Manage Tasks in Google Calendar

Though some folks make their calendars double as a task list (or vice versa), it's really easier and more practical to keep tasks and appointments separate. That's why I'm so excited by this news: Google Calendar now includes a task manager.

Just click the new Tasks link under the Google Calendar logo to reveal the Tasks sidebar on the right side of the screen. Although this to-do list is pretty basic, at least for now, it does have a few nifty capabilities.

For example, if you create a task that has a due date, the task automatically appears in your calendar. And creating a new task within the calendar proper is as simple as clicking on the desired date (while using the Month view) and then clicking the Task option.

Unfortunately, there's no way to synchronize your tasks with other apps (yet), and Google has yet to tie Tasks to e-mail and SMS the way it has Calendar. But this is a good start, and it's good to see what was originally a Google Labs feature make it to the big leagues. [Google Calendar]