Detecting User Presence in Adobe AIR

Adobe AIR has a simple API for detecting if a user is idle based on keyboard and mouse activity.  Developers can add code to their application to auto-save data locally (using AIR's local database or file access), lock the application until a password is entered, etc.

This sample and many others are available in Tour de Flex. 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:WindowedApplication xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="absolute" backgroundColor="#323232" 
    verticalAlign="middle" horizontalAlign="center" creationComplete="init()" viewSourceURL="srcview/index.html">
    <mx:Script>
    <![CDATA[
    import flash.desktop.NativeApplication;
    import mx.controls.Alert;
    private const IDLETIME:int = 5; //Seconds
    
    private function init():void {
        NativeApplication.nativeApplication.idleThreshold = IDLETIME;
        NativeApplication.nativeApplication.addEventListener(Event.USER_IDLE, onIdle);
        NativeApplication.nativeApplication.addEventListener (Event.USER_PRESENT, onPresence);
        idlemsg.text = "Status: Active - status will change if idle for more than " + IDLETIME + " seconds";
    }
    
    private function onIdle(event:Event):void {
        idlemsg.text = "Status:  Idle for at least " + IDLETIME + " seconds";
    }
    
    private function onPresence(event:Event):void {
        idlemsg.text = "Status: Active again - status will change if idle for more than " + IDLETIME + " seconds";
    }
    ]]>
    </mx:Script>    
    
    <mx:Label id="idlemsg" color="white"/>
    
</mx:WindowedApplication>