Pornographers next to dump Flash for HTML5
Apple is finding an unlikely ally in its efforts to support HTML5 in preference to Adobe Flash as the platform for dynamic web content: pornographers.
According to a report by ConceivablyTech, leading adult film studio Digital Playground has announced its intentions to make the leap to HTML5, based in part upon needing to target HTML5 to reach Apple's iPhone users.
Digital Playground began offering its content to iPhone users two years ago. Because Apple has a policy of not carrying pornography in its own curated App Store, the only option available to to the studio was to use the iPhone's open, unrestricted web platform.
Adobe had failed to release a suitable version of Flash for the iPhone and other mobile platforms, so Digital Playground targeted HTML5 as its mobile delivery platform. Adobe is now nearing the official release of its Flash player for Android, but Ali Joone, the founder and director of Digital Playground, "indicated that it is rather irrelevant to him whether Android will support Flash or not," according to the report.
"Mobile browsers run HTML 5 very well," Joone said. "Flash brings everything to a crawl and has an impact on battery life. With HTML 5, there is no reason to show our content in Flash."
Digital Playground continues to use Flash to target desktop users, but Joone noted that his company plans to make the shift there, too. "We are waiting for browsers to catch up. As soon as they are ready, we will move everything to HTML 5,? noting it was ?just a matter of time? until Flash disappears. ?It?s the next passing of the torch.?
The power of Apple's mobile platform to shift content producers toward open standards is based on dollars. Digital Playground's founder reported, "We were surprised how loyal iPhone and especially iPad owners are. 70% of our customers are returning customers. They spend a lot of money.?
Joone added that people like to watch adult content on mobile devices for the sense of personal space. ?First there was the TV. Then there was the PC, which is now shared by the entire family and it?s not personal anymore. The phone is very personal to us, which is why our content works on this platform.?
According to a report by ConceivablyTech, leading adult film studio Digital Playground has announced its intentions to make the leap to HTML5, based in part upon needing to target HTML5 to reach Apple's iPhone users.
Digital Playground began offering its content to iPhone users two years ago. Because Apple has a policy of not carrying pornography in its own curated App Store, the only option available to to the studio was to use the iPhone's open, unrestricted web platform.
Adobe had failed to release a suitable version of Flash for the iPhone and other mobile platforms, so Digital Playground targeted HTML5 as its mobile delivery platform. Adobe is now nearing the official release of its Flash player for Android, but Ali Joone, the founder and director of Digital Playground, "indicated that it is rather irrelevant to him whether Android will support Flash or not," according to the report.
"Mobile browsers run HTML 5 very well," Joone said. "Flash brings everything to a crawl and has an impact on battery life. With HTML 5, there is no reason to show our content in Flash."
Digital Playground continues to use Flash to target desktop users, but Joone noted that his company plans to make the shift there, too. "We are waiting for browsers to catch up. As soon as they are ready, we will move everything to HTML 5,? noting it was ?just a matter of time? until Flash disappears. ?It?s the next passing of the torch.?
The power of Apple's mobile platform to shift content producers toward open standards is based on dollars. Digital Playground's founder reported, "We were surprised how loyal iPhone and especially iPad owners are. 70% of our customers are returning customers. They spend a lot of money.?
Joone added that people like to watch adult content on mobile devices for the sense of personal space. ?First there was the TV. Then there was the PC, which is now shared by the entire family and it?s not personal anymore. The phone is very personal to us, which is why our content works on this platform.?
Comments
I don't see why this would be a surprise to anyone - I would assume they have lots of paying customers and they, like the FCC, want equal access for everyone! Lol
This is very good news for supporters of HTML5 over flash
I know a lot of people here feel that 'adult content' is dirty stuff and like to point out they don't watch it. I think that's not the point in a free society and despite being a big Apple fan I do not approve their policy on policing the App store content, so I wellcome this news.
I disagree. Policing the app-store is exactly what's needed. The app store should appeal to the largest percentage of users which includes adults, kids, companies, and personal users.
Porn on the website-side (HTML5) is a perfect compromise.
If you're joe-consumer on your own private internet connection, or 3G, you can pleasure yourself to your heart's content.
If the user is using a corporate network then the firewall's policy can restrict content on the HTML5 side.
Both sides - for the most part - are satisfied.
You may not like it, perhaps even I may not like it but I will gladly take Apple's walled-garden approach versus the competitions weed-lawn anytime. People have enough things on their plate to do without having to worry about what apps might be available to the younger minds.
They also tipped the war of Blu ray vs HDDVD.
This is very good news for supporters of HTML5 over flash
Actually, the porn industry was very supportive of HDDVD.
For this reason many people thought that HDDVD would win the format war especially since the porn industry tipped the balance in the format war between DVD and DIVX (not to be confused with 'DivX').
I disagree. Policing the app-store is exactly what's needed.
Policing the app store for apps that are potentially harmful from a security standpoint I agree with. I also agree with weeding out apps that are poorly coded/crash/cause memory leaks since they ruin the user experience. Avoiding identity theft/personal information compromise issues should be tantamount.
Subjective policing is not the best idea however. I'd prefer to see better categorization and controls that each user (or company if the computer/device being used is company provisioned) can specify based on their own needs/standards.
On a positive note, this shows that if a company wants their content to be available to the widest audience, they'll find a way to make it happen. In this case, it's a win of sorts for HTML5.
Stoya will look awesome on Apple's media tablet!
I disagree. Policing the app-store is exactly what's needed. The app store should appeal to the largest percentage of users which includes adults, kids, companies, and personal users.
Porn on the website-side (HTML5) is a perfect compromise.
If you're joe-consumer on your own private internet connection, or 3G, you can pleasure yourself to your heart's content.
If the user is using a corporate network then the firewall's policy can restrict content on the HTML5 side.
Both sides - for the most part - are satisfied.
You may not like it, perhaps even I may not like it but I will gladly take Apple's walled-garden approach versus the competitions weed-lawn anytime. People have enough things on their plate to do without having to worry about what apps might be available to the younger minds.
You do have a point and for the real pornography I can agree with you. However, e.g. in Germany regular newspaper have to make changes so that they get their app approved by Apple. This is too much. Newspapers call this 'they have to make the Iran version for the App store.' The whole problem is that when Apple started this kind of policing they are the ones drawing the line - something that - in case of newspapers - is the job of the government/society.
I disagree. Policing the app-store is exactly what's needed. The app store should appeal to the largest percentage of users which includes adults, kids, companies, and personal users.
The problem is that in a global environment standards differ widely from country to country and even region to region. Apple has already received lots of negative press for banning a comic book version of Ulysses since it portrayed nudity. They finally re-instated it after getting bashed over the decision. This reminds me of a rather embarrassing gaffe that AOL made a dozen or so years ago when they were still a wildly popular on-line service. They had a reputation for blocking anything even slightly risque in order to maintain their service as family friendly, so one day they went and blocked all use of the word "breast". The only problem is they forgot that they hosted an entire forum devoted to survivors of breast cancer. They got a TON of bad publicity over it, including articles quoting women who said they now had to refer to themselves as survivors of "hooter cancer" if they didn't want their posts rejected by AOL.
Here's a link to an article about it: http://articles.latimes.com/1995-12-...member-profile
I also have a First Aid app on my iPhone that I bought from the App Store. It provides a nice database of helpful information in the event of an emergency, like how to respond properly to choking, various types of injuries, etc. Given Apple's past behavior it wouldn't surprise me if they decided to ban this app if it was updated to include information on breast cancer and how to perform a breast self-exam.
Apple shouldn't be playing censor, especially since there's no clear direction from them as to how they make their decisions. They should simply implement parental controls in the App Store and leave it up to parents to police their kids. You can already get porn on your iPhone by uploading videos through iTunes or simply using Safari, and as this article points out HTML5 is just going to make it more prevalent. So there's absolutely no reason they should be acting as an unwanted censor.
gee, now parents will have to wonder what junior could be doing with his ipad underneath his blanket. hey, no need for a flash light, and the pictures move too! how cool is that?
I disagree. Policing the app-store is exactly what's needed. The app store should appeal to the largest percentage of users which includes adults, kids, companies, and personal users.
Porn on the website-side (HTML5) is a perfect compromise.
If you're joe-consumer on your own private internet connection, or 3G, you can pleasure yourself to your heart's content.
If the user is using a corporate network then the firewall's policy can restrict content on the HTML5 side.
Both sides - for the most part - are satisfied.
You may not like it, perhaps even I may not like it but I will gladly take Apple's walled-garden approach versus the competitions weed-lawn anytime. People have enough things on their plate to do without having to worry about what apps might be available to the younger minds.
I couldn't agree with more
I disagree. Policing the app-store is exactly what's needed. The app store should appeal to the largest percentage of users which includes adults, kids, companies, and personal users.
Porn on the website-side (HTML5) is a perfect compromise.
If you're joe-consumer on your own private internet connection, or 3G, you can pleasure yourself to your heart's content.
If the user is using a corporate network then the firewall's policy can restrict content on the HTML5 side.
Both sides - for the most part - are satisfied.
You may not like it, perhaps even I may not like it but I will gladly take Apple's walled-garden approach versus the competitions weed-lawn anytime. People have enough things on their plate to do without having to worry about what apps might be available to the younger minds.
I think the suitability of Apples approach is dependent on the ability to set restrictions on iOS as to which websites can be viewed. There seems to be little point in not allowing porn in the app store (at least, little point on protecting kids grounds, though I accept there are other reasons Apple may not want porn there), if kids with iPads can then goto whichever website they like.
I'd welcome input from others here - I have no idea how parental restrictions work on the iPad, given no kids have cause to use mine, so whilst I'll look tonight to satisfy my curiosity, I wonder if others have found iOS helpful in this area.
I know a lot of people here feel that 'adult content' is dirty stuff and like to point out they don't watch it. I think that's not the point in a free society and despite being a big Apple fan I do not approve their policy on policing the App store content, so I wellcome this news.
Be careful what you wish for.