Programmer Andrew Russell is working on a project that will undoubtedly pique the interest of game developers around the world. Dubbed ExEn, Russell’s open source software allows devs to port XNA games to iOS, Silverlight and in the near future, Android and OS X as well. In practical terms, this software gives developers a much easier way to take games they have built for Xbox 360, Windows or Windows Phone 7 using Microsoft’s XNA framework and port them to the iPhone or iPad, the Web (Silverlight), and soon to Android devices and Mac OS Xl. Russell’s project is community funded and a public preview for developers who made donations was just released on Wednesday.

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Adobe on Monday announced the availability of Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex. 4.5, a pair of tools that let developers easily code applications for iOS, Android and the BlackBerry PlayBook. Adobe’s tools now provide developers with a single platform for building apps across each of the three popular mobile operating systems. “The reaction from developers to the new mobile capabilities in Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 framework has been absolutely fantastic,” said Adobe’s VP of developer tooling, Ed Rowe, said in a statement. “They are amazed by how easy it is to create great mobile apps for Android devices, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad. Companies can now effectively reach their customers no matter what type of device they have.” Adobe’s new Flash Builder 4.5 Standard is available immediately for $249 and a premium version is available for $699. Flex 4.5 is a free open source framework. Both tools are also included in Adobe’s Creative Suite 5.5. The full press release follows after the break.

Adobe Enables Developers to Build Mobile Apps for Android Devices, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad

Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5 Update Available Today

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today delivered an update to Adobe® Flash® Builder® 4.5 and Flex 4.5 software to enable developers to build applications for iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry PlayBook. Support for Android devices was released in April 2011. Developers now have a single platform for building highly expressive mobile applications that can be distributed via the Android Market, Apple App Store and BlackBerry App World. Offered standalone or as part of Creative Suite® 5.5 Web Premium and Master Collection, Flash Builder 4.5 enables the creation of applications that work seamlessly across leading mobile device platforms.

“The reaction from developers to the new mobile capabilities in Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 framework has been absolutely fantastic”

“The reaction from developers to the new mobile capabilities in Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 framework has been absolutely fantastic,” said Ed Rowe, vice president of developer tooling, Adobe. “They are amazed by how easy it is to create great mobile apps for Android devices, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad. Companies can now effectively reach their customers no matter what type of device they have.”

Today’s release accompanies the announcement of the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform (see separate release). With consumers increasingly engaging with more content on smartphones and tablets, large enterprises are required to add mobile applications as a core part of their marketing strategy. Simultaneously, IT organizations are looking to build business process, CRM and other employee productivity applications to support the broad range of devices and platforms in use today. Using Flash Builder and Flex, enterprises can now use one tool, one framework and one codebase to create high performance applications that run on desktops as well as on smartphones and tablets.

Flex 4.5 also includes significant productivity enhancements that allow developers to rapidly build applications for the desktop, Web and top mobile platforms. Using best practice code templates, code completion and code generation features in Flash Builder 4.5, developers can accelerate the creation of Flex and ActionScript® applications and deploy them using Adobe AIR® software, Adobe’s runtime for standalone applications. This allows developers an opportunity to reach more than 80 million Android devices, BlackBerry PlayBooks, iPads and iPhones in the marketplace today. By the end of the year more than 200 million mobile devices are expected to support AIR applications.

Mobile Apps in Action

Many applications built with Flash Builder and Flex have already been published to the Android Market, Apple App Store, and BlackBerry App World. Following are a sample of those created for Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS using Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5, leveraging existing code and logic to quickly deploy to leading mobile platforms.

• Conqu is an easy to use yet powerful task management tool designed to help conquer an email inbox and get things done.
• Mr. Mixit is a spin-based matching game where users must frantically mix record labels against the clock.
• Muni Tracker tracks San Francisco Muni locations and arrival time predictions on a map updating live every ten seconds. Favorite transit stops and lines can also be bookmarked for easy access later.
• Netflix Queue Manager lets users browse, search and manage their Netflix Queue on the go. New features include viewing queues, updating queues, and adding/removing/viewing movies.
• PolitiFact Mobile App helps you “find the truth in politics,” with features including the Truth Index, Truth-O-Meter and Flip-O-Meter. PolitiFact.com is the fact-checking website of the St. Petersburg Times and received a Pulitzer Prize in 2009.
• Pyramix is an easy to learn, highly addictive word game that combines the strategy of Cryptoquote with the simplicity of Boggle.

Developer Reaction to Flash Builder 4.5 and the Flex 4.5 Framework

Nahuel Foronda, owner and president, AsFusion

• “We saved a significant amount of development time using Flash Builder 4.5. We used 100 percent of Conqu’s initial codebase and logic to quickly deploy to several mobile platforms, including Android, BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone, iPad and the Barnes & Noble Nook Color.”

Sean Carey, president, HD Interactive

• “Flash Builder 4.5 allowed us to develop our Mr. Mixit and Pyramix apps and use the same code base to quickly and easily deploy them to multiple platforms. To create an app natively for one platform would have taken at least three times the amount of time—and then we would have had to start from scratch all over again for a native app on the next platform. It’s unbelievable the amount of time we save using Flash Builder 4.5 to build and deploy our apps.”

Bill Adair, editor, Politifact.com

• “PolitiFact’s fact-checking journalism is ideal for a mobile app because it’s backed by solid reporting and presented in a concise, creative way. You don’t have to be a policy wonk to understand the Truth-O-Meter. The app allows us to present our journalism in lively new ways.”

Jonathan Campos, founder, UnitedMindset

• “The new mobile application development capabilities in Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 allowed me to create Netflix Queue Manager quickly, and debug the application across a variety of configurations. I can now create, develop, and test mobile and multi-screen apps in one place, ultimately bringing our apps to market faster on multiple devices.”

Helpful Links

• Muni Tracker App for Android and iOS built with Flash Builder – Greg Wilson interviews Quality Engineer Shashwati Keith about using Flash Builder to develop Muni Tracker, a popular mobile app that is available for Android and iOS devices and will soon be available for the BlackBerry PlayBook.
• Mr. Mixit and Pyramix Games for Android and iOS – Senior Technical Evangelist Greg Wilson showcases two popular games, Mr. Mixit and Pyramix, both developed in Flash Builder and Flex and available on Android, BlackBerry PlayBook, and iOS devices.
• Financial Trader App for iOS, Android and BlackBerry PlayBook – Christophe Coenraets demonstrates Financial Trader, a cross-platform enterprise financial analytics app featuring 3D charts and real-time updates, which was developed using Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform with Flash Builder.
• Build iOS Applications using Flex and Flash Builder 4.5 – Developer Evangelist Serge Jespers explains how to build iOS applications using new capabilities in Flex and Flash Builder 4.5.
• Learn more about developing mobile applications with Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5

Pricing and Availability

To download or trial Flash Builder 4.5, please go to www.adobe.com/products/flash-builder.html. Street price is US$249 for Flash Builder 4.5 Standard, US$699 for Flash Builder 4.5 Premium. Flash Builder 4.5 Premium is also available as part of the Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium and Master Collection. Upgrade pricing for Flash Builder 4.5 is $49 and volume licensing is available. Flex 4.5 is available as a free open source framework. Also, Flash Builder 4.5 for PHP today supports mobile application development for Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS.

Did you really think the kiddies over at XDA were going to wait “a few weeks” to get their mitts on Android 2.3.4? Of course not. A sleuthy forum member has uncovered the manual download link for Google’s latest iteration of Gingerbread. The file will update a stock Nexus S, running Android 2.3.3, to the most recent code — for those of you fluent in Android flashing, the package will update devices running build number GRI40 to GRJ22. Sorry Nexus One faithful, nothing for you… yet. If you’re a Nexus S owner looking to get your video-chat on, hit the jump for the download link and enjoy.

[Via XDA]

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A few days ago Google was made aware that there were over 20 apps in the Android Market that were up to no good. These malicious apps gained system-level access to your handset when downloaded and would intercept and covertly transmit private data to 3rd party servers. Some of these apps have been downloaded more than 50,000 times. To try and fix the problem, Google has started using a remote kill switch feature in Android to wirelessly nuke those installed apps on user’s handsets. That’s not the entire story, though, as Google is actually installing new code in the process. The new code undoes the exploit and prevents your data from being shared, and it’s kind of creepy to plainly see how much control Google has over your Android phone from afar. Affected users have started receiving emails that the process has been completed.

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It’s not the update you’ve been waiting for, rather it’s the update the will allow you to get the update you’ve been waiting for. Of course we’re talking about Windows Phone 7, and the small, quirky code bundle Microsoft has been attempting to rollout for the past two weeks. After halting the update to Samsung handsets back on February 23rd, the company resumed sending the software to users’ devices this week. And unfortunately, it looks like Windows Phone users with Samsung handsets are continuing to have issues — problems Microsoft admits via Twitter it is “aware of” and is “looking into.” The small package being pushed by Microsoft patches Windows Phone’s updater mechanism, preparing it for the more significant NoDo update that is set to bring copy and paste functionality, amongst other things, to WP7 later this month. Not the most impressive software rollout we’ve ever seen, but hopefully Microsoft and friends have this whole mess sorted out by the time NoDo is a gogo. 

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While investigating several Android Market applications that appeared to be duplicates, Reddit user lompolo discovered several apps that provide an extra, and definitely unwanted, service. The applications in question contain an exploit that, when downloaded, automatically root the Android handset. Not only that, the apps — 21 in total — also contain an embedded .apk file that can accept remote code and upload device information (like your IMEI) to a server in California. The malicious bundles were published by user Myournet and some of the individual applications have been downloaded over 50,000 times each. Once alerted of the potential malware, Google investigated and removed the code from the Market and users handsets. Unfortunately, that doesn’t have any effect on data already compromised by downloaders of the rogue applications. Google has yet to publicly comment on the incident.

UPDATE: More information about the exploit and affected applications can be found here.

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Microsoft made news earlier this week when it began pushing its first software update to Windows Phone 7 handsets. The new code — which does not include the anticipated copy and paste functionality – has run into a small issue, Samsung phones. From the moment the code began hitting handsets, reports began popping up from users claiming that the update rendered their phones useless — most of these handsets were made by Samsung. Responding to an inquire from blog WinRumors, Microsoft noted that they have identified a “technical issue” in the update and have taken action.

“In response to this emerging issue, we have temporarily taken down the latest software update for Samsung phones in order to correct the issue,” wrote a Microsoft spokesperson.

The update that is currently wreaking havoc on Sammy hardware is, ironically, designed to improve Windows Phone’s update mechanism — which is being updated in advance of a major over-the-air code push next month. Microsoft hopes to release a revised update to the Windows Phone community soon. Any Windows Phone users out there been bitten by this nasty bug?

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At at joint press conference today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Nokia CEO Stephen Elop provided specific details about what the newly forged partnership between their two companies will look like. Fans of Nokia hardware and the Windows Phone software can get excited about the prospects of Xbox Live, Office, and enhanced maps (a combination of Ovi Maps and Bing) coming to Nokia WP sets. Fans of Windows Phone in general can get excited about the world’s largest phone manufacturer throwing its weight behind the recently launched mobile OS. But how do Nokia’s developers, the ones who have committed time and resources to Qt, make out in this deal? The future looks bleak.

In a letter to developers, the companies noted that Qt would still be supported for Symbian and MeeGo — Nokia expects to ship 150 million Symbian phones during the transition; there was also mention of the first MeeGo device shipping later this year. The letter was quite clear in saying that Microsoft would “provide tools for application developers,” not Nokia. Translation: No Qt. This transition from Symbian to Windows Phone is going to be an interesting tightrope for Nokia to walk — especially in regards to developers. The aforementioned letter is waiting for you after the break. Have a look and let us know what you think in the comments.

Letter to Developers about Today’s News
11 February, 2011 10:05

Nokia and Microsoft today announced plans to form a broad strategic partnership that would combine our complementary strengths and expertise to create a new global mobile ecosystem, one we believe would have all the elements needed to fuel innovation – including search, location, advertising and exciting new devices.

As part of this, Nokia plans to adopt Windows Phone as our primary smartphone strategy, helping drive the future of the platform. This has not been a decision taken lightly by Nokia and we wanted to share some of the key points with our developer community.

Nokia and Microsoft together
The Nokia-Microsoft ecosystem would aim to deliver differentiated and innovative products and have unrivalled scale, product breadth, geographical reach, and brand identity. With Windows Phone as our primary smartphone platform, we would help drive the future of the platform by leveraging our expertise in hardware optimization, software customization, language support and scale.

Microsoft would make available the existing free Windows Phone Developer Tools; Visual Studio 2010, Expression, Silverlight and the XNA Framework to developers. Together, we will provide guidance for developers wishing to port their applications to Windows Phone.

Nokia and Microsoft would also combine services assets to drive innovation. Nokia’s Ovi Maps, for example, would be at the heart of key Microsoft assets like Bing and AdCenter, and Nokia’s application and content store would be integrated with Microsoft Marketplace for Nokia Windows Phones, to deliver a great single commerce experience for developers and consumers alike.

The Qt ecosystem
Qt will continue to be the development framework for Symbian and Nokia will use Symbian for further devices; continuing to develop strategic applications in Qt for Symbian platform and encouraging application developers to do the same. With 200 million users worldwide and Nokia planning to sell around 150 million more Symbian devices, Symbian still offers unparalleled geographical scale for developers.

Extending the scope of Qt further will be our first MeeGo-related open source device, which we plan to ship later this year. Though our plans for MeeGo have been adapted in light of our planned partnership with Microsoft, that device will be compatible with applications developed within the Qt framework and so give Qt developers a further device to target.

Nokia Mobile Phones
Nokia Mobile Phones will drive Nokia’s “web for the next billion” strategy, leveraging Nokia’s innovation and strength in growth markets to connect the next billion people and bring them affordable access to the Internet and applications. This represents a further opportunity for developers. Nokia will leverage our proxy browser technology on mobile phones, as well as continuing to enhance Java support and SDKs, with developers and publishers able to deliver their applications to consumers through the Nokia store.

Supporting our developers
As part of the change in Nokia’s organization announced today, the Services and Developer Experiences (SDX) unit will be responsible for Nokia’s global service portfolio, developer offering, developer community relations, and integration of partner service offering. Forum Nokia will be part of that unit and will continue to support developers for Symbian smartphones and Series 40 mobile phones.

We will strengthen our ability to support developers both globally and in local markets, ensuring that we can work with you wherever you are to bring your latest applications to our store and help you leverage the global revenue opportunity with Symbian and Series 40.

For Nokia Windows Phones, Microsoft would provide tools for application developers to easily and rapidly leverage Nokia’s market reach. The integration of Microsoft Marketplace and Nokia’s content and application store would provide scalable infrastructure and compelling consumer engagement for applications for Nokia Windows Phones.

The combined stores would offer unparalleled distribution. The Ovi Store already delivers content in 190 countries, with local specific content in 90 of those. We are now seeing 4 million downloads a day, with 300,000 users signing up daily and 400,000 developers now working on applications for Nokia on Symbian. In addition to offering operator billing with 103 operators in 32 countries, we plan to support the widest range of business models for our publishers and developers.

We plan to make it easy and profitable for all developers to thrive in the ecosystem, taking advantage of the enablers (API’s) offered by ourselves, Microsoft and other partners – including location, search, monetization and advertising.

What’s next?
As we said, this announcement is about our plans to work with Microsoft and the planning will continue. Our aim is to keep you informed as plans develop, through our Forum Nokia and Ovi Publish websites, newsletters and in person. In the meantime, we want to help you maximize the existing business opportunity, developing for the approximately 50 million Qt capable Symbian smartphones already in use and approximately 150 million more that we target to sell, as well as hundreds of millions of Nokia mobile phones.

We think this is going to be an exciting journey and look forward to having you with us!

Purnima Kochikar
Head of Forum Nokia & Developer Community

Right on schedule, Apple has released iOS 4.3 beta 3, build number 8F5166b, to developers through its online developer’s portal. The code is available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. We’re in the throes of downloading the new bits as we speak. You do the same and be sure to let us know what you find.

Thanks, CDeeRON!

One day after the launch of the Nexus S, the source code for the device’s operating system — Android 2.3 — is being pushed to the Android Open Source Project’s (AOSP) master branch. In a blog post, AOSP engineer Jean-Baptiste M. Queru noted that he was in the throws of getting the code in place. Mr. Queru does however offer this warning:

Even though Nexus S is designed to be suitable for AOSP work, there  are some caveats. I very strongly recommend against trying to use  Nexus S for anything related to AOSP at the moment. Trying to unlock or use your Nexus S for AOSP work could easily turn it into a Nexus B (where B means “brick”); I have two of those, they’re not very useful. I’ll send some guidelines about what is currently possible once I’ve finished pushing the source code.

If you’re interested in getting your hands on the new bits, hit the read link and go nuts.

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Remember how we told you about Palm’s rumored upcoming devices? Well, the folks over at WebOS Internals have been pouring through SFR’s webOS 2.0 code and have stumbled upon five device code-names: Stingray, Mantaray, Broadway, Windsor and Roadrunner (Palm Pre 2). The code-names were  found in string of code that displays: “temporarily not restoring logs for newer devices.” The holiday season is fast approaching, and we would love to add some HP-Palm hardware to our respective wish lists.

[Via Engadget]

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We’ve just been tipped off that the gang over at #G2Root have discovered the source code for the T-Mobile G2 online. The G2 recently made news for a failsafe measure included in the device that makes rooting and/or flashing the handset quite difficult. The code weighs in at around 82 megabytes; the download link is waiting for you after the break. It will be interesting to see what the G2-tinkering community can come up with.

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Comex, the developer of the jailbreakme.com 2.0 website, has released the source code for the PDF exploit found in un-patched versions of Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. The code has been called “impressive” and “dangerous” by some security analysts. The exploit has the ability to install malicious code on a users iOS device by simply visiting a webpage crafted to run the code. If you do not plan on jailbreaking your iOS device, we recommend updating to iOS 4.0.2 to remove the vulnerability. If you are already jailbroken, we suggest installing the “PDF Fix” patch from Cydia.

[Via Macworld]

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Yay, open source! Anyone interested in the DROID X source code? If you are, the files are posted on Motorola’s developer site. The code weighs in at a hefty 280 MB and was actually released several days ago on July 28th. If you’re ready to get down and dirty with lines and lines of code, let the custom ROM creation begin!

[Via Droid-Life]

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Yay open source! Samsung has released the source code for the SGH-I897, better known as the Captivate (the AT&T variant of the Galaxy S). In a letter to developers Samsung writes:

You can download the source code of SGH-I897 on this site in Mobile Category, SGH-I897 model.

Thank you.

The source is about 160 megabytes in size and available to all who want it, no signups necessary. Hit up opensource.samsung.com to download the goods!

[Via BriefMobile]

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