Tester invites started going out to the dramatically-overhauled new Yahoo Calendar beta, and we were one of the lucky ones to give it a spin. The new look and feel brings YCal into 2008 (finally!) with a dynamic interface including drag and drop events, Flickr integration, multiple calendar subscriptions and—gasp!—a built-in to-do list. For too long, YCal has looked like it was stuck in 1998, even though it launched way earlier than Google Calendar or other flashy web-based calendar tools, so we're thrilled to see it get back in the game. Let's take a look at the new YCal beta in action; a full screenshot and a quick screencast are yours below.
As Webware reports, the YCal beta is based on Zimbra, the open source email, contacts, and calendaring solution Yahoo acquired last year. Here's a full-sized screenshot a monthly view, with the default Flickr calendar enabled, which right now shows you random photos on certain days (but will eventually integrate your photos by date):
Here's what the beta looks like in action as I click around it a bit:
As you can see, you can subscribe to multiple calendars in YCal, and you can also share calendars with other users, set reminders for events via IM, SMS, or email, and set up repeating events (like weekly meetings and yearly birthdays). The beta isn't complete yet; if you do get chosen to check it out you'll get a list of what you'll give up by using the beta (including syncing capabilities, Yahoo Groups calendar access, event search, and prefab time guides, all of which are "coming soon.")
Here's a narrated screencast of the new overhaul by a Yahoo employee.
To opt into the YCal beta, hit up this page to throw your hat in the ring.
