I’m going to come right out and say it. The Oscars were boring last night! Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are two hilarious talents, but last night… I was not amused. Where did Neil Patrick Harris go the rest of the night? That made no sense at all. Just because Hugh Jackman did a successful number last year doesn’t mean you should repeat it — especially if the singer is not also going to be the host the rest of the night! What happened, Academy?!
Well, all is not lost I suppose. I’ve got a blog post out of it! While sort of paying attention to the Oscars last night, my friend Alex screamed out, “What?! They have a 3D TV now?!” Yep, it’s true. According to Gizmodo, Best Buy will be rolling out a couple Samsung LED 3D HDTVs on March 21st.
Andrew, our graphic designer here at SoftwareMedia.com, put together an animation tutorial using Adobe Flash and Adobe Fireworks (after much pushing and nagging from me, I admit). Learn how to apply motion to objects in Flash by using the classic tween feature.
If Andrew starts to bug the crap out of you, click on the image above to get him to stop waving and bobbing. Don’t worry, I got annoyed too — so I made sure he built in that click to bring things to a halt. Just kidding, Andrew… you rock, for making this tutorial….
Adobe’s new Flash Platform Services, unveiled Monday, assists in making Flash applications easier to share, and specifically targets social networking sites and mobile devices. The new program will allow users to share Flash apps and games, instead of having to point to a link. Advertisers will benefit most from the new platform, which will greatly improve content publisher’s ability to distribute, track, and monetize flash content.
How good is this? A better way to for advertisers to penetrate and track the lives of internet denizens?
Adobe launched the latest version of Adobe TV today, its popular video channel offering its own official advice and training for Adobe products. The new face of Adobe TV includes the ability to customize your viewing experience and interact with the player during tutorials.
Videos featured instruct on topics ranging from beginning tutorials, such as creating simple animations in Flash CS4, to in depth explorations of Adobe product features, such as Photoshop CS4’s powerful tone-mapping capabilities, to advice on the best ways to integrate CS4 Creative Suite programs.
The new version of Adobe TV was designed in response to feedback from users, and offers a resizable pop-out window that will allow viewers to watch while working within the Adobe programs they are learning about. A free Adobe Media Player associated with Adobe TV is also available, allowing fans to save and watch content offline. The free media player also allows users to stream podcasts and internet shows, collect flash videos, and personalize via filters and playlists.
Today, Adobe announced it is extending its Flash platform to digital devices in your living room like internet-ready televisions, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and more. This means services like Hulu and Netflix will soon be available for streaming straight to your TV.
Simulated Flash television content, courtesy Adobe
Flash support for televisions will mean interactive viewing experiences and the ability to switch between web content and standard television programming. So, if there is nothing on TV at the moment, just switch over to Hulu or Netflix and stream whatever you feel like. This could be a major change in the way home entertainment is presented to the consumer.
Flash for your TV is just the latest development in what will be the proliferation of Flash technology into your everyday life. Flash is already installed on 98% of all internet enabled computers, and as I reported last month, Flash will soon be invading your mobile phone. This is great for content providers and consumers alike. It give consumers more freedom and customization in their television experience, and allows content providers to interact and retain their viewers with greater ease. I just hope this doesn’t devolve into pop up ads on your television, but I’m sure that will be one eventual side-effect.
Adobe also announced partnerships with content providers like Disney, Netflix, Comcast, and Atlantic Records, as well as partnerships with chipmakerse like Intel and Sigma Designs. Partnerships with TV manufacturers are expected soon.
New devices with support for Flash will be available starting in the second half of 2009, so you will have to be patient for a little while longer before Hulu is integrated into your new HD flatscreen.
Today I ran across one of Microsoft’s mini-sites, MicrosoftGamePlan.com. Our Microsoft rep brought the site to my attention, and it actually sounded kind of useful *slash* interesting. I’m told it’s all about how Microsoft can help your business during tough economic times.
That sounds beneficial to us and our customers, so what do I do? I visit the site. To my utter disappointment, I see a bunch of white space, a small explanation, and a button to install Microsoft Silverlight. The site “requires Microsoft Silverlight for full functionality.” Boo. The website sounded cool, but do I continue knowing I have to go through this extra step?
I think about it. What is the deal with Silverlight anyway? Why can’t we all just use Flash and be on our merry way? It’s installed on 99% of all Internet-enabled desktops, after all.
But of course I know things aren’t that simple. Microsoft couldn’t just sit around twiddling its thumbs while Adobe commanded the RIA market. (While both programs are currently free, some question whether both Microsoft and Adobe have some sort of agenda with their offerings.) And maybe there really are benefits to Silverlight that can’t be found in Flash. The companies that are standing behind Silverlight – CBS Sports, Netflix & Blockbuster to name a few – certainly seem to think so.
I’m not sure what to make of the whole battle between Silverlight and Flash, but in the end I decide to go for it. The download was surprisingly painless. Took all of 10 seconds. And the site ended up being pretty cool. It’s kind of a wheel-of-fortune for areas of your business where you’d like to save money, complete with ROI Tool and Case Studies. Concerned about the expense and implications of your business energy use? See what virtualization can do for you. Other topics for savings include Capital Conservation, Travel & Communications, Business & Marketing Insight and more. See it for yourself (now that you know the caveat).
The new Adobe Flash Lite Distributable Player will allow mobile web users to view rich, engaging Flash content directly on their smartphones, while always having the latest version of Flash. This also allows developers and content providers to reach millions of new users through a user experience that will be similar to that found on desktop computers, with automatic updates that are seamless.
The Adobe Flash Distributable Player is already being implemented in the Nokia S60 and other Windows Mobile Devices. As expected, the iPhone is still not supporting Flash, and it is something we hope will happen EVENTUALLY. Many content providers and advertisers like Disney, Digital Chocolate, and Dolce & Gabbana are already using the distributable player to reach new mobile customers.
Flash content for the distributable player solution can be created using Adobe Flash CS4, and then packaged with Adobe Mobile Packager. For more information on this new Adobe technology, see the Distributable Player Solution page on the Adobe Labs website.
I’m going to come right out and say it. The Oscars were boring last night! Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are two hilarious talents, but last night… I was not amused. Where did Neil Patrick Harris go the rest of the night? That made no sense at all. Just because Hugh Jackman did a successful number last year doesn’t mean you should repeat it — especially if the singer is not also going to be the host the rest of the night! What happened, Academy?!
The new Adobe Flash Lite Distributable Player will allow mobile web users to view rich, engaging Flash content directly on their smartphones, while always having the latest version of Flash. This also allows developers and content providers to reach millions of new users through a user experience that will be similar to that found on desktop computers, with automatic updates that are seamless.
