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    VMware AppBlast to deliver desktop apps via HTML5 browsers

    VMware AppBlast to deliver desktop apps via HTML5 browsers

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    VMware App Blast Photoshop
    VMware App Blast Photoshop

    This past August, VMware gave a short preview of a new software offering called "Project AppBlast," which essentially allows you to access any app on your desktop using an HTML5-complaint browser. With the software, you will be able to access something like Photoshop on your desktop using the web browser on, say, your iPad. Although it doesn't give you full desktop access in the same way that a proper VNC app would, the upside is that you won't need to install additional software on your device to use it.

    The way it appears to work is by providing a web server and an HTML5 layer that translates clicks and taps into commands for the app. We've embedded a demo below from the VMworld conference which shows it to work pretty well, at least in that controlled environment. AppBlast also includes a web portal to launch your apps, along with thumbnails that show recent windows states.

    VMware will offer various versions for both personal and enterprise use. Unfortunately, there's no word on availability, but we can "expect announcements in the not-too-distant future."