diff --git a/R/react.R b/R/react.R
index 61e040f47..ca47a0e7f 100644
--- a/R/react.R
+++ b/R/react.R
@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ Map <- setRefClass(
   )
 )
 
+`[.Map` <- function(map, name) {
+  map$get(name)
+}
+
+`[<-.Map` <- function(map, name, value) {
+  map$set(name, value)
+  return(map)
+}
+
 as.list.Map <- function(map) {
   sapply(map$keys(),
          map$get,
@@ -207,6 +216,24 @@ Values <- setRefClass(
   )
 )
 
+`[.Values` <- function(values, name) {
+  values$get(name)
+}
+
+`[<-.Values` <- function(values, name, value) {
+  values$set(name, value)
+  return(values)
+}
+
+make.values.accessor <- function(values) {
+  acc <- list(impl=values)
+  class(acc) <- 'ValuesAccessor'
+  acc
+}
+`$.ValuesAccessor` <- function(acc, name) {
+  acc[['impl']]$get(name)
+}
+
 Observable <- setRefClass(
   'Observable',
   fields = c(
@@ -259,6 +286,10 @@ Observable <- setRefClass(
   )
 )
 
+observable <- function(func) {
+  Observable$new(func)
+}
+
 Observer <- setRefClass(
   'Observer',
   fields = list(
diff --git a/R/shiny.R b/R/shiny.R
index 5666eea76..5e27ebcb0 100644
--- a/R/shiny.R
+++ b/R/shiny.R
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ start.app <- function(app, www.root, sys.www.root=NULL, port=8101L) {
           get.input <- function(name) {
             shinyapp$session$get(name)
           }
+          input <- make.values.accessor(shinyapp$session)
           
           if (is.function(app))
             app()
diff --git a/examples/02_hash/app.R b/examples/02_hash/app.R
index 67ace2b47..27d4cd39d 100644
--- a/examples/02_hash/app.R
+++ b/examples/02_hash/app.R
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 library(digest)
 
-input <- Observable$new(function() {
-  str <- get.input('input1')
-  if (get.input('addnewline'))
+text <- observable(function() {
+  str <- input$input1
+  if (input$addnewline)
     str <- paste(str, "\n", sep='')
   return(str)
 })
 
 define.output('md5_hash', function() {
-  digest(input$get.value(), algo='md5', serialize=F)
+  digest(text$get.value(), algo='md5', serialize=F)
 })
 define.output('sha1_hash', function() {
-  digest(input$get.value(), algo='sha1', serialize=F)
+  digest(text$get.value(), algo='sha1', serialize=F)
 })
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/03_distributions/app.R b/examples/03_distributions/app.R
index 51f193804..9ba2fbb72 100644
--- a/examples/03_distributions/app.R
+++ b/examples/03_distributions/app.R
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-data <- Observable$new(function() {
+data <- observable(function() {
   # Choose a distribution function
-  dist <- switch(get.input('dist'),
+  dist <- switch(input$dist,
                  norm = rnorm,
                  unif = runif,
                  lnorm = rlnorm,
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@ data <- Observable$new(function() {
                  rnorm)
   
   # Generate n values from the distribution function
-  dist(as.integer(get.input('n')))
+  dist(as.integer(input$n))
 })
 
 define.plot('plot1', function() {
-  dist <- get.input('dist')
-  n <- get.input('n')
+  dist <- input$dist
+  n <- input$n
   
   hist(data$get.value(), 
        main=paste('r', dist, '(', n, ')', sep=''))
@@ -25,4 +25,4 @@ define.table('table1', function() {
 
 define.output('summary1', function() {
   paste(capture.output(print(summary(data$get.value()))), collapse="\n")
-})
\ No newline at end of file
+})