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Adobe releases final Flash Player version for Android, BlackBerry PlayBook, promises future updates
When Adobe announced the death of Flash Player on mobile devices earlier this week, it did so while promising to issue a final version for Android devices and the BlackBerry PlayBook. Now, that promise has come to fruition, with the release of version 11.1. Like pretty much every Adobe update, this latest refresh promises to patch up a host of security flaws -- 12 "critical" ones, to be exact. More intriguing, however, are Adobe's plans for future security support. In a blog post published Wednesday, company exec Danny Winokur confirmed that Adobe will "continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations." This sentiment was echoed in a Twitter post yesterday from Brad Arkin, senior director of product security and privacy: "Adobe will continue to ship security updates for Flash Player mobile after the final feature release." But neither Winokur nor Arkin have specified how long this patch distribution will continue, and the company has yet to offer any sort of timeline for future tablet and smartphone updates. For more information on the latest release, check out the source link below, or hit up the coverage link to grab the Android version for yourself.
RIM to forge ahead with Flash on the BlackBerry PlayBook, even if it's dead
Adobe may have killed off Flash for both TVs and mobile devices, but that isn't stopping RIM from continuing to support it on the PlayBook. In a statement provided to All Things D yesterday, the BlackBerry manufacturer confirmed that it's not giving up on the dream just yet, because it's one of the Flash Player source code licensees that Adobe will continue to support post mortem: "As an Adobe source code licensee, we will continue to work on and release our own implementations. RIM remains committed to delivering an uncompromised Web browsing experience to our customers, including native support for Adobe Flash Player on our BlackBerry PlayBook tablet (similar to a desktop PC browser), as well as HTML5 support on both our BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook browsers. In fact, we are pleased that Adobe will focus more efforts on the opportunities that HTML5 presents for our developers, and shares our commitment to HTML5 as we discussed together at DevCon Americas." It certainly sounds strange for RIM to issue such a ringing endorsement of an ostensibly moribund platform, though it's not entirely unreasonable, considering the fact that Flash is a major component of QNX. Still, it's hard for us to see RIM expanding the medium much further, at a time when virtually everyone else seems committed to an HTML5 future.
Adobe abandoning Flash Player for TVs as well
And the white-flag waving continues. Shortly after announcing the painful death of Flash Player for mobile devices, Adobe is also stepping back from the platform on another major pedestal: television. In a statement to GigaOM, Adobe said that it would "continue to support existing licensees who are planning on supporting Flash Player for web browsing on digital home devices and are using the Flash Player Porting Kit to do so," but that it felt the "right approach to deliver content on televisions is through applications, not a web browsing experience." The broader efforts to bring Flash to connected HDTVs, Blu-ray players etc. were all part of its Open Screen Project -- something the now-defunct Palm joined in 2009 -- which was established in order to allow developers to craft a single Flash app and distribute it across a number of devices. A perfectly acceptable initiative in theory, but it seems that traction has been hard to come by. One has to wonder what this means for products in the Google TV family, which obviously rely on Flash Player to bring a "complete" browsing experience to the tee-vee screen. In related news, HTML5 could not be reached for comment, but close friends have affirmed that "snickering" and "belly laughs" could be heard coming from his Los Angeles hotel room.
Adobe reportedly will announce the end of Flash Player for mobile devices
Even though Adobe just mentioned it was planning to invest further in HTML5 after restructuring, a rumor from ZDNet suggests the changes could go even further by dropping development for Flash Player on mobiles entirely. According to an email reportedly received by the company's partners, its future work on Flash for cellphones and tablets will focus on enabling developers to "package apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores." After years of battling with Apple and Steve Jobs over the place of Flash on mobiles it appears the company is ready to lay down its sword, with existing platforms like Android receiving only security updates going forward. If the rumors are true, we'll probably hear an official announcement later today, along with a few huge belly laughs from the folks in Cupertino. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Motorola Lapdock 100 hits Sprint October 21st, earns employees extra scratch
Ready to play PC with your smartphone? If you aren't picking up a Lapdock 100 from AT&T on the 17th, you won't have to wait very long -- Motorola's faux-laptop phone dock has been outed for a October 21st launch date for Sprint via an employee rewards email. Passing the Lapdock 100 Sprint Rewards Me training quiz nets employees $10 in Sprint scratch and the opportunity to sell you a rig that lets a handful of devices play netbook. The laptop shell gives users a full Firefox browser, Quick Office, Google Docs, Adobe Flash, a PC-like File Manager and a luxurious 10.1-inch screen. Still no word yet on just how much this ultra-portable peripheral will set us back, but we'll keep hoping that it's cheaper than the Atrix 4G's axed lapdock. [Thanks, David]
Lapdock 100 brings a Webtop IQ boost to Moto phones on Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T
Looking to harness all the power of your smartphone PC-style? Motorola is looking to help with its Lapdock 100 for a number of devices, including the Atrix 2, Photon 4G and Droid Bionic. The laptop shell sports a 10.1-inch screen (smaller and hopefully cheaper than the Atrix 4G's axed lapdock), keyboard with dedicated Android keys, touchpad, multi-tasking and tabbed web-browsing via WiFi or your phone's data plan. You'll also be able to utilize a full Firefox browser, Adobe Flash, Quick Office, Google Docs and a PC-esque File Manager. Just in case your smartphone's SD card doesn't offer enough storage space, the dock packs two USB ports for all those extra documents you might collect. Looking to stay ultra-portable, the peripheral weighs a hair over two pounds (less than 1Kg) and touts five hours of battery life -- which can also be used to recharge that tired handset if needed. If you're looking to snatch up one of these bad boys, you'll have to wait until October 17... and even then, it'll only hit shelves at AT&T. Verizon and Sprint customers will get their chance "later this quarter" and there's no word yet on pricing. Need more info? Hit that coverage link for product page and get yourself better acquainted.
Hold on, UE3! Crytek is 'investigating' Flash for CryEngine, 'cross-platform solution' reveal soon
Sounds like we weren't the only ones impressed by Epic Games' announcement of Flash support for the ubiquitous Unreal Engine 3. The crosstown engine peddlers at Crytek have been "looking into supporting Flash" in CryEngine, Edge reports, and will announce a "truly cross-platform solution" soon. With UE3 now supporting Flash, in addition to Mac OS, iOS, Android, PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, CryEngine's support of just the big three is beginning to look a tad anemic. "It is an interesting approach we've been investigating as well," Carl Jones, director of global business development for CryEngine, said of Epic's announcement. "We're developing a unifying technology to create high quality social and gaming experiences on all platforms including browser, smartphones, tablets, etc. We hope to be able to tell you more about it soon when we present our truly cross-platform solution." With Crytek Seoul hard at work on the free-to-play FPS Warface, it's not surprising to learn that Crytek is looking to broaden the potential audience for its games as much as possible. What's next, Crysis on your console? Oh ...
LG Smart TV goes on the charm offensive, appeals to Adobe developers
LG wants to bring the world of Adobe Flash to your living room. Yes, 2012's lineup of Smart TVs, theater systems and Blu-ray players are all set to arrive with support for both Flash Player and AIR 3, and the Korean manufacturer is keen to get developers signed up for its next-generation Smart TV SDK. The new software development kit will include a simplified dashboard, the ability to render 2D apps in 3D and even "console-quality gaming." Throw in Adobe's new Game Input API, and we could see tablets, joysticks and even LG-made smartphones used to control on-screen action. LG has informed us that these upgrades will be limited to next year's catalogue -- your 2011 purchases won't support the new software, and will have to make do with the slightly weedier Adobe Flash Lite. New Smart TVs will also be compatible with the Wiimote-esque Magic Motion Remote, bringing gesture-based awkwardness to menu selection.
Epic and Adobe announce Unreal Engine 3 support for Flash 11
While everyone else was watching Apple talk about games on the iPhone, Adobe and Epic had a different cat to let out of its bag: Unreal Engine 3 support for the web-based Flash Player 11. During Adobe's annual ADOBE MAX conference, Adobe and Epic demonstrated a version of Unreal Tournament 3 running in Adobe's ubiquitous web plugin. This could mark a major transition in social gaming, particularly on Facebook and Google Plus – social game developers already leverage Flash heavily on both platforms. Infinity Blade visuals on Facebook? It could happen. Full press release after the break.%Gallery-135737%
Flash 11 and AIR 3 landing tonight and delivering 7.1 surround sound to connected home theaters
Later tonight Adobe Flash 11 and AIR 3 will hit the tubes delivering with it a host of new features, including hardware acceleration for 2D and 3D graphics -- at least for desktops. Stage 3D support will be added to the mobile variants for Android, iOS and BlackBerry at a later date. AIR 3 will also be sprucing up connected entertainment devices, like Samsung SmartTVs, with the ability to deliver Flash-based games and content to your home theater system. What's more, Adobe has baked in support for both Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound. That means both 5.1 and 7.1 sound can be built into an AIR app, whether it be a game or streaming video, and pumped out at up to 512Kbps though your Blu-ray player or other connected theater component. For more, including a demo of a Flash app on a phone and a TV communicating, check out the trio of press releases and video after the break.
Microsoft's Metro-style IE 10 has seen the future and it's plug-in free
Microsoft seems intent to push things forward, judging by its recent Build 2011 conference and the Windows 8 goods on display. Now, in an official blog post from the Redmond-based company, comes word that Internet Explorer 10 will be doing double duty, accommodating the web's old architecture and its HTML 5 future. Users who opt for IE 10's Metro-style app will be treated to a plug-in free experience, as MS has its eye on the evolving underpinnings of our information superhighway. Not to worry, though, the desktop app of the company's refreshed browser will still function as it always has, providing compatibility for Flash, and a host of other extensions. The company made the decision after surveying 97,000 internet sites worldwide, deducing that a portion of the 62% sampled defaulted to HTML 5 in the absence of plug-in support. Due in part to this intentional omission, the Ballmer-led co. now claims the new, touch-optimized version of IE 10 will run faster, sustain battery life and offer improved security and privacy. Not convinced? Well, you'll be able to test that out for yourselves when those Windows 8 slates hit the market.
Light Blue Optics touch interface pico projector passes through the FCC
Last time we saw Light Blue Optics' Light Touch, it was deep in the bowels of CES, where we got to play with its touch-sensitive projections. Well, the little laser pico projector has finally made its way from that dark trade show corner into the bright lights of the FCC. It still turns any flat area into a WVGA touchscreen using holographic laser projection (HLP) and infrared sensors, only now it's more finger friendly and supports multi-touch gestures. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a single mono speaker so you aren't surface computing in silence, and there are composite video and micro-USB ports for pulling content from other devices. Of course, the Light Touch still only projects a 10.1-inch image, so it won't be turning your wall into a touchscreen. But, it should do just fine turning a tray table, desk, or perhaps even the nearest person planking into one.
Adobe's Edge tool promises Flash-like animation through HTML5
Even as many onlookers declare HTML5 adoption the beginning of the end for Adobe's once-ubiquitous Flash platform, the company has embraced the web standard through properties like its Creative Suite and Wallaby. Adobe will be taking things a step further with Edge, an HTML5 design tool that promises to allow "web designers to bring animation, similar to that created in Flash Professional, to websites." The software is currently in public preview mode, available as a free download for web designers, in hopes of getting some feedback that will help shape its final release.
Fusion Garage's Grid 10 tablet clears the FCC, begs us not to call it the 'JooJoo 2'
If at first you don't succeed, discontinue your product, carry on a lawsuit, and then try again. That's the story thus far for Fusion Garage, the company behind the failed JooJoo tablet, an overpriced, hard-to-use slate that proudly omitted all the things people like about tablets -- you know, like apps. After the underwhelming sales figures started rolling in, Chandrashekar Rathakrishnan, the company's founder, admitted that perhaps some people might sometimes be interested in doing things other than surf the web. That was the end of JooJoo, though he promised, ominously, that we hadn't seen the last of Fusion Garage. Well, here we are: the troubled company just sent another tablet through the FCC, and no, it's not called the "JooJoo 2." Rather, this one's dubbed the "Grid 10" -- a likely attempt on Fusion Garage's part to distance itself as much as possible from its embarrassing (and messy) entrance into the tablet market. For now, though, that's near-impossible, especially given that this FCC report contains precious few details about what this thing will be capable of. No word either on when the JooJoo will rise from the grave as an Android-running zombie, but our guess is that apocalyptic day is nigh.
iSwifter will bring Flash-free browsing to the Mac
Apple hasn't shipped Adobe Flash Player on Macs since last October, and the current shipping version of Flash Player has some incompatibilities with Lion that have yet to be fixed. If developer iSwifter has its way, you won't need Flash Player on any of your Apple devices. iSwifter currently has a Flash-free browser app for the iPad that works in the same way as the Puffin and SkyFire browsers on that platform -- it runs all web content through a server that processes Flash content and then sends the "translated" animation, game, or movie to the device browser. Now iSwifter is planning on bringing its browser to the Mac App Store, although they're not saying exactly when the app will be available. The company wants to give users a common Flash-compatible browser that looks and acts the same on all Apple platforms. The existing iPad app is available as a free trial, and then charges $4.99 as an in-app purchase to use the browser without limits. iSwifter is planning on using the same process for the Mac app, although pricing may be different. So what would people use the iSwifter browser for? Mostly for playing Zynga games on Facebook. Over 40% of all gaming time logged on iSwifter's servers is for those games, which include Words With Friends, Farmville, Cityville, and Mafia Wars.
Adobe releases Flash 11 and AIR 3 betas
Adobe has released betas of both Flash 11 and Air 3 for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. The new features that caught my eye right away include full 64-bit support for Flash Player running in browsers (even in Linux!) and support for delivery of full HD video with 7.1 surround sound to AIR-powered TVs. I haven't tested these betas out; I use Click2Flash to block 99 percent of the Flash content I come across these days and force it to play in a more CPU- and battery-friendly format instead. For the curious among you, you can head to Adobe's site and download the new betas. Some of the key features for Flash Player 11 are printed below. Stage3D APIs -- Create highly interactive visuals to improve collaboration on 3-dimensional models. 64-bit support -- Support for 64-bit operating systems and browsers on Linux, Mac OS, and Windows. G.711 audio compression for telephony -- Integrate voice/telephony into business apps using G.711 codec. H.264/AVC SW Encoding -- Encode higher quality video locally using H.264 video. Socket Progress Events -- Build advanced file sharing apps like FTP clients that send large amounts of data. HD surround sound -- Deliver full HD videos with 7.1 channel surround sound directly to AIR powered TVs.
Adobe and Sony create contest to put Air apps on Android tablets
Normally, we don't cover contests, but this Air App Challenge from Sony and Adobe does deserve some special attention. Why? Well, for one, Air hasn't exactly taken off quite like the Flash makers had hoped -- especially in the mobile space. And two, that new S2 tablet is going to need some apps that are designed to take advantage of its dual screens. The $200,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to developers who whip up the best creations specifically for the forthcoming Sony Honeycomb devices, using Adobe's Flash-plus-browser environment. Challenges have proven successful in the past to spur interest in platforms from Android to New York City's vast databases of information. If the contest is successful it could turn that little folding Sony from a novel design into a unique and compelling product. If you really need to know more, full PR is after the break.
Pandora ditches Flash, opens up the HTML5 box for redesign
Looks like Adobe has lost yet another ally to the silky smooth allure of HTML5. Internet radio service Pandora has traded in the once ubiquitous Flash for the increasingly adopted web standard, citing, among other things, the ability to lop precious seconds off the site's load time. The upgrade is part of a major redesign for the service, said to have been inspired by the company's own iPad app. The old features are largely intact, but many, like Twitter and Facebook integration, have been revamped. The update will be rolled out to Pandora One subscribers soon, in something of a limited testing mode, with other users following later. Those with browsers that aren't fully HTML5-friendly will still be able to access Flash features as backup.
Xtreamer's Prodigy media streamer gets upgraded internals, shoots 3D video to your screen for €149
Last time we saw the Xtreamer Prodigy, it was shaping up to be quite the slick little media streamer with a Realtek 1185 chipset running at 500MHz, a plethora of supported codecs, and a fancy flash-based GUI with Android underpinnings. In the months since, the Prodigy hit the gym and now packs Realtek's 1186 silicon clocked at 750MHz and HDMI 1.4 for pumping out video in three dee. There's also Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, and support for up to a 3TB HDD in its 3.5-inch bay, so you can source your videos from home or abroad with the greatest of ease. Currently up for pre-order, this digital media distributing dandy will cost €149 (that's $213 here in the States), but won't ship until September.
Roadshow from Fetch Softworks downloads videos to iPad for offline viewing
Longtime Mac users are very familiar with Fetch Softworks. The company has been around since 1989, and is named after the classic Mac FTP client -- Fetch. Now Fetch Softworks has branched out with a new addition to the family named Roadshow. Roadshow (free download, $4.99 in-app purchase to remove ads and enable unlimited video) isn't a Mac app, and it's definitely not an FTP client. It is a fun iPad app that answers the question "How can I download online videos for viewing on my iPad at a later time when I'm offline?" How it works Roadshow has a built-in web browser that you can use to head out to your favorite sites. When you find a compatible video (more on that in a moment), you'll see it show up in a horizontal scrolling icon list above the browser. To download and save the video for offline viewing on your iPad, just tap on the video icon and a progress bar shows you how the download is coming along. The app worked well in limited cases. For example, when I browsed Vimeo I was able to tap on any video and have it appear in the scrolling list for download. I easily queued up a few videos for download in this manner. However, I didn't have a lot of success with many other sites. Anything that is stored on YouTube, for example, cannot be downloaded. That's not really the app's fault, but more a legal detail of the terms of use for YouTube. %Gallery-126910% Compatible videos My next idea was to see if I could download some of the tutorial videos from Apple's support page, hoping that if my Dad ever gets an iPad, I could preload a bunch of tutorials on the device. No such luck. Next, I headed out to PBS to see if I could grab some video. Nope, it's all Flash content, so there's no way to even watch the video on the iPad, nonetheless download it. I went out to four local TV channels to see if I could watch news stories, thinking that Roadshow would be a great way to capture the news for viewing later. Once again, I was stymied by the inability of the iPad to play Flash video. Fox Business News video was available, so I quickly grabbed copies of our very own Mike Rose in several of his frequent appearances as an Apple pundit. Fetch lists Vimeo, MSNBC, and TED Talks as sites that have compatible video. After this experience, I'm going to go out of my way to make sure that TUAW TV Live can be watched using Roadshow -- right now, we host the completed videos on YouTube and embed them into each week's show post. Other washouts included ABC.com (they want you to watch the video through their free app), NBC.com (Flash...), CBS.com (full episodes weren't available, although clips were), Fox.com (Flash, although they do have an iPad app), the Food Network, A&E TV, Xfinity.com, you name it. I didn't realize just how bad the situation is for video on the iPad until I wrote this review. C'mon, Apple and Adobe -- let's get this resolved! The collection When you do finally locate a video that is viewable on the iPad and you download it, Roadshow puts the captured video into a "collection," a virtual storage shelf onto which each of the video clips is placed. To watch a video, you tap on it and then tap the play button. The video goes full-screen, and you're able to enjoy it. To delete a video, there's a trash can icon. Sharing videos is made possible by a button that allows you to send a link to the original source web page. Conclusion Roadshow works as advertised. I only have one minor complaint about the app. For a company that has had such a beautiful icon for Fetch for many years, the Roadshow icon is disappointing. Perhaps you can change it to your Fetch dog carrying a video in his mouth... Unfortunately for Fetch Softworks, the inability of the iPad to view Flash video makes it difficult to get source material to watch! If you have a source of non-Flash video that you're used to watching through Safari on the iPad, then by all means download the ad-supported free version of Roadshow. You can try it out and watch up to 15 videos; after that point, there's a $4.99 in-app purchase that removes ads and lets you watch video until you drop -- or run out of non-Flash videos. Roadshow is fast, intuitive, easy-to-use, and a wonderful way to view video offline on an iPad. It's so nice to see Fetch Softworks branching out into the world of iOS apps, and if Roadshow is any indication, we're going to see some great things out of this venerable development house.