Pieceable today launched the Pieceable Viewer, a way to use embedded iOS apps from a web page.
Using Flash to run, the viewer can replicate iOS functions and bring apps to the web browser. According to the people behind the service, developers need not worry about the UDID shuffle or 100 device limit that is usually associated with getting a fledgling app into testers’ hands. Now a web-based version can be used for testing, though whether we’d want to trust it for finding and fixing real world bugs, we’re not quite sure.
Thanks to Pieceable Viewer, developers can simply email a link to anyone who has access to a web browser with no need to amend any code within the app. Simply submit the built application and Pieceable takes care of the rest.
The service, however, isn’t free, writes TechCrunch.
Currently the Viewer has a tiered-pricing plan, with Free getting you 1 simultaneous viewer, 1 app and a link that expires, $30 getting you 3 simultaneous viewers and 5 iPhone apps, and $60 getting you 10 viewers, unlimited apps in addition to app links that never expire.
This isn’t the first time a company has sought to bring mobile apps to the desktop. BlueStacks is an app that emulates Android, allowing apps to be run as if they were on an Android device. While BlueStacks is Windows-only, the web-based solution of Pieceable Viewer is cross-platform.
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