Adobe pushes Flash despite Microsoft, Apple 'cold treatment'

Despite looming cold treatment from Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp., Adobe Systems is still hard at work on the next version of its Flash software. Tech site CNET said Adobe plans to come out with Flash 11 in two weeks, at its Max developer conference early October to show Flash is still relevant. CNET said Flash 11's highlight will be an interface called Molehill for hardware-accelerated 3D and 2D graphics. It promises to be a powerful feature for games, with a "console-quality" screen refresh rate of 50 frames per second like the Xbox or PS3 - in a Web browser. "With direct access to the GPU (graphics processing unit), you'll see a thousand times faster rendering over prior versions of Flash," said Adobe's platform general manager Danny Winokur. Adobe has been getting the cold treatment from Apple, which discouraged the use of Flash on its devices. Microsoft, on the other hand, hinted its next Internet Explorer browser will rely more on HTML5 and not on plug-ins like Flash. On the other hand, in cases where Flash plug-ins are banned or not installed, Adobe's new AIR software will package Flash apps as standalone apps. Another new feature is 64-bit support, CNET said. For mobile users, it promises support for the digital rights management available for video streaming - a big selling point in the "premium video" priority for Flash. Still another new feature for mobile users is native extensions, which lets programmers venture out of the cross-platform comfort zone to support new hardware in the latest smartphones even if Flash has not done so. Performance has been a problem for Flash on smartphones, though. Adobe's working the problem, Winokur said:: Emerging web standards Adobe has also refined its Flash sales pitch to three main areas - games, advanced online video, and "data-driven" apps. Winokur said Adobe can do this while driving HTML5 forward. "It's become clear our customers think there are important advantages in those three areas now for using Flash. We've continued to invest in those areas while taking a leadership role in driving HTML5 forward. It has the potential to be a fantastic platform," Winokur said. Endorsements from Zynga, EA CNET said Adobe won some endorsements for Flash 11 from major gaming companies Zynga and Electronic Arts. "The ubiquity of Flash helps EA to bring our chart-topping games to a broader variety of platforms and connect with consumers across a wide range of devices," said EA Interactive Chief Technology Officer Mark Vange. Google as ally? Google can still be considered an ally of Flash, helping Adobe adapt Flash for Android phones and having built-in Flash in its Chrome browser. Yet, Apple's iOS is a major mobile operating system while Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 looms as a key desktop and potentially tablet operating system in the future. Yet Adobe is claiming progress with 130 smartphones and 85 tablets now able to run Flash. — TJD, GMA News