My Stoopid Stuff
  • Home
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • Lec'tronics
  • Links
  • CNC
  • Quick Recipes
  • 3D Printer Tips

Adding Google Calendar to Thunderbird

3/31/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
I'm still getting used to Thunderbird, but I found pretty quickly that I need some way to check my Google Calendar and fortunately there is a way.  I first had to install 2 plug-ins for Thunderbird (Lightning 1.9.1 and "Provider for Google Calendar 0.18").  By combining these two I can check and update my Google Calendar from Thunderbird.  Setup is a bit tricky however.  There are 2 things necessary to set it up, and both come from Google.  The first is again an "Application-specific password" (if you use Google's 2 step authentication) for the Google Calendar which you can generate using the how-to in my last post so I won't repeat that, just generate one and keep it handy.  Second is the XML address for your Google Calendar.

To get the XML address for the Google Calendar, first log into your Google Calendar, then look for the Calendar you want to set up under "My Calendars" - hover over the name of the calendar to see the down arrow box show up, then click it.  A pop out box will show up and then select "Calendar Settings".  You may have to login again, or it may take you directly to the settings page.  Here, near the bottom of the page is the "Calendar Address:" section, click the (you guessed it) "XML" button and then note the address which shows up (it will start with "https://www.google.com/calendar/feeds/...").

Now if you have not installed Lightning 1.9.1 and "Provider for Google Calendar 0.18" in Thunderbird, go do that (hint click the box with the three horizontal bars at the top right and then select add-ons.  You can find both of these by searching "calendar" then just install them and restart Thunderbird...OK, this is the home stretch, we are almost there.

Actually setting up the Google Calendar in Thunderbird is not very intuitive, but it is simple.  First (with Thunderbird open) go back and click that button in Thunderbird on the top right with the 3 horizontal bars.  Now select "New Message" (yes I know, we are not writing an email, but hang in there), then select "Calendar".  A new window will pop up, select the button which says "On the Network" and then select the "Google Calendar" button.  In the location field put the whole address you got from the "XML" button over at Google Calendar from before, and then it will prompt you for login info, enter your gmail address, and for the password use the one you generated earlier - that's right the "Application-specific password" - (if you are not using Google's 2 step authentication you can just use your regular Gmail password here)!

Now you may say where the hell is this Google Calendar I have just spent the past 10 minutes setting up?  Well you should have a calendar on the right side of Thunderbird now, but look up at the top bar and you will see two small buttons, one with a "7" and one with a check inside boxes.  Click the one with the "7" and enjoy the fruity goodness of checking and updating your Google Calendar from Thunderbird!


UPDATE: This has changed since the post was written (since the current "Provider for Google Calendar" is ver 1.0.4). Now you can just go the calendar on Thunderbird (this is installed after "Provider for Google Calendar" add on is installed). Once the calendar is opened, right click under the "calendar" heading on the left side pane, that will open a menu - select "new calendar"

In the "Create a new calendar" window, select:
"on the network" (next)
"Google Calendar" (next)
enter your gmail account name (next)
you may need to log in to gmail at this point and a pop up will allow you to do that.
Once logged in, select accept (if you do)

And that should be it.

1 Comment

Adding Gmail accounts to Thunderbird

3/31/2013

0 Comments

 
Here is a quick tip on how to configure additional Gmail accounts for Thunderbird.  First you have to click the button at the top right of Thunderbird's window to get to settings, then select "Options > Account Settings".  From there, go to the bottom and look for the "Account Actions" button, and click it...and select...wait for it..."Add Mail Account"!  That will pop up yet another window where you can enter your Gmail account info and it will figure out the rest - you do need to decide if you want to use IMAP or POP3, though I suggest IMAP if you have a mobile device that you also want to pull the same mail from in addition to using Thunderbird on your PC.

Now there is one tricky on the weird, and that is if you have opted for Google's 2 step verification.  If you have, it means your password will not work in Thunderbird...but all is not lost.  From some poking around in my Gmail settings (you will need to log into Gmail in a browser to find them), I found the workaround - Google will give you a super special password for apps like Thunderbird which don't play with all that 2 step shuffle stuff.

To obtain the magical key, you first must log into Gmail and click your email address in the top right corner, then "Account", that will open a new window/tab.  Now go to the "Security" item in the left side, and that will open those options.  At the bottom of the Security settings page look for "Connected applications and sites" with a "Manage Access" button - did you find it?  Cool now do what comes naturally and click it - and then log in again because Google says so!  Here is where you can find the key to make Thunderbird work with Gmail.  You will see a item called "Application-specific passwords" where you can generate a special password that Thunderbird can use.  Just put a name in the box (may I suggest "ThunderChicken") and then click "Generate Password".  Now it will spit out the magic password which you can go back and put in as your Gmail password in Thunderbird.
0 Comments

Goodbye Outlook, you suck.

3/31/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Thanks to the great idea factory that is Microsoft, I am trying to get away from using Hotmail (now called Outlook and hideously decked out in an 8 bit color scheme).  Like many folks though, I don't want to give up my email address so I am going to use Thunderbird to check my web email accounts.  The upside is that I can move all my accounts into one client and flip the bird to Microsoft who won't get my eyes on their ads since I won't have to use the web email.

First I went here:
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/

I installed it, and entered my hotmail account and password info.  It automagically found the settings for hotmail.  Then it started downloading my years of saved hotmail emails, putting me on the path to ditching the "new" Outlook and it's ads.

A more detailed set of instructions are here - though they are not really necessary since after install it will find the settings for hotmail:
https://support.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/kb/thunderbird-and-hotmail

0 Comments

Goodmorning Hotmail...WTF is this?

3/30/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Today I woke up to check my email and found some shitty looking impersonator called Outlook where my Hotmail used to be.  I knew this day would come though, having been force fed Outlook briefly over a month ago and quickly switched back.  And there were the warnings that Microsoft would drag their Hotmail users over to Outlook kicking and screaming if they had to.  I had half hoped Microsoft would come to it's senses and realize that it was going to piss quite a few people off with this major change to the interface, but then that has not stopped them before.  Is it too much to ask to just have the OPTION of using the old interface?  Maybe they think people would love them if they just HAD to spend more time getting to know Outlook webmail, à la the Stockholm syndrome?  Whats not to love after all, it has all the charisma of a box of paper napkins (store brand) - not that hotmail was all that snazzy either, but at least it's flair was more than just a primary color.  Maybe it is just me though, maybe I am just a luddite who hates new things (probably true, I don't like new flu viruses every year).  Oh wait, it sounds like Sandra has a problem with it too, so that makes at least 2 people who hate this like the spawn of the pits of Mordor.  Whats that Microsoft? - we can't switch back now, but if we have issues we can let you know?  Well thank you for the concern.  To you Microsoft, I say "Nee!" and "NEE!" again - now bring me a shrubbery, a nice one (and PLEASE gimme the old Hotmail back)!

0 Comments

AceTimer Mechanical Watch Winder

3/22/2013

3 Comments

 
Picture
I bought a mechanical watch winder since I have a couple Seiko automatic watches and one with an ETA 2824-2 movement.  The winder will keep them running even when I am not wearing them.  I am pretty impressed with the winder so far, it was shipped triple boxed and has a locking cover with space for three additional watches below the winder.  It can also run on two D-cell batteries, but it does not have quite enough torque for two larger watches.  The full specs are here.  Typically winders will crap out after a year at most, so I will be very impressed if this lasts longer than that - though the quality does seem really good as far as the fit and finish.  For the price though, this is about third more than an Ebay special, time will tell if it was worth the premium.

Update 5/11/2013 (two months later) - I found that the winder had stopped today, my watches were wound down.  I cycled it and it began to move slowly so I turned it off again and let it stay off for a few minutes and turned it back on, and it seemed to work... now I am waiting for it to stop running.

Updated 5/24/2013 - It must have been some monkey in the wrench, it has been working OK since that glitch a few weeks ago.  I will keep an eye on it and write a review in another month or two.

Update 8/23/2013 - Well the winder did stop running around the end of June.  However AceTimer stands behind the winder with a 1 year warranty, and were great about fixing the problem.  Generally speaking, a winder won't last for years, but buying from a company which actually supports their product is the best I feel a consumer can do.  I have the winder back now (actual turn around time for the repair was about 2 weeks), and it is back to keeping my Seiko running on time. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
3 Comments
    Picture

    Stoopid Me

    Welcome to my Stoopid corner of teh Internet.  It's mostly gonna be 3D printing stuff, but I also post some recipes, projects, and the occasional rant here as well.  More Stoopid stuff is updated regularly.

    I recently joined the Amazon Associate program, so some of the links on this site are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.  This will help to support this site, and pay for more Stoopid Stuff.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

      Contact Form (Name is optional)

    Submit
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.