

Show HN: Tap2Tab - Instantly Sends A Webpage From Computer to iPhone/Tablet - RobMcCullough
http://tap2tab.com

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RobMcCullough
Hi HN! I just threw this together in the last few days -- inspired by the TC
Disrupt Hackathon.

I just got myself an iPad recently, and I really wanted to be able to send the
page I was reading on my computer to the iPad. I didn't find anything that was
easy and quick so I made it myself.

This is a "rough draft" of a web app. There are a few rough edges and browser
quirks. I wanted to see if anyone else would use it. If so, I will put some
more work in to cleaning it all up! Let me know what you think.

~~~
seancron
Some quick feedback about the landing page:

* There's a problem with the header. It's distracting right now. Here's what it looks like when I scroll the page in Chrome 12 beta: <http://awesomescreenshot.com/05ddvrz35>

* The footer seems completely unnecessary and is only taking up valuable screen space.

* Try to find better pictures for the landing page. It may not sound rational, but the seeing the clearly old PC with a floppy drive makes me feel that this is outdated. And the white iPad looks weird to me. Especially on the whitish background. Try using a picture of the black iPad to add more contrast. Also, see if you can find a picture without the distracting glossy overlay.

* Try to move it higher above the fold. Use <http://browsersize.googlelabs.com/> to visualize where the fold is for what percentage of people on the internet.

* Maybe try adding a login dialog? Not all users will remember the url, even if it is obvious. But many are familiar with what to do on a login page.

Some questions that I thought of while browsing it:

* How does it support more than one webpage?

* How is this different from Instapaper?

~~~
RobMcCullough
Thanks a ton for the feedback, I really appreciate it.

It doesn't support more than one page. If you pull something up on the
computer and decide you want to go outside and read/watch it on the iPad, you
Tap2Tab it.

The difference between Tap2Tab & Instapaper is that it works for YouTube,
Netflix, PDF documents, ect. There is no reformatting of content, it redirects
you to the page just like a URL shortener.

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cllabs
I had a similar idea cloned from chrome2phone for iOS at <http://whopushed.me>
and the associated App Store app.

Never got around to creating the bookmarklet since uptake was low and I find
going to the website simple enough.

The integration is very nice though!

~~~
RobMcCullough
Thank you

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mikecane
I don't have any tablet, but this is something I've wondered about -- getting
something to tablet without having to email myself the frikkin URL (that's not
how it works, um, does it?). I've asked two people with tablets to try it,

~~~
RobMcCullough
Very cool! Thank you.

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lgarron
I've been using QSQRCode to send data to my phone: select, send to Quicksilver
and display QR code for the phone to scan. Tap2Tab sounds like an interesting
approach, though, and I'm curious to see how much it could do.

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zwentz
What if someone else uses the same URL I did?

For example: i.tap2tab.com

~~~
RobMcCullough
They'll have to choose another.

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jarin
This is handy, sort of the reverse of Later Locker (which I use all the time
for sending links to myself from my iPad): <http://laterlocker.com/>

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waterside81
Good stuff Rob, simple & easy to use. This was always a minor pain point when
looking at a google map on my laptop and wanting to view the same map on my
iPhone.

~~~
RobMcCullough
Ooh thank you! I hadn't thought of using it on Google Maps yet but that is a
really good use case!

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jasonlbaptiste
this is neat. been spending a lot of time thinking about content shifting. It
wasn't instant for me, but is this using websockets?

~~~
RobMcCullough
Nah, nothing fancy. Just a few lines of PHP and a meta tag refresh xD

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drivebyacct2
What does this offer me that Chrome2Phone doesn't already do. I can send
links, YouTube videos, my clipboard, etc with a lighter interface and no
personalized url.

~~~
jahmed
Second for Chrome2Phone. Its awesome and I use it surprisingly often. I do
wish there was a Phone2Chrome..

~~~
RobMcCullough
I hadn't seen Chrome2Phone, the choice is yours xD -- I guess I'll focus my
efforts on iOS.

~~~
jahmed
Sorry I came off a little rude.

Its interesting and I can see where you're going with this. I do highly
recommend checking out Chrome2Phone. Its the most frictionless implementation
of this idea, you click the extension and the page opens on your phone, super
simple super easy. If you can get Tap2Tab to be just as simple you could have
something really useful for iOS devices. I would consider making this into a
Chrome extension, I never have my bookmark bar visible.

~~~
RobMcCullough
I didn't find your comment rude at all. I appreciate the feedback, and I am
really excited some folks signed up and seem to like the tool. Stay tuned for
the chrome extension - I like that idea a lot.

