Adobe To End Development of mobile Flash, Focus on HTML 5

A report early this morning from href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/exclusive-adobe-ceases-development-on-mobile-browser-flash-refocuses-efforts-on-html5/19226">ZDNET indicates that Adobe is ending development of Flash Player for mobile browsers. Since the first iPhone in 2007, Apple has resisted offering support for Flash, while embracing HTML 5, an open web technology. This move is one that now even Adobe is embracing. A statement from Adobe is expected today, but here’s a preview:

Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer adapt Flash Player for mobile devices to new browser, OS version or device configurations. Some of our source code licensees may opt to continue working on and releasing their own implementations. We will continue to support the current Android and PlayBook configurations with critical bug fixes and security updates.

The effect of this move is profound, in that now all mobile devices will move to HTML 5, including Android devices. This should result in a better web experience for all mobile platforms, given that everyone will be all in on HTML 5.

Source: href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/exclusive-adobe-ceases-development-on-mobile-browser-flash-refocuses-efforts-on-html5/19226">ZDNet

Rumor: Adobe to cancel mobile Flash Player, go all in on Air and HTML 5

ZDNet, citing developers who’d been briefed on the plans, claims Adobe is getting ready to pull the plug on mobile Flash Player for Android and BlackBerry Playbook.

Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer adapt Flash Player for mobile devices to new browser, OS version or device configurations. Some of our source code licensees may opt to continue working on and releasing their own implementations. We will continue to support the current Android and PlayBook configurations with critical bug fixes and security updates.

For Flash, this could be the end of a long, tortured existence. When the iPhone debuted in 2007 Adobe immediately complained they weren’t on there, despite it taking until 2011 for them to even begin to roll out halfway decent mobile plugins. Back and forth feuding with Apple didn’t get Flash onto iPhone or iPad, since Apple believed Flash to be a dead technology, and Steve Jobs announced they’d not support it. And the plugins Adobe did roll out for Android only supported video, not Flash app, and always felt like a McGyver effort at best. (Frankly, if Google, Palm, and RIM hadn’t been playing a silly games with Adobe against Apple, we all could have been a couple more years ahead in HTML 5 apps by now.)

For Air, it’s a mixed bag. Cross-compilers, which Apple initially banned and then un-banned from the App Store, can make life much easier for developers but can also lead to lowest-common-denominator apps that don’t take advantage of platform-specific features and lag behind native SDK’s in their support. For games it rarely matters, for regular apps it can be more of a challenge.

For HTML 5 this could be a huge win. Adobe is great at making content creation tools and distractions like the Flash runtimes and Omniture analytics have led to a split focus and failure to embrace emerging technologies fast enough. If this rumor pans out, it will be great to see if Adobe can make HTML 5 tools a first class citizen, finally, in their creative line up.

Somewhere, Steve Jobs’ Force Ghost is smiling.

Source: ZDNet

RF3 LIVE Natural Wood Stereo Earphones – accessory review

If you’re looking for a stylish pair of headphones without a hefty price tag – the RF3 LIVE natural wood stereo earphones may be worth taking a second look at. Everything from the design of the actual earbuds down to the elegant packaging makes these headphones stand out from a lot of others in the same price range. But what about the most important feature of a good pair of headphones? Sound quality. Follow along to see how we felt they performed.

When it came to sound quality I thought the RF3 headphones held up extremely well for the price. The headphones themselves are noise isolating and come with a few different sets of tips for a better fit. They were rather comfortable to wear but I wouldn’t suggest them as the best option for athletes or runners as I had them fall out of my ears a few times.

The 3.5MM headphone jack has a longer adapter which also allowed me to use them with virtually any case. One quirk I’ve never really gotten over with my Bose headphones is that the jack is shorter and some cases including bumpers don’t like to play nice with them. That isn’t the case here.

The headphones also have a built-in mic that you can interact with just like you can default Apple earbuds. This means iPhone 4S users can easily interact with Siri quickly and easily. I tested the mic on several occasions and had no issues with Siri picking up on what I was saying even in a semi-noisy environment.

As far as the acoustics and sound while listening to music, I thought they held their own against many other headphones in the same price range. They even performed better than some more expensive headphones I’ve used in the past. The only issue I did see was when it came to bass levels. I felt that they were rather shallow. Even with my iPod settings set to enhance the bass they didn’t seem to perform near as well as my Bose MIE2i headphones. That is not as fair of a comparison though since they are nowhere near the same price range.

Overall, I’d say they perform well for the price if you want a decent pair of headphones that stand out from the rest without breaking the bank. You can find the RF3 LIVE natural wood headphones in the TiPb accessory store for $34.95.

Just leave a comment below telling us what you’d listen to if you were given a set of RF3 LIVE Natural Wood Stereo Earphones of your very own! A special song? A great audio book? A bunch of Mobile Nations podcasts? What?

Adobe confirms Flash Player mobile is dead

Danny Winokur, VP and GM, interactive development at Adobe, confirms earlier rumors that Flash Player mobile is getting scrapped.

Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations (chipset, browser, OS version, etc.) following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook. We will of course continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations. We will also allow our source code licensees to continue working on and release their own implementations.

Good for Adobe. Flash, like ActiveX before it, filled holes in the browser HTML was simply incapable of filling on its own — at the time. But time marches on. Now with Adobe, Google, RIM, et al, no longer wasting time in petty competitive feuds with Apple, HTML 5 can move on further and even faster than before.

Source: Adobe Featured Blogs

Apple support says there are no current plans to offer Siri on older devices

Not really a great surprise to be honest, but when contacted by a developer about the chances of Siri coming to older iPhone and iPod touch models, Apple support responded with:

Did anyone really expect Apple support to announce future product plans or feature support? In the meantime, it looks like users of older devices will have to rely on the unofficial method that may or may not be released.

Source: Michael Steeber via 9to5Mac

 

P90X now available on the iPhone

Beachbody’s popular workout program, P90X, is now available on the iPhone. It will schedule your workouts for you, chart your progress, and allow you to compete with friends. Need some positive reinforcement? P90X has got you covered with achievements that can be shared on Facebook and Twitter.

P90X® has evolved. The breakthrough workout program that revolutionized home fitness now has an app that lets you Bring It!® on your iPhone®, so you can get even more amazing results—and work out with P90X anywhere. Keep track of your sets, reps, and weights, view your progress, log your nutrition, and share your results. With interactive features like these, you’ll stay motivated and accountable to get more out of P90X than ever.

P90X is available on the iPhone for $4.99. This includes the P90X Fit Test and Ab Ripper X. Additional workouts are available as in-app purchases ranging from $6.99 for individual workouts and $59.99 for the entire bundle.

[App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

New Vooma Peel case brings dual SIM slots to the iPhone 4 and 4S [jailbreak]

Peel, the suppliers of the iPod touch phone case has gone one better this time and is set to release a dual SIM case for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The device which will be called the Vooma Peel PG92 works with any jailbroken iPhone 4 or 4S and adds dual SIM capabilities.

The Vooma Peel is in the form of a case that wraps around your iPhone and offers a backup battery as well as a second phone. The second phone is built into the case and is activated via the Vooma app; which can only be installed on a jailbroken iPhone 4 or 4S. You can then call up a second phone dialler within the Vooma app and use that to dial numbers on the second line. There is no mention if the second line will support any data services or if it is purely for calls.

The release is currently shown as coming soon and as yet there is no pricing information. We will keep you informed as soon as we hear anymore.

Source: Vooma via Techcrunch