Google released a new tool called Calaboration that simplifies the work to add your Google Calendars into iCal into a few simple steps.

1. Download the Calaboration setup tool from Google Code
2. Run the app and key-in your email and password to log into Google
3. Once signed in, you will see the calendars that is in your Google Calendar, simply select those you want to add into iCal and click the “Add to iCal” button
   • You’ll need ownership privileges before the calendars can be added

In a few moments, when you open your iCal, you will find those selected Google Calendars appearing on the left of your iCal. To find out more information, click on Preference and select Accounts. There you can find the various Google Calendars’ information.

Pretty easy to setup.

Syncing is pretty fast. Entries made in iCal is immediately sent to the cloud and appears in Google Calendar. Entries made in Google Calendar will also appear in iCal upon refreshing, whether automatically depending on the refresh rates set in Preference->Accounts, or done manually.

One issue when adding entries to the Shared calendar is you have to select the correct calendar on the left hand sidebar you are syncing to Google before you can create the entry in the calendar. No options to select other Shared calendars. Likewise, if you are selecting a native iCal calendar, you cannot add entries to the Shared calendars. This should be easily fixed…

One other thing I hope to be able to do now, is to sync a calendar from iCal to Google Calendar, including the ability to add/edit items while in Google Calendar. You can add your iCal calendar to Google Calendar if you publish it to MobileMe or your own server but it is only a read-only calendar.

When that happens, the cycle is complete!