Neato! to bring Browser-to-Phone functionality to webOS 26
Not long ago, we mentioned how much we'd like to see something like Chrome-to-Phone come to webOS. It's essentially a service that allows you to send data from your web browser to an Android phone instantly and easily. We noticed (honest!) that FourSquare Developer Zhephree made a very curious comment on that very post and when he teased a new app on the PalmCast we held our tongues.
Well, that app is here and it's called Neato! (with the exclamation point). The app cleverly works by providing you with a unique URL that you can then visit from any browser to get a bookmarklet. That bookmarklet will allow you to send text from the browser to your phone via PubSubHubBub instantly. It will read (and open) Google Maps and YouTube links or let you send arbitrary highlighted text so you can copy it to your clipboard. Phone number support is coming soon.
Zhephree looks to to charge a very reasonable price of $1.43 for the app - primarily to cover server costs. The app has been submitted to Palm - we'll have our pennies saved up for when it arrives.
Source: Zhephree.com; Thanks Beerad!
26 Comments
Wow...everythings coming together
I like
Neato living up to its name :O
What can I say but.... NEATO!
got my $1.43 Ready!
can someone explain more clearly what it does, cause it don't seem like much to be all giddy about?
Basically if your reading a website, or watching a youtube vid, but hey something comes up and you have to get ready to go, you click on the bookmarklet on the browser which will send whatever you were reading/watching to your phone which will open up without you having to manually go to the site or search youtube. :)
Very cool and well explained.
Neato! could be extended to support 'Send this App to Preware on your phone' direct from the homebrew app gallery ...
-- Rod
As it uses a 'polling' type service, does a card have to be open, or does it poll every -x- seconds in a service?
PubSubHubBub is polling, but it's not polling in the traditional sense. It's basically doing what's known as "long polling." Basically, the connection is held open and the server keeps it alive until there's new data. When new data is available, it sends it, and kills the connection. The app then reopens a new connection and the cycle continues. The effect is the illusion of the server pushing data to the app.
Obviously, the downside of this is battery consumption. With the PubSub running in my test version of neato!, battery consumption was equal to my phone idling normally. But to make sure it doesn't drain the battery, when your screen turns off, it kills the connection. When your screen comes back on, it reopens the connection.
This method gives me responses that range from *instant* to about 2 seconds from the time I click the bookmarklet to the time the app starts doing something. It depends on the internet connection speed of your phone and your computer, as well as server congestion. But hey, 2 seconds isn't long, and that's rare.
The app needs to be running, but instead of a full card, it runs as a dashboard notification, so it's not as intrusive.
Is it possible for a webOS service to utilize this web hook? Every -x- minutes, if hook isn't active, activate it?
I'd much rather not have something cluttering up my already precious screenspace, and I'd love to not have to open anything either...
Not right now. Until Palm produces the Mojo Messaging Service they taunted last year (their answer to iPhone's Push), an app would need to be running. Unless someone made a homebrew service that ran quietly.
I agree with the app to phone comment... Is this feasible?
it's feasible. I'd have to work out the logistics, but I'm open to trying it out. I'll definitely let everyone know.
How would this work? I'm a bit confused...
- @dylanmagruder
Click the source link to read the developer's blog post about it:
http://blog.zhephree.com/post/1018201532/neato-i-just-submitted-my-first...
How would this work? I'm a bit confused...
- @dylanmagruder
can't wait for it say: Update, download here!
coool nice app sure to buy, good day's for Palm!!
Here's my thought... WebOS has the best network of developers out there! AS 2.0 comes online and more hardware yields more adoption of the platform, we'll see a surge that will help us get on the market share map. This is a very exciting time for the faithful. Great work FourSquare Developer Guy! I look forward to "to Phone"ing all sorts of stuff!
Good to see developers bringing their works to Web OS.
What's the advantage to this approach over just IMing the info to yourself over gChat?
Things like google maps links open in the google maps app, the page opens instantly, and there's only 1 click.
Before I wrote the app, I IMed myself (used Google Voice to SMS my phone from my PC) links and snippets of text. But Here's the steps to do that:
1. Open IM program or Google Voice
2. Open chat window
3. Copy URL or text
4. Paste URL or text in Chat window and send
5. Open Messaging app on phone and select message (or tap notification)
6. If link, tap Link OR
6. If text, tap message
7. Tap "Copy Text"
Using neato!:
1. Click neato! bookmarklet
2. If URL, do nothing, it's already open on your phone.
2. If text, tap copy button
It's a lot easier and faster, and for URLs, it's literally one click in your web browser.
for $1.43.... You would have to be mentally impaired not to pick this up.
best it cost less then the cup of coffee I bought this morning.
thx for making my life easier!
life moves fast... So does my uberG1 palm pre
I just installed it! AWESOME!!!! Thanks for this great ap!
This is outrageously cool. And the text thing is a lifesaver.
I love this app. It needs a way to turn it off as an option, so that it does not run in the background until you turn it on again (when you want and need it on).