Tag Archives: AIR

Auto update API for AIR Native Installer Apps

by Serge Jespers on 25. Aug, 2010 in AIR

If you’ve played around with native installers for AIR 2, you probably already found out that you cannot use the update framework. My fellow evangelist Piotr just released a solution for that.

Piotr’s NativeApplicationUpdater library works in exactly the same way as the update framework you use for AIR applications. When your app starts it loads an XML file that has all the update information. If an update is available you will be prompted to download and install it. Piotr actually uses another AIR 2 feature to launch the downloaded native installer. By opening the package with openWithDefaultApplication() the installer launches and installs the update.

I’ll definitely add this to the next release of my Package Assistant application (an update is coming soon!).

Check out the video where Piotr explains how it works and download the library from Google Code.

If you haven’t played with native installers for AIR 2 and want to learn more, then check out my video tutorial.

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New on Labs: Adobe AIR Launchpad

by Serge Jespers on 24. Aug, 2010 in AIR, labs

The Adobe AIR Launchpad has to be the easiest way to learn some of AIR’s more advanced features. If you want to learn how to use the auto-update framework, drag-and-drop, sockets, native processes, and more then go and grab this application from Adobe Labs right now.

I think the app is also very useful for experienced developers. With just a couple of clicks you can set up your AIR project without having to rewrite some of the things you probably have in every app. Things like centering the main window for instance or detecting network capabilities and much more.

The Adobe AIR Launchpad spits out clearly written and well commented code that makes it easy to learn the APIs if you’re new to AIR and makes it easy to take a quick shortcut if you’re an experienced developer.

Go get it now on Adobe Labs.

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Confirmed: Apple’s “Magic” Trackpad works with AIR 2.0

by Serge Jespers on 29. Jul, 2010 in AIR

Yesterday I saw a Tweet from Ralph Hauwert who was wondering if Apple’s Magic Trackpad would work with AIR 2.0. You probably already know that AIR 2.0 supports multitouch and gestures. The trackpad on a recent MacBook Pro supports gestures and these work nicely in AIR 2.0. So… My hunch was that the “Magic” Trackpad… I’m sorry… I just have to put that in quotes. With all these magic products I’m starting to wonder why Steve doesn’t have a show in Vegas yet ;-))) But back to my hunch… My hunch was that the “Magic” Trackpad would also just work.

Earlier today I happened to be walking past the Apple Store in Ginza, Tokyo and I went in and bought one. When I got back to the hotel I updated the trackpad drivers through Apple’s Software Update and paired the trackpad with my MBP. I already had DestroyTwitter running and tried the three-finger swipe on it. Oh… In case you didn’t know… the latest version of DestroyTwitter has support for the swipe-gesture to switch between different canvases. The “Magic” Trackpad worked perfectly with DestroyTwitter. I also tried some of my demo applications and they all worked as expected.

Now that I’ve used it for a while I think I like the “Magic” Trackpad. Especially in “lean-back-mode”. I can definitely see this replacing my mouse on my Mac Mini back home. I have it connected to my TV and use it to watch video content from the web.

So… To summarize: The “Magic” Trackpad does work with AIR 2.0. (Note: Like the trackpad on a MacBook, the “Magic” Trackpad only supports gestures. So no raw multi-touch points).

Now go build some cool touch-enabled apps (and send ‘em to me when you’re done)! Flash on!

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Monetize your AIR applications with Melrose

by Serge Jespers on 22. Jul, 2010 in Flash Platform

Melrose – the monetization service previously known as Shibuya – is now live on Adobe Labs.

If you were at MAX last year you probably remember the demo I did in the keynote on day 2. With literally just a couple lines of code you can add a complete license manager and payment solution to your AIR application. You can even create time and feature based trials.

Melrose works exactly like all the other application stores out there. We don’t charge any monthly or yearly fees but we do take a percentage of your earnings (obviously there is no charge for free apps). In return we’ll provide a safe and secure way to monetize your AIR applications. That means you don’t have to worry about things like credit card processing and hosting your license manager logic. Your private dashboard will tell you how your application is doing. You can view charts on number of downloads of your apps, number of trials, number of purchases, revenue, number of activations, and trial to purchase histogram (i.e. conversions from trials to purchases).

Developers and publishers in 47 countries can use Melrose to distribute and monetize AIR applications.

Melrose is still in private beta but you can already sign up today. You can find all the necessary info on the Melrose Labs page.

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Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 released

by Serge Jespers on 10. Jun, 2010 in AIR, Flash Player

Aaah… This is a great day! The Flash Player and AIR teams have been working on this for months and we’ve also been talking about it for quite a while. Today we’re upgrading the web with a ton of new features in Flash Player 10.1 and enable developers to build engaging cross-platform desktop applications.

Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 are now available for download.

If you haven’t been able to check out some of the new APIs before today then check out my “What’s new in Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2” presentation and sample code. We’re also hosting a series of free webinars introducing the new multi-screen development capabilities of the Flash Platform. Details and registration link online. Also check out the Flash Player Team and AIR Team blogs for more info.

One of the biggest new features in AIR 2 is the ability to talk to native processes and build native installers. To help you out with building those native installers check out my Package Assistant Pro AIR 2 application.

I can’t wait to see what you will build with these new capabilities! Flash on!

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5 Flash applications that will blow your mind

by Serge Jespers on 08. Jun, 2010 in Flash Platform

Yell.com Maps
“A 3D map? We’ve seen that before!” Trust me… This is 3D mapping like you’ve never seen before! It’s hard to explain when you look at this static image so just check it out yourself! Hat tip to Jerome who posted this in a comment on my blog.

UJam
I already blogged about UJam earlier but they’ve added a bunch of new videos to their YouTube channel. The video below completely blew me away. There’s no doubt in my mind that UJam is going to democratize has a good chance at democratizing music making. It’s made in Europe (Germany to be precise) and would not be possible without the Flash Platform!

The Land of Me
This is a pretty amazing AIR application built for children. It’s an interactive storybook like no other. The graphics look stunning and I’m sure kids will love this. The main characters take you on an adventure where kids are encouraged to be creative and playfully learn new words and skills. The video below is a demo of the first chapter in the app/book. A demo version is available on madeinme.com. It runs in AIR and thus runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

IS Parade
Ok… Maybe this won’t immediately blow you away but it’s pretty cool nonetheless. This is probably the sexiest Twitter visualization I’ve seen so far. You just enter a keyword and the app will create your own personal parade with cute looking characters that are based on the people tweeting about that keyword. The server may be a little bit slow (located in Japan) but it’s well worth the wait. Check it out!

FreeYourDance.com
Video on the web is no longer just about playing a video. It’s also about personalized and interactive video. FreeYourDance.com (created for Jabra) is a lot of fun. It uses your webcam to track your movements as you try to follow the dance moves shown by the dance instructor. It’s a lot of fun… especially the unexpected surprise at the end! (Hat tip to FWA)

Liked these? Then go check out http://swfhead.com/flash for more cool Flash stuff!

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The apps on my Nexus One

by Serge Jespers on 04. Jun, 2010 in android

People have asked me which apps I use on my Nexus One quite a few times already so I thought I’d do a blog post on it.

Adobe AIR & Flash Player 10.1
I don’t think this needs too much explanation ;-) Having Flash Player 10.1 in the browser really is a blessing. When breaking news happens I can just open up the browser, browse to my favorite news site, and watch the news videos. When I’d like to play a game, I can just browse to Miniclip, Kongregate or any other casual gaming site and play the game in the browser. If I like the game I can later get the game as a standalone app built on top of the AIR runtime. With AIR on my Nexus One I can use the skills that I already know to build my own apps with ActionScript 3 and use the tools that I’m used to. Love it! If you have an Android device that runs on Eclair or Froyo you can get AIR on your device today! If you have Froyo on your device you can just get Flash Player 10.1 Beta in the Android Market!

Astro File Manager
I love that I have complete control over my file system. Astro helps you manage your files on your SD card, can make backups on the device, shows you which files and folders use the most storage space, and much much more.

Beautiful Widgets
One thing I really like about HTC’s Sense UI is the home screen weather/clock widget. The Nexus One doesn’t have the Sense UI but with Beautiful Widgets I can still have that weather/clock widget. As a frequent traveller I also like that it automatically updates the time and weather to wherever I am based on my GPS coordinates. With just one click on the home widget it shows me a 5-day forecast. It also comes with a bunch of other widgets. Those allow you to quickly change a setting with one click on the widget. I have the “silent”, “plane”, “wifi” and “bluetooth” widget on my second homescreen so I can quickly switch those on or off.

Chroma Circuit
Chroma Circuit is one of the first Flash-based games that was compiled as an AIR for Android application. It is very addictive ;-) Since it is a Flash-based app you can also play this in your browser today. On the Nexus One it takes full advantage of the new multi-touch API available in AIR 2.0 and Flash Player 10.1. (This application is currently only available in private pre-release.)

Photoshop.com Mobile
Want to change the exposure, saturation or contrast on a photo? Maybe add a quick effect or a border around it? Photoshop.com Mobile does exactly that. You simply pick an image from you camera roll, edit it and share it with your friends on Photoshop.com, Twitter or Facebook.

doubleTwist
doubleTwist just released a media player application a few days ago. It looks absolutely gorgeous and is very easy to use. I like it so much that I think it should be the default media player app on every Android device. As an added bonus, it integrates seamlessly with the doubleTwist desktop making syncing my media library as easy as it was on my iPhone.

NewsRob
As a regular reader of my blog you know that I am a news junkie. Google Reader is one of the first sites I open up in the morning. When I am on the road I use NewsRob. It syncs all my unread articles from Google Reader and allows me to read them on my phone even when I’m not connected.

Dropbox
I absolutely love Dropbox! I have all my Flash/Flex projects files on it as well as all my presentations, AS3 libs I regularly use, documents, … I use it a lot! The mobile app allows me to quickly send a link to a file to a colleague and allows me to review my slides on the go.

Evernote
Another app I use a lot. I use Evernote for various things. For instance when I park my car at the airport, I take a quick picture of where I actually parked it and store that in Evernote. When I use Twitter on my Nexus One and see a link to a site I want to check out, I just click the “share” button and add that tweet to Evernote. By the way… I really love how different apps are connected on Android. That share menu is available in a lot of apps and it just lists all the applications that can accept stuff to share. So with that same menu I can send that tweet via email, to Facebook, in an SMS message, … Love it!

Finance
I keep a close eye on the stock market. I use Google Finance in the browser on the desktop and in this app on my Nexus One. The app also comes with home screen widgets and I have a couple of those installed. These home screen widgets are really one of the major advantages of the Android platform. They update automatically and so you always have the latest info on your home screen.

Foursquare
Besides being a news junkie, I think I am also a social networking junkie… I joined FourSquare a few months ago but never really got in to it. I’m giving it another shot now. I love the tips people can leave about a certain venue/location.

Gridshock
Gridshock was also originally a browser based game built with Flash. I’m running it on the Nexus One as a standalone application on the AIR runtime. Very addictive! ;-) (This application is currently only available in private pre-release.)

Hello Proximus
This app is pretty simple but very useful. The app monitors my data usage. It tells me how many MB I have left in my overpriced data plan. It shows you exactly how much you have left on your national and roaming plan.

Let’s Golf
I used to play this game on my iPhone and wanted to see how well it performed on my Nexus One. It rocks! I bought it in Gameloft’s online shop which circumvents the need to get access to the Android Market. (Officially you still can’t get access to the Market in Belgium! Google needs to fix this ASAP!)

Qrossfire
Another AIR based game that originally started out as a browser based Flash game… I currently play this one the most. (This application is currently only available in private pre-release.)

RunKeeper
A few months ago I started running again. There are a lot of apps on the Android Market that keep track of your exercises but I like the UI on this one. Writing this reminds me that I should get back in to gear. It’s been a few weeks since I was last out running…

Tripit
I said this many times before but will repeat it again: If you are a frequent traveller, you have to use Tripit! I don’t think I could do this job without it. I really like the UI on their Android version much better than their iPhone version. It’s easier to read and just feels nicer.

Vignette
Vignette is one of those special effect camera type apps. It has 55 different LOMO, toy camera, tilt-shift and Polaroid style effects and 17 different frames.

WordPress
This also doesn’t need much explaining. I love how their Android version even allows me to get notifications of new comments.

These are just a couple of apps I use regularly. Besides these I also use the stock email and calendar app which now (in Froyo) works with our Exchange setup. I also use tethering quite a bit. Being able to share your 3G connection as a wifi access point is just amazing and it works very well. I also use the Twitter for Android and Facebook for Android app a lot and I really love how this data is also linked with your contacts. The navigation feature in Froyo is also a big plus although it is not available in Belgium (Please fix this Google!). I used it in London a few weeks ago and was really impressed. I have a Tom Tom with US maps on it for when I travel to the US but that’s going up for sale now.

So far there hasn’t been a single day that I missed my iPhone or any of the apps I used on it… Oh… wait… I’m lying. I miss the iPass app! As a frequent traveller I have access to iPass, a roaming service for wifi hotspots. I have it on my laptop but also used to have it on my iPhone. And I could also use an Android version of Concur, the system we use for expenses.

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The Flash Platform is fueling innovation

by Serge Jespers on 02. Jun, 2010 in Flash Platform, startups

Flash has been fueling innovation since the day it was first released. When Flash first arrived on the web it opened up a whole new world for web designers. It literally lit up the web by adding the ability to create rich and engaging experiences on the web. Flash has evolved (and continues to evolve) with every new release. Every new release adds new capabilities and features to the web.

Some people say that Flash is a dying technology but I beg to differ. Flash is just in its teens, far from dead and is still fueling innovation today. I’ve said this a few many times before but I’ll say it again: The “skip intro”-era is already far behind us and Flash is now being used as a platform for full blown applications that run in every browser and multiple devices.

But don’t just take my word for it. Check out these hot new startups and what they are doing with the Flash Platform!

UJam was founded by musicians Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams together with music software pioneers Peter Gorges and Axel Hensen. They wanted to build a new and easy way to make music even for people that don’t know anything about music.

Pharrell Williams: “If you have a tune in your head no longer do you have to hope and pray that you have to find a team to help to put it together. Now you can do it yourself.” Hans Zimmer: “UJam makes it possible to turn a tune that’s stuck in your head in to music.”

UJam was recently demoed at TechCrunch Disrupt and actually came in second in the Disrupt startup competition. It is truly an amazing piece of software. You basically sing or hum a tune in to your microphone and the application turns it in to music. You have to see it to believe it. At TC Disrupt, the UJAM folks pointed out that their site wouldn’t be technically feasible without Flash… I can’t wait to play around with this but it’s still in early stages and not available to the outside world. Imagine if UJam and Audiotool came together…

VideoGenie was also launched at TechCrunch Disrupt. “VideoGenie automatically creates compilation videos that allow companies to solicit customer sentiment in the most impactful way possible. Marketers can easily use VideoGenie for testimonials, reviews, suggestions, and corporate communication. VideoGenie’s disruptive technology provides marketers with a cost efficient, effective way to create, collect, manage, and distribute compelling video content without the expense, training, and software traditionally required.”

VideoGenie uses the Flash Platform and its ability to record video from the user’s webcam with just a few clicks.

Have you ever been in a situation that reminded you of something you once saw in a movie? Or just thought of a quote that you heard in a movie once but you can’t remember which movie it was? You probably go and search on YouTube or try to find it on Google so you can share it with your friends. Your chances of finding it there are pretty slim mainly because of licensing. Movieclips.com have partnerships with 6 Hollywood studios to provide clips for their site. Their Mashup engine allows you to quickly search for a specific actor, movie, quote, action and/or situation and will provide you with a list of matching movies. Once you pick your favorite one, you can trim the clip to that specific moment you had in your mind and then share it with your friends.

“Navigaya is One Ultra-Hot Content Platform”, was the headline on TechCrunch.com a few weeks ago. TechCrunch’s Roi Carthy wrote: “What single adjective best describes Navigaya? Gorgeous? Stylish? Addictive? Having spent a few weeks playing with it, I’d have to concede, all of the above. There really is just no way around it, Navigaya is one of the most mesmerizing content products I’ve seen in a while.“.

Navigaya (completely built with Flash) is all about content. It allows you to browse content from all over the web in a new and very exciting way. It’s really hard to explain so check out the video to get a better idea of what it does.

The idea behind WeTransfer is nothing new. The way they do it is. WeTransfer allows you to send big files (up to 2GB) to your colleagues and friends. You just add the file(s) and the email address of each friend you want to receive it, optionally add a message and click “Transfer”. That’s it. No need to install anything. No need to register. While the files transfer WeTransfer shows you adverts (with gorgeous images) in the background. Easy, simple, beautiful and built with Flash.

Scribblar.com is an easy to use online meeting place where multiple users can collaborate on images, use shared whiteboards, have a live audio or text chat and more. Because Scribblar is built with Flash the user does not need to install anything new. Just send your customer the link to your online meetingroom and within minutes you are revising the artwork he commissioned, engaging in a creative brainstorm, or leading an online training session.

The social web has dramatically changed the way people do business and the way people communicate with and about brands. Radian6 helps brands understand who is talking about them and what people are discussing by monitoring different social networking sources. With an easy to use and clear interface the Radian6 suite also allows brand managers to easily engage with their customers wherever they hang out on the social web. It also gives you in depth statistics and reports to easily measure your impact on social networks. Radian6 built the entire interface using the Flex framework and the AIR runtime.

Even hardware startups are relying on Flash. The litl is a very good example.

From the litl blog: “The litl webbook is an “Internet computer”, a new type of computer built on and for the web. It can go online in a conventional laptop-like mode, rendering websites with its modern browser and built-in support for Flash. Used like this, it’s ideal for traditional “lean forward” web activities like searching, reading, typing, and clicking. However, the computer can also stand upright like an easel when its screen and keyboard are flipped around its hinge. In this new mode, the litl webbook and its exposed 12-inch screen transform into a platform for “lean back” or passive web activities — watching video, enjoying photos, listening to music, and scanning headlines, for example.“. In this “lean back” mode you’re actually using full screen Flash based applications that developers can build using the litl SDK and the Flash knowledge they already have.

BoosterMedia built their entire business around building Flash based games. – VIAAS is a video monitoring system that relies on Flex and Flash. – Crystal Mapping does mind mapping in a Flash based UI. – Jilster allows multiple users to collaborate on creating a magazine. The UI uses Flash and the magazine is delivered on paper. – Lumacentral used Flex to built an online creation/ordering/management system for marketers. – ScrapHD is an online scrapbook application. – Pearltrees enables you to organize, discover and share stuff you find on the web. – Shufflr.tv is a social video browser built on top of the AIR runtime.

The list goes on and on… And I bet that while writing this post at least a few more saw the light of day. The Flash Platform is a popular choice for startups and that is probably not going to change any time soon.

Flash on!

PS: If you’re working for a cool startup that uses the Flash Platform, feel free to leave a comment or get in touch!

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Introducing: Flash Coffee Meetups

by Serge Jespers on 31. May, 2010 in Events

If you’re anything like me, you probably drink a lot of coffee, love Flash and enjoy talking about geek stuff… Blend all of these ingredients together and you get “Flash Coffee“!

Join Adobe Platform Evangelists from across Europe for a cuppa, an espresso, a double non fat latte or whatever your chosen caffeine jolt is and see what’s new with the Adobe Flash Platform. Ask some questions, see Flash Player 10.1 running on Android devices, see what’s new with Flash Builder 4 and Flash Catalyst, show what you are working on…

These meetups are informal and small, taking place at various coffee shops around Europe. Come along and join us for a drink and a chat! We’re limiting the numbers per meetup depending on the location so register early!

I just added the first two dates and I hope to see you there.

(You have to attend to be eligible to win the raffle prize!)

Keep an eye on http://bit.ly/flcoffee for more dates.

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Android week: The Web and TV marriage: Google TV

by Serge Jespers on 20. May, 2010 in AIR, Flash Platform, android

A few years ago I used to work for Belgium’s biggest commercial broadcaster. In my last year there (now 7 years ago) I investigated interactive TV. I was pretty disappointed to see what was available at that time. Almost 5 years ago my local cable operator (Telenet) launched interactive digital TV in Belgium and I was still disappointed. While their set-top box is connected to the web, it only uses it to “call home” when you order VOD content. Ooh… and you can read your email on it…

A few weeks ago, Telenet updated their set-top box UI… And I was still disappointed. Telenet is in a unique position. They are already in my house with an Internet connected STB that is connected to my big screen TV. This is where I want to see my web content. When I search for my favorite TV show, I want to see when it plays on my favorite TV channels but I also want it to show me related web content from YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, … When I browse their VOD content, I want to read other people’s reviews from IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Twitter, … That is what I want from my digital tv… And Google just launched it at Google I/O. Google TV is exactly what I want to see on my TV… It’s 2010 for God’s sake! Unfortunately I live in Belgium and I probably will not see Google TV any time soon…

Here’s a demo of Google TV recorded by the Adobe TV team. Oh… And before I forget: Google TV runs Flash Player 10.1 and AIR!

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