Apple Launches MobileMe Calendar

Apple has launched its MobileMe Calendar application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Calendar applications are a mainstay of messaging and collaboration, allowing users to sync schedules across multiple devices and provide granular permissions for who can read and/or write data to the app.

MobileMe is Apple’s device syncing technology, which also helps users find lost devices. It costs $99 (£62) per year after a 60-day free trial.

Mac/PC Synch

The MobileMe Calendar syncs the native calendar app on users’ iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with their Mac or PC.

For example, new events and changes are pushed to iOS 4 devices, and meetings scheduled on the device are also pushed to all relevant devices.

Users can create shared calendars for family, friends and colleagues, enabling those whom a user is sharing with to also edit events.

MobileMe Calendar also lets users share a read-only public calendar via links to view the calendar on iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches, Macs or PCs. Users can also invite guests to an event from MobileMe Calendar by adding their e-mail address to the event.

Finally, MobileMe Calendar now includes a fresh, new web application at me.com. The new web application is optimised for Safari 5, Firefox 3.6 and Internet Explorer 8, Apple said in a statement.

Outlook Compatible

MobileMe Calendar beta users needn’t do a thing, but new users who meet system requirements can sign in to me.com/calendar, click “Upgrade now” and follow the instructions.

Those system requirements include iOS 4.1 for the iPhone or iPod Touch, and iOS 3.2 for the iPad, with iOS 4.2 required for push calendar updates (coming next month).

Mac users must have Mac OS X Snow Leopard Version 10.6.4, while PC users must be running MobileMe Control Panel Version 1.6.3 and Outlook 2007 or 2010. Those requiring help with the app may go here.