Mobile Flash player is dead.

[bloody000]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/exclusive-adobe-ceases-development-on-mobile-browser-flash-refocuses-efforts-on-html5/19226

Sources close to Adobe that have been briefed on the company’s future development plans have revealed this forthcoming announcement to ZDNet:

Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer adapt Flash Player for mobile devices to new browser, OS version or device configurations. Some of our source code licensees may opt to continue working on and releasing their own implementations. We will continue to support the current Android and PlayBook configurations with critical bug fixes and security updates.

Additionally, the e-mail briefing to Adobe’s partners has been summed up as follows:
Adobe is Stopping development on Flash Player for browsers on mobile.

Adobe is now focusing their development efforts on:
Applications for mobile
Expressive content on the desktop (in and out of browser)
Increasing their investments in HTML5 in general

The full content and scope of the announcement is expected to be posted on the Adobe web site in the next day.

[Jurichan]

Doesn't surprise me too much.
Like, honestly, how useful is Adobe Flash these days? Do you really need it on your cell phone or tablet?

I don't know, I just think that after Shockwave and Macromedia sold out to Adobe, it's all just been going downhill. The only thing I'd even need Flash Player for are watching flash cartoons. Which I never do, anyway.

[Ultra_Magnus]

It's kind of useful for *tube sites...

[Jurichan]

It's kind of useful for *tube sites...

But most phones, tablets, or any other devices already have Youtube built in to them as an app.
You gotta think about it, flash has games, toons, and gadgets, and that's just basic flash with movie clips and actionscript. The companies that sell you your device don't want you playing games for free, they don't want you watching toons for free, and they don't want you using gadgets for free. That's probably the reason iPhones and iPads never had Flash compatibility in the first place. On top of all that you have "*tube sites", I'm going to interpret that as a porn site, which is a massive market. It seems like a wise buisiness choice for Adobe, not to mention it's probably a good financial move, too.

Besides, Adobe's working on a new "HTML5" project, which is more thread-worthy if you ask me.

I don't think Flash is going to have much use within the next five years. The only time I see flash animation go anywhere in on Newgrounds, and that place has gone to shit within the last three years.

And honestly, why would you need Adobe Flash compatibility on your smart phone? Do you visit addictinggames often? Because I was finished with that noise when I was eight.

[Sosseres]

There are alternatives to flash, true. But almost all of them are worse for streaming video on a web page. Things like own3d and justin/twitch tv use flash for a reason. Wonder how their mobile phone versions works...

[halfelite]

News is not all that interesting. they still have adobe air which will run on any device, And the news article words it funny they say they will no longer tweak builds for mobile specifics, So they will not be programming for mobile gpu acceleration. But with the leaked announcement like the htc edge running a quad core tegra3 if the rumor is true. Is gpu acceleration even needed. the raw cpu power would still be enough to power flash. on the mobile device.

Also html5 has a long way to go its still not a standard, it will not overtake flash in media content distribution for a long time. If it all. I see it making its biggest headway in cloud apps, office online. Google docs things like 

[per]

There are alternatives to flash, true. But almost all of them are worse for streaming video on a web page. Things like own3d and justin/twitch tv use flash for a reason. Wonder how their mobile phone versions works...

The only reason the alternatives are worse (currently) is that the <video> tag support is not 100% done in most browsers (actually, at least in chrome and opera on windows, it is more efficient than flash, the only thing I am missing is real fullscreen support)

[iindigo]

News is not all that interesting. they still have adobe air which will run on any device, And the news article words it funny they say they will no longer tweak builds for mobile specifics, So they will not be programming for mobile gpu acceleration. But with the leaked announcement like the htc edge running a quad core tegra3 if the rumor is true. Is gpu acceleration even needed. the raw cpu power would still be enough to power flash. on the mobile device.

The thing is though that dropping support means more than just no GPU acceleration. It means they won't be pushing out new versions to fix bugs with new versions of Android or to add new features from future releases of desktop Flash. It means that eventually it will cease to run properly and as such is no longer a real choice for mobile content delivery (not that it ever was in the first place). With Ice Cream Sandwich still unreleased, we don't even know for sure that Flash will run properly under it.

The news doesn't really mean much for me... I rarely use Flash-powered sites on my desktop and have never needed them on my phone. Flash could disappear entirely and I wouldn't be able to tell a difference.

[halfelite]

The thing is though that dropping support means more than just no GPU acceleration. It means they won't be pushing out new versions to fix bugs with new versions of Android or to add new features from future releases of desktop Flash. It means that eventually it will cease to run properly and as such is no longer a real choice for mobile content delivery (not that it ever was in the first place). With Ice Cream Sandwich still unreleased, we don't even know for sure that Flash will run properly under it.

The news doesn't really mean much for me... I rarely use Flash-powered sites on my desktop and have never needed them on my phone. Flash could disappear entirely and I wouldn't be able to tell a difference.

I thought with flash10.3 the mobile/desktop version were merged into the same code base. no longer separate.

[bloody000]

Official post from Adobe: http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2011/11/flash-focus.html


Couple of things:
AIR apps are irrelevant as Flash plugin is what enables users to browse Must-have-Flash sites, slowly.
All major mobile systems support direct streaming of mp4/h.264/AAC video, less overhead too. There is no need for flash unless you want to be sure your users can't skip that Honda Civic ad before the actual content.

[halfelite]

Official post from Adobe: http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2011/11/flash-focus.html


Couple of things:
AIR apps are irrelevant as Flash plugin is what enables users to browse Must-have-Flash sites, slowly.
All major mobile systems support direct streaming of mp4/h.264/AAC video, less overhead too. There is no need for flash unless you want to be sure your users can't skip that Honda Civic ad before the actual content.

but no one wants direct links that means other people will steal it. Companies like there RTMP and the new HDS delivery method.

[iindigo]

I thought with flash10.3 the mobile/desktop version were merged into the same code base. no longer separate.

That may be the case, but it doesn't mean that development of desktop and mobile versions are one in the same. Android is a separate platform and requires extra development.

This is the case for many cross-platform applications - for instance, Firefox runs on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. All three share the same codebase, but each platform has its own developers that write code specific to each and keeps it running on each platform. So if, say, Mozilla ceased development on the Mac version of Firefox, it would continue to run for a while. As time progresses and new versions of Mac OS are released, however, nobody would be fixing any bugs specific to Mac OS and it would eventually become unusable.

This is what will happen to Android's build of Flash.

[bloody000]

Official post from Adobe: http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2011/11/flash-focus.html


Couple of things:
AIR apps are irrelevant as Flash plugin is what enables users to browse Must-have-Flash sites, slowly.
All major mobile systems support direct streaming of mp4/h.264/AAC video, less overhead too. There is no need for flash unless you want to be sure your users can't skip that Honda Civic ad before the actual content.

but no one wants direct links that means other people will steal it. Companies like there RTMP and the new HDS delivery method.

Didn't stop anyone downloading videos with browser addons/extensions.

[AceHigh]

And I have yet to buy a phone that can be used for browsing internet... I will never understand this whole smartphone concept, luckily dumphones are still around and don't seem to be declining in variety.

[bloody000]

And I have yet to buy a phone that can be used for browsing internet... I will never understand this whole smartphone concept, luckily dumphones are still around and don't seem to be declining in variety.

It's a basic human right to troll the Internet anywhere, anytime.

[CharredChar]

Doesn't surprise me too much.
Like, honestly, how useful is Adobe Flash these days? Do you really need it on your cell phone or tablet?

Install FlashBlock on your browser and see just how many things are using it. No, you dont really NEED it on a phone or tablet and to be honest things would be better without it. I personally have the same hatred for flash as I do for java. But its easy for people to use and make things for, even if it isnt very efficient, so its wide spread. The real problem with this comes with the fact that people dont always want to make dedicated mobile sites or have to do more work to make a site that functions on every device. What if, lets say, your banking website doesnt have a mobile version and uses flash to login? Youre SOL then if you cant get to a computer or the physical bank.

And I have yet to buy a phone that can be used for browsing internet... I will never understand this whole smartphone concept, luckily dumphones are still around and don't seem to be declining in variety.

When you can only get to a computer for an hour or two at most a day a smart phone becomes really handy. Ontop of the fact most of them now will act as a wifi hotspot for when you want internet access on a normal computer away from home.

[iindigo]

And I have yet to buy a phone that can be used for browsing internet... I will never understand this whole smartphone concept, luckily dumphones are still around and don't seem to be declining in variety.

Smartphones aren't necessary to function in today's society, but they can be damned nice. There's been a number of times where mobile email access has saved my ass, and the ability to do Paypal transfers while out somewhere without having to resort to using a public computer with questionable security is great. Also there's many times where'd I'd have been completely fucking lost in Tokyo if it weren't for Google Maps + GPS. There are a number of other great uses, like being able to stream from your music collection at home or from Google's servers so you don't need to bother with syncing your music to your phone (especially nice if you have more music than your phone can hold). Smartphones have a plethora of practical uses, but it really depends on what your needs are.

Aside from that, being able to bop around on forums or read a book during the ~45 minute train ride from Minami-Azabu to Ontakesan is really nice.

[CharredChar]

Aside from that, being able to bop around on forums or read a book during the ~45 minute train ride from Minami-Azabu to Ontakesan is really nice.

Not that I have a commute that allows me to read anymore (owning a car can suck sometimes) but I HATE spending long periods of time reading on my phone. Such a screen really isnt set up for it, eyestrain and headaches are common complaints. Its one reason the Kindles are so popular, even with tablets exploding everywhere. Im thinking of buying one myself...

[iindigo]

Not that I have a commute that allows me to read anymore (owning a car can suck sometimes) but I HATE spending long periods of time reading on my phone. Such a screen really isnt set up for it, eyestrain and headaches are common complaints. Its one reason the Kindles are so popular, even with tablets exploding everywhere. Im thinking of buying one myself...

I've found this largely depends on the phone. Most of the eyestrain actually comes from low pixel density rather than backlighting... my old iPhone 3GS' pixel density isn't that great and will strain my eyes if I read for a long period of time. It's not unbearable, but it's present.

Once I borrowed a friend's iPhone 4 for a day and used it. Its much higher pixel density killed eyestrain entirely; I found it more comfortable to read off of than even my 27" IPS display back home (which is awesome and not bad to read on). I imagine that high-end Android offerings with excellent displays would give similar results.