Calendar integration with Gmail for incoming .vcs

[oldAGE]

OK... another one from AGE

I have a Fascinate and the wife has a DroidX.

I have a calendar event that I want to share with her so I figure that I will send her the event and magically, via gmail, she will have that event too. How cool is that!

Open the event, choose menu->share->send via-> and up pops a list of sending vehicles. Surprise! I have Bluetooth and K9 but no Gmail. Huh? Isn't this Android? The Google OS?

OK. As the wife is over 30 ft. away (in another town), I chose my option - K9 and my default email outgoing account. I send it to her Gmail account because after all, you have to have a gmail account to be an Android. Of course, since it's a Google OS and Google Mail with integrated Calendar, it should be seamless.

She receives the mail with the .vcs attachment. I look at her calendar and lo and behold.... nothing. I open the mail... hmmm... maybe you have to chose an option from the menu to accept the invite.... nope, nothing there. Ah, the .vcs is an attachment... Open... open... push push push.... can't open the attachment.

OK, I give. Ah, check her default calendar... nope, not an issue there. Her Gmail account is set to synch with the US Holidays also....

OK, I am gmail-lite in the smarts department... but I didn't think I was that lite.

Help?
AGE

 

[largeselection]

You can prob find an app in the market for this. Not sure if it will help, but I was having this issue with .ics files (calendar invites from blackberries, lotus notes, etc) and I downloaded an app called ICS BOT. This app will basically read the invite detail from a .ics file and populate the fields in a calendar entry which you can then save.

 

[oldAGE]

You can prob find an app in the market for this. Not sure if it will help, but I was having this issue with .ics files (calendar invites from blackberries, lotus notes, etc) and I downloaded an app called ICS BOT. This app will basically read the invite detail from a .ics file and populate the fields in a calendar entry which you can then save.

Thanks Largeselection but I think that the point is missed that these are integrated applications with the OS. It would be like Microsoft saying that in order for Calendars to be sent in Outlook Emails, you need a third party application. On my blackberry, I would forward an Outlook invite to my yahoo account and it would show on my blackberry as a Calendar Invite. A single ACCEPT button push would place it on my blackberry calendar. Three different OS' operating in concert.

If Google goes down the path of "you need an app for that," then I am sorry, Android mobile devices will die a painful death and iPhone will rule the world. I am already hearing rumblings from app developers that "oh, it doesn't work well on that device" or "it doesn't work consistently on all devices..."

OS is OS. nothing should be dependent on hardware unless it's the resource dependent (like CPU, GPU, or Graphics content). If it's designed to run on 2.1 Eclair, it should run on 2.1 irrespective of model of phone.

AGE

 

[FromBBtoDroid]

I believe if you go into the event and add your wife's contact to the "REQUIRED" field, it'll send her an invite.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[oldAGE]

OK... interesting premise. So, the phone defaults to MY CALENDAR. Once I make an event with the calendar set to My Calendar, it can't be updated.

If you use My Calendar as the Calendar, you have no opportunity to add "participants." One has to: Create->Put in details-> Choose "Calendar (on the new event)", change option to the GMAIL calendar that is assigned to the account, and only then will a Choose Participants option show.

Then there it will show multiple instances of the same person rather than their contact name and email address... don't know if I get her GMAIL by default, all addresses (she has five), or one...

Upon Save, it asks would you like to send this to participants. Upon YES, you then get a gmail Android screen with the .vcs attachment but you have to add a subject and text... rather than the Event info pre-populating these fields...

I have sent a test and will see what happens. thanks FromBBtoDroid (that's me too...).

 

[oldAGE]

Interesting observation is that this did not send via GMAIL but rather my K9 Default address. Even though the calendar was made by my GMAIL account... Bizarre.

Update: BBtoDroid - your guidance helped greatly. A bit of pain and not as seamless as it could be/should be. The .vcs sent to the Gmail account does integrate into the Android Calendar. Sent to our home account also integrates directly into our Office Outlook 07 seamlessly.... Bonus.

Thanks again for your help. You have been thanked.
AGE

 

[FromBBtoDroid]

You are welcome. I was trying to find an easier way than that with the native calendar but I'm not so sure there is one.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[oldAGE]

So... I am testing turning off MY CALENDAR under Calendar settings. I also realized that when I do add participants, if the phone is vertical, I get their fully qualified contact name and email account but if horizontal, it's hit or miss -- bizarre. Furthermore, I don't have to send an email as the VCS is truly sent directly to their device (PC or phone) and all details are evident and you can accept/reject directly. I guess the Send Email option is for you to explain more. I am getting there.... Thanks again.

 

[lonestarr101]

If you only need to share events with mrs oldage, why not create a seperate calendar called oldageandbeauty and put your shared events in there? Sync will be automatic, so you don't even have to send an email.

Nevertheless, the lack of support of .ics and .vcs format is annoying.

 

[gafly]

the lack of support of .ics ... format is annoying.

I'm on 2.3 and I can go to an email (in the gmail app), click "preview" on the .ics attachment and my calendar will open with the invitation and allow me to add it to my calendar and add reminders to it.