TechnesstivityBlackBerry Runtime Brings Android Apps To PlayBook OS 2.0 and BlackBerry 10
PlayBook users, it’s time to finally get some apps on your tablet. RIM has announced via its developer blog that it has decided to launch BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps. The runtime enables Android developers repackage existing Android apps for the PlayBook and upcoming BlackBerry 10 devices.
There’s a deadline of February 6th which is the date for the release of PlayBook OS 2.0. The blog post from RIM lists a few prerequisites. Developers must remove the mention of the word ‘Android‘ in the application and in the name of the application itself. They must also remove all links to Android market and make sure the documentation is signed.
Basically, before developers upload apps, .apks will be converted to .bar via a range of RIM tools. This means RIM wants Android apps but not Android apps. Get it?
If developers go with this option, it could mean a downside for Google. The Android platform is so open that developers can build on it and eventually by-pass Google and its products along the line. Just like we’ve seen in Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Nook’s Tablet.
