If you plan to attend MAX in North America this year, you can refer to this website which will provide you with useful local information such as ways to move around SF, sightseeing places, dining places and more.
This website is the united effort of the local Adobe User Group Managers.
Mariam
Aug 5, 2008
Aug 4, 2008
In conversation with Kevin Lynch and Adobe's plan on the mobile space
(via Ryan Stewart) Om Malik recently conducted an interview with Adobe's CTO Kevin Lynch about the present happenings at Adobe and their vision for technology at large. I've placed the mobile excerpts of the interview in the post below -
You can read the full interview here.
Mariam
Om: What about Flash in mobiles? I know there have been some efforts to marry Flash at the interface level with mobile operating systems like Java.
Lynch: Mobile is really happening right now. There are a lot of screens in our lives right now and to make information accessible across these devices is important. There is no consistent runtime across these devices.
Right now, there is no single technology that has a dominant reach. I think that’s going to change over next three to four years. We are working on that, and have initiated an Open Screen Project that will make designing for multiple screens less of a challenge.
Om: You seem to have strong views about mobile and how we need to think differently about mobile as an opportunity.
Lynch: People will start to think about the small screen first, and that is a sea change. Mobile is central to the future of computing and I think all software and web companies need to look at mobile first and then from there, extend to PCs.
Om: So you like these “mobile Internet devices?”
Lynch: I am a big fan of the MIDs. I think the form factor is the sweet spot and there will be some experimentation (on design) going forward. The big challenge there is power, and batteries are a big drain.
You can read the full interview here.
Mariam
Aug 2, 2008
Things NOT to do while developing Flash Lite mobile games
I recently came across this article which bullets down 50 DONT'S in a game. Although this is more from a web gaming perspective, I'd thought I'd narrow it down to a mobile game experience with a few points of my own.
40 Ways to Make Us HATE Your Flash Lite Game
I would not say that this list is the best checklist while developing games. What a gamer might like or not like in a game is a very subjective choice, but considering the practices adapted by mobile game developers over the years, avoiding the above points seem to get the closest to a great mobile gaming experience.
Mariam
40 Ways to Make Us HATE Your Flash Lite Game
- Add loud and annoying sound effects to your game
- Don’t add sound control options so we have to listen to your loud and annoying sound effects
- Make your game ridiculously hard
- Have a confusing menu system
- Forget to embed all of your dynamic textfields
- Don’t optimize your code
- Add a bunch of cool effects that require lots of processing power and slow down the gaming experience
- Don’t fix the bugs
- Have long animations that we can’t skip
- Don’t give us a clear goal to beat the game
- Add glow effects to everything
- Make confusing controls
- Make the instructions all text with no explanatory pictures/diagrams
- Make a storyline without graphics to explain it
- Make it easy for us to cheat
- Create an ugly color scheme
- Make the text unreadable
- Don’t let the buttons look like buttons, we’ll obviously find them very easily
- Don’t fix the typos
- Very repetitive game-play
- Don’t let us pause the game
- Add pointless features that add a lot of file size
- Make a really long menu system
- Make us have to navigate through the entire menu system after we lose the game
- Camouflage the enemies so we can’t see them until we randomly begin losing health or lose the game
- Don’t put rollOver functions onto your buttons
- Make game-play really slow
- Make loss inevitable
- Don’t put in a scoring system. We don’t want to know how well we did
- Make stupid computer AI
- Make the description of the game really short or really obscure
- Design a game-play that has been exploited by multiple game designers before
- Design graphics that have an uneven quality when seen on a mobile screen
- When run on multiple devices, game scales non uniformly showing objects off screen
- Don't worry about rectifying text that looks blurred
- Advanced levels with really short and easy game-play
- Don't let us change game options like sound control and quality during a game-play
- A bad copy of a popular game
- A cluttered HUD (Heads-Up Display)
- Game which are not self explanatory, makes me want to refer to help even after starting playing the game
I would not say that this list is the best checklist while developing games. What a gamer might like or not like in a game is a very subjective choice, but considering the practices adapted by mobile game developers over the years, avoiding the above points seem to get the closest to a great mobile gaming experience.
Mariam
Jul 29, 2008
Sony Ericsson Developer Website introduces new Flash Lite Tutorials and Flash Lite supported Theme Creator Tool
With the launch of the Project Capuchin Swf2Jar packaging tool last week, Sony Ericsson has increased it's momentum for supporting Flash Lite related developer activities. There has been a consistent launch of new tutorials, guidelines and sample files for developers to whet their hands and develop content.
1. New Flash Lite 2.0 tutorial, presenting phone data as dynamic animations
This tutorial explains how data from a Sony Ericsson phone can be presented as dynamic Flash Lite animations which can then be used as wallpapers or imported into a theme using the Sony Ericsson Themes Creator tool.
2. Flash Lite and XML Editor added to Themes Creator Tool
The Theme Creator Tool now supports Flash Lite by enabling SWF files to be imported as standby screens to Wallpapers.
3. Developer Guidelines for Flash Lite 1.1 and Flash Lite 2.0
Although I did not have a chance to write about the Project Capuchin Swf2Jar tool before, I can say that it has sure sparked an interest, as an unlimited possibility of experimentation with their handsets and tool is foreseen.
1. New Flash Lite 2.0 tutorial, presenting phone data as dynamic animations
This tutorial explains how data from a Sony Ericsson phone can be presented as dynamic Flash Lite animations which can then be used as wallpapers or imported into a theme using the Sony Ericsson Themes Creator tool.
2. Flash Lite and XML Editor added to Themes Creator Tool
The Theme Creator Tool now supports Flash Lite by enabling SWF files to be imported as standby screens to Wallpapers.
3. Developer Guidelines for Flash Lite 1.1 and Flash Lite 2.0
Although I did not have a chance to write about the Project Capuchin Swf2Jar tool before, I can say that it has sure sparked an interest, as an unlimited possibility of experimentation with their handsets and tool is foreseen.
Jul 27, 2008
Need to design your mobile website - Refer to these tips
I recently read this very interesting article on designing websites for mobile phones. The article focuses on usability aspects of mobile websites with some snippets of HTML and CSS code. The good point about the article is that it does not focus on any particular mobile OS or technology making the tips are completely neutral in description.
Some more supporting links that I came across about designing mobile web experiences and thought I could share -
Mariam
Some more supporting links that I came across about designing mobile web experiences and thought I could share -
- http://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns/wireframes/
Great stencils which are very helpful when designing for mobiles. - http://wordpressmobile.mobi/
Wordpress Mobile Plugin for Wordpress users - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wptouch/
WPtouch iPhone Theme for Wordpress driven sites (for iPhone or iPod touch) - http://www.labnol.org/internet/design/how-to-create-mobile-phone-optimized-blog/
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Making a mobile friendly version of your blog with Google reader
Mariam
Jul 8, 2008
Mobile Job Site
A new mobile jobs site - mobiledevjobs.org, was launched earlier this week. This site is a community initiative by Scott Janousek for getting together job opportunities for mobile professionals at one single place.
The idea is great because it covers different technologies and platforms like Java, Symbian, Flash Lite, Android, iPhone etc all under one roof. Within a few days of being launched, it is already seeing a list of new job postings, which we hope will grow as the word spreads.
If you are a mobile professional looking an opportunity, you can go check out the website and see if anything fits the bill for you.
Mariam
The idea is great because it covers different technologies and platforms like Java, Symbian, Flash Lite, Android, iPhone etc all under one roof. Within a few days of being launched, it is already seeing a list of new job postings, which we hope will grow as the word spreads.
If you are a mobile professional looking an opportunity, you can go check out the website and see if anything fits the bill for you.
Mariam
Jun 27, 2008
Flash Lite Headers Euro 2008 Game on PocketGamer
Flash Lite Headers Euro 2008 game got a great mention on PocketGamer by Stuart Dredge.
"It's a simple yet addictive game where you choose a team, and then play one-on-one matches of header tennis, where you have to position your player in the right place to bop the ball into your opponent's goal.
The characters look very nice, and it's the kind of game we always imagined Flash Lite would be good for delivering - topical, pick-up-and-play fun."
Read the complete article here
Mariam
"It's a simple yet addictive game where you choose a team, and then play one-on-one matches of header tennis, where you have to position your player in the right place to bop the ball into your opponent's goal.
The characters look very nice, and it's the kind of game we always imagined Flash Lite would be good for delivering - topical, pick-up-and-play fun."
Read the complete article here
Mariam
Root for your favorite Team at the Euro 2008. Play this Flash mobile game and make them win!
While the world sits and watches the semi finals between Russia and Spain, I blog about a sport which I have only recently started watching. Soccer was never one of my favorite sports...infact living in India I only witnessed an dizzying cricket furore and concluded that the world consisted of no other sport (ok..now that was a little exaggerated :)), until recently when I got to watch a soccer match prior to the Euro 2008. And I did get hooked to the game!
Now as the final Euro match closes on Sunday, I launched a soccer game called Headers Euro 2008 for the Flash Lite gaming community. This game is developed in Flash Lite 1.1 and is currently available on the Playyoo System for all the supported handsets.
The game has a simple game play where you as the player, selects your team and heads the ball into your opponents net to score a goal. As you progress through the initial rounds, you will play against teams of your own group. For the final 3 rounds you play with teams across groups. The opponent keeps getting smarter as you progress through the rounds.
So if you think your favorite team did not qualify for the finals...grab a mobile, play the Headers Game as your favorite team and win through all your opponents!
Now as the final Euro match closes on Sunday, I launched a soccer game called Headers Euro 2008 for the Flash Lite gaming community. This game is developed in Flash Lite 1.1 and is currently available on the Playyoo System for all the supported handsets.
The game has a simple game play where you as the player, selects your team and heads the ball into your opponents net to score a goal. As you progress through the initial rounds, you will play against teams of your own group. For the final 3 rounds you play with teams across groups. The opponent keeps getting smarter as you progress through the rounds.
So if you think your favorite team did not qualify for the finals...grab a mobile, play the Headers Game as your favorite team and win through all your opponents!
Jun 2, 2008
Forum Nokia Code Camp Winners announced
Forum Nokia recently conducted a Code Camp Competition for attendees of their Code Camps wanting to build Web Runtime (WRT) widgets and Flash applications.
The Grand Prize winners of the competition are -
Flash: CityLite by MSCorp of Coral Springs, Florida. A mobile guide to night life, restaurants, and entertainment venues in Latin American cities.
WRT: Flickret from Mark Caunter of the U.K. A mashup that combines the Flickr photo-sharing application with MapQuest APIs to let users look for and get directions to places of interest.
The Regional Winners are -
Europe/Middle East/Africa
The Grand Prize winners of the competition are -
Flash: CityLite by MSCorp of Coral Springs, Florida. A mobile guide to night life, restaurants, and entertainment venues in Latin American cities.WRT: Flickret from Mark Caunter of the U.K. A mashup that combines the Flickr photo-sharing application with MapQuest APIs to let users look for and get directions to places of interest.
The Regional Winners are -
Europe/Middle East/Africa
- Flash: Kuneri Easy Vote from Kuneri of Oulu, Finland. One-button mobile voting lets users vote by mobile phone call, text message, or Web service.
- WRT: Flickret from Mark Caunter of the U.K.
Americas
- Flash: CityLite by MSCorp.
- WRT: Fon11 by Mo'Blast of Berkeley, California. A mobile social-networking utility that lets users share their whereabouts with friends and family and determine if their contacts are nearby.
Asia-Pacific
- Flash: WIND from Fieldsystem. This screen saver displays an image of a propeller turning in the wind. If the mobile signal is strong, the propeller spins quickly; if the signal weakens, the propeller spins more slowly. Also, the screen saver's background scenery changes throughout the day.
- WRT: Nutrition from Singapore Polytechnic. This widget is used for calculating your BMI and also calories burned on a daily basis, and it can help the user to check typical food nutrition in order to maintain a healthy life style.
China
- WRT: Push To Speak from Beijing Motech Technology. This mobile travel guide to China helps tourists search for restaurants, places of interest, streets and more. Also, when the user clicks a word, the software "speaks" the word in Chinese, a useful feature for asking directions and instructing taxi drivers. The latest version includes information relating to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
May 28, 2008
Adobe and Qualcomm to collaborate on the BREW Mobile Platform
(via Bill Perry) A great announcement makes its way through for developers as Qualcomm and Adobe get together to integrate Flash into the BREW Mobile Platform.
Till now the Flash Lite BREW extension limited developers to only the Verizon Wireless network, but with the new BREW Mobile Platform, all the major BREW handsets supported by BREW carriers worldwide can be targeted. This means we now have an additional development platform option available apart from Nokia S60, Nokia S40, Sony Ericsson and Windows Mobile.
I really look forward to researching and knowing more about this platform. Cheers to the Adobe and Qualcomm teams for this!
Read Bill Perry's Post here
Read the Qualcomm Press Release here
Mariam
Till now the Flash Lite BREW extension limited developers to only the Verizon Wireless network, but with the new BREW Mobile Platform, all the major BREW handsets supported by BREW carriers worldwide can be targeted. This means we now have an additional development platform option available apart from Nokia S60, Nokia S40, Sony Ericsson and Windows Mobile.
I really look forward to researching and knowing more about this platform. Cheers to the Adobe and Qualcomm teams for this!
Read Bill Perry's Post here
Read the Qualcomm Press Release here
Mariam
May 15, 2008
Chunghwa Telecom launches Flash Cast powered Channel Me
(Via Mark) Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan recently launched their new Channel Me service powered by Flash Cast. This service is supported on Series 60 and Windows mobile devices including the HTC Diamond.
Currently they have an online representation of the service with selected channels. The actual service also includes channels such as news, weather, sports, travel, dining out amongst others.
This seems like a great opportunity for developers wanting to develop Flash Cast channels. I personally think its a great news and would love to hear more about it in terms of list of devices supported, real time working example on a handset (maybe a video), possibility of developing and testing channels outside Taiwan, etc.
Great news for mobile developers again!
Mariam
Currently they have an online representation of the service with selected channels. The actual service also includes channels such as news, weather, sports, travel, dining out amongst others.
This seems like a great opportunity for developers wanting to develop Flash Cast channels. I personally think its a great news and would love to hear more about it in terms of list of devices supported, real time working example on a handset (maybe a video), possibility of developing and testing channels outside Taiwan, etc.
Great news for mobile developers again!
Mariam
Apr 4, 2008
ICE 08: Panel Argues Opportunities Offered By iPhone, Flash Lite
The ICE 08 Conference that took place in Toronto last week had a panel discussion on the challenges and future of the mobile game industry. The iPhone and Flash Lite were a part of the panel discussion with a few positives being discussed.
The panel were asked if the Flash Lite platform offered the solution to mobile's current woes.
Grunwoldt from Nokia said "I think it's a really interesting development platform -- very unique, relatively easy to do things that look very nice -- but I don't think it solves any of the problems that we have discussed. It's really just ‘another platform'. It doesn't solve any of the problems of discovery or purchase process."
Matt Gillis (Senior VP, Capcom Interactive) recounted his experience of the way new technologies are disseminated by carriers. While the technology department might want every new technology, such as Flash Lite, in every new phone they release, the sales department want new handsets to market very fast. So while marketing might announce that the carrier offers Flash Lite, perhaps only 9 handsets that make it to market, out of the tens a carrier offers, will have it.
Despite their opinions of the iPhone and Flash Lite, the panel did overall have a positive outlook for the mobile games industry in general. When asked if they felt that things had reached a status quo and if "Tetris was going to sell the most forever" Grunwolt argued "Original IP will eventually take it down."
"If you can create something compelling, the market will decide," he concluded.
You can read the complete report hereApr 3, 2008
Adobe to open Flash Cast Development for Dashboard Verizon Wireless
(via Bill Perry) Adobe is now inviting developers to participate in Flash Cast channel development for Dashboard, which is the Verizon Wireless version of Adobe Flash Cast.
Dashboard will provide an ecosystem for Verizon Wireless consumers to enjoy rich and interactive services by leveraging the proven content authoring tools and workflow that Flash developers are familiar with. The wide range of experiences that developers and brands will create are known as “channels” which can be thought of as “widgets”.
Dashboard is expected to launch in mid-2008 in the United States on specific handsets however those details are not available as yet.
Mariam
Dashboard will provide an ecosystem for Verizon Wireless consumers to enjoy rich and interactive services by leveraging the proven content authoring tools and workflow that Flash developers are familiar with. The wide range of experiences that developers and brands will create are known as “channels” which can be thought of as “widgets”.
Dashboard is expected to launch in mid-2008 in the United States on specific handsets however those details are not available as yet.
Mariam
Forum Nokia comes to India
(via Alessandro) Forum Nokia now has now extended to India with a dedicated website. We can now read the latest news, testimonials, and India related events right here.
Mariam
Mariam
Mar 19, 2008
Once upon a time there was an iPhone born....
And then the Flash on iPhone news never ceased to disappear. The latest to appear this morning was that Adobe has already started development of the Flash Player for the Apple iPhone. This revelation was made yesterday by Adobe's chief executive officer, Shantanu Narayen during a conference call.
"We believe Flash is synonymous with the Internet experience, and we are committed to bringing Flash to the iPhone. We have evaluated (the software developer tools) and we think we can develop an iPhone Flash player ourselves." Shantanu is said to have said.
Well, after all is said, it will be worthwhile waiting for the player only once an official press release is made. Till then its best to work on all the other devices, handhelds and consumer electronics that Flash currently supports.
Read directly from the sources - Engadget and AppleInsider
Mariam
"We believe Flash is synonymous with the Internet experience, and we are committed to bringing Flash to the iPhone. We have evaluated (the software developer tools) and we think we can develop an iPhone Flash player ourselves." Shantanu is said to have said.
Well, after all is said, it will be worthwhile waiting for the player only once an official press release is made. Till then its best to work on all the other devices, handhelds and consumer electronics that Flash currently supports.
Read directly from the sources - Engadget and AppleInsider
Mariam
Mar 18, 2008
Flash Lite interviews on Beet.tv
(Via Ryan Stewart) Beet.tv recently released two interviews related to Flash Lite.
The first is with Rhett Woods, director of Mobile Expression at Adobe, who talks about the cool stuff that the technology can do along with some videos. The second is with Briank Frank, of the Mobile Applications and Solutions at Adobe, who talks about the history and growth of the Flash Lite technology.
Both videos are worth checking out!
Mariam
The first is with Rhett Woods, director of Mobile Expression at Adobe, who talks about the cool stuff that the technology can do along with some videos. The second is with Briank Frank, of the Mobile Applications and Solutions at Adobe, who talks about the history and growth of the Flash Lite technology.
Both videos are worth checking out!
Mariam
iPhone Trivia
Apparently the most expensive iPhone is ready for sale for a whopping 120,000 euros!!! Sure you are wondering what makes the phone so expensive... it is 318 diamonds of 17.75 carat weight!!!! And it has a name too - The iPhone Princess!!!!!
An Austrian designer has redesigned the iPhone for a Russian businessman in diamonds and 18 carat gold making it one of the most expensive iPhones in the world.
Well, I have heard of people having a fetish for mobiles, but this news was way too expensive to digest.
Mariam
An Austrian designer has redesigned the iPhone for a Russian businessman in diamonds and 18 carat gold making it one of the most expensive iPhones in the world.
Well, I have heard of people having a fetish for mobiles, but this news was way too expensive to digest.
Mariam
Catch the Playyoo Blog for their Latest Featured Interview
Playyoo has interviewed another game developer and this time it happens to be...me! In this interview, I have tried to share my impression of the Playyoo platform and the Flash Lite technology in general.
Fortunately for me I met Paolo Dotta, one of the important Playyoo guys, during MAX in Chicago last year and I was quite impressed with their team's presentation of the Playyoo platform and what it could offer developers. The launch of the contest thereafter proved to be a huge success as developers populated their website with new games.
I started my association with Playyoo when I uploaded my first game, and after that it has only been addition of more games (winning wasn't the objective..honestly :-P). I'm glad to know that my games were played and liked by many members.
Mariam
Fortunately for me I met Paolo Dotta, one of the important Playyoo guys, during MAX in Chicago last year and I was quite impressed with their team's presentation of the Playyoo platform and what it could offer developers. The launch of the contest thereafter proved to be a huge success as developers populated their website with new games.
I started my association with Playyoo when I uploaded my first game, and after that it has only been addition of more games (winning wasn't the objective..honestly :-P). I'm glad to know that my games were played and liked by many members.
Mariam
Mar 17, 2008
Over Half a Billion Flash Lite Devices Shipped
This comes from Bill Perry, Flash Lite has been shipped to over half a billion devices and is expected to reach 1 billion by 2010. Now thats what I call an impressive number!!
With 500 million devices we have Flash Lite across regions + with varied implementations + big developer community = Interesting content, happy clients and content consumers.
You can read the complete press release here
Mariam
With 500 million devices we have Flash Lite across regions + with varied implementations + big developer community = Interesting content, happy clients and content consumers.
You can read the complete press release here
Mariam
Mar 15, 2008
Colin Moock's ActionScript 3.0 Ground Up Tour comes to Bangalore, India
Coming next month to India is ActionScript Expert Colin Moock for an extensive 1 day training workshop of ActionScript 3.0.
This event is aimed at all levels of developers right from the beginners to the intermediate. The workshop will not cover expert-level topics so advanced ActionScript 3.0 programmers are unlikely to encounter new concepts, but can attend for a refresher on ActionScript programming fundamentals.
This full day workshop will include
This event is sponsored by Adobe and is completely free, but its best to register because it is a one day event so they might have a cutoff limit.
Date: 29th April 2008
Location: Bangalore
Website: http://www.adobeas3tour.com/
Register here for the Bangalore event. The workshop will also be heading to Sydney in the the first week of May.
Mariam
This event is aimed at all levels of developers right from the beginners to the intermediate. The workshop will not cover expert-level topics so advanced ActionScript 3.0 programmers are unlikely to encounter new concepts, but can attend for a refresher on ActionScript programming fundamentals.
This full day workshop will include
- exposure to all major concepts of object programming
- understanding of classes and objects
- understanding of how to structure and write an ActionScript 3.0 Program
- to the Flex Builder 2 development environment
- pamphlet reviewing the days major concepts
This event is sponsored by Adobe and is completely free, but its best to register because it is a one day event so they might have a cutoff limit.
Date: 29th April 2008
Location: Bangalore
Website: http://www.adobeas3tour.com/
Register here for the Bangalore event. The workshop will also be heading to Sydney in the the first week of May.
Mariam
Feb 27, 2008
Widgets and Flash Lite Code Camps in APAC
Widgets and Flash Lite Code Camps are coming up in April for the APAC region. This is organized by Forum Nokia and will be held at Sydney, Singapore and Bangalore.
Moket will be the guest speaker at the Sydney code camp. The Bangalore guest speaker is still to be decided.
Code Camps have become immensely popular in recent times where a developer can immediatelt start coding and sharing his apps with the community. This Code Camp will cover how-to tutorials, intensive discussion with the Code Camp leaders, plus hands-on experience with coding mobile applications.
Click here for the Widgets Code Camp Agenda. Click here for the Flash Lite Code Camp Agenda.
Moket will be the guest speaker at the Sydney code camp. The Bangalore guest speaker is still to be decided.
Code Camps have become immensely popular in recent times where a developer can immediatelt start coding and sharing his apps with the community. This Code Camp will cover how-to tutorials, intensive discussion with the Code Camp leaders, plus hands-on experience with coding mobile applications.
Click here for the Widgets Code Camp Agenda. Click here for the Flash Lite Code Camp Agenda.
Feb 22, 2008
Chumby in the New York TImes
This news comes via Alessandro, there is an interesting article titled - The Chumby is Open but Not for Business, in the the NewYork Times today. This article is a really good read for those who want to know more about this consumer electronic device.
I only wish it would be available in India for developers like us to get our hand on it.
Mariam
I only wish it would be available in India for developers like us to get our hand on it.
Mariam
Aniway views the mobile Flash Lite game market - past and present
Miikka of Aniway has written a great post on the Flash Lite gaming market by talking about his past and present development experiences.
Aniway has been a part of the Flash Lite community since 2004, and this post is the first in the series planned by them.
Mariam
Aniway has been a part of the Flash Lite community since 2004, and this post is the first in the series planned by them.
Mariam
Feb 12, 2008
QNX Software Systems demonstates multimedia frameworks and engines in Flash based human machine interface (HMI) at Mobile World Congress
This news comes via BusinessWire, QNX Software announced a powerful Adobe® Flash-based framework for accelerating embedded UI design on mobiles, running on Freescale's multimedia processors, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The announcement and showcase included networked multimedia frameworks and multimedia engines in a Flash-based human machine interface (HMI) highlighting the power of Freescale multimedia processors with the performance of the QNX Neutrino(R) Realtime Operating System (RTOS) and the QNX Aviage middleware family.
The QNX Aviage family includes the QNX Aviage HMI player for Adobe Flash Lite 3, the QNX Aviage multimedia suite, and the QNX Aviage acoustic processing kit.
The announcement and showcase included networked multimedia frameworks and multimedia engines in a Flash-based human machine interface (HMI) highlighting the power of Freescale multimedia processors with the performance of the QNX Neutrino(R) Realtime Operating System (RTOS) and the QNX Aviage middleware family.
The QNX Aviage family includes the QNX Aviage HMI player for Adobe Flash Lite 3, the QNX Aviage multimedia suite, and the QNX Aviage acoustic processing kit.
IMG Award Winners announced
The International Mobile Game Awards ceremony concluded last night in Barcelona, with the winners of their contest being announced. The giant winner was Ideawork3D's Metal Gear Solid Snake that won the Grand Prix and the Operator's choice award.
The other winning games included -
Best licenced IP - Furby Island by Lemonquest
Best 3D Game - One Sequel by Digital Legends Entertainment
Best Gameplay - Dirk Dagger and the Fallen Idol by Jadestone
Best Casual Game - Treasure Arm by Tequila Mobile
This award function was also streamed live last evening from Barcelona.
The other winning games included -
Best licenced IP - Furby Island by Lemonquest
Best 3D Game - One Sequel by Digital Legends Entertainment
Best Gameplay - Dirk Dagger and the Fallen Idol by Jadestone
Best Casual Game - Treasure Arm by Tequila Mobile
This award function was also streamed live last evening from Barcelona.
Feb 11, 2008
XPERIA™ X1 is Sony Ericsson's first handset with Windows Mobile OS
Today at the Mobile World Congress, Sony Ericsson launched it's first mobile phone with the Windows Mobile 6 operating system. With a full QWERTY keyboard and a 3-inch clear wide VGA display, this phone looks very slick.
Says Rikko Sakaguchi, Head of Portfolio and Propositions at Sony Ericsson, "Our vision for the XPERIA™ X1 is to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design. XPERIA™ is our promise to think foremost of user experience and to deliver the premium experience – anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone."
The phone's user interface can be operated either by the touch interface, an optical joystick, a 4-way navi-pad, or the QWERTY keyboard. Connectivity can be through Wi-Fi, 3.5G HSDPA/HSUPA, and GPS. A 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera sits at the back. The 400 MB of internal memory can be expanded via microSD cards.
We only need to watch for the support for Flash Lite, which does not see a mention in their press release.
Says Rikko Sakaguchi, Head of Portfolio and Propositions at Sony Ericsson, "Our vision for the XPERIA™ X1 is to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design. XPERIA™ is our promise to think foremost of user experience and to deliver the premium experience – anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone."
The phone's user interface can be operated either by the touch interface, an optical joystick, a 4-way navi-pad, or the QWERTY keyboard. Connectivity can be through Wi-Fi, 3.5G HSDPA/HSUPA, and GPS. A 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera sits at the back. The 400 MB of internal memory can be expanded via microSD cards.
We only need to watch for the support for Flash Lite, which does not see a mention in their press release.
Nokia Files New Mobile Gaming Device Patent
After a not so successful run of the its N-Gage device, Nokia reportedly has filed a new design patent for a mobile gaming device. The device looks a lot like the PSP with fold-out wings to make the device feel comfortably in the hand, as well as allow normal use in the 'phone' mode.
Looking forward to seeing the actual device when it is launched. You can read the full patent here.
Looking forward to seeing the actual device when it is launched. You can read the full patent here.
Adobe Systems Launches Flash Home, Flash Cast 2 At Mobile World Congress
Adobe launched the Flash Home and Flash Cast 2 technology at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today. It stated that major content providers like the MTV Networks, the Nasdaq Stock Market, eBay and Dolce & Gabbana are using Flash based mobile products and solutions to extend their brand.
Adobe Flash Home is a new mobile application for home screens while Adobe Flash Cast 2 is the next generation offline portal solution, delivering high-impact user experiences with instant access to data services.
Adobe also said that it will offer Adobe Flash Lite technology specifically designed for mobile and consumer electronics devices. Flash Lite 3 with support for Flash Player compatible video is already available in a wide range of devices, including the Nokia N95 series, Sony Mylo 2 and NTT DoCoMo's 905i series. Shipment of devices with Flash Lite has grown more than 150% globally on a year-over-year basis.
News Source - Trading Markets
Adobe Flash Home is a new mobile application for home screens while Adobe Flash Cast 2 is the next generation offline portal solution, delivering high-impact user experiences with instant access to data services.
Adobe also said that it will offer Adobe Flash Lite technology specifically designed for mobile and consumer electronics devices. Flash Lite 3 with support for Flash Player compatible video is already available in a wide range of devices, including the Nokia N95 series, Sony Mylo 2 and NTT DoCoMo's 905i series. Shipment of devices with Flash Lite has grown more than 150% globally on a year-over-year basis.
News Source - Trading Markets
Jan 17, 2008
A relevent question relating to distribution of Flash Lite
Bill Perry has asked a very relevant question relating to the distribution of Flash Lite content. Looking at the stages of maturity Flash Lite has passed through, today we see many developers contributing to the technology, and each developer may have a different priority for distribution.
When I started working on Flash Lite, the priority I saw amongst most developers was to freely distribute their content. The idea was to reach out to as many people as possible and build awareness about the technology. Though there were limited mediums available at that time, the reach was possible.
With the technology maturing, the developers started experimenting with Flash Lite; they wanted to stretch the technology constraints and offer additional tools to work on. Here the ratio was balanced by developers who offered free tools/open source and others who made it available for purchase.
Today the scenario is very different. There are direct to consumer portals and aggregators like Club Moket, Handango, Mobigamz and Smashing Content accepting content from independent developers for distribution. Operators like Verizon in US have made Flash Lite available to their consumers and devices come embedded with Flash Lite. On the developer front, there are a few are still working on tools to help the community function better with Flash Lite development. But the priority has now shifted to monetizing efforts.
So getting back to Bill's question, if Flash Lite content goes completely free, it will be difficult to sustain developers for a long time. Advertising is perhaps very suitable but will still limit the audience unless supported by aggregators who are willing to push the content to customers. Finally paid content would do well only with quality content developers because the operators will place only the best on their decks to push to their customers.
I personally think that all the three preferences would appease to developers at different stages of their growth with the technology. But from a long term market perspective for the technology, it will be good to have content payable, just like it is for PC and other wireless content.
Mariam
When I started working on Flash Lite, the priority I saw amongst most developers was to freely distribute their content. The idea was to reach out to as many people as possible and build awareness about the technology. Though there were limited mediums available at that time, the reach was possible.
With the technology maturing, the developers started experimenting with Flash Lite; they wanted to stretch the technology constraints and offer additional tools to work on. Here the ratio was balanced by developers who offered free tools/open source and others who made it available for purchase.
Today the scenario is very different. There are direct to consumer portals and aggregators like Club Moket, Handango, Mobigamz and Smashing Content accepting content from independent developers for distribution. Operators like Verizon in US have made Flash Lite available to their consumers and devices come embedded with Flash Lite. On the developer front, there are a few are still working on tools to help the community function better with Flash Lite development. But the priority has now shifted to monetizing efforts.
So getting back to Bill's question, if Flash Lite content goes completely free, it will be difficult to sustain developers for a long time. Advertising is perhaps very suitable but will still limit the audience unless supported by aggregators who are willing to push the content to customers. Finally paid content would do well only with quality content developers because the operators will place only the best on their decks to push to their customers.
I personally think that all the three preferences would appease to developers at different stages of their growth with the technology. But from a long term market perspective for the technology, it will be good to have content payable, just like it is for PC and other wireless content.
Mariam
Nokia launches Series60 Programming Competition
Forum Nokia has launched a new competition for Series60 developers. This is the first contest which starts today (January 17) and will end by February 15. They plan to host a new programming challenge every month with awards for the best solutions provided.
"S60 supports multiple different runtimes and programming languages. The aim in this months competition is to come up with the glue that combines different runtimes.
We're asking you to design and implement a framework that unifies the S60 runtimes. The goal is intercommunication of runtimes (f.ex. Symbian C++, Java, Flash, Python, Web Runtimes, you name it…). With this kind of runtime interaction it is possible to access totally new features and re-use existing solutions in a manner that is unheard of. Please provide us with your framework implementation and also atleast one working example of runtimes interworking. If you don't have time to implement all the needed parts let us know your ideas and planned design to score more points in the contest.
The January's competition is open until 15th of February (15.2.2008) and we hope to have the best solutions published by the end of February."
You can check the contest website for rules and other information.
"S60 supports multiple different runtimes and programming languages. The aim in this months competition is to come up with the glue that combines different runtimes.
We're asking you to design and implement a framework that unifies the S60 runtimes. The goal is intercommunication of runtimes (f.ex. Symbian C++, Java, Flash, Python, Web Runtimes, you name it…). With this kind of runtime interaction it is possible to access totally new features and re-use existing solutions in a manner that is unheard of. Please provide us with your framework implementation and also atleast one working example of runtimes interworking. If you don't have time to implement all the needed parts let us know your ideas and planned design to score more points in the contest.
The January's competition is open until 15th of February (15.2.2008) and we hope to have the best solutions published by the end of February."
You can check the contest website for rules and other information.
Jan 15, 2008
Crayon Physics for PC and IPhone
Check out this really cool video of a game called Crayon Physics from Kloonigames.
I was really impressed by the user interaction it offered in its game-play and physics used. There is also an IPhone version of the the same game known as IPhysics. The IPhone version is supposed to be even more addictive than its PC version!
I was really impressed by the user interaction it offered in its game-play and physics used. There is also an IPhone version of the the same game known as IPhysics. The IPhone version is supposed to be even more addictive than its PC version!
Adobe Developer Article - Ten tips to help you develop better Flash Lite games
There is a new article available on the Adobe Mobiles and Devices Developer Center - Ten Tips to help you develop better Flash Lite games. This article is not specific to any Flash Lite version, and talks about game development right from 1.1 through 3.0
I authored this article after interacting with a set of Flash PC developers in India wanting to try out Flash mobile gaming. While interacting with them, I realized that a lot of them were thorough with their knowledge of Flash on desktop, but were not too confident when the same had to be applied to a mobile. So in this article, I combined a set of 10 tips which I think would be of good help to developers.
To summarize the 10 tips -
#1 - Always start with a base build and then port it to for multiple devices
#2 - Follow intuitive and correct key navigation and controls
#3 - Avoid hard-coding values and use variables and logic while writing code
#4 - Use old school collision detection methods
#5 - Choose between Frame based and Time based ActionScript
#6 - Maintain game progress and scores thus adding incentives for user participation
#7 - Keep your code organized and easy to maintain with classes
#8 - Choose the right font for your games
#9 - Replace arrays with strings in Flash Lite 1.1
#10 - Testing on actual device
Of course, there are more than 10 tips to share about Flash gaming, which I hope to share in the coming months, but for the article on Devnet...10 is what you have, so let me know what you think!
Mariam
I authored this article after interacting with a set of Flash PC developers in India wanting to try out Flash mobile gaming. While interacting with them, I realized that a lot of them were thorough with their knowledge of Flash on desktop, but were not too confident when the same had to be applied to a mobile. So in this article, I combined a set of 10 tips which I think would be of good help to developers.
To summarize the 10 tips -
#1 - Always start with a base build and then port it to for multiple devices
#2 - Follow intuitive and correct key navigation and controls
#3 - Avoid hard-coding values and use variables and logic while writing code
#4 - Use old school collision detection methods
#5 - Choose between Frame based and Time based ActionScript
#6 - Maintain game progress and scores thus adding incentives for user participation
#7 - Keep your code organized and easy to maintain with classes
#8 - Choose the right font for your games
#9 - Replace arrays with strings in Flash Lite 1.1
#10 - Testing on actual device
Of course, there are more than 10 tips to share about Flash gaming, which I hope to share in the coming months, but for the article on Devnet...10 is what you have, so let me know what you think!
Mariam
Jan 12, 2008
Flash Mobile Games Review at Frame27
As Frame27 gears up to accept new Flash mobile games for review, I have also been included as a part of their team of reviewers. Being in the game development industry for a substantial time, I think this is a good way to share opinions and thoughts about games being developed by other developers.
I'd like to thank Scott Janousek and Felipe Andrade for coming up with this suggestion and making me a part of their review team.
At Frame27, we are now open to receiving content for review for the year 2008. If you have a Flash Lite game for any non PC device, please write to us. We look forward to seeing some great work!
Mariam
I'd like to thank Scott Janousek and Felipe Andrade for coming up with this suggestion and making me a part of their review team.
At Frame27, we are now open to receiving content for review for the year 2008. If you have a Flash Lite game for any non PC device, please write to us. We look forward to seeing some great work!
Mariam
Jan 11, 2008
Flash Lite Installed Handset Base Statistics
Bill Perry has uploaded a detailed breakdown of the forecasted installed base of Flash Lite enabled devices by region, country and version.
This list is very useful for those in the business of content development and publishing because it gives an analysis of the consumer market one might want to target.
Whats interesting to note is APAC has the highest base of forcasted Flash enabled devices...and this is not including Japan. But why aren't the operators and consumers here taking notice of this...
This list is very useful for those in the business of content development and publishing because it gives an analysis of the consumer market one might want to target.
Whats interesting to note is APAC has the highest base of forcasted Flash enabled devices...and this is not including Japan. But why aren't the operators and consumers here taking notice of this...
TryPhone Beta has interactive phones
I came across a very interesting site this morning called TryPhone which gave me a live hands-on experience with mobile phones. The site states that it could be the one stop for those wanting to purchase a new phone but not having enough access to its features or for those who have already bought a phone but don't know how to use it.
On going through the website, I noticed that the handsets are currently US specific, but it would be great if they could extend it to the global GSM handsets too.
Each handset comes with a detailed spec and consumer reviews on performance...which is a good way to judge the handset. Finally each handset also has a set of demos (how to download applications, how to send a text message etc) with a set of steps to guide you using the phone. And these demos are not just simple animations, but interactive, thus giving you the feel of using a phone in the browser.
On going through the website, I noticed that the handsets are currently US specific, but it would be great if they could extend it to the global GSM handsets too.
Each handset comes with a detailed spec and consumer reviews on performance...which is a good way to judge the handset. Finally each handset also has a set of demos (how to download applications, how to send a text message etc) with a set of steps to guide you using the phone. And these demos are not just simple animations, but interactive, thus giving you the feel of using a phone in the browser.
Jan 8, 2008
Adobe launches Mobile Podcast Series
This news comes via Kathy Charneco, who mentioned the launch of a series of mobile podcast series hosted by John Agger from the Adobe Mobiles and Devices team.
Watch or listen to this podcast series aimed at creative professionals new to mobile, as Adobe host John Agger walks you through tutorials on mobile content creation. The Adobe Mobile Podcast series is created in partnership with Terry White’s Creative Suite Video podcast and includes the following episodes:
Why mobile is important
Mobile & Devices Part 2
Getting started with mobiles
See these and stay tuned for more....
Watch or listen to this podcast series aimed at creative professionals new to mobile, as Adobe host John Agger walks you through tutorials on mobile content creation. The Adobe Mobile Podcast series is created in partnership with Terry White’s Creative Suite Video podcast and includes the following episodes:
Why mobile is important
Mobile & Devices Part 2
Getting started with mobiles
See these and stay tuned for more....
Jan 2, 2008
The year gone by, the year to come
2007 has gone by leaving a lot to reminisce about, but has made a promise of a 2008 with unexpected yet interesting learning experiences.
The last year started on a good note with the launch of IndiMAD (The Mobiles and Devices User Group in India). The intention was to get all the Indian Flash mobile developers on one platform to know each other and interact. I also organised 2 UG meetings in Mumbai and Bangalore. I was also selected to be an Adobe Community Expert last year.
Attended a couple of events like the Adobe MAX conference in Chicago where I was also the speaker, visited the initRIA in Bangalore, and of course was a part of the CS3 launch in Mumbai, where I participated in an on-the-spot content creation contest (although I didn't win, I liked the idea of participation).
I also wrote a couple of articles beginning with the first on the Adobe Developer Connection on Porting a J2ME game to Flash Lite, contributed to an article in a leading newspaper in India on mobile gaming and finally was in the Spotlight for Flash Lite game development on the GoToAndPlay.it portal.
Last but not the least, I left my job of 6 years at Indiagames for better reasons. Today I see myself exploring and learning a lot more about mobile content development.
On the personal front, I fulfilled my passion of traveling by going to northern India, couple of cities in the west coast of USA and Mexico. I made new friends through my User Group and realized what a great Flash mobile developer team I had in Indiagames. Although we are all now fulfilling different goals outside the company, I know I can always rely on them and they on me!
So what do I expect in 2008...
Definitely the launch of my game development studio called IGameStudio (the portal is yet to launch). Some more articles and speaking engagements. I am already on the roll for speaking at a BarCamp in Pune about "Flash Lite - past, present and the future". I also want my catalogue at IGameStudio to contain exceptionally different content which I will blog about as they launch.
Hopefully lot of traveling to newer countries for personal and professional reasons, participation in many more marathons outside Mumbai, and finally find more reasons to meet people and learn more :)
So thats summing up the year gone by and analysing a year thats yet to pass! Setting goals is only what I can do, because I know life will spring up events that will be so unexpected...
Wishing everyone a great New Year!
The last year started on a good note with the launch of IndiMAD (The Mobiles and Devices User Group in India). The intention was to get all the Indian Flash mobile developers on one platform to know each other and interact. I also organised 2 UG meetings in Mumbai and Bangalore. I was also selected to be an Adobe Community Expert last year.
Attended a couple of events like the Adobe MAX conference in Chicago where I was also the speaker, visited the initRIA in Bangalore, and of course was a part of the CS3 launch in Mumbai, where I participated in an on-the-spot content creation contest (although I didn't win, I liked the idea of participation).
I also wrote a couple of articles beginning with the first on the Adobe Developer Connection on Porting a J2ME game to Flash Lite, contributed to an article in a leading newspaper in India on mobile gaming and finally was in the Spotlight for Flash Lite game development on the GoToAndPlay.it portal.
Last but not the least, I left my job of 6 years at Indiagames for better reasons. Today I see myself exploring and learning a lot more about mobile content development.
On the personal front, I fulfilled my passion of traveling by going to northern India, couple of cities in the west coast of USA and Mexico. I made new friends through my User Group and realized what a great Flash mobile developer team I had in Indiagames. Although we are all now fulfilling different goals outside the company, I know I can always rely on them and they on me!
So what do I expect in 2008...
Definitely the launch of my game development studio called IGameStudio (the portal is yet to launch). Some more articles and speaking engagements. I am already on the roll for speaking at a BarCamp in Pune about "Flash Lite - past, present and the future". I also want my catalogue at IGameStudio to contain exceptionally different content which I will blog about as they launch.
Hopefully lot of traveling to newer countries for personal and professional reasons, participation in many more marathons outside Mumbai, and finally find more reasons to meet people and learn more :)
So thats summing up the year gone by and analysing a year thats yet to pass! Setting goals is only what I can do, because I know life will spring up events that will be so unexpected...
Wishing everyone a great New Year!
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