|
|
 |
Looking ahead to 2006
As you know we're now part of Adobe and very excited about the future opportunities for developers in the
mobile and devices space in the future. 2005 was a great year for mobile and device developer opportunities and 2006 looks even better. In January we will release Flash Lite Player 2 and the Flash Lite 2 Update for Macromedia Flash Professional 8 for developers via Adobe labs in addition to other cool announcements throughout the year. Enjoy the holidays and we look forward to supporting your efforts through 2006 and beyond.
Mobile and Devices Developer Relations Team
Flash Is Mobile at MAX 2005
 Macromedia
MAX
was the place to be if you wanted to be among the first
to learn about the latest Macromedia technologies. And
MAX 2005 was the biggest show yet for the mobile developer
community. Some 3000 Macromedia faithful flocked to the
Anaheim Convention Center to get a first glimpse of the
upcoming Macromedia technologies. These included Flash
Lite 2.0, which features video playback and support for
ActionScript
2.0 and marks a significant step forward for Flash mobile
development, and the Flex 2 product line, which is now
available in an alpha version through the new Macromedia
Labs.
Developers were also excited to experience the latest version of FlashCast,
to see how easy it is to build and test mobile applications without having to
load them onto a handset using the mobile emulator in Flash Professional 8, and
to learn how they can take advantage of upcoming new distribution opportunities
to monetize their skills and efforts. During his keynote address, Al Ramadan,
executive vice president for mobile and devices at Macromedia, noted that as
the mobile market in Japan continues to grow, the proliferation of Flash
Lite–enabled
phones is taking place in Europe as well—exemplified by the partnership
between Macromedia and Nokia. The first Nokia device to ship with Flash Lite
will be
the N90 phone, and the N91 and other devices will follow in the near future.
Nokia also is providing new distribution opportunities for developers by expanding
its Preminet Solution program, a content catalog of applications, to include
Flash Lite applications so that developers can submit their mobile content for
Nokia users to download.
One
of the most exciting announcements for mobile developers
at the show was the great news that mobile distribution
for Flash content will be available soon in the United
States. Ramadan pointed out that Macromedia and Qualcomm
will bring Flash Lite to the Brew platform. The goal is
to develop a new Flash Lite extension for Brew to enable
developers to distribute Flash Lite content in the U.S.,
and if the handset doesn't have Flash Lite installed, the
system will distribute it to a handset automatically.
Flash
Lite has come a long way since MAX 2004, when Macromedia
first outlined its mobile agenda. Since then, some 15,000
developers have joined the Macromedia
Mobile Developer Program,
Macromedia has entered several strategic relationships
with device manufacturers worldwide, and Flash Lite–enabled
phones are becoming increasingly common throughout the
world. And MAX 2005 did its part to convince attendees
that the time to develop mobile content is now. With devices
more powerful than ever before, new tools maturing, and
an increasing number of device manufacturers in the U.S.,
Europe, and Asia showing an interest in the Flash Platform,
2006 promises to be even more exciting than 2005 —not
just for Macromedia but for the entire Flash developer
community.
For reports and coverage on MAX 2005, visit the Macromedia
MAX 2005 Topic Center. For
more details on Flash Lite and FlashCast, visit the Mobile
and Devices Developer Center.
Bill Perry, Manager, Mobile and Devices Developer Relations
Macromedia Flash Powers Consumer Electronics
Flash
is mobile, and device manufacturers are realizing its benefits
and potential for more than just handsets, as the recent
examples of Kodak and iRiver demonstrate. In September,
Kodak revealed the Kodak
EasyShare-one,
the world's first Wi-Fi consumer digital camera, which
has garnered accolades from industry organizations and
consumer
electronics writers for its groundbreaking design and functionality.
The EasyShare-one uses Flash Player SDK for its rich 3-inch
rotating touch-screen user interface, which Wall Street
Journal technology columnist Walter Mossberg describes
as "one of the best [user interfaces] I've seen on any
digital camera."
Flash Lite also powers the new iRiver U10 personal media player (PMP). The U10 features an ultra-bright 2.2-inch vivid color display and uses an intuitive direct-click user interface for easy navigation. The U10 also enables consumers to download Flash Lite games, which generates a new opportunity for Flash developers to create engaging content for the latest consumer devices on the Flash Platform. |
