Following an unveiling last month, Adobe on Monday announced that its Creative Suite 6 software is now available for purchase and its Creative Cloud solution will become available on May 11th. ”We announced Creative Cloud and CS6 two weeks ago and these releases have caught the imagination of creatives everywhere,” Adobe’s SVP of digital media, David Wadhwani, said in a statement. “Today we’re shipping CS6 and look forward to the beginning of an exciting new era as we introduce Creative Cloud later this week.” Pricing ranges from $1,299 for the base edition of CS6 to $2,599 for the “Master Collection,” and upgrades from previous versions start at $300. The software and updates are also available at no additional charge alongside a Creative Cloud subscription, which ranges from $49.99 to $74.99 per month for new customers and starts at just $29.99 per month for customers upgrading from earlier versions. Adobe’s full press release follows below.

Adobe Creative Cloud Coming May 11

SAN JOSE, Calif. — May 7, 2012 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Creative Suite® 6 software. The CS6 product line includes powerful new releases of Photoshop®, InDesign®, lllustrator®, Dreamweaver®, Adobe Premiere® Pro, After Effects®, Flash® Professional and other products as well as four suite versions – Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium; Creative Suite 6 Design Standard; Creative Suite 6 Production Premium; and Creative Suite 6 Master Collection.

Adobe Creative Cloud™, a radical new way of providing tools and services* for creatives worldwide is expected to be available on Friday, May 11.  A subscription-based offering, Adobe Creative Cloud is a hub for making, sharing and delivering creative work and it is centered around a powerful release of Adobe Creative Suite® 6 software, packed with innovation across its industry-defining design, Web, video and digital imaging tools. CS6 point product subscriptions will also be available May 11.

“We announced Creative Cloud and CS6 two weeks ago and these releases have caught the imagination of creatives everywhere,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media Business, Adobe. “Today we’re shipping CS6 and look forward to the beginning of an exciting new era as we introduce Creative Cloud later this week.”

Top new features across the CS6 product line include:

• New levels of performance with tools that take advantage of Adobe Mercury Graphics functionality, allowing users to go from ideas to finished work faster than ever before.
• Enhanced user interfaces that vastly simplify workflows, so users can focus on their content and achieve results quicker.
• New capabilities that streamline the creation of responsive content, ensuring website and apps look great across virtually all screen sizes and form factors.
• Remarkable new science, integrated into imaging and video apps, makes previously impossible tasks suddenly possible.

Adobe Creative Cloud membership delivers:

• Access to download and install all CS6 applications, new HTML5 desktop products – Adobe Muse™ 1.0 and Adobe Edge preview – and deep integration with Adobe Touch Apps.
• Easy storage and sharing of content across desktop, mobile devices and the cloud.
• Integrated website publishing and hosting.
• Ongoing innovation that provides members with the most up-to-date products and services

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Creative Suite 6 products are immediately available through Adobe Authorized Resellers, the Adobe Store in North America and Adobe Direct Sales. Estimated street price for the suites is US$2,599 for CS6 Master Collection, US$1,899 for CS6 Production Premium, US$1,899 for CS6 Design & Web Premium, and US$1,299 for CS6 Design Standard. Upgrade and education pricing as well as volume licensing are available. For more information visit www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite.html.

Adobe Creative Cloud membership is available to customers in 36 countries and in multiple languages. Pricing for Creative Cloud membership for individuals is US$49.99 per month based on annual membership and US$74.99 per month for month-to-month membership. A special introductory offer of US$29.99 per month for CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 individual customers is also available.  Education pricing is available.  Learn more at www.adobe.com/go/creativecloud.

Adobe on Monday announced pre-order availability of its next-generation collection of design applications, Creative Suite 6, which includes Photoshop CS6, Illustrator CS6, InDesign CS6, Dreamweaver CS6, After Effects CS6, Flash Builder CS6 and more. ”Creatives get a ton of innovation across CS6, with milestone releases of all our flagship products,” Adobe’s SVP of Digital Media David Wadhwani said. “With CS6 and Creative Cloud, we’re also introducing new products, new mobile workflows and advanced publishing capabilities that show we are laser-focused on ensuring design, Web and video pros have everything they need for the delivery of high-impact content and apps.” Read on for more.

Pricing ranges from $1,299 for the “Design & Web Standard” edition of CS6 to $2,599 for the “Master Collection,” and upgrades from previous Creative Suite versions range from $300 to $550. Adobe also unveiled its Creative Cloud solution, however, which adds online storage and sharing capabilities to CS6 and offers users the opportunity to save money while taking advantage of the new service.

For a monthly subscription ranging from $49.99 to $74.99, users get access to Creative Cloud as well as all of Adobe’s new CS6 Master Collection software. Adobe Creative Cloud is also available for just $29.99 per month for the first year to Creative Suite customers upgrading from earlier versions of the software.

Creative Suite 6 is available for pre-order beginning Monday and it will launch within the next 30 days.

Over the next 12 months, Google’s Android operating system will become the favorite platform among mobile developers, according to research firm Ovum. Nearly all developers, however, will support both mobile platforms. While Apple’s iOS and Android have long been the favorites, Ovum said there is growing developer interest in both Windows Phone and BlackBerry operating systems. “The growing momentum behind Windows Phone indicates that Microsoft has managed to convince developers that its platform is worthy of investment; its challenge now is to persuade consumers,” said Ovum analyst Adam Leach. The research also showed that developers are moving away from traditional mobile development applications such as Java and Flash. Developers are instead focusing their efforts on the web-based HTML5 standard, which is becoming the preferred approach to building cross-platform applications. “A smartphone platform’s success is dictated not only by the pull of consumers and the push of both handset vendors and mobile operators but also a healthy economy of applications delivered by third-party developers,” said Leach. “Therefore, it is important for all players in the smartphone ecosystem to understand the choices developers are making today and the downstream impact of those choices.”

Read

Adobe announced an update to its Flash Player on Friday that provides support for Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Prior to Friday, Flash was not officially supported by Android 4.0 on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the only device currently running Google’s latest mobile operating system. Adobe noted a few known issues with its release, including one that does not prioritize the audio during an incoming call. That means any current Flash clip will play audio before and after the call is received. In addition, the “enter” key does not work in multi-line text input fields. Those sound like minor bugs for full Flash support, though. Galaxy Nexus owners, or anyone with Ice Cream Sandwich installed on a rooted device, should be able to find the Flash app in the Android Market now. Adobe announced in November that it would cease development of its mobile Flash Player, so this could be one of the last releases we see.

Read

Apple may be preparing to purchase Anobit, an fabless Israeli firm that specializes in flash storage solutions for mobile and enterprise markets. The Cupertino-based company could be willing to spend between $400 million and $500 million on Anobit, Calcalist reported Tuesday. Anobit’s website says its memory signal processing (MSP) technology “significantly improves endurance, performance and cost of flash storage products and systems.” Apple is reportedly already an Anobit customer for its MacBook Air, iPhone and iPad product families. Anobit was founded in 2006, holds 95 total patents and currently employs about 200 people.

[Via TechCrunch]

Read

If you thought, like us, that Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich operating system would still support Adobe’s mobile Flash Player, think again. It turns out the application wasn’t included on the Galaxy Nexus, the first Android 4.0 phone, and it is not available for download, either. Since Ice Cream Sandwich had been announced months before Adobe decided to pull the trigger on mobile Flash Player, some suspected that Flash support might still be included. Google commented and said that “Flash hasn’t been released for ICS yet so far as we know, Adobe will support Flash for ICS.” Adobe announced recently that it will cease development of its mobile Flash Player product, however, so it seems more likely that Adobe will work to bring AIR and HTML5-based solutions to Ice Cream Sandwich rather than Flash Player.

UPDATE: Adobe issued the following statement on the matter: “Adobe will release one more version of the Flash Player for mobile browsing, which will provide support for Android 4.0 — expected to be released before the end of this year.”

Read [SlashGear] Read [Pocket-Lint]

Adobe on Wednesday confirmed that it is ceasing development of Flash Player for mobile devices. Instead, with regard to mobile platforms, the software company will focus on HTML5 and Adobe AIR-packaged native apps moving forward. “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,” Adobe VP Danny Winokur wrote in a post on the company’s blog. “We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations (chipset, browser, OS version, etc.) following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook. We will of course continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations. We will also allow our source code licensees to continue working on and release their own implementations.”

Read

Adobe will soon discontinue development of Flash Player for mobile devices according to a recent report. Citing sources with knowledge of Adobe’s future plans, ZDNet’s Tech Broiler blog claims that Adobe will no longer develop Flash Player for mobile browsers, instead focusing on mobile apps, “expressive” desktop content and increasing the company’s investment in HTML5. “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,” Adobe reportedly wrote in a memo. “We will no longer adapt Flash Player for mobile devices to new browser, OS version or device configurations.” The purported memo adds that Adobe will continue to support mobile Flash on Android and the BlackBerry PlayBook, supplying critical bug fixes and security updates as required.

UPDATE: Adobe confirmed that it will cease development of Flash Player for mobile.

Read

During the IBC trade show in Amsterdam on Friday, Adobe officially took the wraps off of its new Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5 which will allow iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users to access Adobe Flash content. Apple, which has long rejected Adobe’s Flash technology, doesn’t need to approve the tech for it to work, either. “With Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5, media publishers now have a single, simple workflow for delivering content using the same stream to Flash-enabled devices or to the Apple iPhone and iPad,” Adobe said in a statement. Flash Media Server 4.5 allows publishers to create HTTP content and push the same content to iOS devices that it does to Flash-enabled devices in a single stream. Instead of relying on a device’s processor to render the stream, which often degrades battery life and slows a device down, Adobe’s Flash Media Server 4.5 does all the legwork. Adobe Flash Media Server is available immediately to publishers for $4,500. Read on for the full press release.

Adobe Announces Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5 and Adobe Flash Access 3.0

New Ways to Deliver and Protect High-Quality Video Online and On-device Simplify Streaming Media and Content Protection for Superior Video Experiences Across Desktops and Devices Including iOS, Android and Playbook

IBC 2011 September 08, 2011 10:12 AM Eastern Daylight Time

SAN JOSE, Calif. & AMSTERDAM–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced at the IBC 2011 Conference and Exhibition significant new releases of industry-leading streaming video solutions, including Adobe^® Flash^® Media Server 4.5 and Flash Access^® 3.0 software. With Flash Media Server 4.5, media publishers can extend their already broad mobile reach via Flash-enabled devices, with the new ability to deliver video content to Apple’s iPad and iPhone devices, enabling them to reach the widest audience possible. Adobe Flash Access 3.0, a robust content protection and monetization solution, will enable content owners to deliver on-demand content with massive scale and strict studio-level security across a broad range of devices, following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11 and Adobe AIR^® 3.

“Adobe has a deep heritage in providing video solutions for delivering content online and on-device. With Flash Media Server 4.5 and Flash Access 3.0, we’re enabling businesses to reach more customers and more devices, helping them increase the impact of video experiences, enhance their brands and ultimately, drive business success”

At the IBC 2011 Exhibition, Adobe will demonstrate its streaming video solutions including the Flash Media Server family, Flash Access, the Open Source Media Framework (OSMF) and Adobe Pass, Adobe’s content authentication solution for TV Everywhere, at its stand (Hall 7 Stand 7.G27) in the RAI Convention Center, Sept. 9-13 in Amsterdam.

“Adobe has a deep heritage in providing video solutions for delivering content online and on-device. With Flash Media Server 4.5 and Flash Access 3.0, we’re enabling businesses to reach more customers and more devices, helping them increase the impact of video experiences, enhance their brands and ultimately, drive business success,” said Pritham Shetty, vice president, Video Solutions, Adobe.

“When your business is based on delivering live, broadcast-quality video streams for high-profile events to massive audiences across the world, having strong technology backing you is vital,” said Ben Rolling, vice president of development for AEG Digital Media, the leading provider of complete webcast management and media services for live streaming events and online video. “Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5 improves the stability of our video streams, decreases load times, and helps us better manage encoding and bitrates for an improved end-user experience on mobile devices and online. We can trust that it will deliver rock solid video streams and please our clients, advertisers and viewers, whether we’re streaming the royal wedding or the Grammy Awards.”

Premium Video Streaming with Flash Media Server 4.5

Flash Media Server 4.5 expands on its mobile delivery options with the addition of iOS support and enables content owners to create HTTP content on the fly to reduce costs brought on by device proliferation. New features of Flash Media Server 4.5:

• Delivery to iPad and iPhone enables businesses to use the same media and live streams to deliver full adaptive bit-rate experiences to platforms supporting Flash, as well as Apple devices, including iPad and iPhone.
• Integrated Content Protection simplifies deployment and reduces infrastructure cost, enabling seamless streaming for advertising-funded online video.
• On-demand Stream Packaging eliminates the need to prepare and protect assets ahead of time, reducing complexity and storage costs and simplifying publishing for businesses so they can use one set of source video to reach multiple downstream devices.

Premium Video Monetization and Content Protection with Flash Access 3.0

Flash Access 3.0 builds on Adobe’s strong traction in video delivery by extending support to reach mobile devices. This allows content providers to securely deliver and monetize content with a single back-end workflow, delivering rich, engaging experiences on desktop, connected TVs, Blu-ray players, tablets and smartphones. New features of Flash Access 3.0:

• Support on Mobile Devices will include Android tablets and smartphones, as well as other mobile devices, allowing video programmers to leverage the same content delivery, protection and monetization infrastructure to target mobile devices, following the upcoming release of Adobe Flash Player 11 and Adobe AIR 3 (set to be available later this quarter).
• Scalable License Delivery and in-band Key Rotation enables Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs) and programmers to offer television experiences over IP, whether over the open Internet or on a managed network, at massive scale. With Flash Access 3.0, it is now possible to securely deliver multiple TV “channels” to millions of subscribers with a cost-effective premium content protection solution.
• Compatibility with Industry Standards including UltraViolet, an industry-standard, cloud-based digital rights locker system that will allow consumers to create personal virtual video libraries and access them across multiple devices. Flash Access has been approved for use with UltraViolet, set to be released this fall. Flash Access 3.0 and the upcoming versions of Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 will be able to be leveraged by content retailers, service providers and device manufacturers to create full UltraViolet experiences, including playback for the UVVU Common File Format.

Pricing and Availability

Adobe Flash Access 3.0 is offered at per unit CPM pricing. Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server 4.5 is offered at US$995. Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 4.5 is offered at US$4,500. Adobe Flash Media Enterprise Server 4.5 pricing can be quoted by contacting Adobe. Products can be ordered today at www.adobe.com/go/fms and are available immediately.

The Thrill 4G is the second Android smartphone in the United States capable of recording and displaying 3D video and photos without the need for special glasses. We first saw the phone during CTIA earlier this year and, after delays, it will launch soon on AT&T for $99.99. I spent the better part of the last three weeks carrying the LG Thrill 4G everywhere I went. Are the 3D effects useful and fun or are they just a lame gimmick? Does the “4G” in its name equate to faster data speeds or does it surf on a par with 3G phones? All of this and more is answered in my review, so hit the read link to get started.

Hardware

The LG Thrill 4G is identical to its European cousin, the LG Optimus 3D, in nearly every way. It’s equipped with a 4.3-inch 800 x 480-pixel screen that’s capable of displaying both 2D and 3D content on the fly. Measuring in at 5in x 2.7in x 0.47in and with a weight of 5.9oz, the Thrill 4G is a bit bulkier than other high-end smartphones on AT&T, such as the Infuse 4G, but it’s not terrible.

Despite its plastic back cover, the Thrill 4G feels very study just like its LTE counterpart, the LG Revolution. The front of the phone has black faux-brushed metal accents around the screen and AT&T ditched the matte gray back on the Optimus 3D for a more attractive matte black design with a faint cross-hatch etching. The back of the Thrill 4G is also home to two camera lenses capable of recording 3D content, and a single LED flash. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the Thrill 4G and microUSB and mini-HDMI hatches on the left side of the device. A single button on the right side of the phone can be pressed to quickly enter the phone’s “3D Space” application, and I wish it was a camera quick-launch button instead. AT&T also included an HDMI to mini-HDMI cable, which means you’ll be able to connect the phone up to your TV right out of the box.

The Thrill 4G is a nice package overall but I noticed two yellow splotches towards the bottom of the screen. The discoloration was most noticeable while accessing the web, since most websites have a white background. The defect is too subtle to see in the various images in this review, but it’s there. At first I assumed this was just a one-time flaw with my unit, but I noticed the same problem on my European Optimus 3D and confirmed the discoloration with another journalist, too. Perhaps the screen is responsible for AT&T’s delayed launch of the phone, although that is not confirmed. (Update: A second device from AT&T didn’t have this issue so it was clearly limited to my phone or at least an early batch.)

Software

The LG Thrill 4G runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) out of the box but AT&T has promised an Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) update is on the way. Android ran smoothly and I rarely saw any lag thanks to the phone’s dual-core 1GHz processor. LG overlays Android with its own lackluster and ugly user interface. There aren’t any worthwhile widgets aside from a decent third-party weather app, and the icons that infiltrate the status bar and the main menu are too colorful and toy-like for my tastes. The entire UI reminds me of LG’s experience on feature phones, which was never a good thing. Thankfully there are free applications such as LauncherPro that can rid your phone of the ugly icon and UI problem, but I wish LG had left this a “pure Google” experience as it did with the T-Mobile G2x. LG also added several 3D-specific applications and I’ll go over them in the following section.

3D

3D. Whenever I hear the term I immediately think I’m being sucked into a gimmick no better than a holographic trading card. I won’t even go to a 3D movie. You may remember my impressions on 3D when I reviewed the Nintendo 3DS; the display wasn’t impressive and it took away from the gaming experience in a number of titles.

The Optimus Thrill 4G definitely has a superior screen compared to the 3DS though, and since 3D is optional for the most part I, oddly enough, enjoy using it. LG included a full 3D menu that allows you to quickly browse 3D YouTube videos, 3D pictures and videos in your gallery, and fast access to 3D games.There are a couple of decent games that definitely suck you into the 3D experience. I liked playing Let’s Golf 2 in three dimensions and Fragging in Nova was also decent fun, but it wasn’t much better than playing in 2D. Additionally, there aren’t a lot of games pre-loaded, so you’ll need to buy more to keep the experience going. While there’s a YouTube application with dedicated access to 3D videos, I spent most of my time showing off the pre-loaded videos to friends and strangers in bars. The response was nearly always “that’s cool, but who cares?” And that’s the problem: who cares? 3D is somewhat exciting and it works, but at the end of the day it’s totally unnecessary.

Camera

The Thrill 4G’s camera is capable of shooting in both 2D and 3D modes. In 2D mode you can capture 5-megapixel photos and record video in 1080p HD. The stereoscopic 3D cameras are also capable of snapping 3-megapixel 3D images and recording 720p HD video in 3D. Videos came out well. In fact, here’s a video of a Jane’s Addiction concert on YouTube that was filmed entirely in 720p 3D video with a number of LG Thrill units, if you want a better sample of the camera’s quality.

The tricky part with the camera is that if you aren’t in the right light or aren’t careful enough when snapping a photo, there’s actually an overlap of two images and it looks like a blurry 3D mess. When I was careful to steady the phone and snap a photo of an object in a well lit area, the photos came out pretty well. If I held the phone in a darker area, to avoid any glare, the images didn’t appear to pop off of the screen. A shot of chips, salsa, and plates on a coffee table came out really well, as did a picture of a coffee mug on a bookshelf. Other shots, such as those taken down my street, weren’t as impressive. You’ll need to really get up close to your subject in order for it to appear to pop off of the screen. Otherwise the image looks like it has a lot of depth but it doesn’t pop off of the screen.

Another cool feature: you can take shots in 2D and then view them in 3D, although the effects are much better if you take the pictures in 3D originally. Worse, 2D pictures were often on the blurry and washed-out side (see above). Overall, I liked snapping photos better than recording video; the results came out better. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to a 3D TV to see my home videos blown up.

Call Quality and Data

Call quality on the Thrill 4G was good during my tests. I used the phone daily for a solid two weeks to place a number of phone calls and didn’t have any complaints. I was able to hear the callers on the other end loud and clear and they said I sounded “crisp.” I dropped a couple of conversations but that’s par for the course on AT&T in New York City. One issue I did notice: the signal strength indicator would frequently jump around between two and four bars. The icon doesn’t always reflect the actual signal strength, but there could be issues with the phone’s ability to maintain a solid signal.

As its name implies, the LG Thrill 4G runs on AT&T’s HSPA+ “4G” network. I ran a number of tests with the Speedtest.net application in my apartment, where I usually run my tests, and rarely saw the phone peak over 1Mbps while running a download test. Instead, I averaged about 750Kbps, which is slower than I’ve seen with a number of 3G phones. The phone’s upload speeds were solid, however: I averaged 1.6Mbps in my upload throughput tests.

Battery

I was able to get through a full day with the Thrill 4G without a problem using the phone moderately. Obviously your mileage will vary if you’re spending more time using the 3D display or streaming video, but generally the battery was on a par with the Infuse 4G on AT&T, which is one of the longer lasting Android devices out there.

Conclusion

I like the Thrill 4G because LG tried to differentiate itself with a device that could display and record 3D content. It’s a fun concept and works in practice, but it’s hard to recommend a phone simply because it offers 3D as an option. The third dimension, as it stands in mobile, is purely for entertainment purposes, and the problem is the phone has so many other faults.

The Thrill 4G has a solid build, despite its plastic accents, but it’s far bulkier and heavier than many of its competitors. Call quality was satisfactory, but I had issues with its download speeds in New York City.

Overall, the LG Thrill 4G is just a mediocre device. You might be better served picking up a Motorola ATRIX 4G for the same $99.99 price, as it still packs a mean hardware punch. If it’s power your after though, my advice is to stick around and see how Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S II handset for AT&T turns out.

Apple could cut Samsung from its list of part suppliers, an arrangement that is worth as much as $5 billion for Samsung, one analyst has suggested. “They have become more competitors and less partners and so I think Apple will definitely not be looking to Samsung as its go-to partner-of-choice for NAND flash,” Brian Marshall, a Gleacher & Co. analyst told The Globe and Mail. Apple could instead choose to get its NAND flash products from other companies, such as Hynix Semiconductor, Micron, and Toshiba. Similarly, if Apple were to bail on Samsung as a parts provider, the iPhone maker could look to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC) or Intel for processors, but it would also need to find another provider for LCDs. Samsung and Apple have been locked in multiple legal battles since Apple accused Samsung of creating “copycat” devices and sought to block the import of its products in the United States.

Read

The original Google TV products were met by lukewarm reviews at best, and according to Geek.com, the search giant is hard at work on its new Google TV 2.0 product. Developers have been joining Google’s new “Fishtank” program to get early access to tools that will allow them to create compelling new content for Google’s next attempt at entering our living rooms. Google TV 2.0 runs a barebones version of Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) and there are reportedly only 50 developers partaking in the initial Fishtank program. Fishtank includes an Intel CE4100 reference platform with a beta version of Google TV 2.0 preloaded, and a wireless keyboard. Intel’s Sodaville SoC, part of the CE4100 reference platform, also includes support for 3D gaming and Flash. Geek.com noticed a new “dual-view” feature that allows users to watch TV and use the OS at the same time; and the user interface has the same glowing-blue Tron-like effects as the tablet version of Honeycomb. Developers are said to be up in arms over the “Live TV” application on Google TV 2.0 — many want to interact with the TV interface directly, but Google isn’t allowing that just yet. Will it be enough for Google to tackle Apple TV? We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, another shot of the box and a couple of UI images can be seen after the break.

Read

Here’s the latest in a series of rumors about the iPhone 5: it may offer a dual-LED flash. Surely this seems like a minor upgrade to the single flash currently available, but if true, it definitely suggests that Apple is including a revamped camera with more robust capabilities. We’ve heard from sources that the new iPhone, which could launch as soon as this August, will be a major update with an entirely new case design. Other rumors have suggested the device will offer an 8-megapixel camera, a dual-core A5 processor, and possibly a larger display. DigiTimes suggests that the dual-LED flash will be provided by Everlight Electronics, Edison Opto and Lite-On Technology.

Read

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.

Adobe has issued an update for its Adobe Flash Player application on Android smartphones. “A critical vulnerability has been identified in Adobe Flash Player 10.3.181.23 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux and Solaris, and Adobe Flash Player 10.3.185.23 and earlier versions for Android,” the company said. “This memory corruption vulnerability (CVE-2011-2110) could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this vulnerability is being exploited in the wild in targeted attacks via malicious Web pages.” The latest version, 10.3.185.24, is available in the Android Market for free now.

Read