Yesterday was all sorts of crazy as far as Palm news is concerned, so we’re still doing some catch-up. Example: Flash 10.1 was shown off live and in person on a Palm Pre at Adobe MAX, Adobe’s worldwide developer conference. The demo appears to have covered the same activities as that video that Adobe posted early yesterday, but the presentation itself included slides with a bit more detail on Flash 10.1, and our friend Buck was there with a camera snapping away.
According to the slides, Flash Player 10.1’s smartphone version comes with the multitouch and accelerometer support we’ve known about for some time, supports HTTP video streaming, has built-in content protection mechanisms, can work with peer-assisted networking, and has been optimized for memory and power consumption while taking advantage of hardware [GPU] acceleration. Of course, webOS needs to be ramped up to take advantage of that GPU first, but we’re talking a few months down the road still.
That memory consumption optimization they were talking about is evident in this handy bar graph, which shows usage rates that are 45-70% lower than current Flash 10 allocations. For a multi-tasking mobile device like the Pre, we’ll take all the memory hogging reductions we can get!
Next up is battery life, which Adobe generalized with a generic cell phone. In Active State with Video (i.e. you’re watching a Flash video), Adobe estimates battery life of 3.4 hours. Not fantastic, but enough to get through a movie on a plane with battery to spare. Of course, video isn’t the only thing Flash is used for, and when working with animation instead (e.g. many current Flash games) Adobe estimates that you could get up to 6.5 hours out of the phone. And if you turn down the screen brightness and turn off the radios? 14.5 hours. Obviously, with the Pre’s multi-tasking OS and background notifications and everything else we don’t expect our favorite little smartphone to get quite those numbers, but its nice to know that Adobe has done so serious power consumption management to be able to claim these numbers.
Buck sent us a few more pictures of the demo below, covering the same things (even the same game) as the aforementioned video.
Comments
1st
Your point?
i think his point is to declare his stupidity for all to see.
Pre-tty cool. But Flash is not *that* important, really. Except video players, I see more flash ads on the net, than useful stuff.
what about the growing use of flex and flash based websites with functionality that relies solely on flash?
Why is this limited to the net? Have you ever thought about the sheer number of games and applications that have been built in Flash? A native Flash player would allow all of those thousands of applications to be immediately available on the Pre. This isn't just about a Flash plugin for the browser. This is about using Flash as an environment for developers the way the Pre already uses web standards as the way for developers to interface with the Pre's hardware. If Palm allows Adobe deeper access to the workings of the Pre, then Flash developers can indirectly access them in a way that works for both Palm and the developer.
You are both right, of course. But I didn't completely denied the usefulness of the thing either. I just don't view games as particularly useful stuff. And with HTML5 Flash is probably on its way out. Anyways, good to know it helps you make use of your existing code base.
Two years ago it was SVG that was going to kill flash now HTML 5 is supposed to do it. Most who make these claims have a very narrow idea on what flash is used for online, offline and internally on intranets. It very well may be that HTML5 will take over certain things that flash does online, but this kill it meme is hogwash.
This looks to be quite a huge deal. I'm happy to see this demoed on our mighty pre first :D.
looks very promising! sweeet
definitely awesome using the PRE to demo this....our beloved Pre has been officially recognized as a power smartphone.
I agree, it looks like Palm has gotten Adobe to use the Pre as the flagship device for Flash on mobile platforms. Really great of Adobe for doing this.
this is what I've been waiting for!! I near cought a hard on when I read this!! Is there an estimated dated when it will be open to the pub?
this is what I've been waiting for!! I near cought a hard on when I read this!! Is there an estimated dated when it will be open to the pub?
for me, the idea that GPU will be utilized (hopefully hints at system wide and UI usage) is just as, if not more exciting than flash itself. I really believe that GPU acceleration of the UI and some other features will give the pre a completely new feel.
you mean it'll feel as snappy as the iphone ;)
I, too, am waiting to see GPU acceleration across the board. I'm a little concerned it will take them a while to get it done right though. And without breaking it or causing even more battery drain.
Or they tie to whatever replaces the Pre next year.
Wasn't this posted yesterday?
http://www.precentral.net/adobe-flash-player-101-demod-pre
God the news just get's better and better for us Pre owners! I love my Pre... can't wait till we get flash enabled on our phone. I've always said this phone is like a laptop for your pocket! BBBBbbbbbooooooooooooM! HEAD SHOT! <- sorry that was stuck in my head for a while didn't know what to do with it...
just for kicks...why no iphone support? Does it have its own thing going for it so it doesn't need flash 10.1 or is this a kick in the face to apple.
I'd really go for that kick in the face. Steve Jobs world really needs to know that there is a new top contender. I mean WebGL now Flash, the world is for the taking Palm.
Every major smartphone manufacturer but Apple is on board with Adobe's mobile initiative. It's "not good enough" for Apple, though Flash apps may soon become available with new packaging.
For more information, check Google or an iPhone forum.
Because Apple won't allow it. A Flash platform on the iPhone would mean development of apps for Flash, bypassing the lucrative App Store.
Hey does this mean that I can soon view Hulu.com shows on my pre?
Yep!
yep
i've been waiting for this. Some sites I go to are only in flash.
btw: what's the point of being 1st to post when you don't contribute to the article?
Does no again see that the PRE is using a video out?
There has to be a way to pull this off.
EDIT*
N/M I looked at it wrong.
hulu.com was the first thing on my mind when I heard about flash on the pre!!
I so hope so
i've been waiting for this. Some sites I go to are only in flash.
btw: what's the point of being 1st to post when you don't contribute to the article?
doesn't hulu restrict mobile devices?
Can't tell, I mean we can access it but can't watch movies cause no mobile devices have flash player, hence why this topic is HUGE!
yep hulu does block mobile devices (this is why hulu no longer works on skyfire on windows mobile). they said that eventually they may change their policy. the only way I can think of getting around it is to change your browser user agent to a desktop UA and to disable UAProf URL (or that's how I've been doing it on opera mobile and have yet to run into a site that recognizes i'm on a mobile device). Although hulu could probably just detect your IP address and block IP address from sprint, tmobile, etc.
here is a link to the article explaining:
http://www.wmexperts.com/skyfire-explains-why-you-cant-watch-hulu
i've been waiting for this. Some sites I go to are only in flash.
btw: what's the point of being 1st to post when you don't contribute to the article?
"Some sites I go to are only in flash."
I'll bet they are! Shame on you... :-)
"Some sites I go to are only in flash."
I'll bet they are! Shame on you... :-)
Sorry for the repeats... Damn crappy work computers...
"Some sites I go to are only in flash."
I'll bet they are! Shame on you... :-)
i've been waiting for this. Some sites I go to are only in flash.
btw: what's the point of being 1st to post when you don't contribute to the article?
Dude, relax...
I've been waiting for this so I can use my Rhapsody account. Last I had heard, Rhapsody was thinking about an app for the Pre. But if Flash is available, I should be able to use their Flash-based Rhapsody music player right from the web (unless they block mobile devices like Hulu does).
ugh. Pre...I just want to refresh, not repost!
If iPhone is not going to do anything about Flash, Pre may have the perfect feature to counter the tens of thousands of apps of iPhone. Think about all the webpages that can all come alive on Pre, and not on iPhone.
Flash soon. Proper Memo program with individual security capability, i.e, able to mark that password memo "private", and the Pre will enable me to RULE THE WORLD!!! (insert theatrical mad scientist laugh)
The phone in the second image looks like a Sony Ericsson C905?
as a flash dev I can't wait for this. There are also other flash devs in LA I know would write for the pre and can't wait to see what they come uo with. I know that one app I've been working on for pre will have part of it upgraded with a flash component.
This 'll be cool once its offical
"... enough to get through a movie on a plane with battery to spare ..."
Derek, I am not trying to be difficult here -- this is a serious question. What carrier are you flying that permits use of cell phones? I was on Delta last week, and they were very clear that no cell phone use was permitted during the flight -- only at the gates on departure and arrival.
If you know of a less-strict carrier that does permit cell use, I'm all ears.
Every carrier allows use of smart phones in airplane mode aboard planes. They even say that specifically in the instructions along with disabling WiFi on portable game systems. You don't need the radio on to watch a movie you downloaded earlier.
That's great to know! I flipped to the section in Sky Magazine that related to permitted devices, but I didn't see anything mentioning Airplane mode. Good to know that exists for when I get my Pre. :)
Bleh, double post. Nothing to see here - move along.
Can't wait, this release (whenever it comes) will really make the Pre shine even more. Thanks Palm & Adobe!
it was a no brainer for adobe to use the pre to demo flash 10.1 its like the fastest phone in their list 800mhz--(faster than the "fastest iphone yet" wich runs at ~600 mhz) and it has multi touch and multi tasking, plus a very easy platform to intergrate with it is the perfect phone for the job. using any other phone wouldnt make any sense O_o
Video from MAX: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashplayer10/
Video itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pee3nT4bPw4
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