You can run some Android apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook thanks to the Android App Player built into the latest versions of the tablet’s operating system. Soon you might be able to run iOS apps as well.
A developer going by the name “Bubble Wrap” or Businesscat2000 has posted a few videos showing an iOS app player designed to run on Windows and on the BlackBerry PlayBook.
Basically the tool emulates the environment necessary for an iOS app to run on a device that’s not running Apple’s mobile operating system.
Games seem to run very well — but since they’re not designed for a device with a 1024 x 600 pixel display, Brine adds black bars along the sides.
Of course, there are two potential problems with the emulator:
- It could incur the wrath of Apple and end up in a legal quagmire.
- Research in Motion may not allow Brine to be distributed in the BlackBerry App World because… well, see number one.
So I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for a public release of the Brine iOS emulator. But if the developer doesn’t run into any cease and desist orders, you may be able to sideload it onto a PlayBook one day.
The emulator was originally developed for Windows, and you can see it in action on a Windows PC in another demo video. But the nice thing about running Brine on a BlackBerry tablet is that you can use the tablet’s touchscreen and motion sensors.
via BlackBerryOS, OSBB, and CrackBerry Forums