I wish the idea of acoustic couplers still existed and was nicely integrated with things. Imagine the ease of technical support:
Customer: Hello? I can't open this Excel file
Me: OK, wave your phone near your computer for me
{remote control established}
No IE slowness, no reading URLs and passwords back and forth, no "did you notice the information bar" or plugin prompts or download prompts or email invitations stuck in spam filters... even if the two just communicated long enough to exchange a URL and key and then connected over the internet.
Although it would be better if it could be good enough to see the BIOS, etc.
Me: Do I have your permission to log into your account?
Customer: Sure.
Me: Wow, they're certainly wonky. taps commands into console Fixed. Have a nice day.
Good golly I like having all the data on the server. I've even started using this with my desktop app. One of the first things I ask for is the users to try hitting one feature that will give me an exact copy of their word list, to try reproducing the issue. If I had been thinking ahead I would have built a Get Tech Support button which would tell me everything about the running program and the relevant portions of their environment.
A year ago I got a One 4 All universal remote that didn't understand my stereo. Their tech support emailed to me a WAV file, and told me to hold the device up to my computer speakers when I played it. Bingo, reprogrammed remote.
I remember back ~1986, living in a fraternity house in college. My direct-connect modem died, and I borrowed an acoustic one from a friend. The guy in the room next to me had his stereo cranked up, which seemed to interfere with the modem. I wrapped the acoustic coupler up in a couple of layers of towels, and everything was fine.
Customer: Hello? I can't open this Excel file
Me: OK, wave your phone near your computer for me
{remote control established}
No IE slowness, no reading URLs and passwords back and forth, no "did you notice the information bar" or plugin prompts or download prompts or email invitations stuck in spam filters... even if the two just communicated long enough to exchange a URL and key and then connected over the internet.
Although it would be better if it could be good enough to see the BIOS, etc.