Stay organized with calendar apps, reminders, alarms

You’ll hear a chime on a laptop or tablet, feel a slight vibration on a smartphone or smartwatch or see a pop-up notification while you’re in any application. Sometimes sharing a calendar

with a spouse, partner, child or designated caregiver can be convenient. In general, go to SETTINGS, search for your app, choose OPTIONS and select something like SHARE WITH SPECIFIC PEOPLE 

or ADD PEOPLE TO THIS CALENDAR. Just like a bedside alarm clock, your calendar’s alarm can notify you. You can choose the sound, a vibration, flashing light or pop-up window on your device.

How you’re notified depends on the device you’re using and if you’ve selected Accessibility options. Smart watches synchronized with a smartphone can give you a slight tap on your wrist to

alert you to something. But you don’t need a digital calendar to take advantage of sophisticated alarm functions on computers, smartphones, smart watches and tablets. Simply type ALARM in

your device’s search field to find it. The Amazon Echo Show 15 has a screen big enough for the day’s appointments, notes, recipe suggestions and reminders. AMAZON MANAGE YOUR TO-DOS WITH

VOICE ASSISTANTS If you prefer a voice-enabled personal assistant, such as Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri, ask to set a reminder request. The same goes for smart speakers and smart displays

 such as Amazon Echo or Google Nest that can help you stay on top of things by using the wake word or phrase like, “Hey, Siri,” “OK, Google” or “Alexa.” Follow with your message: “In 2

hours, remind me to pick up Jane from the airport” or “Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., remind me to call the doctor about my lab results.” These are great for timing meals or even short naps. A

voice-activated reminder can help with recurring events, too: “Alexa, add to the calendar every day at 8 a.m., ‘take my pills.’ ” Summon your personal assistant to check your calendar: “Hey,

Siri, what’s on my calendar today?” or “OK, Google, when is my meal with Michael?” or “Alexa, what time is my first meeting tomorrow?” To tie your digital calendar app to a smart speaker,

launch the Alexa app on your mobile phone for an Amazon Echo speaker. Go to MENU | SETTINGS | CALENDAR & EMAIL and select the calendar account you want to synchronize. The process is

similar for Apple and Google. Some smart displays synchronize your digital calendars with alarms, reminders, notes and other features. The largest available now are the Amazon Echo Show 15,

a 15.6-inch display measured diagonally, and the 10-inch Google Next Hub Max. These are usually placed in a busy room of the house for visual reference to important dates, recipes, reminders

and photo slideshows.