Adobe reportedly will announce the end of Flash Player for mobile devices

[HotelUser]

Even though Adobe just mentioned it was planning to invest further in HTML5 after restructuring, a rumor from ZDNet suggests the changes could go even further by dropping development for Flash Player on mobiles entirely. According to an email reportedly received by the company's partners, its future work on Flash for cellphones and tablets will focus on enabling developers to "package apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores." After years of battling with Apple and Steve Jobs over the place of Flash on mobiles it appears the company is ready to lay down its sword, with existing platforms like Android receiving only security updates going forward. If the rumors are true, we'll probably hear an official announcement later today, along with a few huge belly laughs from the folks in Cupertino.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Sort of a shame, flash started out really horrible on my Windows Mobile phone years ago but it worked a lot better on WebOS when I gave it a try.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/09/adobe-reportedly-will-announce-the-end-of-flash-player-for-mobil/

[Casanova]

Adobe have announced they'll cut 750 jobs - just over 7% of their workforce.

They have stated they're also discontinuing their flash player which is supported in a vast array of devices, all but Apple!

well well well... maybe Jobs was right!?

They have stated they'll continue their contracted rights to devices such as the RIM BlackBerry Playbook which relies heavily on Flash Player.

Read more on it HERE (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15648899").

Threads merged by Jordan (Forum Super Moderator): Due to topic already created here

[xxMATTGxx]

It's not goodbye flash player altogether. It's just for mobile devices they supported. Flash was always going to getting used less and less over the coming years when HTML5 kicks off fully.

[peteyt]

It's not goodbye flash player altogether. It's just for mobile devices they supported. Flash was always going to getting used less and less over the coming years when HTML5 kicks off fully.

I know this is a bit old but just got a new mobile and contract so I can now properly access web features. I think Steve wasn't right. I read an interesting article can't remember the link, but HTML 5 uses something apparently Apple owns the rights to, and they still apparently do, while as some stuff people like Firefox had given for use, was made open sourced. In other words the article was stating it wasn't about usage, security problems or anything like that, but more about competition and it wouldn't surprise me.

Hopefully it will be good with HTML5, as it will mean no extra applications and I wonder if this means it could ever be dropped completely. However I think Apple was wrong to not include it while it was still standing up healthy.

[Recursion]

Just a shame HTML5 doesn't work properly on my iPad in Safari or even on my 'droid, whereas I have no issues at all with Flash content on my phone.

[peteyt]

Well I've also just read a BBC article claiming there are lots of security flaws to

[Shox]

Well I've also just read a BBC article claiming there are lots of security flaws to

There is! Flash is a lot less secure than other platforms other there.

[Recursion]

There is! Flash is a lot less secure than other platforms other there.

Sources...?

Flash is one of the most widely used platforms in the world...

[Shox]

Sources...?

Flash is one of the most widely used platforms in the world...

Source - My brain, but feel free to look it up.

As a developer, I know that flash can be decompiled, whereas director and other platforms can't ;) So, I can just grab the plaintext, cool beans. Very naive to think just because it's one of the most widely used it's good, it's ****, and that's why most everyone is moving away from it.

[Eoin247]

They shouldn't have discontinued flash until html5 was working better and more into the mainstream. Not too sure how i feel about this though, maybe now more stuff on the internet will work on ios now for me in the future?

[Recursion]

Source - My brain, but feel free to look it up.

As a developer, I know that flash can be decompiled, whereas director and other platforms can't ;) So, I can just grab the plaintext, cool beans. Very naive to think just because it's one of the most widely used it's good, it's ****, and that's why most everyone is moving away from it.

Well done, that's not a security flaw at all. Oh, look, I can look straight at the source of HTML5 without decompiling, OH MAH GAWD IT'S A FLAW. No.

[Shox]

Well done, that's not a security flaw at all. Oh, look, I can look straight at the source of HTML5 without decompiling, OH MAH GAWD IT'S A FLAW. No.

That's rather silly, html isn't compiled for one, and two so, it's not a security flaw people have decompiled habbo's source code to benefit retros? You can understand EXACTLY how something works and replicate it in flash.

[Mathew]

I don't really have an opinion on this, but it's a bit annoying how I can't use Flash on my iPad. Then again, I'd probably log onto Habbo on it lol.. ;l

[peteyt]

There is! Flash is a lot less secure than other platforms other there.

But why replace a technology like flash with flaws and replace it with another technology with flaws?

I'm all for HTML5 in the long run, because it will mean most people should be able to view most content without having to worry about what they have installed, what versions they have (I think) etc. But I don't think they should release it till they have worked out the kinks and got it sorted. It's going to be a while before all sites use it. Also part of the problem is that people are now going to have to learn HTML5 and I gather this will be easy for most, but I'm not a coder so not aware if there is many differences between 4 and 5 that might take someone a while to work out.

I also have another question. With HTML5 will stuff like flash blocking programs actually work. I like the fact like on my mobile, I can decide to only turn flash on when I allow it e.g. the site is trying to show a flash video do you want to allow or block it - This might be annoying for people but its handy for avoiding dodgy sites.

I recommend reading thishttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16005053

[xxMATTGxx]

That's rather silly, html isn't compiled for one, and two so, it's not a security flaw people have decompiled habbo's source code to benefit retros? You can understand EXACTLY how something works and replicate it in flash.

That is hardly a security flaw.

[GommeInc]

Sources...?

Flash is one of the most widely used platforms in the world...
One could say that is proof in itself. A popular platform means a nicer target.

A shame Adobe are pulling Flash from the mobile industry. HTML 5 is desirable, but not as popular as it should be to take the reigns from Flash.


That is hardly a security flaw.
More a flaw with Habbo by design. Security wise, Habbo is safe - it's the people who use it and may not be able to determine a fake Habbo log-in to a real one. So agreed with this :)

[HotelUser]

[@]@Recursion[/@] [@]@Shox[/@] what you're both doing is only partially right but it's not the html most folks will be interested in reading, it's going to be the javascript accompanying it. You don't code say a Habbo client in HTML5, you use HTML to an extent but all logic and most of the fun is in javascript. The browser *does* compile this at runtime, and yes even if you minify users can still unminify and read your source but that's nothing new anyways.

I'm glad flash is going because I've never dabbled in it much and I'm already into using js css and html for web interfaces anyway (I also do believe the js approach is faster and can produce more native looking interfaces in general). Javascript (especially with the jQuery library) > flash in my opinion any day of the week.

[Shox]

That is hardly a security flaw.

I guess "security flaw", is a bad way to put it, but it's obviously not something good.

[xxMATTGxx]

I guess "security flaw", is a bad way to put it, but it's obviously not something good.

Can be a pretty useful thing as well.