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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.
SlingPlayer for Boxee Box hands-on (video)
Sling Media teased its SlingPlayer for Connected Devices with a Google TV demo last month, but we had a chance to go hands-on with the TV streaming service on a Boxee Box at tonight's gdgt event in NYC. The player launched without issue on the demo system we saw, and the interface should feel familiar if you've used any of the SlingPlayer mobile apps. Sling says the application will appear in the list of Boxee apps and in the Spotlight on Google TV when it hits public beta within the next month, or you can sign up to be notified on Sling's website. Post-beta pricing and availability details haven't been released, but you can get your TV fix for free for the duration of the beta period. Jump past the break for a quick peek in our hands-on video.
BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.6 update brings Flash 10.3 and AIR 2.7 to PlayBook
Nah, it ain't the update that'll bring a standalone email client to your BlackBerry PlayBook, but at least it's some positive news in an otherwise gloomy arena surrounding RIM. Version 1.0.6 of the BlackBerry Tablet OS was just cut loose today, bringing support for Adobe's Flash 10.3 and AIR 2.7 software. In other words, users should see improved Flash performance, and they'll also be able to tap into a new array of apps crafted with AIR 2.7. Oh, and for the security mavens? There's a few built-in updates to safeguard you and yours. It's available over-the-air right now, and if you don't see an update just yet, be patient -- it's en route, we swear.
Sigma Design's 'ultra thin' TV box design promises HD in a tiny package
It's not much bigger than many of the wall warts currently filling outlets in your power strip, but this reference design from Sigma Designs could be your next cable box. With HomePlug networking, Z-Wave RF remote control technology and the ability to process multiple 1080p streams at once built in, it only needs to be plugged in to the wall (and connected to a TV via HDMI) to get to work. connect to the network and pull in video from the internet, feeds from an IPTV provider like U-Verse (or Comcast eventually), or multiroom streams from a connected DVR. At its heart is the SMP8670 chip unveiled at CES that's optimized for XBMC, Adobe AIR and Flash which could make it an ideal extender for someone like TiVo or Boxee, if Sigma can get them to bite on the concept. Until then, all we can show you are a few pics of the bare internals in the gallery and a press release after the break. %Gallery-126765%
Adobe CEO has no beef with Apple, no answer for poor Flash performance on Android (video)
The Adobe-Apple Flash war used to be one of the juiciest catfights around, but, much like two aging boxers, both sides now appear willing to act like adults put it all behind them. Speaking at yesterday's D9 conference in Palos Verdes, California, Adobe head Shantanu Narayen confirmed that he and Steve Jobs have reached an unofficial armistice, bringing an end to their prolonged war of words. According to the CEO, Apple's Flash issues stemmed from the company's "business model," rather than any legitimate concerns over quality. "It's control over the app store that's at issue here," Narayen said, implying that Flash's wide-ranging platform compatibility may not have jibed with the Cupertino ethos. He went on to remind moderator Walt Mossberg that developers can still use Adobe's AIR software to get their products to the App Store, adding that his company is looking forward to the rise of HTML5 and "actively contributing" to its development. Mossberg, meanwhile, seemed to blindside Narayen when he brought up Flash's poor performance on Android devices. "I have yet to test a single one where Flash tests really well," the columnist claimed. "I'm sorry, but it's true." Narayen sputtered a bit, before pointing to the BlackBerry PlayBook as an example of the progress that Flash has made. When Mossberg reminded him that the PlayBook doesn't run on Android, the CEO not-so-subtly sidestepped the question by emptily declaring that Adobe's mission is simply to provide people with the best tools to create content. Apparently satisfied with this non-answer, Mossberg changed the subject back to Apple, allowing Narayen to wax poetic about their new Pax Romana -- and, perhaps, to breathe a sigh of relief. See the full interview after the break.
SlingPlayer for Google TV teased on video, beta program opens up soon
We got a hint of Sling's desire to let users catch their video streams directly on TV without a box during CES 2010, and now there's video of the company showing off its SlingPlayer for Connected Devices app on Google TV. We caught a a preview at CES earlier this year, but interested Slingbox owners (SOLO and PRO-HD boxes only, just like the mobile apps) can sign up for the upcoming beta at the link below. We're wondering if this app could be based on Flash, which could allow for easy porting to other embedded TV platforms with Adobe Flash & Air support like Samsung's Smart Hub. Also not lost in the moment is the ability for the Google TV to show some potential, since it desperately needs for the list of things it actually can do well to garner more attention than the list of things it's blocked from doing.
Removing Flash from your Mac
Back in October, Apple shipped its first MacBook Air models without the Adobe Flash plug-in pre-installed. In the ensuing brouhaha, Ars Technica discovered Flash cut battery life by up to 33 percent on the MacBook Air and possibly other MacBook models. Personally, my MacBook often sounds like it's preparing for space flight when I visit pages that use Adobe's plug-in. Whether you wish to conserve electricity, silence overactive cooling fans, boost the security of your browsing experience or protest against the use of media plug-ins, you can easily remove Adobe Flash from your Mac. Most often, the Flash plug-in can be found in the "Internet Plug-Ins" folder on your system's hard drive. To get there, switch to the Finder and select "Go to Folder..." from the "Go" menu. When prompted, enter "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/" and click "Go" to switch to the appropriate location on your system. Once you are in the "Internet Plug-Ins" directory, make a new folder called "Disabled Plug-Ins." Move the "Flash Player.plugin," "flashplayer.xpt" and "NP-PPC-Dir-Shockwave" files into your new "Disabled Plug-Ins" folder. Or if you really want to kill Flash, toss these files into the Trash. (Note: if you don't find these three files in "/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/" they may be hiding in "~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/".) The next time you relaunch Safari or Firefox, Flash will no longer be enabled. If you need to view a Flash-enabled page in a pinch, you can install and launch Chrome. This Safari-alternative ships with a Flash plug-in embedded in the browser. You can also install OmniWeb or iCab and copy the Flash plug-in into the browser's plug-in folder. For OmniWeb, right-click on the OmniWeb application and choose "Show Package Contents" to reveal the PlugIns folder. Copy the Flash plug-in to the folder, and you should be good to go. iCab does not contain a PlugIns folder, but you can create one yourself and copy over the Flash plug-in manually.
Android 3.1 gets namechecked by Adobe Flash Player 10.2, will be required to enjoy accelerated 720p video
Remember how Adobe said Flash 10.2 wasn't living up to its full hardware-accelerated potential on Honeycomb thus far? Well, it seems the company's found a solution by the name of Android 3.1. We've been inundated with tips (and have confirmed with Adobe) that there's a sticky-sweet new build of Android on the way for the recent crop of slates that OEMs and carriers are rolling out, and that -- just like last time -- you'll need that software to take advantage of all the hardware rendering and compositing that your Tegra 2 silicon can afford. With any luck, 720p playback won't burn our eyeballs this time around. By the way, the Android Market item above was updated this morning to read "requires an upcoming release of Android 3" rather than "Android 3.1," but it's unclear whether the original number was inaccurate or whether Adobe got in trouble. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Adobe finds another 'critical' flaw in Flash, Steve Jobs smiles smugly
Hey, guess what? Adobe has found yet another serious security flaw in Flash. We can already hear the iOS fanboys warming up their commenting fingers. The vulnerability affects all platforms, including Android, though only attacks on Windows have been seen in the wild so far. Just like last month's exploit, this one is spreading via malicious .swf files embedded in Office documents, only this time it's Word instead of Excel being targeted (a hacker's gotta keep it fresh, after all). Once again Reader and Acrobat are also vulnerable, but attacks can be thwarted using Reader's Protected Mode. When exactly Adobe plans on plugging this hole is anyone's guess, so when a deposed Nigerian prince tells you about the fabulous sum of money he'd like you to transfer, you'll have yet another reason not to open the Office attachments in his email.
Vudu starts streaming movies to the browser, but only in SD
Vudu's movie service is already available on 300-odd set top boxes and HDTVs including the PS3 and Boxee Box, but now it can add your personal computer to the list since it will start streaming its entire catalog right on the company's website. The Flash-based player will let customers watch movies they've rented or purchased like any other device, but due to licensing issues it's limited to a maximum 480p resolution with stereo sound for now. That's disappointing for a company that pioneered high quality 1080p streaming with its HDX format but it could help attract customers who find a rental packed in with one of their DVDs or Blu-ray discs from Walmart. There's no word yet on plans for mobile devices, but general manager Edward Lichty confirmed to us it plans to make content accessible in "as many places as possible" so we'd expect to hear something on that front soon (but probably after the launch of premium VOD.) Until then, there's a few more screens in the gallery and a press release after the break or you can just check out the 2.0 interface for yourself on Vudu.com once everything goes live. %Gallery-120901%
HSN details Nook Color update for 'mid-April': Android 2.2, Flash, apps and push email
Spent some quality time watching the Home Shopping Network this morning to hear just how the Nook Color will be improved? That's what we thought... but we bit the bullet and tuned in ourselves to get the details for you. Simply put, HSN says Barnes and Noble will start rolling out an over-the-air software package in "mid-April" that will update the Nook Color to Android 2.2, bringing Adobe Flash Player, Angry Birds, and push email of some sort. It'll also apparently include "lots of Nook apps," though the channel's pitchmen only had one to show on TV -- a kid-friendly sketchpad, with a variety of drawing utensils and colored paper. HSN hosts also claim that customers who purchase the Nook Color on the show are "guaranteed to be the very first people updated," though we're not sure we'll take them at their word, considering some of the other fabulous exaggerations we just heard on the air. %Gallery-119775%
Nook Color getting Flash and apps in April update, according to Home Shopping Network (update: official)
The little e-reader that could is about to do even more -- according to a listing on the Home Shopping Network, the Nook Color will get an update next month that brings Flash support and additional apps to the platform. That suggests that we'll finally be seeing Android 2.2 and perhaps an app store of some sort, though HSN isn't spilling the beans right now -- the cable station wants you to tune in at 12AM, 5AM or 9AM (or 12PM, 5PM or 9PM) ET this Saturday to get an exclusive sneak peek at the goods. Yours for just four easy payments of $74.97... which must seem like a tremendous deal compared to HSN's "retail value" of $504. Update: Barnes & Noble has now made this completely official itself, and confirmed that the update will include email support among other "exciting new applications." Press release is after the break.
Adobe's Flash Player, Reader and Acrobat updated to close critical security hole
Adobe has issued an update to its popular Flash Player plug-in as well as its Reader and Acrobat software for viewing and editing PDF (portable document format) files. According to Adobe's security bulletin and advisories webpage, a critical vulnerability has been identified in the above mentioned software that can "... cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system." Naturally, Adobe advises that users update their software to the latest version. The affected Flash Player versions are 10.2.152.33 and earlier (10.2.154.18 and earlier for Chrome users). The affected Acrobat and Reader versions are 10.0.1 and earlier 10.x and 9.x versions. To find out what version of Flash Player you're currently running, visit the About Flash Player Page from your browser or right-click on running Flash content and select About Adobe Flash Player from the menu. If you have multiple browsers installed on your Mac, Adobe recommends you perform the check on each browser. For the latest Adobe Reader update click here, and for the latest Adobe Acrobat update click here.
Adobe patches Flash flaw with Acrobat / Reader update
Armageddon averted. Exactly as promised, Adobe has rolled out a fix this week for the zero-day security vulnerability in Flash that had us sweating the world was about to come crashing to an end. It's a somewhat circuitous route to getting your system patched up, however, as you'll need to download an out-of-cycle update for Acrobat and Reader -- the other software affected by this issue. Still, a small price to pay for protecting yourself from the evils of the internets. [Thanks, Paul]
Google patches Flash vulnerability in Chrome, leaves other browsers hanging
Remember that massive security vulnerability that Adobe identified in its Flash Player, Acrobat and Reader software? Well, shockingly enough, it hasn't yet taken over the internet and ground productivity to a halt, but Google's been proactive about it and patched the flaw by itself. Of course, the fix applies only to its own Chrome web browser, Firefoxes and Internet Explorer types will have to wait for Adobe's fix, which is expected any minute now. Still, it's good to know someone's looking out for the security of our data, even if that someone already has access to most of it anyway.
Flash 10.2 hits Android today, Adobe hopes for viewable 720p playback in a matter of weeks
Today, Adobe Flash 10.2 will hit the Android Market for devices running Froyo, Gingerbread and Honeycomb, and by now you're probably familiar with what it brings -- increased performance for dual-core smartphones running Android 2.2 and Android 2.3, and the promise of seriously sped-up Flash content and better battery life for Android 3.0 tablets (not to mention Flash, period). Well, we've already spent a full day with the latest build of Flash 10.2 for Android and quizzed the company thoroughly about the release, and there are a couple surprises in store. First off, you don't absolutely need a dual-core phone to take advantage of Flash 10.2 -- Adobe VP Danny Winokur told us, and we confirmed in testing, that there are slight performance improvements on earlier devices too. With our trusty Droid 2's 1Ghz OMAP3 chip, we saw a slight but noticeable boost in framerate when playing a YouTube trailer at 480p, which admittedly only took that particular video from "unwatchable" to merely "fairly jerky." With the Tegra 2-toting Motorola Xoom, however, 480p videos ran perfectly smooth, even as the tablet had trouble rendering 720p content as anything but a series of images. However, Adobe says even that will change soon, as this beta release doesn't take advantage of full hardware acceleration -- it's actually turned off right now. Though the Tegra 2 is natively decoding video, Adobe told us that hardware rendering and compositing will be added in a subsequent release, and when they are it "will bring 720p playback to a really smooth, enjoyable level." We also noticed that phone temperatures seemed slightly cooler with Flash 10.2, which suggests better battery life. The other work-in-progress is Flash integration into Google's Honeycomb browser, which presently has trouble detecting finger taps when Flash isn't played full screen, but which will -- Adobe hopes -- play exactly the same inside and outside the browser when work on Flash 10.2 is complete. Sounds promising, no? Then why not download it yourself this evening and give it a go?
Adobe Flash Player leaks for Motorola Xoom, we go hands-on (update: more video!)
March 18th may seem like an eternity if you expected your Motorola Xoom to come with Adobe Flash on day one. But you know what? If you put your trust in a mysterious file floating about the internet, there's no need to wait that long. MyDroidWorld obtained possession of a leaked build of Adobe Flash Player for the Xoom, which doesn't need root or even a preliminary update to install -- you just need to check the "Unknown sources" box under Settings > Applications, sideload the file or download it from the Xoom's browser and you're good to go. The best part? Based on our preliminary testing, Flash performs exceedingly well on the Xoom's dual-core Tegra 2 processor. While this early build of Flash was pretty choppy during HD playback, low-res video content rendered at perfectly viewable speeds, and we were able to play games (like Nanaca Crash and Canabalt) so long as they didn't require anything more than single-button control schemes. By contrast, Hulu was a no-go (it's still blocked), and this build has some kinks to work out when it comes to multitasking -- while any single Flash site ran well and we could quickly tab between, the more Flash-heavy tabs we had open, the slower each one ran individually -- which is why the video above starts out so choppy. Adobe's UI also seemed to have some difficulty detecting when we wanted to make a Flash item full-screen. Typically, you double-tap an item to enlarge it, but sometimes that didn't work... but with some Flash content, we found we could long-press on a Flash window to bring up a UI bar that would let us focus on it individually. Before you judge the merits of Flash on tablet, remember that this is a leaked version of a beta release, and if it's this good out of the gate, we're pretty excited about how well it might perform after a few tweaks. Don't miss our video above, and find the file you need to install Flash yourself at our source link. Update: We managed to get Flash to drop one of those context-sensitive buttons during a session of Canabalt and make the window full screen, which not only enlarged the window but also seriously sped up our little runner -- probably by redirecting the tablet's resources to our game. Photographic proof after the break! Update 2: We'll be shooting a second video later in the day to show how the Xoom handles Flash one site at a time. Update 3: There's a brand-new video after the break! As it turns out, you can make certain Flash windows full-screen by long-pressing on them, and we've updated the article to reflect that. Update 4: Adobe's confirmed that we're looking at a leaked build of Flash 10.2, but has also asked us nicely to take our link to the Surprise_flash.apk file down, saying that performance will be further optimized by the time it officially rolls out. Read the company's statement below. The leaked version of Flash Player 10.2 is an earlier build than the one we will make available on Android Market on 3/18. Additional optimization work has been completed since then and we'd like Xoom customers to receive the correct build starting this Fri. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Motorola Xoom update rolling out starting tonight, brings 'required enhancements' for Flash 10.2
In the spirit of issuing software updates with the sole purpose of preparing for more software updates, Motorola says there's about to be some brand new firmware for the Xoom, which will cross the Ts and dot the Is required to install the promised Adobe Flash Player 10.2. The company doesn't say when, exactly, to expect Flash, only that it's "coming soon," but the update will also fix a bug with Daylight Savings Time, which -- given recent history -- should find itself richly welcomed. If you're paying Verizon for 3G bandwidth, you can expect an OTA update in the days to come. [Thanks, Bob, Jake and Oscar]
