There is no doubt that HTML5 will eventually replace Flash. But despite that certainty, people have come to realize that having Flash support is a very obvious necessity –despite the fact that Apple’s devices will not have it.
As it is the Apple iPhone 4 is considered to be the “IT”-phone of today. No one knows if the new Apple handset will be able to stay on top for as long as the older iPhone 3G/3Gs did, but many are certainly looking forward to seeing how far the new device can go. In terms of technology and capabilities, there is little that one can question Apple about. But with their current policies, even great products can potentially meet early ends.
There is no doubt that Steve Jobs’ decision to completely push Adobe out of the picture led to the Flash developer’s decision to finally give up on Apple. If the folks at Cupertino continue doing this, they not only risk losing industry partners, but the faith of many other companies and developers as well.
Sure, there are ways to get around the lack of Flash content; there are Apps for YouTube that will allow iPhone users to watch the videos on Apple devices. Other similar websites that use Flash are also adopting apps as a workaround. Even Zynga’s famous Facebook App Farmville is going to get an Apple App.
But for the rest of the internet, Flash will still remain inaccessible to Apple users. Sites such as Newgrounds and Kongregate which feature thousands of Flash content will not be accessible to Apple devices.
On the other hand, Google has announced that they will be supporting both Flash and HTML5. This means that once Android 3.0 Gingerbread comes out, the Nexus One will be able to access all the HTML5 content that Apple’s iPhone can, as well as all the Flash content that the Apple iPhone cannot.
Posts Tagged ‘Apple-iPhone-3G-S’
Why Apple Still Needs Flash
Saturday, June 12th, 2010Apple Gets Struck With Another Lawsuit
Friday, April 30th, 2010
Unlike all the other lawsuits that Apple has faced however, this new one has some pretty mighty patent that could potentially wreck havoc in the sales performance of the Apple devices.
Considering how it is often Apple that we see filing lawsuits on other companies, it is surprising that there are those who dare play the danger legal game with the Cupertino based company whose wing of legal advisers and personnel is something akin to a lawsuit hit squad. In any case, Elan Microelectronics has taken on the mighty giant as they claim that Apple has infringed on their patent for multi touch technology. They already successfully won a lawsuit against Synaptics for a similar technology. It is not surprising that this has bolstered their resolve to continue pressing the case against Apple.
Of course, Apple will not be the only target here, many companies use touch screen technology. If Apple falls, so do the rest. We can only assume that once the case against Apple starts looking bad, many companies will be lining up to file for official use of the technology under Elan Microelectronics.
There are also those who believe that this lawsuit might have been spurned on by Google –as a way of fighting back against Apple’s decision to sue HTC on 20 patents for software and hardware. But this claim is pretty much unfounded as Elan Microelectronics has no ties to Google or HTC (though it is also a Taiwanese company).
Speaking of which, Apple’s lawsuit against HTC is assign of its ability to easily strong arm other companies with the sheer might of its legal arm. It is no longer surprising for the Cupertino based company to be involved in a lawsuit each month.
Want to get a Free Gate Pass to the App Store? Win a Pulitzer Prize
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
With the number of rejections that developers have been facing from Apple, the Cupertino-based iPhone manufacturer finally admits it “made a mistake” when it removed Mark Fiore’s cartoon app last December.
Since Apple has been on a roll removing and rejecting apps which targets political or public figures, the cartoon application was originally taken out of the store. In an interview, this is what Mr. Fiore said about the rule implementation:
“That’s a tough one to get around if you’re a political cartoonist.”
Indeed it is. However, upon seeing that the app maker won a Pulitzer Prize, Apple asked Mark to resubmit the rejected app. Mark said that it was Steve Jobs who was responsible for the decision to bring back his cartoon app:
“Looks like some guy named Steve Jobs was able to nudge my app past the gatekeepers.”
While this is good sign for other cartoonists, Apple is still bound to be strict in implementing their censorship rules. If you are a cartoonist who has comics with political satire, keep in mind that Mark’s case is not the prevailing rule. It seems that it takes a Pulitzer Prize for Apple to make an exception to their on the spot implemented policies. They are certainly not going to allow any adult apps. Steve Jobs says you have the Google Android Market for that. This is further emphasized in a reply Jobs made recently to an Apple user’s email:
“Fiore’s app will be in the store shortly. That was a mistake. However, we do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy an Android phone.”
Well at least no one has to miss any of Mark Fiore’s comics because his app was already re-posted on the Apple App Store and is available for download once again.
More about Mark Fiore’s app can be read at Geek.
Apple, not a threat to Nintendo’s Gaming Success?
Friday, April 9th, 2010
While Apple is winning over the gadget market with their family of devices, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime had this to say about Apple’s impact on handheld gaming:
“[Apple] is not having an impact on Nintendo when you look at our business, our volume, our hardware, our software. I’ve seen data suggesting that while consumers are constantly downloading Apps, they play with them for a few times and then they are moving on to the next thing.”
Because the iPhone is a very handy, all-in-one device, a lot of the users also peruse the wide variety of gaming apps which are readily available in the app store. The fact that it is just so convenient to use is actually the key to Apple’s leap in terms of casual gaming market revenue. So considering who the target users are, casual Apple gamers may get bored with their game apps as easily as Fils-Aime said, but there are people who get disinterested and buy new games over and over. This does not seem to worry Nintendo’s Fils-Aime due to the nature of game downloads in the app store:
“Clearly it doesn’t look like their platform is a viable profit platform for game development because so many of the games are free versus paid downloads.”
That might be true but Apple is still getting an expanding piece of the revenue. According to a study made by Flurry last year, the 30,000 or so available games in the app store were able to rake in around $500 million in the US market alone. This gave the Apple family of devices a 19 percent share in the market, eating away a bit of Nintendo’s handheld gaming profit as well as Sony’s.
The fact of the matter is that the big N is not at all worried because of how different the two platforms are in terms of overall gaming experience.
Read more about this at Engadget.
EyeTV for iPhone Lets you Keep up with your Soaps
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Busy working long hours to meet that deadline? Bummed about missing out on a couple of soaps you loyally watch? Well EyeTV may just be the app for you.
Elgato has unveiled the latest version (ver. 1.0.2) of the EyeTV app for the iPhone. It makes use of Wi-Fi or 3G in order to offer live streaming for EyeTV content which is stored from your computer at home. That is not all, it will also let you manage and customize recording schedules and browse a Program Guide so you do not miss out on your precious TV programs anywhere, anytime.
Elgato has offices located in both San Francisco California and Munich Germany. They are the producer of popular TV software that is supplemented by a wide variety of TV tuners as well as capture devices which allows the user to record, watch and edit TV as well as HDTV on PCs or Mac platforms.
EyeTV debuted as internationally acclaimed TV software for the Mac computer. The company is also known for their H.264 video conversion products and also their streaming software.
The EyeTV app lets the user keep up with favorite TV programs on the road. Existing customers get the update for free. Those who run the EyeTV version 3.3.3 that also happen to have compatible TV tuners may enjoy watching TV streams or set-up scheduled recording to watch later. The setup for the iPhone version is simple because there is no need to configure the software. A “My Eye TV” is a locator utility which is free of charge and allows the user to have remote connections to a Mac. The requirements are detailed in Elgato’s press release:
“EyeTV for iPhone requires a Mac computer running EyeTV 3.3.3. Streaming TV requires an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. For sending the live signal over a 3G connection, Elgato recommends the Turbo.264 HD which enables “adaptive streaming” for the best picture possible under varying network speeds.”
The 1.0.2 version for the iPhone is priced at £2.99 and is a free update for existing customers. For EyeTV tuners, visit the official Elgato Store at www.elgato.com.
More details can be read at Engadget.
Turning the iPhone into a Serious Gaming Device Means Adding Buttons
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Apple has revealed another patent for their beloved iPhone. This time, it is a gaming accessory that makes the iPhone a serious gaming handheld. Since the lack of buttons is the obvious limitation of Apple’s touch screen device, the executives decided to give it just that, buttons.
The add-ons shown by the official diagrams show many different ways to convert the device into a serious gaming platform. Aside from buttons, a directional pad, thumb pads, speaker enhancement, an extra camera, extra keys, a keyboard and even another screen ala Nintendo DS is indicated in the patent application.
How is it going to be used? Simple, you simply attach your iPhone or iPod touch on the dock and it will be able to function much like a Sony Playstation Portable or a Nintendo DS. Just imagine, it keeps its accelerometer motion control as well giving it a Playstation 3-ish Six Axis capability.
If approved, this will definitely call more game developers over to the iPhone side. Not only will people have an all-in-one device, the game developers will also have a target market that is proven to shell out hard-earned cash for their apps. Win-win for both, but it may spell out some problems with Sony and Nintendo.
Since Apple has been known to butt heads with other big companies, the obvious similarities to the add-on’s layout may be the cause of Nintendo raising their eyebrows. It would also become a big issue if more people end up supporting the iPhone as a gaming device considering the fact that both Nintendo and Sony have lost some part of their revenue pie due to casual iPhone gaming.
The patent was first filed in 2008 and although it does sound good for the iPhone gaming market, Apple may just end up scrapping the idea due to being busy with the iPad.
See the diagrams at Gizmodo.
Apple News Round Up: New Lawsuits and More
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Apple had a very busy week and with the impending launch of the iPad touch screen tablet, it looks like things are not going to die down anytime soon.
Right off the bat is a big hurdle for the Cupertino based development company as Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Elan Microelectronics is filing the very same case they won against Synaptics Inc. against Apple.
The case is a patent infringement lawsuit regarding the use of multi touch functions. It’s a pretty big case as Elan has declared that they are requesting the ITC (interne national trade committee) to put a hold on all shipments of Apple products that use the technology –which is mainly the iPod Touch, the iPhone and the upcoming iPad. Talk about irony, Apple recently filed a major 20 patent lawsuit on HTC.
Anyway, as said above, the Apple iPad is expected to launch in the UK April 3rd. The non-3G version of the device will not yet be available. Instead, only the 3G version will be up for sale. Those hoping to get a choice of versions will be happy to know both forms will be on shelves when the iPad comes out in the UK in late April.
Lastly, Apple is tipping its collective hat off to Tom Fadell, the man we all credit as the father of the famous iPod (which practically revived Apple with the help of some creative marketing from Steve Jobs). After having worked with Apple for almost a decade, Fadell will be resigning from his post as an adviser to Steve Jobs.
He has worked as an adviser for the past two years and before that, Fadell held the position of Senior Vice President. Former IBM executive Mark Papermaster took up Tom’s former position as SVP back in 2008.
Get to know more about the Fadell’s decision to leave his post at Apple at the Telegraph UK.
Cask Finder Helps you Celebrate National Cask Ale Week
Monday, March 29th, 2010
This coming March 29 until April 5, Britain will be celebrating “true” ale with a weeklong event for all beer loving folks, pub owners and even those who have never raised a mug their whole life, the National Cask Ale week.
Some pubs will be offering free pints of Bombardier or a locally brewed selection to customers as part of the celebration, but you should also expect to see a variety of drinking contests and promotions to spice thing up on various drinking holes. Of course, figuring out where to go is going to be quite the challenge.
A new Apple iPhone app called the Cask Finder will be your best drinking buddy for next week as it will help you find where else you can go aside from your local favorite. The weeklong event is sure to have plenty of surprises and it would be a shame to go to a pub only to realize that you missed out on an exciting contest the previous day.
This app will give you the full rundown on events, prices and even what’s available on the tap at a majority of excellent drinking spots all over the region.
The Cyclops Beer Database will also be part of the application, which is a serious amount of help in figuring out what those oddly named drinks really are –and save you potential embarrassment by ordering blindly. If you have never used the beer database before, it has been compiled by experts such as the Head Hunters so you can be sure that the information is accurate.
Another great thing about the app is that you can also submit your own pub and drink ratings –which will help you figuring out later on where you had that last amazing drink before passing out.
Get to know more about the Cask Finder app at Stuff TV.
James Cameron: Don’t Watch My Movies on the iPhone
Monday, March 29th, 2010
Well, James Cameron is a critically acclaimed director so we can forgive the man for being a little bit on the quirky side; and we do appreciate the fact that his statement did not come out as strict as George Lucas’ former announcement that the prequel trilogy of Star Wars movies should only be shown on digital theaters (what would he have said if it the prequel trilogy had been released in this day and age of HD?).
Anyway, the full quote on Cameron is that the man simply believes that his latest film, Avatar, is not meant to be seen on an iPhone. In full credit to the guy, the movie is indeed quite the eye candy with plenty of CG, epic battles and massive spanning shots that really are quite hard to appreciate on a small screen where missing out on subtle details would be unavoidable.
The man says that the movie is meant for HD and we wholeheartedly agree. Though James might have hit a nerve by actually saying that it is “dumb” to watch the movie on an iPhone –seriously, there is nothing wrong if you want to see any movie on your mobile device.
According to the director, he has never seen Avatar on a small screen –not even a laptop; though it was never clarified if he had never watched it on an SD screen (because laptops can actually go the whole way with over 1024 x 768 resolutions).
In any case, for those who missed out on the epic science fiction movie, a Blu-Ray release of the film is coming out soon and it has also been confirmed that a 3D Blu-ray edition of the movie will also be available.
Get to know more about James Cameron’s opinion about Avatar on the iPhone at Tech Radar.
iPhone Rumor: Multitasking is Coming
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
The next Apple iPhone OS is reported to support multi tasking capabilities.
Or so goes the rumor currently going around. Reports state that the Beta iPhone software dev kit contains code for a so-called “multitasking dialog box”. No word yet from actual developers if the function is already running or if they are allowed to tweak with it, but this little bit of news comes as a light of hope for many iPhone owners who are tired of not being able to run apps in the background.
While the iPhone does allow users to enjoy a degree of multi tasking with proprietary functions such as iTunes, third party apps are not part of the deal.
The Apple iPhone is a very impressive smart phone. Despite being over two years old now, the hardware on the device is able to match its present day competitors. Compared side by side, the 3D graphics on the iPhone is superior to that of the Google Nexus One (which was only released last January). To say that the device lacks multitasking due to hardware limitations would be misleading as the iPhone can easily handle such a task –though expect the device to slow down if it does get multi tasking and you run a couple of resource heavy apps.
Anyway, the rumor of the upcoming feature is very promising for some as rumors that no Apple devices would have multitasking capabilities have been spreading around since the announcement of the Apple iPad touch screen tablet which, as a true Apple device, also lacked multitasking capabilities.
It seems that despite Steve Jobs’ stubbornness, there are some folks are Apple who are still level headed enough to bring in such a much needed function –was it not the same deal with cut and paste?
Get to know more about the rumors of multitasking for the iPhone on Stuff TV.