BusyCal user. Once the final version of BusyCal 2.5.3 is released, you'll be able to purchase or download the update from the Mac App Store.

We're celebrating BusyCal's four year birthday this month! It's hard to believe it's been four years since we released BusyCal 1.0. It's actually been six years if you go back as far as BusySync 1.0, which formed the foundation that BusyCal is built upon.

Here's a brief history of our major milestones to date:

• BusySync 1.0, Oct. 2007 - A background app that enabled users to share iCal calendars over a local area network.
• BusySync 2.0, Apr. 2008 - Added the ability to sync iCal with Google Calendar (our first Eddy award winning app).
• BusyCal 1.0, Oct. 2009 - A calendar app replacement for iCal that included the LAN and Google syncing capabilities pioneered in BusySync (our second Eddy award winning app).
• BusyCal 1.5, Nov. 2010 - Added support for syncing with MobileMe and other CalDAV servers.
• BusyCal 1.6, Oct. 2011 - Added support for iCloud and CalDAV calendar sharing.
• BusyCal 2.0, Oct. 2012 - Major upgrade with dozens of new features and enhancements.
• BusyCal 2.5, Oct. 2013 - Added support for Exchange.

As you can see from the timeline above, we have spent the last six years constantly improving BusyCal and making it the best calendar app available for the Mac. (Our history of building great calendar apps for the Mac goes back over 22 years — we were the original developers of Now Up-to-Date, a revolutionary network calendar for Mac OS 7 that shipped in 1991.)

We live and breathe calendaring and will continue to make BusyCal the most dependable, reliable and compatible calendar app on the Mac for many years to come. Please join us in wishing BusyCal a happy birthday!