Calendar feeds

The VCalendar (VCal) format is a standard for exchanging calendar events. Using your favorite calendar application (such as Google calendar) you can subscribe to your ByteBloc Calendar feed, automatically keeping your personal calendar up to date with your ByteBloc schedule. You can create feeds for both your individual and your main schedules from ByteBloc. The 'Calendar feeds' are located in the 'Staff' tab. Select the 'User Options' button and click the 'Calendar feeds' section to retrieve your schedule feeds.

Subscribing is a simple two step process:

STEP 1: Find and copy the link to your personal ByteBloc Calendar feed.

See the instructions below.

STEP 2: Paste the link from Step 1 into your calendar application.

Instructions are included below for the following personal calendar applications:

Google Calendar

Microsoft Outlook

Apple Calendar

Yahoo Calendar

Both of these steps are described in detail below.

Note: When a change is made to your ByteBloc schedule, the calendar feed from ByteBloc is updated immediately. You will, however, experience a delay between the time a change is made to your ByteBloc schedule and when that change appears on your personal calendar. Refresh rates vary between calendars. Some calendar programs (such as the Mac iCal) allow you to change the frequency at which it refreshes the schedule, using this auto refresh setting selected during setup:

STEP 1: Find and copy your personal ByteBloc Calendar feed URL

The link to your ByteBloc Calendar feeds is available from the 'Staff' tab > 'User Options' feature. The Calendar feeds section is located in the 3rd tab, with the links to your Calendar feeds highlighted:

Limit shift entries end time to the end of the day when the shift starts: (optional) Entries in calendar feed for shift that straddle days can be set to end at the end of the day when the shift starts. The end time for shift events in personal calendar feed can be set to no exceed the end time of the day when the shift starts.

Include location address: (optional) The address on the feed allows the mobile devices to advise the user when they should leave to their destination based on current traffic information for their upcoming appointments. If the address is incorrect, let us know and we can update our system. The addresses of locations can be excluded from the individual calendar feeds.

Format for calendar entries: Allows you to create a description of choice for each scheduled shift in the calendar feed, shown highlighted in red below. The selected items are used to create event descriptions for the 'Individual schedule feed'.

Note: We recommend using the 'Start & end date' if you work overnight shifts.

Note:

The ByteBloc Calendar feed will change as soon as you click the 'Save' button to update the changes, but there may be a delay of several hours for this to appear in your calendar, depending upon when your calendar next refreshes its display.

The description you select will only affect event descriptions shown on your individual schedule; it will not affect the main calendar feed for your location.

The calendar feed only retains 3 months at a time.

Gmail Calendar

To add the individual calendar feed to your Gmail calendar

Log into your Gmail account.

Select 'Calendar' from the top navigation menu.

Scroll down, on the left hand side select 'Other Calendar' drop down menu.

Click the 'Add by URL' option.

Now log into your provider ByteBloc account.

Select the 'Staff' tab, and then click the 'User Options' button.

Click on the 'Calendar feed' tab and copy the 'Individual Schedule feed' or 'Main schedule feed' URL.

Go back to your Gmail Calendar you were just working on and paste the URL that you just copied into the 'Add by URL' dialog box.

Select the 'Add Calendar' button.

Your newly added schedule feed should now be viewable in your Gmail Calendar.

New Calendar:

Log into your Gmail account.

Click on 'Calendar' from the 'Google apps' menu.

Then, select the 'Settings menu' and scroll down to click on the 'Settings' option.

In the 'Settings' page, select the 'Add calendar' menu.

Now, click on the 'From URL' option.

Now, log into your ByteBloc account.

Select the 'Staff' tab, and then click the 'User Options' button.

Click on the 'Calendar feed' tab and copy the 'Individual schedule feed' or the 'Main schedule feed' URL.

Go back to your Gmail Calendar you were just working on and paste the URL that you just copied into the 'From URL' text field.

Select the 'Add Calendar' button.

Next, click on the 'Settings' back arrow to exit.

Your newly added schedule feed should now be viewable in your Gmail Calendar.

How to set up your Individual schedule feed with Outlook 2010

Purpose:

This guide walks through the steps of adding the ByteBloc individual schedule feed into the Microsoft Outlook 2010 Calendar.

Find and copy the link from your ByteBloc 'Individual schedule feed'

Open up your Outlook 2010 Calendar

In the 'Home' tab scroll to the right and click on the 'Open Calendar' button

A drop down menu will display select the 'From Internet...' option

Next, the 'New Internet Calendar Subscription' dialog box will open

Enter in the 'Individual schedule feed' URL from ByteBloc and click the 'OK' button

A Microsoft Outlook dialog box will display

Click on the 'Advanced...' button

Your Outlook calendar is contacting the ByteBloc Web server

The 'Subscription Options' dialog box will display

You can rename the 'Folder Name' and type in a 'Description' in the text area above. Once, you have edited your changes click on the 'OK' button.

Microsoft Outlook dialog box will display again

Select the 'Yes' button.

Finally, the Individual schedule feed will open up the provider's schedule.

How to overlay Outlook calendars

Open Outlook

Click 'Calendar' in the Navigation pane.

Check two or more calendars youâ€™d like to see.

Right-click one of the checked calendars.

Select 'View in Overlay Mode' from the menu.

To add your ByteBloc schedule to your Apple Macintosh iCal calendar

Find and copy the link to your ByteBloc Calendar feed as described in Step 1 above.

Open the Apple Calendar program on your Mac, then select the 'File' > 'New Calendar Subscription...' in drop down menu as shown:

Paste the link in the 'Calendar URL' text box, then click the 'Subscribe' option

iPad/iPhone

To add subscribed calendar feed to your Calendars

Please tap on your Settings app. Click on the 'Accounts & Password' feature within Settings. You will need to click 'Add Account' underneath 'Accounts' in the 'Accounts & Password' section.

Now, you will see Calendars listed. Select the 'Other' option.

Now click the 'Add Subscribed Calendar' option.

Add your 'Main calendar feed' from ByteBloc.

Then, click the 'Next' button to continue.

Lastly, select 'Save' to add the subscribed calendar feed

Finally, go to the 'Calendars' app on your iPhone or iPad.

The calendar feed will display automatically in your Calendars app.

Remove Subscribed Calendar

Click on the Settings app and select the 'Mail, Contacts, Calendars' option. Underneath the 'ACCOUNTS' section click on the 'Subscribed Calendars'. Now, select your iCal and click the 'Delete Account' option below. You'll be prompted to click the 'Delete' button. The iCal will automatically be removed. You can go back to the home screen and reopen the 'Settings' app. You'll see the iCal is no longer there underneath the 'Subscribed Calendars' within the 'Mail, Contacts, Calendars' section.

Yahoo Calendar

Go to your Yahoo calendar

Select the 'Follow Other Calendars' option.

Enter in a name for the calendar

Paste the ByteBloc schedule feed from the ByteBloc User Options window into 'iCal Address' text field

Choose a 'Color' for the calendar

Click the 'Continue' button to add the schedule feed

Lastly, the calendar feed will display.