# More smart phone surprises

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-smart-phone-surprises/917030>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 1, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-smart-phone-surprises/917030 "2020-08-01T22:48:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-smart-phone-surprises/917030/1 "2020-08-01T22:48:04Z")

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So I get an email from my doctor scheduling a virtual visit by phone for next week. There is an attached file I can’t open, I think an .ics file. Looking it up shows it to be some kind of scheduling program.

Anyhoo, the next time I look at the calendar on my phone I see my name in red on the day in question. Clicking on it brings up the details of the upcoming conference call. Pretty neat.

Dennis

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**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-smart-phone-surprises/917030/2 "2020-08-01T22:58:06Z")

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When my doctor schedules a virtual appointment, his office will send me a text message with a link about 20 minutes before. When I click the link, it will open a page with a video window, and the doctor and I can see and talk to each other. Yeah, I agree it’s really convenient not to have to travel to the doctor’s office.

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**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-smart-phone-surprises/917030/3 "2020-08-01T23:44:15Z")

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It’s not just smart phones - ICS files are a universal calendar format. So, they are supposed to work with any calendar software.

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**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-smart-phone-surprises/917030/4 "2020-08-01T23:53:18Z")

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> [@Icarus](#):
>
> It’s not just smart phones - ICS files are a universal calendar format. So, they are supposed to work with any calendar software

Exactly right. The ICS file works with my Google calendar and my wife’s Outlook calendar.