Adobe ships Flash 10.1 to mobile device makers
Adobe on Tuesday announced the release of Flash Player 10.1 for Mobile, pitching it as "the first release that brings the full Web across desktops and devices."
Adobe said that Flash Player 10.1 will be available as a final production release for Android-based smartphones and tablets once users are able to upgrade to Android 2.2, dubbed "Froyo." The mobile version of Flash was also released to platform partners to be supported on devices based on BlackBerry, webOS, future versions of Windows Phone, LiMo, MeeGo and Symbian OS.
"We are thrilled that more than three million Flash designers and developers are now able to unleash their creativity on the world of smart phones, tablets, netbooks, televisions and other consumer electronics," said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president, Platform Business at Adobe. "The combined power of the leading rich media technology platform with millions of passionate creatives is sure to impact the world in ways we haven?t even imagined yet."
Android devices expected to support both Android 2.2 and Flash Player 10.1 in the near future are the Dell Streak, Google Nexus One, HTC Evo, HTC Desire, HTC Incredible, Motorola Droid, Motorola Milestone and Samsung Galaxy S.
"We are excited that Android is the first mobile platform to support the full Flash Player," said Andy Rubin, vice president of engineering at Google. "Now mobile users can browse the full Web on their smart phones, and Android developers can use industry-leading tools to create immersive experiences on the Web."
Adobe originally intended to release Flash 10.1 in the second half of 2009, but it was later pushed to the first half of 2010. In April, the company revealed that its new mobile Flash player would slip to the second half of 2010, but Tuesday's release would suggest that the delay was not as significant as was originally anticipated.
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs noted Adobe's delays earlier this month at the All Things D conference, when he was interviewed by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher of The Wall Street Journal. Jobs noted that there are no smartphones shipping with Flash installed, to which Mossberg responded that there "will be."
"Well, there 'will be' for the last two or three years," Jobs quipped. "But HTML5 is starting to emerge."
Jobs also noted that his company has a history of abandoning technology it feels is on the way out, noting that they were one of the first to get rid of optical drives with the MacBook Air.
"When we do this, sometimes people call us crazy," he said. "Sometimes you have to pick the right horses. Flash looks like it had its day but it's waning, and HTML5 loos like it's coming up."
While Apple has banned Flash from its devices powered by the iPhone OS, including the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, it has embraced HTML5. The exclusion of Flash has been pegged by Apple on the Web format's alleged instability and high power consumption in mobile devices. The fight between the two companies has been a matter of considerable debate, but many major Web sites have turned to HTML5 since the release of the iPad.
In addition to banning Flash from its mobile Web browsers, Apple also changed the iPhone developer agreement to ban third-party tools that would allow software to be ported from other formats, like Adobe Flash, to native iPhone OS software. Jobs said such tools would result in substandard applications on the Apple-controlled App Store. Those changes have come under federal scrutiny, as the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are considering an antitrust inquiry into the matter.
The desktop counterpart of Flash Player 10.1 for Mac shipped earlier this month after more than six months of beta testing. The plugin works with Firefox, Opera, and Safari browsers, but it does not yet include official support for hardware video acceleration. Users who want early hardware acceleration must download Adobe's preview release of "Gala" H.264 hardware decoding, allowing Flash videos to play more efficiently on Macs.
Adobe said that Flash Player 10.1 will be available as a final production release for Android-based smartphones and tablets once users are able to upgrade to Android 2.2, dubbed "Froyo." The mobile version of Flash was also released to platform partners to be supported on devices based on BlackBerry, webOS, future versions of Windows Phone, LiMo, MeeGo and Symbian OS.
"We are thrilled that more than three million Flash designers and developers are now able to unleash their creativity on the world of smart phones, tablets, netbooks, televisions and other consumer electronics," said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president, Platform Business at Adobe. "The combined power of the leading rich media technology platform with millions of passionate creatives is sure to impact the world in ways we haven?t even imagined yet."
Android devices expected to support both Android 2.2 and Flash Player 10.1 in the near future are the Dell Streak, Google Nexus One, HTC Evo, HTC Desire, HTC Incredible, Motorola Droid, Motorola Milestone and Samsung Galaxy S.
"We are excited that Android is the first mobile platform to support the full Flash Player," said Andy Rubin, vice president of engineering at Google. "Now mobile users can browse the full Web on their smart phones, and Android developers can use industry-leading tools to create immersive experiences on the Web."
Adobe originally intended to release Flash 10.1 in the second half of 2009, but it was later pushed to the first half of 2010. In April, the company revealed that its new mobile Flash player would slip to the second half of 2010, but Tuesday's release would suggest that the delay was not as significant as was originally anticipated.
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs noted Adobe's delays earlier this month at the All Things D conference, when he was interviewed by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher of The Wall Street Journal. Jobs noted that there are no smartphones shipping with Flash installed, to which Mossberg responded that there "will be."
"Well, there 'will be' for the last two or three years," Jobs quipped. "But HTML5 is starting to emerge."
Jobs also noted that his company has a history of abandoning technology it feels is on the way out, noting that they were one of the first to get rid of optical drives with the MacBook Air.
"When we do this, sometimes people call us crazy," he said. "Sometimes you have to pick the right horses. Flash looks like it had its day but it's waning, and HTML5 loos like it's coming up."
While Apple has banned Flash from its devices powered by the iPhone OS, including the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, it has embraced HTML5. The exclusion of Flash has been pegged by Apple on the Web format's alleged instability and high power consumption in mobile devices. The fight between the two companies has been a matter of considerable debate, but many major Web sites have turned to HTML5 since the release of the iPad.
In addition to banning Flash from its mobile Web browsers, Apple also changed the iPhone developer agreement to ban third-party tools that would allow software to be ported from other formats, like Adobe Flash, to native iPhone OS software. Jobs said such tools would result in substandard applications on the Apple-controlled App Store. Those changes have come under federal scrutiny, as the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are considering an antitrust inquiry into the matter.
The desktop counterpart of Flash Player 10.1 for Mac shipped earlier this month after more than six months of beta testing. The plugin works with Firefox, Opera, and Safari browsers, but it does not yet include official support for hardware video acceleration. Users who want early hardware acceleration must download Adobe's preview release of "Gala" H.264 hardware decoding, allowing Flash videos to play more efficiently on Macs.
Comments
JMO
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Join the Fight Against Restrictions on Creativity & Innovation!
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Yep because Flash is sooooo much better as a closed and proprietary toolset. Love freedom of choice - don't necessarily love Adobe.
And before the Adobe fans get all riled. Stop. I've been doing this for a longer time than Flash has even existed. So don't even trot out your arguments and your yeah-buts. It's OK. You can like/love yer Adobe tools and I don't. That's the real freedom of choice. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say. It still remains to be seen if Adobe has been able to pull a decent implementation out of their hat, or if they have concocted yet another version of Flash Lite. Thankfully, with the collusion of Google, maybe, just maybe it will be nice to the Android fans out there and work as hyped. Until then, its still just smoke and mirrors.
The big if for owners of all the devices listed, is, if I understand correctly, whether their provider decides to offer the update?
... Thankfully, with the collusion of Google ...
If anyone doubted that Google has no commitment to quality nor real interest in promoting open standards, this should be the final nail in that coffin. They really have no principles that they live by other than greed, and their only commitment is to do anything they can to undermine whatever stands in their way. And I use the word "undermine" deliberately. Google isn't about creating something great that can succeed on it's own merits. They are about investing as little as possible of their own efforts and then trying to succeed by monkey-wrenching everyone else.
I don't think they will succeed with this particular ploy, but it doesn't really matter to them, just like it doesn't really matter to them whether WebM/VP8 is really viable as an "open" video format. They create wreckage when and where they can and try to profit from the destruction when it occurs.
That said, I am using it live stream World Cup matches from the CBC. So I am glad to have it than not have it. But I won't be surfing heavy Flash based websites anytime soon.
I still don't get the big deal over Flash. 95% of the flash content on the web is vomited out crap or video (which could be viewed without it). Someone doesn't really know how to do something so they use Flash.
Also, the reason they need to list specific models mobile flash will work on is because they had to optimize the code for each model or it wouldn't work well. And still it won't do everything and will suck power. Try working with an EVO on 4G while viewing flash. Will that give you a 1/2 hour maybe an hour of use.
as their LAST SALES!!
With the millions and millions of consumers DEMANDING Flash on their mobile products, Apple won't have a chance in hell now.
Those millions and millions of consumers NOW have a choice, and they want the WHOLE INTERNET
Apple is DOOOOOMED !!!!!
I've got it on my Nexus One running FroYo. I will say that it really slows the system down. ...
So, it seems that they still haven't provided a version for mobile with acceptable performance. Frankly, given the nature of the technology, that shouldn't be a surprise. As much as they don't want to admit it, it's likely simply not possible to have good performance and Flash.
Let us know how long your battery lasts.
Adobe says Apple is holding them hostage. But if Apple continues to rely on an outside provider (Flash) then Adobe can hold Apple hostage pretty much anytime they want to. A cleaner example would be: What if Apple did not provide iWork. Then Microsoft could hold Apple hostage over a wordprocesser.
I think Steve may be right. Also, this could be precisely the right timing for this shift away from Flash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY
Funny. I suspect the world would still be waiting for mobile Flash if SJ hadn't made such a public deal of it not being released.
It's mid-2010 and Flash still isn't viable or universal across all Android phones, much less all non-iOS devices on the market. I absolutely believe that if not for Apple pointing out what a piece of crap Flash Lite is Adobe would even be farther behind than they are now. This "see we technically have it running on one version of one mobile OS on one device" is nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory they are trying to spin into a masterful "told you so" against Apple and only a few seem to be being it at this point.
Apple better count those 3 million iPads, and those 100 million iPhones & iPad Touches,
as their LAST SALES!!
With the millions and millions of consumers DEMANDING Flash on their mobile products, Apple won't have a chance in hell now.
Those millions and millions of consumers NOW have a choice, and they want the WHOLE INTERNET
Apple is DOOOOOMED !!!!!
so you expect a plug-in to bring down a multi-billion dollar company? lets wait and see
so you expect a plug-in to bring down a multi-billion dollar company? lets wait and see
I believe Buffy was being sarcastic.
"Apple is DOOOOOOOMED !!!" has been a fairly consistent meme that lends itself well to mocking sarcasm.