[danielbigham]

Last night I was viewing a video on a web page on my PC and Meredith came by and asked whether I could watch it on the PlayBook instead with headphones so as not to disturb people trying to sleep.

There have been other times when I wanted to go from viewing a web page on my PC to viewing it on my PlayBook, and wished it was a simple as pressing a button.

So, being the programmer I am, I made a PlayBook app to do that. As with some of recent apps like "Print" and "Send to PC", it ended up being a very simple tweak to existing code, so it took a total of 2 hours to make the app and submit it to App World. The hardest part was making the icon since I couldn't find any existing free icons that I liked for this app.

The app is called "Open on PlayBook", and hopefully it will be approved soon.

If you'd be willing to beta test it, ping me at: [email protected]

Thanks!

[russnash]

Nice idea! So, this will require a PC and PlayBook app I assume, what are you supporting PC OS wise?

[danielbigham]

Nice idea! So, this will require a PC and PlayBook app I assume, what are you supporting PC OS wise?

Thanks!

Yup, has a small PC app component. Supports XP/Vista/Win7

[Sprawl]

I've always wanted something like this. i'll keep my eyes peeled for when it's available in App world.

There have been so many times where i"ll be at my desktop, plugging away, find a webpage i want to read, but want to go outside to have a smoke while reading it on my playbook.

[joski]

I've always wanted something like this. i'll keep my eyes peeled for when it's available in App world.

There have been so many times where i"ll be at my desktop, plugging away, find a webpage i want to read, but want to go outside to have a smoke while reading it on my playbook.

100% here too. By the time I get back into the elevator I almost always forget what I was looking at or where I was at with it - this would be a great feature!

[jeroen_13]

looking forward to use it

[z1nsane]

Working on computer at home, surfing the net... gotta go to the washroom so I'm just gonna bring my "newspaper" with me thanks to this app

[SCrid2000]

Sounds nifty!
You should consider writing a chrome extension for it (and your other apps as well).

[lcgoldman]

Will it work on a Mac?

[russnash]

Thanks!

Yup, has a small PC app component. Supports XP/Vista/Win7

Sounds nifty!
You should consider writing a chrome extension for it (and your other apps as well).

I definitely agree reference the Chrome extension, I'm a Linux user and prefer Chrome as my browser of choice.

[danielbigham]

Working on computer at home, surfing the net... gotta go to the washroom so I'm just gonna bring my "newspaper" with me thanks to this app

lol, I think you nailed the use case better than my imagination did

[danielbigham]

Sounds nifty!
You should consider writing a chrome extension for it (and your other apps as well).

Ohhh... very interesting. Good idea Shane.

[danielbigham]

Will it work on a Mac?

If it's a popular app then I might implement Mac support.

[FF22]

Nifty little program.

I asked this in an email to Daniel but I'll ask here, too:

Okay, now I may have raised this issue before in the context of YOUR other apps and some of these others like Splashtop, etc.

But what are the security risks? Could I have just handed over control of my computer to YOU (and the others for similar types of apps?) - Would you mind if I asked in the forum?

[danielbigham]

Nifty little program.

I asked this in an email to Daniel but I'll ask here, too:

Okay, now I may have raised this issue before in the context of YOUR other apps and some of these others like Splashtop, etc.

But what are the security risks? Could I have just handed over control of my computer to YOU (and the others for similar types of apps?) - Would you mind if I asked in the forum?

Thanks for the feedback.

There is a small security risk.

1. If you invite people into your home and let them on your Wi-Fi, and they have a PlayBook, and they have my app, and you have the software installed on your PC, and you copy a link into your clipboard, and they happen to use the app when you do that, they will be able to see that link.

2. If you go onto public Wi-Fi (with your PC) and there router doesn't have isolation mode turned on (which I think most public places DO), and when you authorize the app during installation you select "Public networks" check box (not the default), and someone else on that sub-net has a PlayBook, and my app, and they happen to use the app right after you copy a URL into your clipboard, they could succeed in seeing the URL.

So yes, there is a small security risk, but it would be extremely unlikely that it would ever come to bear.

It would be possible to add a feature whereby when the PlayBook connects for the first time, it prompts you on your PC whether you want to allow that specific PlayBook to be able to use "Open on PlayBook" in conjunction with your PC, and you could click 'Yes' or 'No'.

[Ruslan Botsyurko]

Hi Daniel,
first of all good job !! I have been dreaming about this festure a lot recently, so I'm glad someone made such a utility. But would you please share the PC program so I could test its compatibility on Windows 8 CP? I don't usually have problems with compatibility although File to PC didn't work :/
I need just the PC prog to test and I will definitely buy your app in case it will play nice with Windows 8

P.S.: If you don't want to share publicly, please email me, my address is ruslan.botsyurko[at]smartmania.cz . Thanks !

[danielbigham]

I should grab Windows 8 CP so that I can test... if "Send to PC" didn't work, then this probably won't work either. Here's the Windows app:

Sync

What happens when it is installed on Windows 8?

[Cynycl]

Wow a real honest to goodness app thats not an audiobook or soft porn related. Sign me up.

Who cares what win8 does? What does qnx do is all that matters to me.

[Ruslan Botsyurko]

@danielbigham: That's the thing, it doesn't do anything, not a single error or something to catch up. I installed the sync app successfully, but when I launch it, only a small window appears "Launching Application - Varifying application requirements. This may take a few moments". After a second this window disappears, but nothing launches, can't even see it in a traybar and I can't find where it installed so I could change compatibility properties or run it as administrator. I can only find a shortcut in AppData/Roaming folder.

Who cares what win8 does? What does qnx do is all that matters to me.

Well the app for PlayBook should be OK, but it's not standalone and the problem is I can't get the Sync program working on my W8 PC.

[danielbigham]

@danielbigham: That's the thing, it doesn't do anything, not a single error or something to catch up. I installed the sync app successfully, but when I launch it, only a small window appears "Launching Application - Varifying application requirements. This may take a few moments". After a second this window disappears, but nothing launches, can't even see it in a traybar and I can't find where it installed so I could change compatibility properties or run it as administrator. I can only find a shortcut in AppData/Roaming folder.


Well the app for PlayBook should be OK, but it's not standalone and the problem is I can't get the Sync program working on my W8 PC.

k, thanks. That's really weird that it doesn't show up in the tray. Is it easy to install Win8 along side Windows 7?

[dosboxwasthestuff]

k, thanks. That's really weird that it doesn't show up in the tray. Is it easy to install Win8 along side Windows 7?

yes you can overlay win 8 on top of 7 so they kinda coexist

[FF22]

Not sure if it is this app - but I think my playbook did not enter Standby and the screen remained on?

I will check further...

[yunvi]

I tried installing it on Win8 as well, and I experienced the same thing as did Farokh.

does this mean its a no go for windows 8 at this point in time ?

[dosboxwasthestuff]

also i was wondering if this could work vice versa as in continue something from playbook on to pc ..... maybe thats just me

[FF22]

Not sure if it is this app - but I think my playbook did not enter Standby and the screen remained on?

I will check further...

I believe that it does prevent Standby. Regular os2. It was a background or reduced Window. SYNC was not running on the computer at that time. After I closed it on the pb, the pb entered Standby.

I will test a new version if you want.