runtime
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The next version of Android will enhance battery life, speed up apps
Several months ago, Google added an experimental runtime option to speed up apps in Android 4.4 KitKat. A runtime, for the record, supports the apps running on your device -- without it they'd be nothing but piles of useless code. Called ART (short for Android Runtime), that same mode will become the default when Mountain View releases the next version of its operating system. Developers spotted tweaks to Android's open-source code indicating the upcoming change, and the update looks to be a positive one. Without getting bogged down in details, ART essentially makes apps run faster and more efficiently, with the downside being that they'll take up slightly more space on your phone, as well as lengthier install times.
Runtime makes it easy to track where you run, walk or hike
Runtime from Conrad Stoll is a simple fitness app that does one thing and does it well -- it tracks your most important statistics while you run, walk, or hike. I'm using it to track my cross-country skiing and snowshoeing this winter and have been exceptionally pleased with the app's performance. The best feature of Runtime, and the reason why I still use it five months later, is the way it organizes your activities according to "Places" that you define. Instead of a scrollable log of your different exercise sessions, Runtime allows me to organize my sessions by trail loop, making it easy for me to see how many times I skied the Stephens trail or went snowshoeing on the Noyes trail. Runtime is easy to use, which is major advantage when you want just get running and don't want to fumble around with an app. Just fire up Runtime when you are ready to head out and select the "Place" you are going to run. Add a new session and then click the "Start" button to start the timer. The app supports interval training and has the ability to pause if you need to take a break for any reason. When you are done, you can save the run to your "Places" log and then call it up for future review. Runtime provides detailed statistics on each run, including distance, pace and steps, which are from the iPhone 5s M7 motion co-processor. The app displays your run on a map and color codes it so you can see where you were walking and where you were running. Several different map options allow you to see your run in a satellite view or a moving 3D view that takes you along the path of your run. The GPS tracking was accurate for picking up my path through the woods, and the app did a decent job detecting when I was running and when I was walking. The step count was consistent when I was snowshoeing, but struggled to pick up my movement when skiing. This a limitation of the M7, which only detects certain activities as step-based movement. You also can view information on the pace and altitude of each run, which are displayed in chart format. If you want to add personal details not captured by GPS, you can add a note to each stored run. You can share your runs via AirDrop, KML/GPX export or on social networks like Twitter or Facebook. Support for Dropbox import and export ensures you won't lose your history when you upgrade or change devices. Runtime has a basic feature set that is balanced perfectly by the app's usability. Runtime is so easy to use, taking me less than a minute to open the app and fire up the tracker before I hit the trail. When I am done, Runtime stores only the critical statistics that I need to measure my performance. Runtime is available for $2.99 from the iOS App Store. It is compatible with the iPhone and requires iOS 7. There are no in-app purchases, no ads and no required logins to use the fitness tracking part of the app.
'ART' experiment in Android KitKat improves battery life and speeds up apps
Efforts have been made to speed up the Dalvik runtime that underscores most Android apps, but sometimes the best fix is a replacement. Google's working on it, albeit experimentally. Baked into Android 4.4 is ART, a new runtime option that aims to redesign how Android interprets application code. The specifics are pretty granular if you're not a developer, but it's hard to argue with results: early tests show that ART could cut execution time in half for many applications. This means apps will launch and run faster, react quicker and demand less of your device's processor - potentially improving battery life. The trade-off? Installing applications might take a little longer and they will probably take up a bit more storage space. Sounds like a worthy exchange to us.
Skype's BlackBerry 10 app still on its way, will be an Android port (update)
We've been told that nearly 40 percent of all BlackBerry 10 apps in BB World are Android ports, but what about some of the big-name apps boasted on stage at the launch event last week? In its latest blog post, Skype revealed its dirty secret: the service is "working closely with BlackBerry to ensure the Skype for Android app runs great in the BlackBerry 10 environment." Indeed, one of the most anticipated programs announced on January 30th -- which we're told should be available soon -- is a repackaged Android port; this leaves us a little skeptical of its performance, though we'll save final judgment for when it's finally ready to download. Let's just say we're hoping that Runtime adds Jelly Bean support sooner rather than later. Update: Well, it took a couple days, but Skype rep finally got back to us with some clarification on this matter: "You are correct that the Skype app coming to BlackBerry 10 is our very popular Skype for Android app. We are excited that BlackBerry is enabling Android apps like Skype for Android run great on BB10, and are fully supporting the Android runtime environment and Android tools for BlackBerry 10. This allows us to leverage our existing Skype for Android! Development efforts to quickly have the latest version of our app (Skype for Android 3.1) ready for BlackBerry 10. We are closely collaborating with BlackBerry to ensure the app runs well and that BlackBerry 10 users will have a great Skype experience. To that end, we are working closely with BlackBerry to open up some of the integration points available to native apps in the OS so that they can also be used by the Skype application and we expect the app will allow Skype users to see notifications, to start the app from the Hub, and to see their Skype contacts in the native phone book."
Silverlight hits 5.0, Microsoft silent as to its future
Last we heard, there were whispers that Redmond's favorite runtime / framework / Flash-killer was due for a fresh release "soon." Confirming those rumors is version 5.0 of Microsoft's cross-platform Silverlight, now available for download. Headlining the release is hardware decoding of H.264 streams, improved postscript printing and a better graphics stack, replete with support for things in the third dimension. Rumors that Silverlight's own luminance is fading still go unanswered, without confirmation or denial from Microsoft -- but why let uncertainty get you down? Hit the source and turn that frown upside down.
RIM announces PlayBook 2.0 Developer Beta and Runtime, marries Android to BlackBerry
Research in Motion announced the developer beta of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 today at its annual DevCon event. The new beta will be released today, and has a few goodies that we've been waiting a long time for: namely, BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps and the BlackBerry Plug-In for Android Development Tools, which will give developers the opportunity to bring their Android apps to the PlayBook. Also coming along for the ride is support for Adobe AIR 3, Flash Player 11 and WebGL, a new tech that enables hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to show in the browser without needing additional software. Needless to say, this changes the ballgame a bit for Waterloo. Sounds great, but is it enough to keep the company's head above water? Remains to be seen, but check out the press release after the break to get the full scoop, and head over to the Runtime site to get started.
Apple contributing to OpenJDK project, ensures continued Java availability on OS X
As of just a few weeks ago, Java's legacy of write once, debug everywhere was looking in doubt. Apple's flavor of the Java 6 runtime was deprecated and all those .class and .jar files on Macs were looking like they'd swirl to a lingering death in the great coffee pot in the sky. That all changes today with an announcement from both Apple and Oracle that Cupertino developers will "contribute most of the key components" for OpenJDK Java SE 7 implementations on 32- and 64-bit flavors of OS X, with runtime virtual machines set to cover both Snow Leopard and the upcoming Lion release. Additionally, Apple will continue to make the SE 6 version of Java available, while Oracle will take over responsibility for ownership and distribution of version 7 and those to come. Makes sense -- Apple might be pulling away from the enterprise and server markets, but there are lots of Java devs using Mac OS X out there, and it's only natural for Oracle to pick up support for them.
Adobe AIR runtime for Android lands, apps already starting to follow
We've been looking forward to this for a while, and now it's here: Adobe AIR runtime for Android. That means developers using Flash Builder or Flash Professional CS5 can publish AIR apps directly to the Android Market, and all users will need is this little runtime from the Market and they're set. AIR's desktop-oriented .air packages aren't compatible, so you can't just go and grab anything, but there are AIR apps already starting to pop up -- AppBrain has a whole list of them in one of the source links below -- since Adobe has been trialling this with developers for a little while now. Check out a video demo of the procedure from the developer end of things after the break.
Flash on the iPhone, in demo form
Flash has finally made its way to the iPhone, with the help of some sneaky developers. The open source Gordon project, hosted over at github, has provided a JavaScript-powered Flash runtime. With it, you can actually load and view Flash's .swf files, even on the iPhone's Mobile Safari browser. I gave it a try earlier today and was delighted to find that several Flash demos ran fine on my 3GS, no jailbreaking or other installation necessary. Admittedly, this is a very preliminary build, that supports just these SWF tags. Also, to make this work, Flash developers will need to encapsulate the SWF into an HTML wrapper, importing the Gordon JavaScript source and then loading the swf, as shown here. I am not a Flash expert by any means, but this seems like a pretty cool development for any iPhone enthusiasts who would be interested in seeing the platform support that technology. At this point, there's not much to show for it besides a few demos (and who knows what Apple will think about this), but at least there's a currently viable way to run and view Flash on the iPhone. Thanks, August Joki. And yes, the project name is apparently a riff on Flash Gordon
