| Adobe enhances mobile device Flash support |
Oct. 01, 2007
Adobe Systems has released the latest version of its lightweight Flash player technology aimed at mobile devices. In what is claimed to be a "first for mobile devices," Flash Lite 3 is said to playback the company's .FLV file format, used by websites such as YouTube and Myspace.
First announced back in February, Flash Lite 3 will be marketed to mobile device manufacturers, wireless operators, and content providers. "Developers will now be able to integrate video into user interfaces and create dynamic mobile assets such as wallpapers, screensavers or casual games," the company said in a statement.
 Flash Lite 3 brings .FLV and .SWF to devices Flash Lite 3 now includes the ability to watch Flash Player-compatible video and deliver dynamic web content, according to the company. It supports video from Adobe Flash Media Server software via Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) streaming, and also from websites that transmit video via progressive download, the company says.
Key features
In addition to the new .FLV support, other key features cited by Adobe include:- Flash content support -- Flash Lite 3 is now compatible with .SWF files authored for Flash Player 8, such as the "program guide" seen in the illustration above
- Performance enhancements -- Improved rendering and scripting speeds result in a 25-30 percent performance increase of Flash Lite applications
- Man Machine Interface (MMI) extensions -- These allow the same source assets to be used across multiple handset designs, and allow device UIs (user interfaces) to be customized for a specific demographic, location, or personality
- Improved authoring environment -- Developers can now design, preview, and test content using Flash CS3 Professional and a new component called Adobe Device Central 3
- Automated testing system (ATS) -- This can cut testing times by up to 85 percent, accelerating time to market, and includes an online certification portal and an interface that allows testing teams to communicate and collaborate
- Dynamic XML data -- Flash Lite supports loading and parsing of external XML data in Flash content using the same XML handling methods as Flash Player
Al Ramadan, Adobe's senior VP for mobile and devices, stated, "With Flash Lite 3 and its support for video, we've passed a major milestone in bringing a desktop experience to mobile and transforming the wireless industry ... With Flash Lite 3, tomorrow's devices will offer even richer, more engaging experiences."
Under the hood
 Adobe Flash Light 3 architecture APIs (application programming interfaces) included in Flash Lite 3 allow applications to access device data, enabling user interface personalization and customization, Adobe said. For example, device home screens can display different images or content according to their location.
According to Adobe's data sheet, hardware requirements for Flash Lite 3 have not increased, compared with Flash Lite 2.1, the previous version. The software is said to occupy approximately 450 KB of storage, and it's suggested that devices have a 200 MHz ARM9 processor or better, plus 128 KB of RAM (2 MB is recommended for best performance).
Adobe Flash Lite runs on multiple platforms, including Windows Mobile 5, Symbian S60 v2/v3, Qualcomm BREW 2.x/3.x, and Linux, according to the company.
More information is available on the company's website, here.
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