Vimeo embeds now working on iPad, iPhone
[Note: While most videos on Vimeo.com would play back on iDevices prior to this update if watched on the Vimeo site, the new 'Universal Player' embed code should allow publishers and website developers to include compatible embeds on their sites. Vimeo does not provide mobile versions of every video on the site, limiting some features to Plus (paid) users. Details on making videos mobile-friendly are in the Vimeo FAQ and the new features announcement. –Ed.]
Popular video site Vimeo (think a more artsy YouTube) has changed its embed code to be completely HTML5 compatible, which means you can now browse the site completely embed videos that play back on the iPhone or the iPad. I just pulled the site up on my iPhone, and I have to say, I think it's a smoother browsing experience than the browser itself -- you just get a list of videos, and clicking on whichever one you want (like, for example, the great Dennis Liu music video above) opens it right up in Quicktime. Good deal. Vimeo's been flirting with HTML5 for the better part of this year, but this switchover means everything (including embeds when seen from an iPhone or iPad) is available in HTML5 from the start -- bye bye Flash. [Flash will still be served to desktop browsers. –Ed.]
The new update also adds a "Watch Later" feature to accounts on the site, so you can save videos and pull them back up on the device of your choice, even if you're not using something that works well. Eventually, the Watch Later feature will be added in to the Vimeo API, and there's also a new Vimeo channel available on Roku set-top boxes if you've got one of those.
But the HTML5 change is the biggest one -- one more site leaves the Flash-only fold and becomes extremely accessible to Apple's platform.
