Flash Player 10.1 for Android Now in Public Beta
While Flash 10.1 for Android phones was announced at today’s keynote, it was slightly glossed over during the Froyo presentation (in a small round table discussion at after the Google TV presentation, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen delved into slightly more detail), but in any case, Adobe is announcing today the release of the public beta of Flash 10.1. It won’t be available on user handsets until Froyo gets pushed out, but for now developers can begin tinkering with the new setup behind the scenes. For a complete run down of what went into getting Flash 10.1 onto mobile devices, check out Adobe’s blog post.
Also announced were Adobe’s partnership with the Google TV project, the goal being that if it runs on Flash it will run on Google TV. That includes Hulu. Adobe AIR is also getting a prerelease for Android developers.
You can argue all you want against Flash, but a great point was made today. It isn’t about preferring one system or going against open standards, but rather about making a 100% inclusive web experience. No site or feature should be left out simply because a manufacturer or developer doesn’t like it. 75% of web video is on Flash, and while it will most likely eventually be phased out, why not allow users to access it while it is still around?