Easypano says it has launched a Mac version of Panorama2Flash. The software batch-publishes images as Flash panoramas, viewable in a fullscreen mode. Easypano claims one-click publishing, and the ability to add top and bottom images. Users can also customize pan, tilt and FOV values for Flash output, along with rotation speed and scene quality.
ARM used its presence at TechCon3 today to unveil a new processor architecture built to speed up lower-cost handhelds. The Cortex-A5 is about twice as power-efficient as older budget designs but shares many of the same foundations as fast processors like the Cortex-A8 found in the iPhone 3GS, including the NEON vector instructions that boost media and some other tasks. It can work either as a very low-power single-core design or scale up to quad-core for more demanding devices.
Adobe's mobile website contains new information that directly blames Apple for preventing the company's Flash Player from being allowed onto the iPhone platform. Visitors attempting to install Flash Player on their iPhone are reminded that the project has stagnated due to Apple's rules.
Adobe is well into the production of updated Flash Authoring software, allowing the creation of iPhone apps, says an Adobe product manager. Mike Chambers notes that a private beta of the new software is already in effect, and some titles built with Flash have already reached the App Store, such as Fickleblox and Trading Stuff. A public beta of the tool will be released by the end of the year, alongside Flash CS5.
Adobe at its MAX show launched Flash 10.1, a major update to its plugin that promises video on devices that normally haven't been capable. The release adds hardware graphics acceleration on computers and should make HD Flash video possible on netbooks and ultraportables and standard definition possible on smartphones. NVIDIA already promises that its GeForce, Ion and Tegra chipsets will speed up the Flash update when available.
Akamai on Tuesday announced it will soon launch the Akamai HD Network that will be capable of delivering HD video to hundreds of thousands of people using Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight and, eventually, the iPhone. The Akamai HD Network will support both live and on-demand streaming. It will run on Adamai's global EdgePlatform network platform composed of over 50,000 servers, allowing content providers with a reach to some 70 countries.
NVIDIA at a recent presentation showed its Ion chipset accelerating HD video on a netbook. While the hardware can already process HD already on the system, the new demo shows YouTube's HD video smoothly with Ion's full decoding enabled where the same footage stutters when it has to rely mostly on the Atom processor. The technique works by adapting Ion to recognize and process the H.264 encoded video inside the Flash environment.
Intel at its third-day IDF keynote unveiled a new media system-on-a-chip (SoC) that should bring advanced media features to networked media hubs and TVs. The CE4100 is Intel's first all-in-one processor based on its Atom architecture and is made on a much smaller, more efficient 45 nanometer process than the Pentium M- and 65nm-based CE3100. These and a new hardware decoder give it enough power to render two simultaneous 1080p video streams, even in the more demanding H.264 format, and to render 3D graphics for the menu system or games.
Adobe has announced a deal to buy Omniture, a web analytics company, in an acquisition valued at $1.8 billion in cash. The price stems from Adobe's agreement to pay $21.50 per share, 45 percent more than Omniture's average closing price for the last 30 days. In return, Omniture is set to become a unit within Adobe, and the defunct company's CEO will become a senior VP in charge of a new division.
Beginning with two Tuesday updates, all future iterations of Mozilla's Firefox browser will check for at least some outdated plug-ins, the company has announced. Firefox 3.5.3 and 3.0.14 will both scan for the latest version of Flash, prompting users to visit a link where an updated plug-in can be downloaded. "For now, our focus is on the Adobe Flash Player both because of its popularity and because some studies have shown that as many as 80 percent of users currently have an out-of-date version," says Firefox security team member Johnathan Nightingale.
Nintendo today treated buyers of the Wii and DSi with a mix of new hardware and software. The former's web browser, also known as the Internet Channel, is now free to use instead of paying the 500 Wii Points ($5) necessary from July 2007 onwards. On top of eliminating the price, the console maker has upgraded to a newer version of Adobe's Flash for better support of video and other web features.
Microsoft today committed to a ship date for Windows Mobile 6.5, its last significant update to the current generation of its smartphone OS. The first devices to use the new platform should reach shops on October 6th. It's not said which evices will be the first, but HP, HTC, LG, Samsung and unusually Toshiba will be the first to have 6.5-equipped smartphones in North America. AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will be the first in the US, while Bell and Telus should do the same in Canada.
The US International Trade Commission has reportedly begun an investigation focusing on several companies that produce or purchase NAND flash components, including Samsung, RIM, Apple and others, according to Barron's. BTG International has accused Samsung of violating several patents involving "MLC" type flash memory.
Software developer Torch Mobile on Monday hinted at Research in Motion's (RIM) future plans for the BlackBerry by confirming that it has been bought out by the Canadian smartphone maker. While the terms of the deal aren't known, Torch explicitly says it expects to bring its experience with developing WebKit-based browsers like Iris to BlackBerry devices. It will similarly continue to develop WebKit as part of its open-source nature.
A rumor from a purportedly certain source suggests RIM will have full, near desktop-grade Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight on the BlackBerry's web browser next year. Full details aren't given, but BGR understands that the update is primarily waiting on hardware. As either web plug-in demands both a strong processor and a fast Internet connection, RIM is said to only be launching the more advanced browser in summer 2010, when its phones will be faster and should have faster 3G and potentially 4G connections.
Screentime Media has released v4 of its widget development utility, mProjector. The application enables Adobe Flash or Flex developers using ActionScript to create desktop assistants, widgets, and applications. The SWF files used to create applications are encrypted and do not require a runtime engine to be installed.
iWebTemplate has introduced iWeb SiteBuilder-FX 3.0, a program used to create and publish multimedia websites. The application does not require the user to have a knowledge base of FTP, HTML or Flash, and instead utilizes a point-and-click system to build websites. Users can add customizable Flash introductions, while text can also be edited from the software interface and images can be added in five-picture galleries per main section.
DComSoft has released v2.0 of its SWF Protector defense utility. The software is meant to keep SWF files secure, utilizing four protection algorithms to prevent hackers from stealing ActionScripts. Content can be safeguarded through one of two modes, Simple or Advanced; the latter secures one file at a time using custom settings, while Simple processes several files simultaneously, choosing the best protection mechanisms based on what it detects.
Netflix may soon be opening the gates to its unlimited movie and TV streaming on the iPhone and iPod touch, a rumor indicates today. An executive for an unnamed company claims to MCN that Netflix will "soon" extend Watch Instantly to the Apple devices. The service would likely be limited to Wi-Fi for bandwidth concerns, though it's unclear whether this would be due solely to pressure from AT&T or simple practical concerns: Netflix streaming normally needs hundreds of kilobits per second and would be likely to encounter connection problems over 3G.
Apple today revealed that Google chief Eric Schmidt has resigned from Apple's Board of Directors. The executive had held a position for three years but is leaving due to a conflict of interest triggered by the unveiling of Chrome OS, which now puts Google in direct competition with Mac OS X. Apple CEO Steve Jobs characterized the departure as unwanted but necessary given how often it would force Schmidt to leave Apple meetings discussing strategy.
Adobe has released updated Mac, Windows and Linux distributions of Flash Player, bringing old and new editions of the software up to v9.0.246.0 and v10.0.32.18, respectively. Matching these are v9.1.3 releases of Reader and Acrobat. Some 12 Flash vulnerabilities are said to have been closed in Adobe software, 10 of which could be used to assume full or partial control of a computer.
Pavtube Studio has launched Pavtube FLV Converter for Mac 1.0, allowing for Flash video conversion to a variety of other video formats. The new converter works with FLV and F4V flash movies, converting them into iPod, iPhone, mobile phone and Apple TV capable formats like MP4, 3GP, MOV, MKV and MP3, among others.
Two core Flash technologies have entered the open-source realm, according to an Adobe announcement. The first of these is Strobe, now known as the Open Source Media Framework. Developers can use the technology to build media players around Flash, adding extra features as wanted or needed. The second is the Text Layout Framework, which allows for special typography functions in web applications.
Microsoft tonight launched the public version of Silverlight 3, its animation and video plugin for the web. The rival to Flash is the company's first to use hardware graphics acceleration both for 3D and for offloading the work of decoding video from the main processor. Regardless of graphics power, the update is also the first to promise a near-seamless HD video experience: a "smooth streaming" technique that automatically lowers the bitrate to start playback immediately and quickly brings it back up to provide the maximum quality the connection allows.
Bsquare today said it has developed a port of Adobe's Flash plugin for most Android phones. While officially coming first to the HTC Hero early next month, any Android device running Android 1.5 or later on an ARM-based processor should support the extra features. The addition should let those phones with enough performance play Flash videos in the browser rather than in a separate container like Google's YouTube app. It should also render websites much in the same way as desktop versions.
HTC at a press event this morning launched its third-generation Android phone in less than a year. The Hero is designed as a web- and music-focused phone with a touchscreen-dependent design like the Magic but is even more compact. Its key, however, is a new interface known as Sense: like TouchFLO, it offers quicker access to calendars, contacts, the time and the weather as well as a quick launcher for the phone dialer. These are all accessible as Android-standard widgets.
Adobe during its most recent fiscal results call narrowed the window for its plans to port desktop-grade Flash to mobile devices. Company chief Shantanu Naraye says it now expects a beta version of Flash 10 to arrive at the MAX conference in October and that it should initially be available for Android, Symbian, webOS and Windows Mobile. Web browsers on these devices will support both animations and video without having to leave for a separate app, such as the Flash Lite player on many Symbian or Windows Mobile phones.
Macvide has updated its Flash SWF and FLV converter tool, releasing FlashVideo Converter 3.0. The main feature of the 3.0 upgrade is a new video engine that supports true 30 frames-per-second movie creations. Version 3.0 also includes bugfixes. The converter works with SWF and FLV Flash videos, supporting MP4, MOV, 3GP and MPEG outputs for easier video editing. It also converts with customizable output dimensions, allowing for transfer to mobile devices.
Electric Rain has released Swift 3D v6.0, an update to its 3D modeling plug-in for Adobe Flash. The latest version offers Boolean operations with non-destructive union, intersection and subtraction options. Rendering speed is claimed to have been improved by a factor of five, with optimizations for multiple-processor systems. Users can now export to PaperVision3D v2.0 to display 3D objects in Flash.
Eltima has released v4.0 of its Flash Decompiler Trillix software. The program deconstructs SWF files, allowing conversion into other formats. The update supports converting SWF files into Flex code, and can also process several files simultaneously, or break out content into elements such as images, sounds, videos and fonts.
Adobe and NVIDIA on Tuesday said they would work together to enable GPU acceleration in Flash. The approach will let at least NVIDIA's hardware take on the rendering for both animations and video, including H.264 footage. The efforts should scale from handhelds using NVIDIA's Tegra line up through to full-size desktop cards.
Adobe has posted the first public beta of Flash Catalyst, a new tool for Flash website and application designers. The software helps convert art from Photoshop and Illustrator into practical interfaces, through the creation of interactive prototypes. No coding is done within Catalyst; instead designs are published in the form of SWF files, which can be shared with developers in order to demonstrate plans.
Nokia's long-in-progress sequel to the N800 series tablet may largely be a more advanced version of the N97 smartphone, a leak on Monday hints. Possibly called the N900, MobileCrunch claims it would have a 3.5-inch touchscreen and a slide out (if non-tilting) QWERTY keyboard but would carry a much sharper 800x480 resolution, a faster TI OMAP processor and 1GB of memory thanks to a 768MB virtual memory cache. It would run the Linux-based Maemo OS instead of Symbian.
Eltima has released an update to its Flash compression utility, Flash Optimizer for Mac 2.3. The program compresses sounds by converting stereo to mono and lowering bitrates, while video is scaled back by shrinking bitrate and frame size. The current version reduces filesize up to 80 percent, and provides Flash 10 support, various interface improvements, and a new version of Flash'In'App.
At a recession-dampened NAB show, Adobe's demo of Flash for the Digital Home was one of few exhibits to draw large crowds on Monday. The company set up a mock living room, complete with an easy chair to demonstrate the ground-breaking technology, which could finally bring IPTV into the mainstream.
Adobe has devised a new version of its Flash animation standard which should allow TVs and other electronics to stream content directly, according to an announcement. Called the Flash Platform for the Digital Home, the technology is now being licensed to OEMs and should ship in products scheduled for the second half of 2009. Some companies which have agreed to support the platform include Broadcom, Comcast, Disney, Intel, Netflix, Atlantic Records and the New York Times.
Telestream on Wednesday released Wirecast 3.5, an update to its live video production software that can be used to create real-time or on-demand streams. Version 3.5 now allows users to stream live video using the popular Adobe Flash platform. New control options provide the ability to turn streams on or off, or automatically recover a lost connection. Users can also turn off the automatic device detection.
Relative fledgling company mintpass has revealed that it intends to launch its mintpad mini tablet outside of its native Korea, potentially including the US. The device centers on a nearly 2.9-inch touchscreen and is unique outside of Apple devices in focusing as much on its Internet features as on media playback. Likely using a Wi-Fi connection, it can not only browse the web with full Adobe Flash but also has a heavy community component with blogging and IM among its features. Streaming Internet video is equally an option.
ARM today said it should be the first to have truly console-like graphics on smartphone-grade devices. Detailing its plans to PC World ahead of this week's Game Developers' Conference, the company said its upcoming Mali-200 and Mali-400 chips will both have improved pure performance but will also support OpenGL ES 2.0. The mobile video standard is based on programmable shaders (effects instructions) that allow complex visuals like water ripples without overly complex code paths.
At its MIX 09 developer and designer conference which kicked off on Wednesday, Microsoft released a beta version of its upcoming Silverlight 3 Internet media player. The Flash alternative is smaller in size than its Silverlight 2 predecessor, at 4.4MB, and aims to improve on the earlier software which launched in full build four months ago. Along with the player, the software giant release associated tools for developers, including the Software Development Kit (SDK) and various authoring programs.
Adobe has patched multiple exploit holes present within recent versions of Flash, a company security bulletin informs. The vulnerabilities primarily affect Mac and Windows editions of Flash software at or below v10.0.12.36, as well as the Linux Flash Player starting with v10.0.15.3; the principal exploit involves luring people into loading a malicious SWF file, which exposes a computer to hacking. Two fixes have been made to deter "clickjacking," triggered by clicking on a particular space on a webpage.
Adobe’s Flash Lite multimedia player for mobile phones, while still lacking iPhone compatibility, has been growing in popularity and will have reached 1 billion phones by the end of March this year, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics. Reaching their desired mark one year ahead of the company’s previous target, Flash Lite is said by Strategy Analytics expert Steward to have risen due to recent support for HD video as well as Nokia’s agreements to install Flash Lite on its phones. Another factor mentioned by Robinson is the absence of real competition for Adobe's Flash Lite player, though he still predicts another 1.5 billion smartphones carrying the software within two years.
LG's turn at MWC phone launches centers on three full touchscreen devices, including the first-ever phone planned around Windows Mobile 6.5. The GM730 (shown) has the company's new S-Class 3D interface, which adds an iPhone-like home screen with a "cube" that lets users flick between apps, media, phone and widget functions; underneath, it now has the updated Internet Explorer's full web browsing with Flash and Silverlight support.
Palm today took advantage of Mobile World Congress to reveal that it has joined Adobe's Open Screen Project with plans to bring an advanced mobile version of Flash to the browser in the Palm Pre's webOS. No details have been revealed about how it will work, though the feature contrasts against previous smartphones, which have often been limited to running Flash Lite separate from the web and with fewer features.
Today's DealNN deals include a variety of products at discount prices from iPod docks to XServes. TigerDirect.com is offering the Centon 4GB MicroSD 3-in-1 kit for $9.99. Two Kingston 8GB flash drives are currently being offered at Buy.com for less than $15. Amazon.com has reduced the price on the Toshiba 15.6-inch LCD TV with built-in DVD player from $299.99 to $199.99. The Lexmark workgroup monochrome laser printer is priced at $94.99. PowerMax.com is offering the refurbished XServe with two 3.0GHz Dual-Core Intel processors for $2,499.
Adobe has released v3.5 of its two main Flash server products, Flash Media Interactive Server and Flash Media Streaming Server. The pair function as a backbone for supplying Flash content to a wide audience; Interactive Server concentrates on tasks such as gaming and VoIP/webcam chat, while Streaming Server is intended simply for broadcasting live or pre-recorded Flash video. Both titles have been improved with dynamic streaming, which encodes video in variable bit rates to ensure smoother playback.
Freescale began its year today by introducing a new i.MX chip it hopes will gain a foothold in netbooks. The i.MX515 is based on the same ARM architecture shared by many smartphones and set-top boxes but is tuned for the higher performance of the mini notebooks, with clock speeds ranging between 600MHz and 1GHz. It also touts rare support for DDR2 memory and an integrated OpenGL graphics core capable of both 3D as well as accelerated 2D, such as video in Adobe's Flash Lite.
Intel and Adobe today said they have struck a deal to optimize Flash for the CE 3100, Intel's system-on-a-chip design for TV set-top devices. The processor's combination of graphics and processing is deemed fast enough to run both a full desktop-level version of Flash as well as the traditionally cellphone-oriented Flash Lite and is meant to bring the animation and interface technology to networked media hubs, Blu-ray players and TVs themselves that previously would have had to go without the format.
One week after initial reports of the 2.53 update to the Sony PlayStation 3 gaming console, the software has launched and brings with it full-screen Flash video playback capabilities. Users who use their gaming console to often access YouTube or Hulu video services can now select full-screen options along with a 480p mode in Hulu that ups the quality of the content considerably, especially when using an HDTV.
