Sync Facebook events with Google Calendar

I find that I forget about events that I have been invited to through Facebook. As I use Google for Mail/Calendar/Contacts on my iPhone 3G, the ability to sync these events into my Google calendar makes this much simpler.

Here’s how:

1) Log into your Facebook profile.

2) Go to your events page by clicking the events button on the Facebook toolbar at the bottom of the page (see image below).

3) At the top of the events page click Export Events and then copy the URL in the message box that appears.

4) Log into Google Calendar

5) In the Other Calendars section of the left-hand menu system, click Add and then Add by URL.

6) Paste the URL you copied from Facebook and then click Add.

Google Mobile Sync for iPhone

Google have recently released a beta of their Mobile Sync for the iphone. This allows you to

Synchronize the built-in calendar and contacts on your iPhone with your Google account.

I had been using the free Live service from mail2web to sync my contacts so that I could always access them should I lose or damage my phone. Google’s offering seemed a much better idea as I already had a Google Mail account that sync’d mail with my iPhone.

I immediately set this service up (rememberting to backup my existing contacts as changing the sync settings will clear all existing contacts – something I learned the hard way when I first got my iPhone!). Currently it only allows you to sync the Contacts and Calendar, with mail being done seperately (not via push email).

A few days later, Microsoft were heralding the fact that they licensed their Exchange ActiveSync technology to Google to allow them to do this. Good for them! The issue I have is why they haven’t provided the same service for their Hotmail service.

I tend to use Hotmail more than Google, just because I’ve had the account longer and friends & family know that email address.

What I’d really like is to be able to sync Google Contacts with my Windows Live Contacts (i.e. hotmail, messenger). Either than or for Apple to allow me to sync more than one Exchange server with my iPhone (which is who you set up Google Mobile Sync).

Still, its a step forward!