Pokki: Web applications comparable to desktop applications

It is reported that Google, Facebook and a large number of small high-tech companies seem to believe that "the future lies in the Web", that is, the web as a solution to avoid the fragmentation caused by native applications. This view is undoubtedly correct.

But the web still has a long way to go, because web apps are rarely as useful as their corresponding desktop applications. Right now. Now Opencandy, a start-up in San Diego, has come up with a solution: a new product called Pokki to bridge the gap between browsers and native applications. In other words, they offer web apps that are easier to use than most Web applications today.

Opencandy has only introduced one product before: A Windows native application installer. Opencandy today announced the Pokki to change the company name to Sweetlabs (the installer is still known as Opencandy).

What is Pokki?

Pokki is a framework built on the chromium (Google Open source browser) that allows developers to build applications using standard Web technologies. But Pokki added several key features: These apps support the notification tag in the menu bar (like the iOS badge system), and these apps are designed to be easy--click an app and it pops up a small window that you can use to access the Facebook graffiti wall, Gmail inbox , or anything else you've installed. And when you click outside the Pokki, it disappears.

Pokki can now provide 8 apps for users, including Gmail, Facebook, Groupon, EBay, the Wall Street Journal, Living Social and Twitter. This is a good start, but today the product release is mainly to launch the Pokki SDK (software Development Kit) to developers. Starting today, developers can use the SDK to turn any site they like into a pokki (provided the site has an application programming interface (API)). Most of today's release Pokki applications are built by Sweetlab insiders.

To use Pokki, the user must first install the framework, but it bundles all the applications of Pokki-the company wants users to download the Pokki of their favorite sites and then continue to add more Pokki using this browser that integrates Pokki applications. The applications released today support the Windows system, but the company will also launch a Mac and Linux version in the future.

Pokki Competitors and advantages

Pokki is not the first product to attempt to bridge the gap between Web and native applications. Fluid is a similar MAC-enabled product. And, in a way, Sweetlabs is also competing with Google's Chrome web App Store, which is also running web Apps publishing.

But Pokki's focus on these fast, flexible applications (at least at first) may give it some advantages. With Pokki applications, you can view Groupon's group purchase promotions or Facebook news feeds without starting a new browser tab. It is said that a "large social gaming company" is testing Pokki, and the effect is very good. The app seems to be tailored for CityVille, a city-town, a Facebook game, a city where players want to create a dream in a game-they can quickly check their towns without actually visiting Facebook.