NPR, WSJ plan Flash-free Web sites for Apple iPad
In addition to new App Store software, National Public Radio and The Wall Street Journal also plan to create specific versions of their Web sites completely devoid of Adobe Flash for iPad users.
This week Peter Kafka with MediaMemo revealed that both NPR and the Journal will convert at least some portions of their Web site to load properly on the iPad. The custom-built sites will feature the same content and run concurrently with the traditional and iPhone/mobile-friendly versions of each Web site.
"Visitors to the newspaper's front page will see an iPad-specific, Flash-free page," Kafka said of the Journal's iPad Web site. "But those who click deeper into the site will eventually find pages that haven?t been converted."
The news comes weeks after Virgin America revealed it dropped Flash content from its new Web site in order to allow users with iPhones to check in for flights.
But the Journal and NPR are both also creating App Store software specifically for the iPad, suggesting that content providers are taking a multi-pronged approach to Apple's forthcoming multimedia device. Kinsey Wilson, head of digital media for NPR, declined to give Kafka an advance look at the organization's forthcoming iPad application or Web site, but did provide a hint as to what the experience could be like.
"Wilson says that while iPhone apps are a 'very intentional experience' --you load the thing up and seek out specific content -- he thinks the iPad will be a 'lean back device,'" Kafka wrote. "That's traditionally the distinction multimedia types use to differentiate between a computer and a TV. Intriguing."
The exclusion of Adobe Flash from the iPad and subsequent comments attributed to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in which he allegedly called the Web standard a "CPU hog," have led to a considerable amount of debate over its merits and shortcomings.
Contributing to the conversation in January was Google, which added support for rival format HTML5 to the most popular video destination on the Internet, YouTube. The beta opt-in program is available only for browsers that support both HTML5 and H.264 video encoding. Apple, too, has placed its support behind HTML5.
For more on why Apple isn't likely to add support for Flash in the iPhone OS, read AppleInsider's three-part Flash Wars series.
This week Peter Kafka with MediaMemo revealed that both NPR and the Journal will convert at least some portions of their Web site to load properly on the iPad. The custom-built sites will feature the same content and run concurrently with the traditional and iPhone/mobile-friendly versions of each Web site.
"Visitors to the newspaper's front page will see an iPad-specific, Flash-free page," Kafka said of the Journal's iPad Web site. "But those who click deeper into the site will eventually find pages that haven?t been converted."
The news comes weeks after Virgin America revealed it dropped Flash content from its new Web site in order to allow users with iPhones to check in for flights.
But the Journal and NPR are both also creating App Store software specifically for the iPad, suggesting that content providers are taking a multi-pronged approach to Apple's forthcoming multimedia device. Kinsey Wilson, head of digital media for NPR, declined to give Kafka an advance look at the organization's forthcoming iPad application or Web site, but did provide a hint as to what the experience could be like.
"Wilson says that while iPhone apps are a 'very intentional experience' --you load the thing up and seek out specific content -- he thinks the iPad will be a 'lean back device,'" Kafka wrote. "That's traditionally the distinction multimedia types use to differentiate between a computer and a TV. Intriguing."
The exclusion of Adobe Flash from the iPad and subsequent comments attributed to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in which he allegedly called the Web standard a "CPU hog," have led to a considerable amount of debate over its merits and shortcomings.
Contributing to the conversation in January was Google, which added support for rival format HTML5 to the most popular video destination on the Internet, YouTube. The beta opt-in program is available only for browsers that support both HTML5 and H.264 video encoding. Apple, too, has placed its support behind HTML5.
For more on why Apple isn't likely to add support for Flash in the iPhone OS, read AppleInsider's three-part Flash Wars series.
Comments
I want it for my everyday (desktop) browsing too !!
Why limit it to just the iPad/iPhone?
I want it for my everyday (desktop) browsing too !!
I fully agree with You!!
I am pretty sure it will become their standard as time goes by.
No one in their right mind would want to maintain 2 versions of the same site.
Why limit it to just the iPad/iPhone?
I want it for my everyday (desktop) browsing too !!
agreed -- I wonder if people will start trying to access the iPad version instead of the main version from their PCs. That would really send a signal about how people feel about Flash...
Maybe this is an example of an industry-wide move away from Flash in favor of HTML5?
For video I think you are right. Even MS is moving away from Silverlight in IE9 with respect to video. There are lots of implications to consider in a big commercial site. Things like Flash ads that have a legacy format entrenched in contractual agreements, stock tickers, and a host of other Flash, Air, and Flex projects. So to truly be industry wide it would have to include a lot of behind the scene retooling.
Maintaining multiple sites is not that unreasonable especially if you have dynamic systems in place. These big sites have 1,000s of pages so they generally have the resources to do whatever they need to do.
I think it is pretty ironical that a lot of people who are all down on Flash and praising HTML5 have never output a line of code in their life. Yet when you go to jQuery.org where you would think there would be nothing but JS and HTML5 they are using Flash all over the place.
Why limit it to just the iPad/iPhone?
I want it for my everyday (desktop) browsing too !!
How does this effect your desktop experience? If anything it will improve it.
Maybe this is an example of an industry-wide move away from Flash in favor of HTML5?
It absolutely is. FTW even MSFT has a platform preview of IE9's capabilities including html5. although they have their own interpretation of HTML5 it seems.
obviously flash won't go away, but sites created with html5 do seem to be appealing to content creators with more and more popping up every day. It has to be the promise of the mobile audience that's luring them.
Take that Adobe.
Nah.
Or at least that's what Adobe is likely telling itself.
I think it is pretty ironical that a lot of people who are all down on Flash and praising HTML5 have never output a line of code in their life.
That's a pretty broad statement to be true. allot of us do write code and in fact it's been my experience that web devs are the biggest proponents of HTML5.
BTW. Just took a look at jquery.org and there doesn't seem to be any flash. Are you unfamiliar with code yourself? I know allot of our clients think we've used flash for animated menus etc. If I'm mistaken please share.
obviously flash won't go away, but sites created with html5 do seem to be appealing to content creators with more and more popping up every day. It has to be the promise of the mobile audience that's luring them.
Absolutely. I think if you look at the automotive industry you could draw some parallels. For example Flash is like the gasoline engine. Really powerful, with a huge infrastructure, but not very efficient. Sure pure electric cars are like pure HTML5. Lightweight, economical, low maintenance. But not really practical yet since the recharging infrastructure is not in place and they aren't very powerful. That is why the Hybrid became so popular. Not because it is an ideal technology but because it makes logical compromises.
I think that is how the Internet with respect to Flash is going to evolve. There will be a lot of sites that use a combination of technologies to accomplish their content delivery goals.
That's a pretty broad statement to be true. allot of us do write code and in fact it's been my experience that web devs are the biggest proponents of HTML5.
BTW. Just took a look at jquery.org and there doesn't seem to be any flash. Are you unfamiliar with code yourself? I know allot of our clients think we've used flash for animated menus etc. If I'm mistaken please share.
http://jquery.org/about
And so the demise of Flash begins.
About freaking time. What's not to hate?
Here's something no one mentions - making flash assets SUCKS BALLS. The UI and basic methodology for building those project piles of cow-plop hasn't changed in TWENTY FIVE YEARS when it was called "VideoWorks". When Flash was aquired they stuck Videoworks / Directors interface on it - and it sucked like everything else birthed from the CD ROM world.
When the web started putting "multimedia" CDroms into the (well deserved) dustbin, application makers scrambled to migrate their crap (remember QuarkImmedia? No? Because it SUCKED) from the "immense waste of time and money" category to "let's waste time and money - on the INTERNET".
F--K THAT SH-T!
Everytime some jackass complains that Apple's products don't associate themselves with the biggest source of suck on the internet - I laugh my balls off.
Why limit it to just the iPad/iPhone?
I want it for my everyday (desktop) browsing too !!
i'm sure there will be a way.
i suspect that we'll see more announcements like this as we get closer to the release. then give us an opening weekend with good numbers and a hint of popularity among teens and suddenly all those movie tie-ins sites that are 99% Flash will suddenly be converted etc. After all the studios want the teen and tween girls to be sitting around (anywhere) checking out the latest adventures of Sparkly Vamp, Moody Girl and Bare Chest Boy
http://jquery.org/about
One page? One video on the about page is not "all over" the sight.
One page? One video on the about page is not "all over" the sight.
There are more in the tutorials section but I don't care to list them all out for you.