Examples

Times Reader 2.0

Times Reader 2.0 delivers rich editorial as text, video, and graphics that subscribers can view in an Adobe AIR application, without having to deal with the idiosyncrasies of different web browsers.

Why the Flash Platform worked

• The New York Times was looking for a multiplatform solution. With AIR, contentcan be delivered to Mac, PC and Linux based devices. In addition to multiple platforms, AIR allows the application to run on smaller form factors such as Netbooks and Tablets PC.
• Building the application on AIR allowed for creating an offline reading experience. Users can sync up content from up to the last seven days and then read content at a later time, say on a flight or on the road.
• The Text Layout Framework along with inherent font capabilities of the Flash Platform allowed for a fluid, newspaper-like presentation of content, thus creating an experience which is closer to reading a newspaper rather than using an application.
• Using the Flash Platform allowed the NYT to make a digital edition that in addition to static news delivers interactive content such as crossword puzzles and videos from the NYT video library.

Technologies and ecosystem

Flex

• Flex allowed for the creation of ease-to-use components and layout and fit really well with the AIR SDK.

Adobe AIR

• Addressed the multi-platform requirements of the application.
• Being open and part of the Flash Platform, it gave the application access to the Flash Player text engine and the Text Layout Framework.

Text Layout Framework

• Proved to be the necessary ingredient in bringing out the look and feel of an actual newspaper with the same fonts and layout that the NYT uses to print the physical newspaper.

Additional resources:

• Ahead of the Times: Building a next-gen newsreader on AIR (5:24)
• MAX 2008: Desktop News Reader (58:44)

• Get Times Reader

Finetune Desktop uses Adobe AIR to improve and expand users' desktop experiences of the free Finetune online music recommendation service, which customizes its content based on user-defined playlists.

Why the Flash Platform worked

• Finetune already had a website with its key component, the Music Player, running in Flash. Since AIR is part of the Flash Platform, the development team simply reused assets, skills, and code to quickly deliver a desktop-based player. They were then able to use the time saved for iterating through new features to make the desktop player its own unique experience.
• Being part of the Flash Platform, tapping into web services available was seamless for the AIR application. This allowed users to access the same music playlists and preferences on the desktop as they did on the website.
• Finetune has since taken the same approach and extended its service to mobile devices with Flash Lite, a beta version for TVs that support Flash as well as social networks such as Facebook.

Technologies and ecosystem

Flash Player

• The ubiquity of Flash Player meant no extra installation on over 98% of Internet-connected desktops worldwide.
• Provides a consistent experience across a broad range of platforms, browsers, devices, and social networks out of the box.

Adobe AIR

• Seamless application install procedure from any web page makes it easier to distribute the application to social networks and websites other that Finetune.com.
• Unlike other custom approaches to building a desktop application, AIR allowed the development team to focus on what they already knew—web technologies, including ActionScript.

Additional resources:

• Customer story (3:34)
• MAX 2008: Spotlight on Finetune and Teknision (55:51)

• Download Finetune Desktop

This desktop application features an audio player, chat room, and continuous photo/video/news feeds with which music fans can receive the latest content from their favorite musicians in a single download.

Why the Flash Platform worked

• Atlantic Records wanted to create a platform through which fans can directly interact with their favorite artists no matter what device they choose to engage from. The Flash Platform has allowed them to truly achieve this vision.
• Developing on the Flash Platform meant reusability of assets and a consistent experience across platforms and devices. Atlantic Records has reused many of the assets to create a companion mobile application and a BETA experience for Fanbase on TVs and set-top boxes.

Technologies and ecosystem

Flex Framework

• Features such as layout containers, bindings, and resuable components allowed for quick development and rapid prototyping. Once built, the build could be exported into an AIR application in one step.
• Flex CSS-based skinning made it possible to skin the application differently for different artists by simply loading different Flash based assets. This allowed Atlantic records to create a unique experience for every band without having to redevelop the application from scratch.

Adobe AIR

• In addition to using known web technologies, AIR allowed the development team to tap into desktop-only features such as startup at login, iconography, system-level installation.
• AIR also allowed for caching and storing data locally, thereby allowing the application on the desktop to be occasionally connected.
• AIR also met the requirement to push updates to fans, a feature important to both Atlantic as well as the bands.

Additional resources:

• Application demo (5:00)
• Customer story (5:08)

• Dowload Fanbase Desktop