Database Develop

Applications that just excel over the rest?

I guess I'm hitting on a topic that has had endless discussions and has just plain been posted thousands of times, so it's probably a big annoyance for most of you; however, I have yet to see a concise and informative post or even a website anywhere that helps me get applications for my first Pocket PC, an AT&T Tilt. So if it's not too much trouble could you guys please help me out here? Please follow this format for each application you post:
[Category] - Pricing/Freeware
Application:
Description:
Positives:
Negatives:
Rating: 1 being worst - 5 being best
Where to get:
Example...
[Scheduling] - Freeware
Application: TodayAgenda
Description: TodayAgenda displays appointments and tasks on your today screen up to 30 days in advance. It replaces the default Outlook plugin with a lot of more features. (Straight from the site)
Positives: Great features, Very customizable.
Negatives: Can lag a little bit sometimes, Some features that Spb Dairy has that it lacks.
Rating: 4
Where to get: http://tiews.info/index.php?show=&lang=en
I think if we follow this format, we can give this thread a longer life expectancy as well as alleviate many of these types of posts. Even though I expect this to be an thread for great applications, if you feel the need to criticize another application please do so in a thorough manner following the format. Thank you for taking your time to read this and I hope to see some amazing applications!

[PIM Manager]: $29.95
Application: Manages your contacts, tasks, diary & Todo lists.
Description: An impressive all round product to help assist with managing your data in a simple but complex interface. Pocket Informant doesn't just simply let you work with your daily events through lists and grids, but with the new Events and Journal views you can look at your life's past and future in an easy cohesive environment. Even create contact links within your appointment or tasks' subject and notes let you quickly access a named contact without having to resort to links or a search. Most suprisingly, this power doesn't come at the cost of a complicated, cluttered interface.
Positives: Very customisable, easy to use, all in one management.
Negatives: None that I can complain about
Rating: 4
Where to get: http://www.pocketinformant.com/

For me the best application which in fact has prevented me from shifting to Symbian is SoftMaker's Office.
Category = On purchase. This is a suite of Spreadsheet and word processor.
Positives = So powerful that it can do almost what the PC counterpart can do. I need extremely complex spreadsheets even including conditional formatting and drop down lists. Never once I have encountered a situation where there was a mismatch between the desktop and the device. Round trip integrity of documents is just perfect.
Negatives = Not really many except for the steep price but I guess I do not mind this much as the overall functionality it provides is just great.
website = www.softmaker.com

[Category] - Pricing/Freeware - $40.00 - $60.00
Application: - CalliGrapher
Description: - Writing Recognizing Program
Positives: - Actually works...It has a function call Write Pad which allws fast printing across the bottom of the screen. I can take meeting notes very quickly during meetings. I gave up my Palm TX to go back to a PPC speciffically because of this ability.
Negatives: - There is a learning curve.
Rating: 1 being worst - 5 being best - 5
Where to get: http://www.phatware.com/calligrapher/index.html

[Taskmanager] - Freeware
Application: wkTask
Description: Task- and discrete Batterybar
Positives: Very nice and customizable, uses almost no CPU (especially compared to MagicButton which does the same but is quite ressource hungry)
Negatives: Notification icon might get hidden behind the taskbar (just set it such that there's enough space, still automatic would be nicer )
Rating: 4.5
URL: http://soft.photoracer.net/docs/wktask_en.html

Business (power user) - Worldmate FREE Worldmate Pro $74.95
Application: Worldmate
Description: Multiple apps for travel..Weather, Conversions, flightinfo and organiser
Positives: All of it.
Negatives: renewable yearly license (covers data subscriptions for weather and realtime flight info)
Rating: 5
Where to get: Online.
UTIL - Freeware
Application: MOJOPAC
Description: Used in conjunction with Softkick card export, gives a carry around vitual PC.
Positives: Carry more than just a Pocket PC
Negatives: Really needs a large SD card to be fulfilled.
Rating: 5
Where to get: Online

Tomeraider
oops - doublepost

Tomeraider
[db / ebook reader] - £19.95
Application: Tomeraider
Description: "TomeRaider is a text database browser and reader for handheld devices and Microsoft Windows made by Yadabyte"
Positives: Not just an eBook Reader but SO much more. On my SD card, I have a file containing the whole of wikipedia - it is very, very fast too. You wouldnt know that there were literally millions of articles. I also have IMDB on it too - lots of files available (4000 according to the site) - you can even author your own
Negatives: None found as yet
Rating: 1 being worst - 5 being best: "5+"
Where to get: http://www.tomeraider.com

[GPS navigation] - around $150, depends on country
Application: iGo MyWay Plus
Description: excellent GPS navigation software
Positives: Best interface that I've ever seen in any GPS software. Extremely convinient and easy to use. Fast, reliable. A lot of infromation on the screen, yet nothing is ever covered by anything, you get the whole view. Has a very large selection of maps. Not sure about others, but California map is very well detailed - last update was in Jan 08 with over 2 million POIs. Nevada map is ecellent too, other states probably the same. Supports TMC, internal/external GPS, speed cameras, excellent voice guidance, day/night skins, various transportation devices, toll road avoidance, and much more stuff.
Negatives: Does not get traffic updates from the web. Rest is minor glitches: If device goes to sleep, it may not return from it if iGo is running (happens very rarely). If phone is on vibrate - switches it to "silent" mode... although maybe this bug has to do with my config/device.
Rating: 1 being worst - 5 being best
Where to get: http://www.i-go.com/en/

Excellent idea! Should hopefully curb the "Just got my HTC xxx - what programs should I put on it?" posts!
My contributions
[Synchronisation] - £16.00/Free trial
Application: Easy Sync by Pocket Wizards
Description: Excellent program that lets you sync any files from any location on your PC to any location (including microSD) on your PPC
Positives: Much better than Active Sync file transfer. Leave all your files exactly where they are on your PC. Set up a sync partnership for that file using the straightforward wizard and choose where on your device you want to sync the file to. Choose your update frequency and job done - whenever you change the original file, the synced copy also updates. Can set up uni or bi-directional sync, so changes made to PPC version are automatically transferred to your PC file at next Sync. Can be set to trigger when ActiveSync starts up for a fully automated process. Also allows for sync of entire folders.
Negatives: The only one I can think of is that it is compatible with .NetCF 2.0 only, not with 3.5. Other than that, very smooth and stable. Well worth the money.
Rating: 5
Where to get: Handango etc
[Utilities] - Freeware
Application: GroupSMS
Description: Easy way to send SMS to multiple contacts
Positives: Allows you to choose multiple SMS recipients by ticking the boxes, rather than choosing them one by one. Can set this up for different contacts groups too.
Negatives: Can only set up groups via Outlook, although this function is on the creator's To-do list
Rating:4
Where to get: www.shubaroo.com - lots of other great little apps on this website too!

App Launcher
[App Launcher/Today Plugin] - $15
Application: UltimateLaunch 1.2
Description: Tabbed app launcher and today plugin. Animated tab transitions, unlimited tabs, gestures.
Positives: Very customizable, unlimited tabs, custom icons, low memory usage.
Negatives: Learning curve to configure, uses icons instead of png.
Rating: 4
Where to get: http://handheld.softpedia.com/get/System-Utilities/Launcher-Applications/UltimateLaunch-56169.shtml

[SIP Keyboard] - Usually $19.99. But at the moment, $12.98 for two licences. Give one to a friend like I have!
Application: TouchPal 2.0 Professional
Description: Finger/thumb-friendly predictive keyboard with a special technology called T+ where you tap and slide each key in a different direction for different symbols, letter, case, number etc. Many many features including multiple languages, dynamically-resizable keyboard, fast custom word input. Innovative design.
Positives: way too many to list. accurate and quick predictive input due to design of two letters on one key, powerful, looks great, excellent support people who will consider your feature requests VERY quickly, excellent value. Still looks like a normal qwerty keyboard.
Negatives: Some people not used to predictive input may undergo a little learning curve. Try it, it's much faster and with this one, it usually has the word you want as the first one so you can just keep on typing!
Rating: 5+
Where to get: http://www.cootek.com/
Pros:

Spyware software on PPC's possible?

Is there possible software out there in the form of our cab install files that are spyware? Is it possible for people to see what we are doing in our phones and pocketpcpdas? like a logging tracking type of software imbeded in our device which tells people what we are doing? what we are downloading..etc..etc..just like how the government can listen to our phone calls. Are possibley our favorite applications such as microsoft live/live search ot tomTom7 tracking software which is telling companies or the government what we are doing on our devices? like how Skyfire can log what you are doing with their web browser through their servers...
....just wanted to know if its possible and has anybody heard of such things

There have been trojans in the wild for pocket pc - the Brador.A trojan did open a backdoor exploit to allow remote access to a device. And there have been other nasty things for Palm.
But, they've been really rare, and mostly proof of concept kind of things. I'd say the far greater risk is that, if you use *.exe installers from your desktop or laptop to put software on your mobile, that the desktop or laptop could become infected by something seeded in the *.exe file.
So, always scan any installers, ideally as you download (ie. with and AV app integrated with your browser, like Norton) before you execute them. When docked to your PC, you can also scan your mobile - I use Vista on one of my machines at home, and dock my Tilt to it without setting it up, so it's just like any other mass storage device. Norton will scan it like any other drive or storage device.

moegdaog said:
Is there possible software out there in the form of our cab install files that are spyware? Is it possible for people to see what we are doing in our phones and pocketpcpdas? like a logging tracking type of software imbeded in our device which tells people what we are doing? what we are downloading..etc..etc..just like how the government can listen to our phone calls. Are possibley our favorite applications such as microsoft live/live search ot tomTom7 tracking software which is telling companies or the government what we are doing on our devices? like how Skyfire can log what you are doing with their web browser through their servers...
....just wanted to know if its possible and has anybody heard of such things
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While this is not "spyware" it certainly does what spyware would do - right? report without your knowing it what the phone user was doing?
http://www.pocketpc-live.com/pocketpc-softwares/ultimate-theft-alert-v3-for-pocket-pcs.html
Bill

Yep... but usually it's yourself installing that thing so I wouldn't qualify it as spyware...
Unless someone grabs your phone from you and installs the software against you without you knowing it

Anything is possible when you put your mind to it. I bet if you talked to enough coders you'd find one that would help you write Spyware.
Possible? Yes. Probable? No.

o ok..just wanted to get some general knowledgeon this subject cuz i would hate to have to worry about trojans on my pda maaan.

moegdaog said:
o ok..just wanted to get some general knowledgeon this subject cuz i would hate to have to worry about trojans on my pda maaan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now - Let's say that you were oh say Chinese - and that you knew that LOTS of foreigners were coming over for say - oh - a lot of games - would you PAY someone to put spyware on their phones?
hmmmm. . . MAYBE...
Just a thought...
Bill

few problems, user fixable or need to wait for update?

Love Windows Phone 7, don't really love the hardware quality of the HD7. There are a few software issue that I am hoping are user fixable and not something I have to wait for an update to address.
1. Search button behavior in Internet Explorer - it irritates me immensely that when you hit the search button on the HD7, it brings up the Google desktop website. Similarly if you enter text in the address bar it searches Google, not Bing. If I wanted to use Google, I'd have kept my Android device. Is there a way to change this yet, and set the T-Mobile USA HD7 to default to the Bing app and not the Google website? Its especially annoying because the results bring you to mobile formatted pages.
2. This is more of a complaint than a fixable issue until copy and paste comes, but I have noticed that the text type recognition doesn't work all the time. In some places if I click an address it goes to Bing Maps but other times it does nothing, it looks like it highlights the word I touch. I haven't been able to find any pattern in which sites work and which don't, but its frustrating.
3. Sometimes when I get a text message the notification sound plays all choppy. It does seem to happen only where service is bad. Is there a fix for this?
4. Office and Skydrive. Maybe I am just retarded but I feel like there should be a way to access my Office files online, specifically through SkyDrive since I can save to it from Office on the computer. Do I have to have a Sharepoint server to do this? Can I really not access my SkyDrive files?
If I remember more I will post.
Also, is there an ETA for Flash?

I have been playing with the skydrive and I added a few files to it to try and see if I could open them on the HD7. The thing is I can open them but have yet to figure out how to open them with Word on the HD7 so that I can edit them and save them back to the skydrive(copy & paste would be nice...meh...soon I hope). But I opened IE and logged into my Windows Live account and I can open anything I have saved on the skydrive, PDFs, word files, excel sheets, ppt presentation, pictures, etc. Now the only issue is editing those files, I haven't tried sending files Word, Excel, etc. to the skydrive and trying to open them on my PC. Will update later with results of further tinkering.

My issues with HD7
Like many people I love this phone but coming from Windows Mobile 6.5 and donw (isn't that weird to say), this phone is really lacking.
1) The Zune software is crap for lack of a better word. No Smart DJ; No Artist photos; no random track play etc. These are not deal breakers but if you came from the Zune HD like me then you'll feel let down.
2) Font Size. It might just be me, but not being able to set a minimal font size is ridiculous. I use the word ridiculous because even my first pocket Pc phone edition in 2001 allowed font resize.
3) No ability to sync my desktop mobile favs. Yes! I know of the work around but wasn't the point of the new OS to avoid all that crap.
4) I want to be able to sync with my local address book. This whole facebook and windows live thing . . . .Look at it this way, if your contacts are based through FB then if one of those contacts cancels their FB acct then you automatically loose all that data. Of course this is not a MS thing.
4) With my HD2 and HTC Sense, I was used to seeing ALL my FB contact photos. Again not an MS thing but . . . .
5) This is really more of a gripe than anything but the battery icon doesn't tell much.How come I can't see exactly how much juice I have left.
6) Unified Inbox, flash, cut and paste. These are all things MS was kind enough to make us aware off so they get a pass on those.
Where is the File Explorer?

c0wb0ycliche said:
Love Windows Phone 7, don't really love the hardware quality of the HD7. There are a few software issue that I am hoping are user fixable and not something I have to wait for an update to address.
1. Search button behavior in Internet Explorer - it irritates me immensely that when you hit the search button on the HD7, it brings up the Google desktop website. Similarly if you enter text in the address bar it searches Google, not Bing. If I wanted to use Google, I'd have kept my Android device. Is there a way to change this yet, and set the T-Mobile USA HD7 to default to the Bing app and not the Google website? Its especially annoying because the results bring you to mobile formatted pages.
2. This is more of a complaint than a fixable issue until copy and paste comes, but I have noticed that the text type recognition doesn't work all the time. In some places if I click an address it goes to Bing Maps but other times it does nothing, it looks like it highlights the word I touch. I haven't been able to find any pattern in which sites work and which don't, but its frustrating.
3. Sometimes when I get a text message the notification sound plays all choppy. It does seem to happen only where service is bad. Is there a fix for this?
4. Office and Skydrive. Maybe I am just retarded but I feel like there should be a way to access my Office files online, specifically through SkyDrive since I can save to it from Office on the computer. Do I have to have a Sharepoint server to do this? Can I really not access my SkyDrive files?
If I remember more I will post.
Also, is there an ETA for Flash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Apparently carriers can change the search engine within Internet Explorer, and we can't do anything about it. Once someone gets access to editing the registry, maybe we will be able to change that. BUT I do have some help for you: Search something in Google, and then scroll down to the bottom, find the "Settings" link. Then you can change it to NOT format sites for mobile phones. That should make the experience better!
2. Addresses have to be in a certain format: #### N Street Rd, Zip Code. Like this address, 6362 N Calle Campeche, 85750. If it doesn't have the zip code after the street, it sadly doesn't recognize it. Hopefully they fix that, it's a great feature otherwise.
3. Idk, never had that happen.
4. You can access your Skydrive files and download them to your phone by going to the SkyDrive website (they have a mobile version), but you can't upload any documents from your phone or upload the changes you make in a doc you download. It has been rumored that SkyDrive integration will be implemented at some point.
alabij said:
My issues with HD7
Like many people I love this phone but coming from Windows Mobile 6.5 and donw (isn't that weird to say), this phone is really lacking.
1) The Zune software is crap for lack of a better word. No Smart DJ; No Artist photos; no random track play etc. These are not deal breakers but if you came from the Zune HD like me then you'll feel let down.
2) Font Size. It might just be me, but not being able to set a minimal font size is ridiculous. I use the word ridiculous because even my first pocket Pc phone edition in 2001 allowed font resize.
3) No ability to sync my desktop mobile favs. Yes! I know of the work around but wasn't the point of the new OS to avoid all that crap.
4) I want to be able to sync with my local address book. This whole facebook and windows live thing . . . .Look at it this way, if your contacts are based through FB then if one of those contacts cancels their FB acct then you automatically loose all that data. Of course this is not a MS thing.
4) With my HD2 and HTC Sense, I was used to seeing ALL my FB contact photos. Again not an MS thing but . . . .
5) This is really more of a gripe than anything but the battery icon doesn't tell much.How come I can't see exactly how much juice I have left.
6) Unified Inbox, flash, cut and paste. These are all things MS was kind enough to make us aware off so they get a pass on those.
Where is the File Explorer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yeah, I miss SmartDJ too. I never looked at an artist's pictures however. Their picture does load as a background image, but I know that's not what you're referring to. By random track playing, you mean Shuffle? In the now playing screen, tap on the album art, and then click the shuffle icon.
2. Font size depends on the user of course. I'm good with it as it is, but they should have made an option to change it. Maybe a future update.
3. Eh yeah. I don't use favorites honestly
4. You mean how the HTC Album app in WinMo could access all of your friends online Facebook photo albums, right from their contact card? Yeah I loveeeed that in HTC Sense. I was really disappointed when my WP7 didn't have something like that.
4.2. Umm, if a friend cancels their Facebook account, you don't loose anything that you stored yourself. Just add a contact's info into your Windows Live contacts, it will never disappear.
5. Maybe someone will write a battery percentage app. Idk.
6. I personally can't wait for copy/paste!
7. Microsoft made it decetly clear months ago that there wouldn't be a file explorer.

Thanks for the tips, and I'm really hoping someone figures out how to change the search option. It's annoying when my bosses WP7 (HTC Surround) pulls up the bing app in IE, and mine goes to the Google site. You can remove all carrier and manufacture apps (1 step forward) but can't choose your default internet search while your carrier can (2 steps back.)
Hardware wise, the issues I have are these:
After a couple days, the back and battery color have some discoloration. I don't have particularly dirty or clammy hands, so I don't know why this is. It weirdly also doesn't look like where my fingers actually are, so maybe it's heat related. I've seen similar issues on the Touch Pro and the G2. I think it has something to do with the soft touch material.
There is also a gap between the two pieces of the battery cover. This I have seen on literally every unit I've touched. Mine, my boyfriends, the demo unit at T-Mobile, and the ones at Best Buy.
Likewise, if you press search a little hard, you see like a ripple in the bottom right hand corner. This also was on every device I played with, so it's a general thing.
These things, for me at least, aren't deal breakers, but they are annoying, especially compared to the absolutely astounding build quality of the HD2.
...
anyway.
All of this stuff aside, I must say, my actual general usage experience with the device (again, more WP7 than the HD7 specifically) has been honestly, wonderful.
I've found that in my experience,true to Microsoft's goal, everything just works, and works quickly. Coming from Android (recently, after the HD2 I just couldn't deal with WM6.5) and having had every phone in between (iPhone, Palm Pre, a crap ton of Android phones, even a Symbian phone) I must say that I have had the fewest problems, and most fluid experience of all, on WP7. General usage stuff like calls, texts, e-mail, web browsing, social networking etc. are all just super fast and efficient (with maybe the only exception being Facebook's annoying load time, but its not horribly necessary with the "what's new" section in People. Also, despite some issues (like it taking me a week to realize you can click on the song list under now playing) the media and gaming is hands down the best I've had on a phone.

Ugh, is the T-Mobile HD7 locked into Google?
I thought the whole idea of the Search button was to get quick access to the Bing Search Application. Is this so or is it only the search in IE?
Hoping they'll add a way to change that ASAP.

Jonno2343 said:
Ugh, is the T-Mobile HD7 locked into Google?
I thought the whole idea of the Search button was to get quick access to the Bing Search Application. Is this so or is it only the search in IE?
Hoping they'll add a way to change that ASAP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only in IE. Press Search from the start screen and it'll work like you expect (opening Bing)

Jonno2343 said:
Ugh, is the T-Mobile HD7 locked into Google?
I thought the whole idea of the Search button was to get quick access to the Bing Search Application. Is this so or is it only the search in IE?
Hoping they'll add a way to change that ASAP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The T-Mobile US variant of the HD7 works like this, in all places other than a) Internet Explorer or b) app that override the search button (like contacts) when you press the search key it bring up Bing. When in IE, it goes to google.com. When in an app with an override, it searches within that app.

c0wb0ycliche said:
The T-Mobile US variant of the HD7 works like this, in all places other than a) Internet Explorer or b) app that override the search button (like contacts) when you press the search key it bring up Bing. When in IE, it goes to google.com. When in an app with an override, it searches within that app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About your part B... that's how the search button is supposed to work, Windows Phone was designed like that. The T-Mobile USA HD7 is only different than other phones in part A.

as a few more days have passed, I also noticed that sometimes the Marketplace will lock up. The phone doesn't, I can still go back to the start screen, use all other apps etc, but when I go into Marketplace again it says loading and then goes back into to start unless I restart the device. Not a big deal, not too common, but still a bug. I think its related to the small freezes while browsing apps when it's loading the icons.

To clarify, you can upload and save your changes to SkyDrive. Simply tap down at the application settings and select synchronize. That will sync any changes with SkyDrive.
Sent from my HD7 using Board Express

Edit: it just works with OneNote.
But I think if you download excel doc from SkyDrive and make changes it will sync with SkyDrive?
Sent from my HD7 using Board Express

c0wb0ycliche said:
as a few more days have passed, I also noticed that sometimes the Marketplace will lock up. The phone doesn't, I can still go back to the start screen, use all other apps etc, but when I go into Marketplace again it says loading and then goes back into to start unless I restart the device. Not a big deal, not too common, but still a bug. I think its related to the small freezes while browsing apps when it's loading the icons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, that's a problem with just about everyone that has an HTC phone. I'm not sure if it affects Samsung and LG too, but I wouldn't be surprised if it does too.

[Q] Few questions before buying an HD7

I'm really thinking of buying an HD7, but im stuck in between a dell streak.
Im using it to replace my cruddy netbook so i'll be luggin a bluetooth keyboard around.
The dell streak can connect with a bluetooth keyboard but can an HD7 do that? cuz it will otherwise be perfect for word processing with the kickstand and office.

You pose a good question but at this early stage it's like comparing apples to oranges. The HD7 right now is just a phone, literally. The Dell streak is really a tablet and full featured.
There are a million threads all over the forum about pro's and con's of the HD7. I would suggest glancing through those threads to see if any of the attributes apply to you.

How about you wait for gingerbread tablets coming out next year or maybe a honeycomb one t0o

iphonepimp said:
cuz it will otherwise be perfect for word processing with the kickstand and office.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should also check how easy it will be to get the Word document on/off the phone. From what I read the document has to be upload to your Skydrive account first. And the mobile Skydrive page loaded in IE, not the Office hub, from where the Word document is opened. And, I may be wrong, any edits are NOT saved back to Skydrive. I'm sure I read this but hope I'm wrong.
I'm guessing editing documents will be a lot easier on Android as you'll have direct / easier access to your Google Docs.

Mujja said:
You should also check how easy it will be to get the Word document on/off the phone. From what I read the document has to be upload to your Skydrive account first. And the mobile Skydrive page loaded in IE, not the Office hub, from where the Word document is opened. And, I may be wrong, any edits are NOT saved back to Skydrive. I'm sure I read this but hope I'm wrong.
I'm guessing editing documents will be a lot easier on Android as you'll have direct / easier access to your Google Docs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
microsoft have moved my Live office to skydrive, so now all my office live documents will be saved in my skydrive now...

My suggestion for eyes preventing and back health

Helllo! I am Russian, my English is not very good, but I have not success with my idea in my country (nobody cares about health).
I want to talk about absolutely another way for health caring, if you compare this with traditional design and usability.
Now we have a LOT of people with glasses. People take their first glasses in childhood, and most of them using tablet or PC very often, and this is really bad. Also, we can see something like this (it's not me , and it's very bad to.
Why his back is a curve? It's not only "bad habbit" of one man, it's a problem of many people . I think that the reason of bad back and glasses is very simple and stupid - he (we) physically can not see text well, and glasses or curve back it's a trying for compensation!
So, if we want to have health people, developers should rebuild old methods of text displaying, because they are not compatible with our health!
Most of Russian spend a lot of time for sitting in our social network. VK.COM . If we talk about PC (not mobile phone or tablet), it uses 11px font by default! It's not only very small font, it's very low detailed font, especially, if we remember, that "program" DPI is 96 (in paper this is 300). Really display DPI in windows does not matter - font drawing in 3 times less.
I want to say we should use 16px/12pt font size by default, and stop use small font size. It's something like this (if we say about detalization)
Why 16 px? Firstly, it is compatible with 12 pt (12pt*96dpi/72=16px). So, we can use 16px not only in web, but also in Window interface. Secondly, I want to say that "bigger is better", but 18px (for example) in most of font look absolutely different (bolder) with 12-17px, it is unusual for some people.
Also, I want to say about features of human text perception. Long line length (more 100 symbols) is not good for us, and text understanding becomes worse. If we read books, line length physically can not be very long, but in the Internet a lot of text (for example, Wikipedia) do not consider this. Bigger font size can reduce line length, but developers should to consider it.
I mean, that most of children hate reading, because this associated with big eyes's strain (small font-size), curve back and inability to get text well (loong line-length).
Also, some rules are existed - if we use bigger font and shorter line-length, we should reduce line-height. Default line-height is 150%, I think we need to reduce it to 136%.
So, these principles can be simple realized in CSS:
*{font-size:16px;
line-height:136%}
I called it ESI - eyes saving interface, and it have realization in plugin, which load custom CSS for sites. There is not only font-size and line-height, it includes rebuild site rebuilding. I does not make it good, but something like this:
It's usual VK
It's ESIed VK
It can looks unusual and bad, if compare it with traditional representation of design, but I believe it's better for health.
ESI is better, than scaling, because we don't lost information, and ideally we can control base FONT-size.
It's YouTube
It's ESI YouTube.
Ideally, user need to have an opportunity for manual tuning of base text parameters.
It's wikipedia's control (prototype). You can choose font-size, line-height, max-width, and you can change font-family (for big texts it's preferred use serif, but apply it for every element it's too global)
Also, ESI realized to Windows in themes, you can download it and try. You can apply it correct to the Windows 7 (maybe Vista) only, because Windows 8 has independent font setting.
But Windows have some "bug" - you can set 12pt for icon's text, but horizontal spaces are not in theme. It means, that icon's names will look like
«Wind...» int 12 pt, not «Windows» in 8(9?)pt. In Windows 7 you canenlarge horizontal spaces to 85 (I prefer numbers that are divisible by 17) or something, but in Windows 8 you can not control it, maybe in registry.
So... I think that ESI idea should have some support. Suppose I can rebuild every program and site for comfortable of my eyes, but it's quite hard and eats my time. I'll still see people with poor eyesight and curve back, who hate reading, and I believe, that some developers can affect on it.
Now, you can test ESI with my plugin (it's Stylish with little mod) and give your opinion. You can install it using google chrome bit.ly/esi_c or bit.ly/esi_o for opera. Then you can find esi styles for some sites, Facebook (I did not work on it), Wikipedia, YouTube...
I can not post external link for images...

It's good someone's passionate about this and I think it would be a good idea. I hope one day you vision is achieved (no pun intended)

you can do it!! :silly: