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Apple throws Adobe a bone -- on the Mac
Adobe's Flash Player has never performed as well in Mac OS X as it does on Windows-running PCs. The traditionally poor performance of Adobe's plugin on the Mac has led many iPhone and iPad users to support Apple's decision to keep Flash off of its mobile devices. While the upcoming Flash 10.1 does boast some significant performance improvements over its predecessors, the performance is still pretty terrible compared to h.264, which has access to hardware-accelerated video decoding via the GPUs in Macs. Adobe's stance has long been to blame Apple for the poor performance of Flash on the Mac, citing Apple's unwillingness to allow third-party developers access to APIs necessary for hardware-accelerated video. Adobe no longer has that excuse to fall back upon: Apple posted a technical note back in late March that removes this restriction and allows third-party developers access to hardware-acceleration APIs for h.264 decoding in compatible GPUs. The technical note describes "a C programming interface providing low-level access to the H.264 decoding capabilities of compatible GPUs" -- meaning only the latest Mac GPUs, the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, GeForce 320M and GeForce GT 330M. "It is intended for use by advanced developers who specifically need hardware accelerated decode of video frames," the note continues. So there you have it, Adobe. The one thing that's supposedly been holding you back from getting decent Flash performance on the Mac is now gone. Now that Apple has removed this "stumbling block" and you're unfettered by Apple's restrictions, the onus is on you to prove that you can deliver a well-crafted Flash plugin for the Mac -- preferably one that doesn't crash constantly or send my fans into a cyclone any time I try to watch full-screen Flash videos. It will be interesting to see how Adobe responds to this. If Adobe takes advantage of the hardware-acceleration APIs, how much improvement Flash's performance sees as a result will settle the debate once and for all over who's been at fault for Flash's subpar performance on the Mac. Even if Flash sees substantial performance on the Mac as a result of this move, though, there's probably no chance that Apple will relent on its stance regarding Flash on iPhone OS. [Via MacRumors]
Adobe CEO: Flash coming to Android, WebOS and BlackBerry 'smartphones and tablets' in 2H 2010
This week Adobe released version 5 of its Creative Suite software compilation. CEO Shantanu Narayen has naturally hit the interview trail to promote his company's wares, but the biggest news from him is actually a delay of sorts. We'd previously heard that Android, WebOS and BlackBerry versions of Flash 10.1 would be available in the first half of 2010, but Adobe's chief now places delivery to those platforms in the second half of the year. At least consolation may be found in his teasing of new Flash-enabled tablets -- most likely to be running Android or Chrome OS -- which we're told to expect to see within the same time frame. As to the question of Apple's holdout from Flash nirvana, Narayen describes it as a business rather than technology decision, which "hurts consumers" and will ultimately be judged by people voting "for the experience that they want through their wallet." Can't really argue with that. Skip past the break for the full interview. Update: The blog of Adobe's Lee Brimelow gives us a likely reason for the delay: Flash Player 10.1 for Android has just entered private beta, as has AIR 2.0, with public betas on the way. Devs can sign up to be notified about both right here.
Adobe brings AIR to Android, promises Flash 10.1 in the first half of the year
Convergence has always been a big theme in tech, and its focus at MWC this year seems to have landed firmly on procuring an application platform that is OS-agnostic. Earlier today, we heard of the big carrier cabal intent on slaying the beast that is multi-platform development through cooperation, but if you ask Adobe the answer is much simpler: just slap AIR on your phone. The company's grand vision of the future sees AIR as the facilitator of a "feature-rich environment for delivering rich applications outside the mobile browser and across multiple operating systems." If that sounds like your cup of tea, it's now available on Android and there are a number of cool demo videos at the DevNet link below. As to Flash Player 10.1, that's also heading to Android, to be completed within the first half of this year, while also including support for WebOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices. We all know who's missing from that party, but Reuters reports Adobe has expressed confidence that Apple will "eventually bow to market pressure" and join in on the fun as well. We shall see. Video of AIR apps running on the Droid awaits after the break.
Adobe got 7 million iPhone and iPod touch download requests for Flash in December
A touch of history might be appropriate here. Back in March 2008, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen proudly proclaimed that his team was about to start coding a Flash player for the iPhone, only for his company to promptly backtrack on those words a day later. Then, about this time last year, Apple and Adobe again announced that they were collectively working on putting the ubiquitous format on Cupertino's mobile devices, but you won't be surprised to hear that hasn't born any fruit yet either. In fact, relations seem to have grown a lot frostier thanks to the iPad's Flash-less introduction, and an escalating war of passive aggressive words culminated in Steve Jobs calling Adobe lazy. Lazy or otherwise, Adobe is keeping track of its download stats, and it's taken the chance to boast that it received a cool 7 million download requests for Flash player from iPhone and iPod touch devices during December. We're hardly shocked by this number, but it seems to illustrate well the fact that so long as the two heavyweights continue playing an increasingly complacent form of hardball with one another, the only winners will be their competition.
Adobe: Flash 10.1 will require 'some enhancements to existing versions of Android'
As you may have noticed, there were a few reports making the rounds earlier today that suggested Flash 10.1 for Android would be limited to phones running Android 2.1. Adobe itself didn't seem to be saying much about the matter, however, so we inquired with them and received a statement that raises about as many questions as it answers. According to Adrian Ludwig, group product marketing manager for Flash Platform: Adobe, Google, and other members of the Open Screen Project are working together to make ensure the full Web experience can be delivered on largest possible number of devices. Support for full Flash Player 10.1 requires some enhancements to existing versions of Android. These enhancements are expected to be available as an upgrade to existing devices and for new devices starting in Q2 2010. The key detail there, obviously, is that support for the full Flash Player 10.1 will indeed require "some enhancements" to current versions of Android, meaning that one way or another you'll have to update, and that an update for every Android phone isn't necessarily guaranteed. What the statement doesn't confirm, however, is whether those "enhancements" are, in fact, Android 2.1, or an update of some sort that will follow Android 2.1 -- we'll let you know if we get any further clarification on that.
Flash beta update, Perian gets a refresh
There were two minor video plug-in related updates last night. First Adobe released a new beta of their Flash Player 10.1 beta 2 (this on the heels of a set of security patches for the stable release version last week). Flash 10.1 is introducing a host of new features, but is primarily aimed at the mobile market. Among the biggest new features in 10.1 will be the ability for developers to create multi-touch aware Flash content for a wide range of devices. Looks like Adobe is still hoping to prove Flash worthy for Apple for use on the iPhone. Along with this beta release Adobe has reminded us that they are abandoning the G3 processor after this upcoming version of Flash. In the release notes [PDF] and in last week's security announcement, Adobe says: Note: The Adobe Flash Player 10.1 release, expected in the first half of 2010, will be the last version to support Macintosh PowerPC-based G3 computers. Adobe will be discontinuing support of PowerPC- based G3 computers and will no longer provide security updates after the Flash Player 10.1 release. This unavailability is due to performance enhancements that cannot be supported on the older PowerPC architecture. I'm all for moving forward with tech, and G3 are ancient by today's standards anyway. Besides, how many people will this decision actually affect? In other plugin news, Perian, which we've mentioned several times here on TUAW, has been updated to version 1.2. Perian enables QuickTime support for additional media types, including: AVI, FLV, and MKV file formats MS-MPEG4 v1 & v2, DivX, 3ivx, H.264, FLV/Sorenson Spark, FSV1, VP6, H263i, VP3, HuffYUV, FFVHuff, MPEG1 & MPEG2 Video, Fraps, Windows Media Audio v1 & v2, Flash ADPCM, Xiph Vorbis (in Matroska), and MPEG Layer II Audio AVI support for: AAC, AC3 Audio, H.264, MPEG4, and VBR MP3 Subtitle support for SSA/ASS and SRT This is Perian's first major update since Snow Leopard has arrived. While there are no big new features, it's always nice to see an update after a big OS upgrade just to know that everything works on the new system.
Adobe's Flash Player 10.1 beta GPU acceleration tested, documented
We know you don't actually care about 99 percent of the contents of the latest Flash Player update. What you really want to know is whether those new 1080p YouTube streams will run smoothly on your machine thanks to the newly implemented graphics card video acceleration. AnandTech has come to our collective aid on that one, with an extensive testing roundup of some of the more popular desktop and mobile GPU solutions. NVIDIA's ION scored top marks, with "almost perfect" Hulu streaming (see table above), though Anand and crew encountered some issues with ATI's chips and Intel's integrated GMA 4500 MHD, which they attribute to the new Flash Player's beta status. On the OS front, although Linux and Mac OS are not yet on the official hardware acceleration beneficiary list, the wily testers found marked improvements in performance under OS X. It seems, then, that Adobe has made good on its partnership with NVIDIA, and made ION netbooks all the more scrumptious in the process, while throwing a bone to the Mac crowd, but leaving the majority of users exercising the virtue of patience until the finalized non-beta Player starts making the rounds in a couple of months. Hit the read link for further edification.
Adobe points finger at Apple over Flash for iPhone
The lack of Flash of the iPhone has been an issue, complaint and breaking point for many current (and potential) iPhone users. It seems that Adobe is just as fed up as the rest of us and has started to more publicly blame Apple for the lack of this technology. When a website requires a Flash plugin, it provides a link to a "Get Flash" page. From here and on most devices, you can download the appropriate version of Flash and be up and running in a few minutes. In the past, iPhone users have been greeted with a message that basically states that Flash is not available for their device. A recent change, pointed out by GearDiary, shows Adobe getting a bit more snippy with Apple. The updated page now states that: "Apple restricts use of technologies required by products like Flash Player. Until Apple eliminates these restrictions, Adobe cannot provide Flash Player for the iPhone or iPod Touch." While this may not be "breaking news," it does say a number of things. For one, Adobe is clearly able to develop Flash for the iPhone and obviously wants to introduce it on the iPhone and iPod touch. This also shows that Adobe is very in tune of all the complaints and has redirected the blame to Apple.
Snow Leopard ships with old version of Flash - great for hackers, not so much for the rest of us
As we've seen, for many people the migration to Snow Leopard has been eventful (to say the least). Even if you've been spared most of the growing pains, you'll want to make note of this next item: According to the kids at Adobe, the initial release of Mac OS X 10.6 includes an earlier version of Adobe Flash Player (10.0.23.1), necessitating an upgrade to 10.0.32.18 if you want to take advantage of the enhanced security the latter provides. What's more, even if your plug-in was up-to-date, an upgrade to Snow Leopard will downgrade your Flash Player version -- so much for auto-magically downloading the most recent updates when you install the OS, eh? Our feeling is this: if you're including Flash Player in the OS, you'd better update that as well. As Daily Tech points out, Adobe products (especially Flash) are a favorite of hackers and malcontents everywhere, so if you're serious about security you'll want to get your hands on the update ASAP. And as always, the read link is a terrific place to start.[Via Daily Tech]
Adobe, NVIDIA and Broadcom bringing GPU acceleration to Flash at long last
As part of the Open Screen Project, which should be getting Adobe Flash onto many new platforms, Adobe, NVIDIA and Broadcom are all hard at work getting GPU acceleration to do what it ought for Flash Player, with improvements in store for everything from Tegra MIDs to Broadcom Crystal HD netbooks (like HP's new Mini 110XP, pictured) to tablets and beyond. Of note is H.264 playback acceleration, which should at last make Hulu and YouTube bearable on netbooks and nettops -- a major shortcoming in the otherwise enticing form factors. Unfortunately, the most precise timeline we have on all this is from Broadcom, who says its Flash Player support will be available in the first half of 2010. We're also going to be bugging Adobe and Intel about when this functionality might hit mainstream Intel integrated chipsets as well, though at least Broadcom's Crystal HD accelerator can be added to some existing netbooks such as a PCI Express mini-card or ExpressCard 34 add-on. Perhaps we sound ungrateful, but this sort of acceleration for Flash -- the internet's most popular multimedia delivery method -- is long overdue, and we're not overly impressed with the idea of waiting until mid-2010 for it to happen.Read - Adobe and NVIDIARead - Adobe and Broadcom
Apple teams up with Adobe for iPhone Flash at long last
With Android getting all Flash-ey, Apple's "Goldilocks" position on Flash -- the full Flash player is too hefty, Flash Lite is too weak -- seemed pretty untenable. Now Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen has revealed that Apple and Adobe are "collaborating" on making Flash a reality on the iPhone, citing the technical challenge it presents. What's clear is that with all this work to do, it doesn't seem they're going the watered-down Flash Lite route, but we're trying not to hold our breath for a full-on, Hulu-friendly version that will finally help us get that Doogie Howser fix on the go. Naturally, there's no word on when this will hit.[Via AppleInsider]
Adobe says Flash is coming to the iPhone
The word is out, kids. Adobe has apparently gone against old Jobsy's wishes, and it's planning a Flash player made all special for the iPhone (ala Windows Mobile) despite Apple's concerns that the technology -- in its current incarnation, anyway -- isn't cut out for mobile duty. During a conference call today, Chief Executive Shantanu Narayen said, "We believe Flash is synonymous with the Internet experience, and we are committed to bringing Flash to the iPhone," adding, "We have evaluated (the software developer tools) and we think we can develop an iPhone Flash player ourselves." We wouldn't be surprised if Adobe were to be given a pass on all those pesky SDK rules that would likely prevent a proper browser-based Flash component to be coded for the device, though those Apple dudes can be real sticklers for rules.
Swarmcast intros Autobahn HD player for Flash
Just in case you haven't heard enough about Adobe's latest HD-enabled Flash release, Swarmcast has introduced a brand new player that supports the aforementioned technology while "protecting against video stalls and skips." Autobahn HD for Flash is a free, full-screen-capable player that is built on the firm's "patented multi-source streaming technology," which "dynamically adjusts the video bitrate to ensure that individual viewers are always watching the highest-quality video possible for their internet connection." Furthermore, the company will be making the source code available to the Flash community for those who'd like to modify it, and while a set date hasn't been announced, an OS X-friendly version of Autobahn HD should be ready soon.
Adobe creates website to boast about HD with Flash
As we saw with Hulu's dive into HD, Adobe's latest version of Flash does indeed support high-definition content. More specifically, it plays nice with H.264 / HE-AAC v2, but requires a fairly beefed up computer and an uber-quick internet connection in order to fully experience 480p, 720p and 1080p material. Additionally, the "flash on" portal aims to inform you of how Flash is "powering next-generation television," which sounds quite delicious, no? For those curious to see what your own content would look like if streamed out in glorious high-definition, be sure and take a peek at the Adobe HD gallery -- assuming you've got the latest version of Flash Player 9 and meet those admittedly stringent system requirements, of course.[Via Reel SEO]Read - Adobe's HD video websiteRead - Adobe's flash on portal
SmartQ rolls out T5 portable flash player
SmartQ has another flash based portable media player for us from China with the release of the SmartQ T5. Coming in 2 and 4GB variations, the T5 plays a variety of file formats including 640x480, 30 fps XVID DivX, and features a 3.0-inch screen -- 320x240, a shame considering its VGA quality playback potential -- with a battery that can last up to 7 hours playing video, and 22 hours playing audio. No word on shipping dates or prices, but you know how it goes with these flash playing gadgets that never seem to make it stateside.[Thanks, nick]
Transcend's T.sonic 820 DAPs, with 4GB of flash
With the big boys like Apple, SanDisk and iriver putting so much TLC into this particular market segment of mini flash DAPs, it can be bit hard to even get noticed, much less succeed. All the same, Transcend manages to squeeze a little bit of innovative functionality into its new T.sonic 820 player to keep it from being relegated to the flash heap of history. There's not a whole lot interesting about the 12mm thickness (about twice as thick as the nano), or the 2GB (white) and 4GB (black) capacities, but the inclusion of a A-B track section repeat, along with track speed control makes this a boon to guitarist trying to learn a lead part without going nutso. Otherwise, the 1.5-inch 128 x 128 display, WMA-DRM10 support and recording capabilities are nice but par for the course, and 15 hours of battery is nothing special for a flash player anymore. No word on price or availability.[Via MP3 Player Guide]
Samsung's YP-T9, now with 8GB of tasty flash
With the (official) launch of Samsung's Yepp K3 presumably just weeks away, who could blame you for taking your eyes off the T9? Until January's CES, the T9 reigns supreme in Samsung's lineup of flash media players. It even sports its own "series" of third party accessories like the big boys... albeit, from just a single vendor so far. So today, Sammy announced an 8GB capacity bump to keep the Yepp competitive with all the other 8 giggers out there. The T9, however, delivers one notable exception: stereo Bluetooth. No details, but you can expect it to be priced to compete.
Yoto T-21 offers portable media playback for $50
In the states, fifty dollars won't get you much in the way of a portable media player, so try not to feel too envious when you see the 1GB, 399 Chinese Yuan (approx. $50) Yoto T-21, a Chinese PMP that has a similar feature set to the iRiver Clix, but at a quarter of the price. Featuring a 2-inch QVGA screen, the T-21 is even capable of AVI playback at up to 30fps, which bests both the Clix and its real fake counterpart. It'll also let you play your MP3s, Flash movies, browse photos and text, and has a built-in FM tuner. As usual, there's no word on whether the device will be available outside of Asia, but we'd advise that you don't get your hopes up: these kind of unbelievably great value players have a habit of sitting just across the Pacific, perpetually taunting us with their low price tags.
Universal Binary of Flash Player 9 released
Adobe has cranked out a Universal Binary of Flash Player 9 for Intel Mac consumption. Strangely, a PowerPC-only build is still available on the download page, though Insanely Mac is reporting that it's an earlier build.If you're interested in what's actually new in this latest version, check out Adobe's page with the full details.
More clues about SanDisk's 8GB Sansa
So it's starting to look like those leaked pictures we saw last month supposedly depicting an unannounced 8GB flash player from SanDisk are the real deal. You'll recall that an Anything But iPod forum member claiming to be a SanDisk tester posted a shot of what's generally referred to as the Sansa e280, and now the eagle-eyed editors over at ABi have discovered even more tantalizing clues on the company's website. The most telling bit of evidence comes when you launch the 360-degree demos for either the 4GB e260 or 2GB e250, which instead of featuring the players' respective capacities on the backside, show a model clearly adorned with an "8GB" label -- see the screenshot, right. Furthermore, the entire Sansa lineup is being hit with price cuts, which could be an indication that a product launch is imminent. If SanDisk is in fact able to get this model to market before Apple breaks us off with an 8GB nano -- aluminum enclosure and all -- it would seem to do more for the company's market share than a negative advertising campaign ever could.[Via Anything But iPod]
