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Adobe Improves AIR Platform, Hints at Flash 10’s Mobile Future

By Scott Gilbertson November 17, 2008 Categories: Mobile, Multimedia, Software & Tools

AirlogoThe world of web-desktop hybrid apps is looking up — Adobe has released an important update for its AIR platform — and those apps may soon be migrating from your PC to your favorite mobile device.

In addition to the new version of AIR, Adobe has announced it will partner with mobile chip maker ARM to work on improving Flash support on mobile devices.

Will that mean Flash finally makes it to the iPhone? It’s too early to say, but if you’ve ever used Flash Lite, which is what most mobile devices currently offer, you know there’s nowhere to go but up.

By working direct with ARM, which makes the chips that power many mobile internet devices, Adobe hopes to create an energy-sipping, full-featured version of Flash 10 that fits in your pocket. Unfortunately, any potential Flash mobile improvements won’t be available until 2009.

But fear not, AIR 1.5 is very real and very available.

Today’s release of AIR 1.5 gives developers access to all of Flash 10’s cool new tools — like 3D effects, pixel bender tools, the new drawing API, dynamic media streaming, a new dynamic sound API and more.

But, the latest version of AIR isn’t just about Flash, it also includes a brand new build of the WebKit HTML engine, which offers vastly improved JavaScript performance.

Also new in this release of AIR is support for encrypted local databases, which means developers can now feel better about safely storing sensitive data in AIR apps.

At the moment AIR 1.5 is Mac/Windows release, though a Linux version is said to be in the works. That’s probably no surprise to Linux users, who should by now be used to Adobe to treating them like second class citizens.

However, there is one thing that should make Linux users rejoice — a native 64-bit Flash Player 10 for Linux. The much requested (and by “much” we meaning deafening internet roar) 64-bit Flash Player isn’t quite ready for prime time (you can download the alpha preview from Adobe Labs), but at least things are looking up for the high-end Linux crowd.

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Tags: flash
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