A common problem with meetings is agreeing on when and where. Emails go back and forth with suggestions and just when you think arrangements are sorted, suddenly someone is unavailable.

The advent of online solutions like Google Calendar has eased such administrative nightmares. As well as online sharing, there is often the ability to reveal your free/busy status. But there is still the hassle of checking everyone’s calendar and, into the mix, you may want to specify certain times when you are available.

There is, however, a definitive answer to the many online diary formats and permutations. Let me introduce you to Tungle. Why do I recommend it? Because it: (a) integrates automatically with your own diary so you don’t have to switch to another service (b) shows when you are free or busy, without revealing information you don’t wish to display, and (c) enables colleagues/clients/customers to schedule a meeting with you direct. Take a look at my Tungle page and use it to book any appointments with me.

Synchronising Tungle with your own diary prevents double bookings because it checks your calendar and updates your availability without compromising privacy. In other words your diary is kept private and only you can see meeting details.

Is Tungle good news? Yes, and there’s more. It’s free to use and installation and set up is simple. If you are a Google Apps customer you simply sign in with your Google Apps account. Tungle currently supports:

• Outlook 
• Google Calendar 
• iCal/Entourage 
• MobileMe 
• Lotus Notes 
• Blackberry 
• Windows Live 
• Yahoo! 
• Plancast 
• TripIt 
• Facebook

Should you encounter any difficulties with Tungle, remote set up is available via AGUK from £25.