Suan

Knowing that you've solved an unsolved problem in some niche, putting it out there, and seeing others voluntarily use it is far more gratifying than whatever small sum of income such a scheme might net you. This applies even more when those others start helping contributing back.

To everyone saying that this has been tried and failed with Java Applets / Silverlight / Flash: what those technologies did was try to shoehorn app-like environments into the browser, which of course annoyed users because it broke all kinds of expectations when compared to visiting regular HTML pages.

What I (and I think, the OP) have in mind is an actual 2nd "browser". A different standalone app. I envision something where "webapp" authors can post manifests at URL endpoints which define the UI and behavior (not unlike styling in Android), and this 2nd browser will "render" the webapp using native widgets and controls. This brings with it a number of things:

  - OMG! The basic keyboard shortcuts all my other native apps have are now available, instead of some poorly hacked-together javascript-detected version
  - Rich user interaction with the app and the controls is now a first-class citizen - no more weird highlighting of the entire page, or unexpected popping-up and disappearing of elements on misclicks
  - Right click can actually be used, without hacks!
  - Opening a new "window" with a new app actually creates an OS-level window with the icon and name being the webapp's favicon - furthering the notion that you're actually using an app and not visiting a website.
  - It still retains the main advantages of the web - it's cross-platform and ubiquitous (and users don't have to go through the hassle of explicitly installing and updating native apps)
  - I'm sure developing highly interactive webapps for this platform would be a lot simpler, more fundamentally sound, and more enjoyable than the huge hack that is HTML5/AJAX now
  - etc etc

(EDIT: formatting)

Is it (the lack of) education among users? I find it curious that when compared to financial products, where improving financial education is often brought up as a solution, there's a lot less mention of education when it comes to cases like these. Sadly this kind of "don't fall for these scams" computing education is not very transferrable to more productive uses of computing.

In a free market, if users stop falling for this crap (admittedly a tall order on Windows) then the scammers will naturally go out of business.

Letters seems like a better way to do it though.

Hopefully if this is easier, productivity sites like github will start to allow users to define their own keyboard shortcuts rather than forcing down a predefined set on you.

Also when an image is being viewed, you can't swipe to go to the previous/next image. I believe this works on the iPhone.

Was just a little disappointed when I saw that that wasn't the case :)

Are they really, though? It seems to me that many successful startups are simply bought over by another big company and their "beachhead" is eventually lost in the acquiring behemoth.

(Disclaimer: I wrote it)

Any smartphone could be plugged in via a USB-like cable which transfers I/O, audio and power. The car's up/down/left/right "radio" buttons would then control like/dislike/next/previous for Pandora-like apps running on the phone. Throw in another 2 buttons or so for other functions. There would be an open "key-mapping" standard which would be implemented in the OSes which music apps could tap into. There would be a standard set of programmable-per-app buttons (not unlike video game controllers)

Voice is unusable when music is playing and touchscreens are too dangerous. Mobile and digital entertainment technologies move so fast, yet I only change my car twice in 3 decades or so - I don't want to be constrained by what technology was available when I bought it.

If you rake your memory you could probably find points in time when you were working on something you really enjoyed, even though you had other good ideas that would better benefit the community. I know I certainly have been in that situation.

"Something's wrong when its easier to earn credit card cash back than interest on savings..."

http://twitter.com/#!/suanyeo/status/106413797811568640

I've tried hard to think of recent Chinese tech inventions that are truly new, and not a ripoff of a popular existing product, and could never come up with any, until just recently. I bought one of these "Air Fly Mouse" http://www.airflymouse.com/ and it works as advertised! Here's to more innovation coming from China.

The "Call Me Not" app name I agree is confusing, but it sounded really catchy and a whole lot better than "Call You Not", so we stuck with it.

We did consider other groupware/google calendar approaches as well, but there was the question of implementation and the receivers' incentives to download the app and/or publish "don't call" times on their calendars. We ultimately decided on this approach for a first pass since it fit _my_ needs perfectly, at least. Completely changing the mechanics in later versions is not out of the question though, and will be based on valuable feedback we get from users like you =)

UPDATE: Title changed as per suggestion!