Adobe FlashTime to bring peer-to-peer video calls to Android (video)

With tongue wedged firmly in cheek, Adobe has named its latest little bit of demo software FlashTime and given it a quick spin to whet our appetites. Built using the forthcoming Air 2.5, this peer-to-peer video chat client harnesses your smartphone's camera to get some direct visual communication going with your fellow Android lovers. Okay, so Android users already have other options for doing just this very thing, but the point being made here is that you can do just about anything with Flash, and since it's Flash it'll be easy to port around to other platforms. Skip past the break to see the demo, which has a multipeer chat session with a desktop Mac thrown in for good measure.

[Thanks, Faheem]

Update: Just for clarification's sake, Adobe's Mark Doherty got in touch with us to say there are no plans to release this little mockup client and that indeed the FlashTime moniker is a mere placeholder. Ah well.

[EggoEspada Posted Jul 20th 2010 1:36PM]

@Tsing Tao No phone has FULL flash besides the Nexus One. But majority of HTC's phones have Flash Lite and Galaxy S series has flash.
Also, Google stopped selling the Nexus One, but you can still buy them from others outside the U.S. I'm positive there will be someone else selling them soon, maybe they'll finally hit T-Mobile.

[Bervick Posted Jul 20th 2010 1:42PM]

I would have called the Abobe product

BUTTERFACE-time ! :-)

[Bervick Posted Jul 20th 2010 1:43PM]

@Bervick
I meant ADOBE. Sorry spell check Nazis

[warmonk Posted Jul 20th 2010 1:58PM]

since it's from adobe, I expect it does nothing but crash and drain your battery. I bet it does both at the same time.

[dcent1 Posted Jul 20th 2010 2:47PM]

I've been working with Air 2.5 and all I will say is that it's rock solid and it runs like butter on these devices. I know it's trendy to hate on Flash but as a cross platform dev tool, it's amazing.

As for HTML5 being a replacement... it's cool and coming along nicely but it's simply not ready for prime time yet now will it be for some time.

[christexaport Posted Jul 20th 2010 2:53PM]

@EggoEspada claims:

"@Tsing Tao No phone has FULL flash besides the Nexus One. But majority of HTC's phones have Flash Lite and Galaxy S series has flash.
Also, Google stopped selling the Nexus One, but you can still buy them from others outside the U.S. I'm positive there will be someone else selling them soon, maybe they'll finally hit T-Mobile."

Shame on you! The N900 is the only device to support full Flash, and not any other device.

[theglenvoid Posted Jul 20th 2010 2:59PM]

Perverted old men in trenchcoats unite! It's flashtime!

[Blippy0524 Posted Jul 20th 2010 3:47PM]

WTF? Does anybody notice how similar there name is to Apple's "FaceTime"?

[christexaport Posted Jul 20th 2010 5:38PM]

@HighestRanked2
Redundant how? By making a cross platform video P2P solution that others can use? Because right now, its network systems, which the US doesn't support because of idiocy, Fring/Skype, which isn't able to be used by other companies, and Facetime, only for iPhone to iPhone convos.

This will allow any system using Flash to have an embedded video chat interface/API without network support.

[MrCheeks Posted Jul 20th 2010 6:00PM]

Private video? What are we going to be watching in this demo??

Also, password?

[ssnuggets Posted Jul 20th 2010 7:03PM]

Why does the video ask for a password? Come on engadget!

[Yakuzahi Posted Jul 20th 2010 7:10PM]

WhAt ThE PaSsWoRd?

[Funkendoodles Posted Jul 21st 2010 3:46AM]

@christexaport I believe FaceTime is based on an open standard that anyone can use. Flash is not. Making flash available to a few popular platforms is not the same as open source.

[shankarjain2010 Posted Jul 22nd 2010 1:34AM]

Thanks for the information shared here. that was an interesting and informative. I had a good experience by participating in the Adobe Summit in 2009 which features the latest developments on the Adobe Flash Platform that is of utmost importance to both developers, as well as designers.. I learnt lot of new technologies in Adobe. And I am planning to attend 2010 edition as well. I found the information about the conference from adobesummit.com

[iPhooey Posted Jul 26th 2010 3:10PM]

Let the Flash Wars begin! Oh wait, I guess there's one phone that has to wait on the sidelines...