Web-based applications, 'computing in the clouds,' has several advantages over installed desktop software. Applications are always up to date, and they are available no matter what computer with what operating system you are using to access them. The spread of computing in the clouds has already had a dramatic effect on how software is being produced. However, web-based applications have limitations as well, such as in saving data on a local hard drive, dragging and dropping between applications, even getting appointment reminders when the browser window is not open. To a team at Adobe led by Kevin Lynch, the solution is both--hybrid applications that harness the power of both the browser and the desktop. Lynch's team is developing a system called the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), a 'runtime environment' that allows an application to run on any machine and operating system that has AIR installed. (Java is another example of a runtime environment.) AIR is built to allow developers to employ HTML and Flash in their applications, allowing the application to exchange data with websites without a change of formatting. eBay is already beta testing an AIR application, eBay Desktop, that updates eBay information without relying on the browser, and provides a user with more powerful search tools than those available on the website. Lynch describes AIR as a response to the Internet's evolution from 'the Web of pages' to a more interactive medium.