Apple positions iAd Producer as Adobe Flash alternative

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple has released iAd Producer, a new tool for designing interactive "rich media ads" using web standards for distribution through its iAd network within iOS apps, in a direct blow to Adobe's Flash developer tools, the current standard among many web and mobile ad designers.

Apple's new HTML5 development tool graphically lays out the structure and flow of iAd elements within an iOS advertisement in a "powerful visual editing canvas," the company states in its announcement aimed at developers.

The new tool incorporates a variety of technologies from Xcode, Apple's Integrated Development Environment for Mac and iOS software.

At the introduction of Xcode 4 this summer, AppleInsider projected that the company's increasingly sophisticated, graphical software development tool could portend new HTML5 development tools, specifically noting that "one example of how the company's significant investments in creating Xcode 4 could be applied is in shipping a web development tool aimed at creating HTML5 content for the web and for use within web-based tools such as Apple's iAd mobile advertising program."

iAd Producer


Introducing iAd Producer

The new iAd Producer development tool provides more than a dozen templates for creating page views, including Cover Flow and carousel image galleries and geographic maps. A variety of interface components are also provided to enable developers to add media playback controls, standard buttons, sliders and switches, progress indicators and flip views without needing to write any code.

iAd Producer also enables developers to easily add animated transitions and effects to their artwork and pages, and catalogs media assets used in iAd projects, such as graphics, videos, and SVG fonts. The resulting content acts as a self-contained HTML5 website that can be inserted into existing iOS apps to present an interactive advertising experience.

iAd Producer


On page 2 of 2: JavaScript editing and debugging, validation, iAd expansion further promotes HTML5

JavaScript editing and debugging, validation

The new tool also provides advanced JavaScript editing that allows web developers to create custom interactivity code with standard development features such as auto-completion and indentation, syntax coloring and popup access to component event names.

iAd Producer also incorporates JavaScript debugging tools similar to those found in Xcode, in addition to validation checking that identifies common errors and "sure that your iAd content is ready for prime time before you submit it to the iAd Network."

iAd Producer


iAd expansion further promotes HTML5

Apple has been rapidly expanding its iAd program after acquiring Quattro Wireless less than a year ago and converting its conventional mobile ad banner network into the immersive, app-embedded iAd experience.

The company launched major new iAd campaigns to Europe earlier this month with L'Or?al, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, Perrier, Unilever, Citi, Evian, LG Display, AB InBev, Turkish Airlines and Absolute Radio, and created the first iAd presentation for iPad to promote Disney's "Tron Legacy."

Apple previously had no real experience in advertising, but recognized the need for ads to help support mobile software titles. The company's chief executive Steve Jobs said that existing mobile ads, like those served by Quattro and Google's AdMob, "suck," and the iAd would enable brands to deliver high quality, valuable experiences that customers would find interesting, useful, and non-intrusive because they don't dump users out of their existing app and into the external web browser after being clicked.

Jobs described iAds as using standards-based HTML5 content exclusively, rather than delivering proprietary binaries created by web-alternatives such as Flash or Microsoft's Silverlight.

Apple's efforts to push mobile content back to using web standards--leveraged by its powerful position in smartphones, tablets and media players, has prompted Adobe to refocus efforts on delivering HTML5 tools and has forced Microsoft to dramatically scale back its plans for Silverlight and instead focus on delivering HTML5 compliance in future versions of its Internet Explorer browser.

Web content distributors, including Google's YouTube, Vimeo, Brightcove, and even pornographer Digital Playground have all taken steps to support HTML5, joined by a variety of web developers and services (ranging from Virgin America to Scribd) that also want to reach iOS devices.
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Comments

  • Reply 2 of 102
    Apple might as well go all the way with this one and go beyond iAd. Why not make an HTML5/web authoring tool to compete with Adobe. Or maybe it's already in the works..
  • Reply 3 of 102
    This doesn't seem to be publicly available. I wasn't able to download it using my free developer account.
  • Reply 4 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mbarriault View Post


    This doesn't seem to be publicly available. I wasn't able to download it using my free developer account.



    Likely because you have no use for it without a paid iPhone account.
  • Reply 5 of 102
    I wonder how many skilled programmers are also skilled in creative ad design and concepting... I'd bet very few possess both skills in equal amounts.
  • Reply 6 of 102
    Just had a play. It's a start.



    Can we have a timeline next please. And objects which you can drag and drop to the project.
  • Reply 7 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    I wonder how many skilled programmers are also skilled in creative ad design and concepting... I'd bet very few possess both skills in equal amounts.



    Hence it's focus on HTML 5 and Javascript.
  • Reply 8 of 102
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    I think most of us saw this coming a mile away. No other reason to make Cocoa-based iOS apps HTML/CSS/JS if you don’t plan to eventually unseat Adobe Flash ads across the web as a whole.
  • Reply 9 of 102
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    64 bit only. Too bad since my coding machine is an old iMac core solo. The family machine is a new iMac but I can't code in that room so I finally have a good excuse to retire my old machine. Off to the Apple store for my new xmas present.
  • Reply 10 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    64 bit only. Too bad since my coding machine is an old iMac core solo. The family machine is a new iMac but I can't code in that room so I finally have a good excuse to retire my old machine. Off to the Apple store for my new xmas present.



    Why else do you think it's 64-bit only?



    As a shareholder, thanks for complying with this week's arbitrary requirement to buy a new Mac.
  • Reply 11 of 102
    archosarchos Posts: 152member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wurm5150 View Post


    Apple might as well go all the way with this one and go beyond iAd. Why not make an HTML5/web authoring tool to compete with Adobe. Or maybe it's already in the works..



    Well for starters, there's a huge business model behind creating iAd content and a huge vacuum in HTML5 development tools that are appropriate for building iAds. Money makes things work.



    There is not a huge market behind tools for creating alternatives to Flash games (which themselves have no business model), or Flash animations on the web, or CD ROMS or some of the other aspects of Flash. Apple isn't looking to compete with the entire Flash ecosystem, just the parts that have revenue tied to them:



    - streaming video delivery (HTTP Live Streaming)

    - web video delivery (QuickTime/H.264 HTML5)

    - mobile ads (iAd Producer)

    - mobile apps (iOS Cocoa touch)

    - Interactive web client apps (Gianduia)

    - Rich Internet Apps (SproutCore/MobileMe, HTML5)



    There are increasingly fewer lucrative aspects of Flash that Apple hasn't created alternatives for. They don't have to replicate Flash to replace it, just as they don't have to replicate every bit of Windows or build a netbook or web terminal or blade server to make money with Macs.
  • Reply 12 of 102
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I think most of us saw this coming a mile away. No other reason to make Cocoa-based iOS apps HTML/CSS/JS if you don?t plan to eventually unseat Adobe Flash ads across the web as a whole.



    By the way it is not applicable to the web as a whole only iOS app ads not desktop browser ads. It is entirely specific to a single ad instance not ads all over a page as is commonly found in a typical web page.
  • Reply 13 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple's efforts to push mobile content back to using web standards--leveraged by its powerful position in smartphones, tablets and media players, has prompted Adobe to refocus efforts on delivering HTML5 tools and has forced Microsoft to dramatically scale back its plans for Silverlight and instead focus on delivering HTML5 compliance in future versions of its Internet Explorer browser.



    Oh don't flatter yourself, the reason why IE is going with compliance is because of the web developer community response after they announced they were still not going to be "compliant" with IE 9. The only thing that could be true is Microsoft silverlight and Adobe. But IE compliance has nothing to do with apple.
  • Reply 14 of 102
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    By the way it is not applicable to the web as a whole only iOS app ads not desktop browser ads. It is entirely specific to a single ad instance not ads all over a page as is commonly found in a typical web page.



    Give it time. I think this is just the next step leading up to that.





    PS: RatonalTroll?s rationale was completely wrong, as pointed out in the thread he linked to.
  • Reply 15 of 102
    pokepoke Posts: 506member
    I tried it out. Very easy to use. Not sure how flexible it is. I don't know if this portends new HTML5 tools. Let's not forget they made Dashcode for creating Dashboard widgets and later promoted it as a way to create iOS web apps (iAd Producer, too, could probably be used to create limited iOS web apps).



    I suspect Apple has some serious in-house HTML5 tools, since its websites has consistently been a cutting-edge example of what you can do without Flash, but so far they've shown no interest in releasing a general purpose toolset.
  • Reply 16 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Noliving View Post


    Oh don't flatter yourself, the reason why IE is going with compliance is because of the web developer community response after they announced they were still not going to be "compliant" with IE 9. The only thing that could be true is Microsoft silverlight and Adobe. But IE compliance has nothing to do with apple.



    The article doesn't say that Apple is the only responsible for MS making IE9 compliant.



    It says that Apple's push has created awareness in the market. Developers liked the idea and pressured MS. And it took some time for that to happen... Apple partnered with Opera and other players and started WHAT-WG some years ago!



    So, Apple is not the only responsible for MS making IE9 compliant, but they sure helped shape the movement that ended up forcing MS to "behave".





    Cheers,

    _iCeb0x_
  • Reply 17 of 102
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Give it time. I think this is just the next step leading up to that.





    PS: RatonalTroll’s rationale was completely wrong, as pointed out in the thread he linked to.



    As I have stated in earlier threads, JS ads are very difficult to integrate into an average web page that already has scripts. Unlike Adobe Flash ads that are self contained, encapsulated, and completely independent, JS ads are at the mercy of any other Javascript code already running on the page.



    There is a trend toward 'on page load' event functions that need to be aware of all scripts on the page. The only way to prevent conflicts is to control the entire page - something that requires realtime monitoring of the entire web site deployment. That is a huge undertaking which is far beyond the scope of simply creating iAds.
  • Reply 18 of 102
    Quote:

    ... immersive, app-embedded iAd experience.



    Quote:

    high quality, valuable experiences that customers would find interesting, useful, and non-intrusive



    What are these "immersive" ads I've been missing? Which btw, means they stimulate more than the eyes and ears...
  • Reply 19 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wurm5150 View Post


    Apple might as well go all the way with this one and go beyond iAd. Why not make an HTML5/web authoring tool to compete with Adobe. Or maybe it's already in the works..



    They'll have to do a heck of a lot more than release this on Mac OS to unseat Flash player and toolkit.
  • Reply 20 of 102
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    As I have stated in earlier threads, JS ads are very difficult to integrate into an average web page that already has scripts. Unlike Adobe Flash ads that are self contained, encapsulated, and completely independent, JS ads are at the mercy of any other Javascript code already running on the page.



    There is a trend toward 'on page load' event functions that need to be aware of all scripts on the page. The only way to prevent conflicts is to control the entire page - something that requires realtime monitoring of the entire web site deployment. That is a huge undertaking which is far beyond the scope of simply creating iAds.



    I don?t disagree, but I think it?s Apple?s ultimate goal, nonetheless. There are already plenty of Flash-less ads for webpages for non-Desktop OS devices. I think Apple will be pushing into these areas next and eventually to desktop OS browsers. It could be a few years, but I don?t see how they won?t be working toward accomplishing this goal.
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