Flash

Built4Flash Launched by Farata Systems

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

There are about 250,000 developers working with Flex and AIR. If you add an army of ActionScript developers, this number will grow substantially. Where do you go if you have a technical issue while developing RIA? As of today, there no one place to ask questions and get answers. A respected forum flexcoders uses the outdated and hard to follow Yahoo! groups. Some people try to find answers visiting blogs they trust. Some developers post their questions on Twitter. About a year ago Joel Spolsky and Jeff Atwood released a well designed and easy to follow knowledge exchange stackoverflow.com, where people earn reputation by suggesting the right solutions to people’s problems. Flex/Flash/Air developers started to post their questions there among the plethora of questions on other technologies and programming languages.

Create Free Web Player with Moyea PlayerBox

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EDT

When creating and designing your website and blog, do you want to create your own web player to present videos? It's time to get your own player with Moyea PlayerBox, which facilitates player creation and player skinning with new version.

Adobe May Cooperate with Apple to Transplant Flash Player to iPhone

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:51:00 EDT

According to the CEO of Adobe America, Adobe company is planning to transplant its flash player to iPhone. Adobe CEO indicated that Adobe may cooperate with Apple to ensure the smooth flash player application on iPhone in Adobe company’s first quarter performance conference early this week. These comments were made when he was asking about the [...]

Flash Platform Services for Distribution

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:15:00 EDT

Today, Adobe made a very interesting announcement - Adobe Flash Platform Services for Distribution is available to the public. To put it simple, it’s a new way of distributing, promoting, and measuring the usage of your applications on the Web.

Adobe Flash and Flex Accessibility with Screen Readers

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:15:00 EDT

First, yes, screen readers can read Flex applications. And yes, its fairly easy. But, I’ll discuss how in a future post. But, if you’d rather send people to your old HTML version of your site when using a read, there is good news. Flash Player has the ability to detect if a screen reader is running on the client machine, even if JavaScript is disabled and/or the Flex application is not compiled as an “accessible swf”. This is possible with the Accessibility class.

Adobe To Open Up Flash Messaging Protocol

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:25:00 EST

Adobe says it’s going to publish the Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) specification designed for high-performance transmission of audio, video and data between Adobe Flash Platform technologies. Think AMF, SWF, FLV and F4V formats compatible with Adobe Flash Player. The RTMP disclosure will be the latest advance of the so-called Open Screen Project.

Intel and Adobe Putting Flash on TV

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:05:00 EST

Adobe and Intel plan to collaborate on porting Adobe’s Flash widgetry to Intel’s Media Processor CE 3100, a way to put Flash-enhanced web content and rich Flash applications on television. The chip is bound for cable set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc players, digital TVs and retail-connected AV devices.

Flash Player 10 is released!

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:01:00 EDT

Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Flash® Player 10 software. Interactive designers and developers can leverage the new expressive features and visual performance improvements in Flash Player 10 for unprecedented creative control to deliver the most compelling Web applications, interactive content and high quality video to users across multiple browsers and all major operating systems.

Bringing Voice and Messaging to Flash and AIR

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Director of Ribbit's Developer Platform, Chuck Freedman, will explore an evolution in web communication. With the growing demand of RIA and voice-over-the-web solutions, developers finally have a full suite of communication APIs to add to Flash. Coding with Ribbit, Freedman will demonstrate how to send SMS messages from your application. The session will explore features that let users check voicemail, listen to and even read their messages. We will see how to easily make and receive calls from Flash so customers can call you (or your client) without leaving the web page or picking up the phone. Freedman will reveal a killer app that can do it all - something attendees will quickly be able to build too, after experiencing this session.

Bringing Voice and Messaging to Flash and AIR

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Adobe Flex, Flash and Loosely Coupled On Demand

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 03:00:00 EDT

Adobe Flex and Flash are the ideal technology for Rich Internet Applications because you can build those applications with reusable components that are Loosely Coupled. In his session, learn how you can create an On-Demand Authoring Environment for creating Rich Internet Applications bound to any database or web service using Flex 2 and Flash CS4.

Adobe Gives Yahoo & Google Special Flash Treatment

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Adobe says it's going to 'dramatically improve' the search results of dynamic web content and rich Internet applications (RIAs) for Google and Yahoo by giving them optimized Flash Player technology. This new widgetry, which will read and index SWF files, is supposed to uncover information that is currently undiscoverable by search engines and provide more relevant automatic search rankings for the millions of RIAs and the other dynamic content that runs in Flash Player.

Product Review: Adobe Flash Player 10

Fri, 30 May 2008 08:15:00 EDT

I might have skipped some of the new features of Flash Player 10, but you can always refer to the official FAQ page. Visit Plash Players 10 page on Adobe Labs to download new player (there is no debug version yet). The standalone debug versions are also available. You can use the official demos and Flash Player 10 API documentation to build your applications using special version of Flex SDK. Adobe's Flash Player team made a substantial progress with new release of this very solid VM, which makes it even more solid platform in the RIA space.

Adobe Puts Out AIR for Linux

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:30:00 EDT

Adobe has put an alpha pre-release of AIR for Linux up in hopes, it says, of getting feedback from the community, not to mention winning adherents. It's English-only. The company also joined the Linux Foundation to encourage the growth of RIA technologies on Linux, it said. The company says Linux developers can use HTML, AJAX, Flash and Flex to build rich Internet applications (RIAs) that deploy to desktops across operating systems.

The Next Big RIA Service: Sprout

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:15:00 EDT

These days RIA tools are created mainly to two groups of people: Web Developers and UI Designers. The second group is represented by creative people who can design screens but are not programmers. Big guys are trying to come with tools that would bring together these two groups of people who currently live in different planets. But there is another group of people that need these tools.

Notes from Adobe conference for educators

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:00:00 EST

These are the notes from Adobe Education Designer and Developer Conference that Adobe put together for people who are teaching Adobe software at various universities around the country.

Car Manufacturers Go with Adobe Flex RIA

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:15:00 EST

OK, car manufactures go Flex. Will they lose or gain customers because of that? Car manufacturers want to have fancy consumer sites. It's a world of RIA, and having interactive Web sites should bring more people to car dealerships. But poorly performing Web site can turn into lost revenues.

AMF 3 Specification Is Published

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:30:00 EST

Action Message Format (AMF) is a protocol that is used to serialize the data coming into Flash Player or going out to other programming environments that need to communicate with Flash Player. Say, if you create in Java an instance of the class MyOrder, this instance can be converted into a string of bytes, sent over the wire to Flash Player and then recreated there as an instance of the ActionScript object. The rules of how to do this are defined by a communication protocol, such as AMF.

Does Adobe's Promotion of Flex Put Flash Programmers at a Disadvantage?

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST

I ran into an interesting blog written by a Flash programmer who feels that Adobe's promotion of Flex puts him and other Flash programmers at a disadvantage. And he knows how to resist!

One of the Most Interesting Features of Adobe Flex 3

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:00:00 EDT

Adobe will release Flex 3 around February of 2008. It has a number of improvements and new features, in particular it'll bring Flash designers and Flex developers together. Creative Suite 3 will have an easy way to incorporate Flex content right into the timeline of Flash IDE. Containers created in Flash will be able to have content developed in Flex. Earlier this year I saw a presentation of Silverstream from Microsoft. I was impressed by the ease of developing fancy GUI applications by a Web designer who did not know programming. He?d just create fancy graphics (using the timeline) and effects adding the place holders for the code to be written by Sillverlight developers. Now Flash designers will also easily incorporate Flex code in their creations.

Flash Player 9 Penetration

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:15:00 EDT

Adobe has published statistics on the penetration of Flash Player 9 as of June 2007. The numbers look pretty good - over 90 percent of the users in mature markets have it already installed. 90% is not a 100% and not even 98% that Flash Player 8 already enjoys. Since the penetration speed looks pretty similar for the version 8 and 9 of the player, it?s safe to assume that Flash Player 9 will reach its 98% mark in the Summer of 2008.

How and Why AJAX, Not Java, Became the Favored Technology for Rich Internet Applications

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:15:00 EDT

'The Java backlash,' writes Bruce Eckel, 'has been building up steam, and we're starting to see some fundamental shifts because of it.' Java has been around for 10 years yet applets are not the primary way that we interact with the web. Applets are not ubiquitous, and everyone got excited about AJAX instead.

What's Cooking Among Good Lookings?

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:45:00 EDT

Who's better looking? Flash Player or Sliverlight? As of today, 98% of the world computer users know what Flash Player is and only 2% or so know what's Silverlight. But this will change pretty soon. Both Flash Player and Silverlight can read any plain HTTP feed. Flex also offers faster binary protocols for communication with the server side applications written in Java and other languages, including a third party solution (offered by Midnight Coders) for integration with .Net. I am not sure if there are any such deals for fast communication between Silverlight and non .Net applications.

Beyond 'Request-Response' Modes of Web Services

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 23:00:00 EST

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) services today are going mainstream. Corporate executives and individuals at home are demanding access to many of the same GIS capabilities previously used only by engineers, geologists, and government officials.

Integrating a Flash Interface into Flex 2

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:00:00 EST

My goals here are to integrate www.adobe.com/products/flash/ Flash with www.adobe.com/products/flex/ Flex, i.e. not just treat it as a design asset tool, but as a contributor to the functionality of the client; using Flash for enhancing the design, and helping reduce transition code which tends to be verbose in Flex.

Flash Player 9 on Linux and Adobe marketing

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 08:15:00 EDT

Flash Player 9 enters pre-Alpha stage on Linux. Adobe marketing needs to work harder.

Understanding Classpaths

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 17:45:00 EDT

All objects in recent versions of ActionScript are defined by something called classes. Think of classes as blueprints that determine the unique combination of characteristics, actions, and reactions that comprises a particular object of a certain type. By 'object,' we are talking about the familiar things a Flash developer deals with every day: movie clips (the MovieClip class), text fields (the TextField class), buttons, sounds, math functions, components, you name it. They are all defined by classes.

Extending Adobe Flex with Flash

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 14:45:00 EDT

While a large Flex application is loaded, the user may experience unpleasant delays, which can be used productively to logon to this application. Besides, it'll give the user perception that your application loads faster.

The OSFlash Initiative: Web Developer's & Designer's Journal Interviews Aral Balkan

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 04:00:00 EDT

Aral Balkan of OSFlash.org answers a few brief questions about the amazing promise that the Flash Platform holds in the age of Web 2.0 and the role that Balkan sees for open-source Flash in that equation.

Creating a Video Player Using Adobe ActionScript 3.0

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 10:30:00 EDT

When you create a Flash Media Server 2 application, you typically place emphasis on optimizing the quality of the communications. That is certainly as it should be. Likewise, quality object-oriented programming (OOP) is another priority. One standard in OOP is design patterns-abstract concepts for solving recurring problems using designs that optimize OOP when you apply them appropriately. The seminal work in design patterns is Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides, affectionately known as 'The Gang of Four' or simply GoF.

Mobile Learning with Flash Lite 2 and Adobe Captivate

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 18:15:00 EDT

In just a few years long-distance learning, or Electronic Learning (e-learning), has become a reality. The problem with distance and having to be in a certain place at a certain time has been eliminated with the use of the personal computer and the Web.

FlashASP.NET

Mon, 22 May 2006 11:15:00 EDT

As the World Wide Web's landscape has evolved from the days of multimedia-void static HMTL pages, the need for a dynamic interactive medium for Web applications has become apparent. Adobe Flash, as many developers know, is the most widely distributed, capable technology for achieving this new Internet medium. But Flash developers can't achieve the features expected from modern Web applications with Flash alone - for Flash's resources to be put to proper use, Flash must team up with a server-side technology capable of functionality such as database access and file manipulation.

Migrating Flash Projects to Video

Sun, 21 May 2006 09:30:00 EDT

Macromedia Flash is everywhere. No seriously, it is everywhere. Not only is Flash used for online and offline movies, websites, games, and applications but it's also used for DVDs and broadcast television.

Designing and Animating Characters in Flash 8

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 14:30:00 EDT

Many animators use Macromedia Flash for detailed vector-based animation. One of the strengths of Flash is its versatile workflow and production process. I have developed some custom techniques that can help you create and manage the various moving parts of a complex animated character. In this article I reveal some of my best-kept Flash secrets while taking a single character from pencil sketch to fully animated Flash cartoon.

Best Practices for Encoding Video with the VP6 Codec

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 16:00:00 EST

Flash Video is rapidly changing the landscape of video on the web. Developers will need a new set of skills and knowledge relating to video editing, encoding, and delivery. This article introduces the video encoding process using the Flash 8 Video Encoder, a simple yet powerful tool for Flash developers.

Using File Object for Video on Demand and MP3 Playback

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 17:00:00 EST

Flash Media Server 2 offers a unique combination of traditional streaming media capabilities and a flexible development environment for creating and delivering media experiences to your audiences. These include traditional media like video on demand, live web-event broadcasts, and MP3 streaming, as well as rich media communication applications like video blogging, video messaging, and multimedia chat environments.

How Can Flash Player Detection Be Truly Effective?

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 05:45:00 EST

The problem has riddled developers since the birth of Macromedia Flash: What happens when a site visitor doesn't have the version of Macromedia Flash Player needed for my content, or doesn't have one at all? Many answers have appeared over the years. And so far, the work has not been the result of developers trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it's been the result of developers trying to invent a wheel that actually works.

Flash 8 and JavaScript: "Building an Image Injector"

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 11:45:00 EST

Flash has been communicating with JavaScript for a long time through getURL and fscommand, but with Flash 8 it's easier than ever. With the ExternalInterface class, you cannot only call JavaScript functions, but also have JavaScript call Flash functions. And now that JavaScript is getting more and more publicity in the form of AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), the ability to seamlessly integrate your Flash content within your HTML content is essential.

Flash Player 8: Using Bitmap Caching in Flash

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 15:00:00 EST

As most of you know, Flash began as a tool for creating vector animations on the web. Flash Player was designed specifically as a lightweight animation viewer to display moving vector objects, which are, in their simplest form, mathematical equations that describe complex shapes made up of points, lines, curves, and fills.

Flash Animation Learning Guide (Part II)

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 12:30:00 EST

By tweening shapes, you can create an effect similar to morphing, making one shape appear to change into another shape over time. Flash can also tween the location, size, color, and opacity of shapes.