March 10, 2008
Preparing for the upcoming April 2008 Flash Player 9 Security Update
We are planning to release a security update to Flash Player 9 in April 2008 that further mitigates previously disclosed vulnerabilities. Because these security enhancements may impact existing SWF content for some customers, we are giving advanced notice of these changes so that you have time to prepare before the player is released.
The information Adobe is providing right now is for developers, IT departments and Web administrators to better prepare for the next update to Flash Player. End users do not need to take actions at this time but should update to the latest player in April upon its release.
The Adobe Developer Connection article describes who and what types of content may be impacted, the changes, and what you should do immediately to implement any necessary changes to ensure a seamless transition when the updated Player launches.
For those of you whom the following situations apply, please read the Adobe Developer Connection article in detail:
* Use of sockets or XMLSockets, regardless of the domain the SWF is connecting to
* Use of addRequestHeader or URLRequest.requestHeaders in any network API call when sending or loading data cross-domain OR Provides access to content on remote domains as a web service provider
* Use of SWFs that are exported for Flash Player 7 (SWF7) or below that communicate with the hosting HTML by any means
* Use of '"javascript:'" through network APIs to communicate outside a SWF
Preparing for the April 2008 Flash Player 9 Security Update
For more information about Flash Player security, visit
Flash Player Security and Privacy page
Flash Player Security section of the Adobe Developer Connection
Posted by ehuang at 03:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 29, 2008
Flash Player 9.0.115.0 for Solaris now availalbe
Flash Player 9.0.115.0 is now available on Adobe.com for the Solaris x86 and SPARC platforms. This update also addresses the issues in Security Bulletin APSB07-20 for Solaris. The one big known issue listed in the release notes is that the full screen hardware scaling feature is not supported on SPARC platforms at this time.
Thanks to everyone who tested and provided feedback on the Adobe Labs beta!
Posted by ehuang at 04:17 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
January 17, 2008
Flash Player 9 @ 95.7% in December study
It's been up for a few weeks now, but the quarterly study results for December are now available. Note that this wave includes emerging markets, which are every other quarter.
The first row is how we present the data on the website. It tells you the percentage of people that can view a SWF of that version. The second row, is the % of the population with that player version installed (the delta between v and v+1).
| December 2007 - Mature Markets | v6 | v7 | v8 | v9 |
| % able to view content by SWF version | 98.8% | 98.8% | 98.3% | 95.7% |
| Install base by version | 0.0% | 0.5% | 2.6% | 95.7% |
| December 2007 - Emerging Markets | v6 | v7 | v8 | v9 |
| % able to view content by SWF version | 97.4% | 97.3% | 95.5% | 93.3% |
| Install base by version | 0.1% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 93.3% |
Posted by ehuang at 05:30 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
December 05, 2007
9.0.115.0 Debug versions are also available
Sorry I missed this in the original post! Debug players are available on the Support downloads page.
Yes, Linux debug and standalone players are also available.
Posted by ehuang at 10:30 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
December 03, 2007
Flash Player 9 Update 3 (9.0.115.0) now available
Flash Player 9 Update 3, with H.264 support, is now available from the download center.
This was a ginormous release for us, and for you. This release brings:
* New audio/video options with H.264/HE-AAC codec support
* Improved Performance through multi-core support for rendering, hardware scaling in full-screen, multi-threaded video decoding, a new algorithm for image scaling, and the Flash Player cache for local caching of common platform components to reduce SWF sizes and app loading times
* Support for full-screen mode for Linux
* MSAA Accessibility support for the plugin
* Mac OS X Leopard support
* And bug fixes
WHEW!
Resources
* Take a look at our updated product page! We've got the new logo, an updated look and feel, and an updated datasheet. The feature demo has also been updated to include an H.264 video clip and full screen demo.
* Press Release
* Release Notes
* Check the Dev Center for new articles and updates
* Check the support center for new Technotes
Posted by ehuang at 09:29 PM | Comments (47) | TrackBack
November 01, 2007
Mac update for Moviestar on Adobe Labs to fix FileReference issue
We updated the Mac release candidate on Adobe Labs last night so that Leopard users who are running into the FileReference problem have a reasonable workaround for this issue. This is still a release candidate and not the final release, but we didn't want this functionality to be broken for Leopard users between now and release.
Posted by ehuang at 09:33 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
October 01, 2007
Video of Astro in Day 1 MAX 2007 keynote
If you missed the keynote, or weren't able to make it to Chicago for MAX this year, Aral Balkan has a video clip of us presenting a few of the Astro features on his blog.
Aral's blog on the Astro keynote
I am very pleased with how the demos came through, and we have a lot of people to thank for pulling them together so that we could show them to you:
* Creating assets and generally busting his a** to get the demos together: Justin Everett-Church, Sr. Product Manager for Flash Player!!!
* Text demo of bidi/complex scripts: Jerry Hall, Eric Muller, Sairus Patel in Core Tech. Core Tech is working closely with our team on the layout engine. We are talking about some super text gurus!
* Adobe Edge: Robin Briggs, who is leading the text component library engineering effort
* 3D: Chris Nuuja, Flash Player engineering, for getting us a build with the new 3D APIs (while we're working on Moviestar)
* Kevin Goldsmith, Bob Archer, and Elba Sobrino (and probably more from the Adobe Image Foundation team) for their awesome work on the Hydra language, the toolkit, sample filters and getting it up on Adobe Labs today
Posted by ehuang at 05:02 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
September 30, 2007
Flash Player Administration Guide for IT admins
Someone asked in comments if we had a document like this (http://blogs.msdn.com/tims/archive/2007/09/28/deploying-silverlight-in-the-enterprise.aspx) for Flash Player.
Why, yes we do!
The Flash Player Administration Guide went live August 27th. It covers the environment, installation, admin settings, user settings, and security considerations. Please send feedback!
Posted by ehuang at 01:17 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 12, 2007
Making it official: the next major release of Flash Player is codenamed "Astro"
In the category of "better late than never," JD stopped by the other day to tell me that Ted Patrick debuted the codename of the next major release of Flash Player on his blog. And that I had left Ted hanging by not providing a solid, reference-able source for that detail out on the web.
"Good point", I said. Then promptly forgot to deal with it in the flurry of the standard daily Flash Player activities. Since the community is eager to see what we will show at MAX, and is already starting to talk about it, I wanted to make sure that I publicly confirmed that the codename is Astro.
We've obviously been hard at work since Flash Player 9 released in June 2006 (seems soooooo long ago). Tamarin was open sourced in November, the Linux player was released in January. We added support for Intel Macs and Vista. We rolled out full screen mode. And of course, the latest Flash Player 9 "Moviestar" beta has delivered H.264 and AAC support, along with performance enhancements and other useful bits. All these things make the time fly by.
But now it's time to start focusing on life after "Moviestar," and we have more bunnies to pull out of our hats. Our platform has been behind some of the most creative content on the web since Flash first hit the web over ten years ago, and we intend to continue delivering the capabilities you need to deliver on the fresh, innovative, and mind-blowing ideas that you all have floating around in your heads. More on that...at Adobe MAX 2007. Come and check out what we're thinking about for Astro and beyond!
Posted by ehuang at 04:34 PM | Comments (23) | TrackBack
September 04, 2007
Flash Player June 2007 stats live on adobe.com
The June 2007 stats have been published on adobe.com. The September surveys should be going out soon, so hopefully we'll have the data back in time for MAX!
Posted by ehuang at 10:16 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 21, 2007
Moviestar premieres on Adobe Labs
Ok, it's live now.
Updated release notes and a new H.264 FAQ are available, as well as a demo. If the progressive download is hurting, it means too many of you are trying to view it at the same time. You can take a break and check it out later, or build your own local test. ;-)
Posted by ehuang at 01:31 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
August 20, 2007
Big day for web video: Adobe announces support for H.264 and HE-AAC in Flash Player
Big news today :-)
Adobe announced support for industry standard H.264 video and HE-AAC audio in Adobe Flash Player. We are adding support for these codecs in Flash Player 9 Update 3 (code named "Moviestar") currently available on Adobe Labs. The updated bits will be available for download later today (Tuesday) afternoon. I'll post again when the Adobe Labs content goes live, where we will have an updated full screen demo with H.264 and an FAQ.
We're really excited to bring this industry standard codec to the player, and it will also be coming to AIR. H.264 has a strong ecosystem and will give you more choice in terms of tools, content sources, and deployment options. The new codec also enjoys the other features introduced in Flash Player 9 update 3 - multi-core support for rendering and hardware accelerated full screen mode.
Until then, check out Tinic's blog for some details of this new feature.
Posted by ehuang at 09:20 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
July 26, 2007
Finally...SWF and FLV File Format Spec for v9 is available
The v9 file format specification went out with tonight's server push. It's been a long wait, and I appreciate everyone's patience. I promise to push for a faster turnaround for the next update so we don't have such a long delay again.
Posted by ehuang at 06:25 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
June 14, 2007
video interview: Ryan and Tinic dish about video improvements in Flash Player 9
Don't miss the video.onflex.org video interview with Ryan Stewart and Tinic Uro about the video quality and performance improvements in Update 3 (now on Adobe Labs).
Posted by ehuang at 04:48 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 13, 2007
YUM repository definition for Linux Flash Player available
We recently published the Adobe YUM repository definition for the Linux Flash Player.
YUM is a way for users on RPM-based Linux distributions to check for updates and automatically install them. You can download it from the Linux player download center on Adobe.com.
Special thanks go out to player dev Mike Tilburg for initiating and seeing this project through, Sal M for testing, and the web team (Lisa, Russ, Todd R) for getting this live!
Posted by ehuang at 10:05 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
June 10, 2007
Flash Player 9 update 3, Flex 3 and Apollo betas now available on Adobe Labs!
Another set of exciting betas are ready to go for our community! Tonight we have Flash Player 9 update 3, Flex 3 and the anticipated Adobe Integrated Runtime (formerly known as Apollo) betas available for immediate download from Adobe Labs. In addition to all the beta goodness, the Flex team has started the nightly build process and opened up their bugbase. Check out all the details of the Flex info here.
The Flash Player 9 update 3 beta (9.0.60.120) has a little something for everyone. In addition over 300 bug fixes, and the new player cache for Adobe platform components that Ted mentioned on Thursday, we've added performance enhancements that will improve your video and interactive content. The hot new feature is full-screen mode with hardware scaling, which can be used to deliver significant improvements in visual quality and performance for video. If you're interested in the technical details behind this feature and the rest of the performance enhancements, Tinic will be talking about the under-the-hood details on his blog and has also written an article on Adobe Labs on the new API for accessing this feature. There is also a video you can use to see the difference between software and hardware full-screen mode. Check back, if it hasn't gone live yet...
Note that the hardware scaling feature is enabled BY DEFAULT in beta 1 -- it is important for us to get it tested thoroughly this round and get feedback, so if you run into any issues please use the bug form to report your issue and what graphics card you're using. We will be switching that back in the next beta, so please remember to use the new API in your demos so they continue to work correctly.
In addition to bug fixes, other enhancements in beta 1 include:
* Enhancements to ExternalInterface to enable recursive calls to and from JavaScript (not available in Opera or Netscape yet), and to support runtime errors from JavaScript to ActionScript
* Support for the Accept-Language header in Internet Explorer
* Support for full-screen mode on Linux
* Support for Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) in the Windows plugin (Oops! My mistake - this will be in the next beta)
Don't forget to review the release notes, and the FAQ!
Posted by ehuang at 09:33 PM | Comments (19) | TrackBack
May 24, 2007
(tiny) clarification on bi-directional text support in the next Flash Player
I see that my fellow product manager, Matt Chotin, has "committed" support for bi-directional text support in the next major version of Flash Player on the Flex Components Yahoo group. :-D
Don't worry, I'm not taking it back. Be assured that bi-di is a long requested capability that we do indeed intend to support in the platform. But I thought I'd clarify a bit since people will want more details.
First off, as everyone knows, the text layout engine in the current Flash Player does not support bi-di. There are plenty of ways that you can simulate it for certain use cases, but we acknowledge that it falls well-short of what our developers need. To address the shortcomings and limitations, we are improving the text layout capabilities in the next Flash Player so that at a low level it will enable support of bi-di and complex text in your applications. The new low level text framework will be used to build text components (probably a library of text components) with greater functionality than what we have today.
Want to help us figure out what we should be working on? Are there components you would expect Adobe to provide? What types of applications are you trying to build? Let us know what your requirements would be for improved text layout, bi-di or other things you'd like to do with text in your content and applications that you can't do today.
Posted by ehuang at 02:02 PM | Comments (36) | TrackBack
April 30, 2007
Flash Player 9 Solaris Beta refresh
If you're testing the beta of Flash Player 9 for Solaris (x86, SPARC), there is a new beta drop available on Adobe Labs.
Posted by ehuang at 09:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
April 12, 2007
Flash Player 9 Update (9.0.45.0) release available for Windows and Mac (CS3 bug fixes)
Updated players (Flash Player 9.0.45.0) for Windows and Mac are available. Flash Player 9.0.45.0 contains a few bug fixes that may impact content created with Flash CS3 Professional, but you don't need to target 9.0.45.0 unless you specifically hit one of these issues. CS3 ships with 9.0.45.0, so in your local testing you wouldn't see any content playback issues so please take a look at the technotes so you understand if the issues impact you, and test with previous v9 players before you release.
The issues and workarounds are described in the following TechNotes and impact playback in Flash Player 9.0.31.0 and earlier:
Technote KB401230: ActionScript 3.0 movie clips and components exported by Adobe Flash CS3 Professional incorrectly play through their timeline when ActionScript is used to prevent the timeline from playing. ActionScript 3 components will appear to flicker between their normal state and their skin settings. This issue only occurs in specific circumstances where a movie clip or component is placed on the stage on a keyframe other than the first keyframe, or if the object is removed later in the timeline.
Technote KB401350: ActionScript 3.0 code on Frame 1 will not run if the playhead causes a movie clip to be instantiated other than at its keyframe. If the playhead skips the keyframe by using an action like gotoAndStop() or gotoAndPlay(), the movie clip will be instantiated but the Frame 1 actions will be dropped.
Technote KB401348: ActionScript 3.0 classes that are exported to a specific frame other than Frame 1 by Adobe Flash CS3 Professional are only loaded if the playhead passes through the export frame. If ActionScript is used to skip over the frame specified in the Flash export settings, the class files will not be available while the application is running.
The Flash Player 9.0.45.0 release notes are here. (Sorry about the bad link! fixed now.)
Where is the Linux version? This update was a result of the need to fix these few CS3 issues, and the honest answer is that the Linux player doesn't ship with the products so we chose to keep it on its original update schedule. The Linux update is still being worked on, we're enabling full-screen and wmode as promised, and it is still on for later this year.
Posted by ehuang at 03:26 PM | Comments (52) | TrackBack
March 20, 2007
Flash Player 9 beta for Solaris (x86, Sparc) available on Adobe Labs
A little belated as I was out on vacation, but the beta version of Flash Player 9 for Solaris is available on Adobe Labs.
The release notes list the top known issues, which include lack of WMODE and full screen support, and there are AV synch issues in the beta version. Please test and provide feedback.
Posted by ehuang at 01:53 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 12, 2007
Read this if you are hosting, or thinking about hosting, a cross-domain policy file on your site
We published a new article today that is recommended reading for anyone that is hosting, or is considering hosting, a cross-domain policy file on their site. Cross-domain policy files are a Flash Player security control that site owners can use to enable data loading between domains, which has allowed developers to make some cool and interesting mashups and apps. But you do need understand the security implications of using a cross-domain policy file, and be mindful of the security concerns and potential risks as you determine the right architecture for your site and applications.
Posted by ehuang at 02:30 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 16, 2007
Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux now available on adobe.com
Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux (x86) is now available on the player download center on adobe.com (www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer). This release also includes the standalone and debug players for developers, which are available on the support downloads page.
And a press release to boot.
and now for the FAQ:
Are the features of Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux the same as the Windows and Macintosh versions?
Yes, Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux supports the same major features and functionality as the Windows and Macintosh versions for playback of Flash content and applications. Unsupported features include Express Install and auto-update notification, which are not available due to the variety of Linux platforms, each handling the Adobe Flash Player plug-in installation in different ways. The full-screen viewing feature is not yet available but is expected to be available in a release later this year. For more information about supported features and known issues, please see the release notes www.adobe.com/go/flashplayer_releasenotes
Yes, I *did* say at beta that full-screen would make the final release...
So, why isn't the full-screen viewing mode available in Flash Player 9 for Linux?
We wanted to make the new Flash Player for Linux available as soon as possible after the beta release. Unfortunately, the full-screen feature didn't make it into this release but we do expect this feature to be available in the Linux player later this year.
Will WMODE, or windowless mode, be supported with this release of Flash Player 9 for Linux?
No, support for WMODE requires changes to the browser; Adobe is working with Mozilla to enable this functionality for Firefox. For more information and to track the issue, please see Bugzilla 137189.
And what about 64-bit support?
No new news to share here. We are working on support for 64-bit platforms as part of our ongoing commitment to the cross-platform compatibility of Adobe Flash Player. We have not yet announced timing or release dates.
Don't forget to check out developing RIAs on Linux with Adobe Flash Player 9, the free Adobe Flex 2 SDK and the free Flex Data Services 2 Express (did I mention it was free?)!
Posted by ehuang at 08:38 PM | Comments (91) | TrackBack
November 20, 2006
Linux Beta 2 on Adobe Labs
We refreshed the Linux beta on Adobe Labs this evening, so please download and continue banging on it. The current build is 9.0.21.78.
Update! A more comprehensive list (vs the Labs release notes) of bug fixes from Tinic.
Posted by ehuang at 07:30 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
November 14, 2006
Flash Player 9 Update (9.0.28.0) release now available for Windows and Macintosh
Flash Player 9 Update (9.0.28.0) for Win and Mac is out! We released the update today and it is now available on the Flash Player Download Center. Just to recap what's new in this update, 9.0.28.0 includes full-screen mode, Windows Vista support, and bug fixes. If you want to see some cool full-screen demos from the community, or have some of your own to add, visit the Adobe Labs wiki. This release also includes security enhancements for Security Bulletin APSB06-018.
If you installed the beta, it would be best to uninstall Flash Player before installing the release version to ensure you don't run into any issues.
The Linux player is still available in beta on Adobe Labs. The feedback has been great, bugs have been filed, and the team thanks you ;-) I'll let you know when the beta is refreshed with a new build.
11.15.2006 Update
A few more bits, to answer people's questions:
Where are the debug players for the 9.0.28.0 release?
Historically, the debug and standalone players only shipped with the tool. But, with our dot and security releases we don't always have a full tool update -- instead we have been providing player "updaters" through the Flash Player support downloads page. There are updated 9.0.28.0 debug players to address the security vulnerability.
Where is the Universal Binary debug or standalone player?
We haven't released the UB debug or standalone players yet. Since it is a new component and there aren't tools that currently ship with these players it is on a slightly different release schedule. I'll post when they do become available, and most likely they will also be made available on the support downloads page for developers.
Why don't we use Express Install on the player download center on Adobe.com?
We do use it for our content, such as the Studio Experience and the Flash 10 year promo, and we have definitely discussed implementing it for the player download center. Right now, we are in the middle of a project to update the backend that drives the download center to improve the infrastructure. Changing things on the old infrastructure would end up being somewhat of a "throw away" effort, so I'd like to wait until we have the new infrastructure in place before rolling it out.
Posted by ehuang at 02:54 PM | Comments (38) | TrackBack
November 02, 2006
Adobe wins an Emmy for Flash Video (so now they have two)
The jokes have been coming my way all day, so I have to post about the fact that the Academy has awarded us with a Technical Engineering Emmy Award for our Flash Video technology. Yay!
As a side note, I was in fact named after the Emmy Awards. Coincidence...or destiny...? ;-P
Posted by ehuang at 06:38 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
October 18, 2006
Beta Refresh on Adobe Labs: Flash Player 9 for Linux beta now available
It's here!
Yes, it's true. The Flash Player 9 for Linux beta (9.0.21.55) has started on Adobe Labs. The site has also been updated with new builds for Windows and Macintosh (9.0.21.75).
The Flash Player 9 Update Beta for Linux includes the features of Flash Player 9 Update, with the exception of full-screen mode and SSL support (SSL support is currently available in the Linux Plugin but not the Linux Standalone Player). Full-screen mode and SSL support will be available in the final release. We've also posted a Linux Beta FAQ on the Flash Player wiki on Adobe Labs.
Now you can develop and test on your Linux machine. Use the free Adobe Flex 2 SDK , which includes the command-line compiler to develop and deploy Flex-based applications entirely on Linux machines. Flex Data Services is also supported on Linux. More info here on the Flex 2 for Linux wiki on Adobe Labs.
And, because this will be the next question now that we've satisfied your beta player needs: the Adobe Flash Player team is working on support for 64-bit platforms as part of our ongoing commitment to the cross-platform compatibility of Adobe Flash Player. We have not announced timing or release dates.
Known Issues - Linux
* Full-screen mode is not available for the Linux player yet. This feature will be implemented for the final release.
* SSL support is not available in the Linux Standalone Player. This feature will be implemented for the final release.
* Express Install is an unsupported feature due to the variety of Linux platforms, each handling the Adobe Flash Player plug-in installation in different ways.
* The plugin does not currently work in Opera browsers. We are working with Opera on these issues.
* Artifacts may appear when video initially plays.
* System fonts may appear differently between Linux distributions. Formatting issues may result.
* AMF3 connections do not work over RTMP. (186958)
* Right clicking outside of Flash Player while the context menu is displayed doesn't make the context menu disappear. Workaround: Left-click to turn off the context menu. (187957)
* IME is not available (no international text input). (184489)
* Acrobat Connect Add-In installation is not working at this time. (188318)
* The Standalone Player is available in English only. (184237)
More info on system requirements and fixed issues for Mac and Win in the release notes. You should also check any detection you've built for your demo sites -- we fixed the problem where the first beta was 9.0.18.x but we had already released the Intel Mac version as 9.0.20.x. Sorry about the confusion. Now Update 1 has been bumped up to 9.0.21.x across all available platforms.
Posted by ehuang at 04:40 PM | Comments (49) | TrackBack
October 10, 2006
Contribute your full-screen demos to the Adobe Labs wiki
I just created a demo showcase page on the Adobe Labs Wiki where you can contribute your full-screen demos. It is linked from the article on how to implement full-screen. I put a few in there just to start the list. We look forward to seeing more demos appear, and to your feedback in the forums.
Posted by ehuang at 11:01 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 03, 2006
Flash Player 9 Update Beta on Adobe Labs - bugfixes, Vista support and new full-screen mode feature
The beta version of an upcoming update for Flash Player 9 is now available on Adobe Labs. This release contains bug fixes, adds Vista support to the ActiveX player, and also includes a feature that I think you will all be excited about ... full-screen mode in the web players.
I know the first question that just popped into your head is "What about Linux?" The answer is: QE has not skipped a beat and is starting the beta certification of the Linux player which will go live on Adobe Labs when it passes the certification tests. You'll have to estimate when you think that will be on your own. ;-) Yes, it will be the same version as what was released today in the Win/Mac beta on Adobe Labs.
Ok, now back to full-screen mode. There is an article on Adobe Labs that describes how to use this feature, which includes new ActionScript 3.0 class files for Flash and Flex, a publishing template, and sample code. You can use full-screen mode for any type of Flash content or application, but we did consider Flash video applications the primary use case for this initial implementation. There are a few security-related restrictions that you need to be aware of, as they will limit the usefulness of full-screen for some types of interactive content. We hope to address these limitations in future versions of the Flash Player as we continue to develop this feature.
Developers should understand the following end-user security-related restrictions and design content accordingly. (These restrictions apply to the Flash plugin and ActiveX control, but not to the Flash standalone player or Flash projectors.)
* To enable full screen, you must add a new object and embed tag parameter - 'allowFullScreen=true' - to your html.
* An overlay dialog appears when the movie first enters full screen mode, instructing the user how to exit and return to normal mode. The dialog appears for a few seconds, then fades out.
* The ActionScript that initiates full-screen mode can only be called in response to a mouse click or key press.
* Users cannot enter text in text input fields while in full-screen mode. All keyboard input and key-related ActionScript is disabled while in full screen mode, with the exception of the keyboard shortcuts that take the viewer out of fullscreen mode.
Another enhancement that was added based on developer feedback is the the ADDED_TO_STAGE and REMOVED_FROM_STAGE events to allow a DisplayObject to monitor and know when it can or cannot access its stage property. The ADDED_TO_STAGE event is dispatched to a DisplayObject when it (or the tree in which it is contained) is added to the stage. The REMOVED_FROM_STAGE event is dispatched to a DisplayObject when it (or the tree in which it is contained) is removed from the stage.
For a list of publicly reported issues fixed in this release, see the release notes.
Please play around with, comment on, and file bugs against the new full-screen mode and the Vista compatible player. As with our standard public betas, we invite you to test the beta player to ensure we have not introduced any backwards compatibility issues. The Flash Player Team thanks you!!!
And stay tuned for the Linux beta announce...
Posted by ehuang at 06:53 PM | Comments (70) | TrackBack
September 12, 2006
Linux player in action - a Flashforward sneak!
It's late in the day, so you've probably already caught wind of the first public showing of an early version of the Linux Flash Player 9 during the keynote at Flashforward Austin. Garrett Nantz of Big Spaceship showed off the new Nike Air site and we hear it ran without a glitch.
Mike Downey was kind enough to send us some pics, since we couldn't be there in person. See! it was solid enough for us to send the demo off without a chaperone....
Posted by ehuang at 03:00 PM | Comments (33) | TrackBack
August 10, 2006
Announcing Flash Player 9 for Intel Macs
The Flash Player team is excited to announce the release and immediate availability of the Flash Player 9 universal binary for Intel-based Macs!
Flash Player 9 (9.0.20.0) includes bug fixes and optimizations related to the Intel-based Mac platform. Express Install will now be delivering a universal binary, which requires Mac OSX 10.2 or higher.
Fixed in 9.0.20.0:
One bug that seems to be affecting many users is an issue with sound playback from Flash Player. This is fixed in 9.0.20.0 but you can also work around it. The issue is a result of 3rd party software changing the default audio settings to something greater than 48Khz. You can change it back yourself to get sound working again, or install 9.0.20.0. Here is a link to the related technote.
Known issues for 9.0.20.0:
* Flash Player sound input does not work for OSX Audio MIDI sample rate settings higher than 48Khz. The microphone will either record noise or nothing. Some third party applications and MIDI breakout boxes will change the systemwide Audio settings on launch, and fail to return settings to default on close. To workaround this issue, go to Applications-> Utilities-> Audio MIDI Setup. Select Sound Input and change the properties for the 'Built-in Input' and/or 'Built-in Microphone' to a setting less than or equal to 48Khz. (160350)
* Pixel-based grid fitting does not work for Flash Player 9.0.20.0 for PowerPC or Intel-based Macintosh computers in Rosetta mode. Pixel-based grid fitting works in native mode on Intel-based Macs. Designers and developers that are using pixel-based grid fitting for Flash Type should use native mode on Intel-based Macs or the PowerPC version 9.0.16.0 if developing and viewing content on a PowerPC system. (180560)
* Express Install will not work for updating the Flash Player 8 preview release (8.0.17.0 or 8.0.27.0) to the latest. Users should go directly to the Player Download Center to install the latest release.
Please send bugs and issues to the wishform.
Posted by ehuang at 01:29 PM | Comments (26)
July 17, 2006
New security whitepaper for Flash Player 9 available
The updated Security Whitepaper for Flash Player 9 is now available on the Flash Player Developer Center. This whitepaper focuses on the security-related features of Flash Player, and describes both features introduced in previous players and new enhancements in Flash Player 9. With Flash Player 9, we introduced a few new security features but the basic security model is unchanged. Many of these are a result of the new ActionScript 3.0 language and AVM2.
New in Flash Player 9 (excerpt from page 12)
* The ActionScript 3.0 display list: This new architecture for working with onscreen objects provides more efficient code for checking the security restrictions for content loaded from different domains.
* Greater restriction of cross-domain visual and sound elements: New restrictions prevent (by default) SWF files from different domains inappropriately overlaying visual content in an application or from inappropriately stopping audio.
* Import loading of SWF files: When loading another SWF file, a loading SWF file can request that Flash Player check for a cross-domain policy file on the loaded file’s server, and if granted permission, the loading SWF file can access the loaded content with the same access as if it were loaded from the domain of the loading file.
* Access to sound data: ActionScript 3.0 provides greater access to the data in loaded sound (MP3) files, such as sound spectrum data. Cross-domain access to this data is controlled via cross-domain policy files.
* Better default location for cross-domain policy files: In ActionScript 3.0, the default source for a cross-domain policy file pertaining to socket connections is the same port as the socket (rather than an HTTP server).
* Restricted access to media data originating from RTMP servers: Flash Player 9 cannot access video data or sound spectrum data for media loaded from RTMP (Flash Media Server) sources, although it can display and play video and sounds loaded from these servers.
* Improved scope of permission mechanisms: Flash Player 9 provides more specific control when using the Security.allowDomain() and Security.exactSettings APIs than was available in previous versions. In Flash Player 9, using these APIs applies only to the SWF file that calls them, not to other SWF files from the same domain.
* The allowNetworking flag: A new HTML setting provides greater control of networking capabilities of SWF files.
Posted by ehuang at 04:58 PM | Comments (32)
June 29, 2006
Get your Intel Mac public beta of Flash Player 9 today!
The public beta site is up for the beta version of Flash Player 9 (9.0.18.0) for Intel-based Macintosh. It is a universal binary installer.
Thanks to engineering and QE for cranking this one out so quickly after our launch!
Enjoy, log bugs.
Posted by ehuang at 10:42 AM | Comments (14)
June 27, 2006
Flash Player 9 is now available!
It's here! Flash Player 9 (9.0.16.0) is now available on the Player Download Center. Flex 2 has officially been announced as well, so time to celebrate.
I've got a Logged In article that will appear on the Flash Player Developer Center, and you should check out the ActionScript Technology Center for articles and resources for ActionScript 3.0. (As of right now, we're still pushing web content live, so no direct links available just yet)
The blogosphere will be buzzing with commentary, so I'm going to use my little space to thank some people. First, my program manager ROCKs. I'm sitting here with her, eating dinner in the office, so that we can make sure everything looks ok on the live site for the launch. Fun ;-) But seriously, getting the download center, product pages, and all the dependencies and such ready to go and pushed live is quite a feat of coordination. Congrats to everyone on the Flash Player and Flex teams for delivering everything. AND, truly special thanks go to our magnificent web team for their amazing abilities and for seeing us through yet another huge launch.
Reminder! Check your website detection!
Ok...back to live QA...I'll provide better links in a while when things are all set.
Posted by ehuang at 09:11 PM | Comments (111)
June 14, 2006
Public beta refresh (9r7) and fixed bugs list
The public beta build was refreshed again today. Also, here is a list of fixed public beta bugs related to existing content. It was easier to go back to public beta 1, so here are the valid bugs reported and fixed in this or previous beta builds (13):
(166652) The Mac OS X Installer will not launch on non-English systems.
(173766) Crash on bank site www.fuib.com
(163378) Focus and text input breaks for flash movie with Custom component (from http://www.metaliq.com/mcom). Input boxes do not receive focus and blinking cursor does not appear.
(163564) OS X PPC installer should not install on Intel Mac systems
(164091) Playing with scale bars on http://www.quasimondo.com/archives/000615.php#000615 crashes player in Internet Explorer
(164300) Beta player crashes on Adobe Labs showcase content
(164432) Video preview on www.fox.com crashes when you change the program in previews
(162669) Flash Player crash in Safari when network is dropped
(164697) AttachMovie stops working in http://grossout.farmcreative.com.au/game.aspx
(164698) Movie at http://session.andre-michelle.com/fpop/ resizes itself to 0
(171132) Bringing PC out of hibernate mode takes longer after viewing flash content in Firefox. Also reported to Firefox as https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=265172
(171970) Installing player on Mac 10.3.9 fails for admin user - insufficient privileges
(174288) www.jabra.com crashes player
Also, remember to update your website detection to recognize Flash Player 9. We still get a few of these bug reports every few days.
Posted by ehuang at 03:26 PM | Comments (10)
June 13, 2006
Adobe Flash Player catalog for Microsoft SMS 2003 R2 available
Microsoft launched Systems Management Server 2003 R2 at their TechEd conference Monday. As part of their launch, we created and released an Adobe Flash Player catalog for use with the new Inventory Tool for Custom Updates feature. This is actually very cool functionality -- now 3rd party ISVs can publish software update catalogs for SMS that IT admins can subscribe to for notification of updates. Admins use the import tool to add the update to SMS, which downloads the installer packages, and then the update can be scheduled and pushed to the network. Think of it as the IT admin's version of the built-in Flash Player update notification feature.
If you're planning to use SMS 2003 R2, the catalog is available as part of the web player distribution licensing program. If you have already completed the licensing process within the last year (the term is one year so, here's a mini-reminder to renew if you need to) -- just return to your licensed downloads page. There is a new link for "Import SMS Catalog" on the page.
Posted by ehuang at 01:30 AM | Comments (2)
June 07, 2006
Flash Player 9 public beta version updated
We've been getting some good bug reports, so thanks to everyone who is testing existing content and taking the time to submit this feedback. We updated the public beta builds yesterday, so there is a newer version for your testing.
Remember, you will need to run the uninstaller to remove any existing version before running the installer for the v9 beta player.
Posted by ehuang at 11:12 AM | Comments (22)
May 25, 2006
Yes, Virginia, there will be a Flash Player 9 for Linux
It has been a while since the last update about Linux, so here we go...
Yes, Adobe is actively working on the Linux version of Flash Player 9. We expect to make a pre-release version available on Adobe Labs for early feedback and testing before the end of the year, with the full release expected in early 2007*. As delivering consistency across platforms is a core value of Flash Player, performance is one of the main goals of the Linux release.
I'm also happy to introduce a new Adobe blogger to you -- Mike M. is an engineer on the Flash Player team working on the Linux player. He just started up his blog, Penguin.SWF, and is excited to begin interacting with the community as we work towards this release. Not that I don't love the passionate comments from the community on all my posts. ;-)
* legal sez: this is the expected release timing and dates may change if Adobe finds it necessary.
*** 7.5.2006 ***
I'm closing comments on this entry because people are posting here without reading the other available info, or more recent posts. It's a bit hard to keep up with comments on old entries, but I think most of the addressable questions have been answered.
A quick summary:
* There is no Flash Player 8.5. It was renamed Flash Player 9 between Beta 2 and Beta 3.
* Flash Player 9 for Linux is under development and a beta will be made available soon. If you would like to follow along, one of our devs started his own blogs on the topic.
* When will it be released? Early 2007 is all that we have said publicly at this time.
I do encourage constructive feedback, and hope you visit Penguin.SWF to provide your input on the development of the Linux player.
Thanks!
Posted by ehuang at 04:40 PM | Comments (126)
May 08, 2006
Flash Player 9 Beta 3 available
The Flex 2/Flash Player 9 Beta 3 builds are now available at labs.adobe.com. The public beta for testing existing content has also been refreshed. It's Beta 3, so please please please log any bugs for legacy content that is not working as expected in Flash Player 9 so we can fix backwards compatibility issues prior to release.
Although the builds are the same for this release, if you are working with the Flex 2 beta you should only install the version of Flash Player that is available with Flex 2 on Adobe Labs to ensure compatibility with the framework during development.
Posted by ehuang at 06:33 PM | Comments (47)
April 20, 2006
Flash Player 8.5 beta to be renamed Flash Player 9
Nothing else has changed, just the version number. The player formerly known as "8.5" will be updated to "Flash Player 9" with the upcoming beta 3 release on Adobe Labs. I have posted an FAQ about this change in the Flash Player Wiki on Adobe Labs.
Personally, I think this is a good change since it signals the importance of the new virtual machine, the ECMAScript 4-based ActionScript 3.0 language, and the effort the Flash Player team has put forth to build these new capabilities into the player.
Can't stop humming old (artist formerly known as) Prince songs...
-----------
I'm closing comments on this old entry, because it attracts a lot of spammers for some reason.
Flash Player 9 has been out since June 2006, Linux player since Jan 2007, Solaris in July 2007. The source behind the ActionScript virtual machine was donated to the Mozilla open source Tamarin project (www.mozilla.org/projects/tamarin) in November 2006.
Posted by ehuang at 07:17 PM | Comments (125)
March 16, 2006
Flash Player 8.5 Public Beta available for testing existing content testing
Many developers already have downloaded Flash Player 8.5 from Adobe Labs as part of the Flex 2.0 beta, but today we are opening it up as a Public Beta to a wider audience of developers and consumers to test existing content plays back as expected.
This is something we do during our beta period to help us catch compatibility issues before our release. It's important to us (and essential!) that the content you develop and the sites you frequently visit work correctly with this upcoming release.
*Important note*
The public beta is for testing existing content. If you are working with the Flex 2.0 beta available on Adobe Labs, it is strongly recommended that you use the version of Flash Player 8.5 that is available on Adobe Labs.
7:01pm Just modified the heading to make more sense. Changed it to "existing" content ... "legacy" just sounded too ... old ;-)
Posted by ehuang at 10:05 AM | Comments (22)
March 15, 2006
Flash Player 8 Preview for Intel-based Macs available for download
We released an update to the Flash Player 8 Preview for Intel-based Macs (8.0.27.0) to fix some known browser compatibility issues with the initial version that was shipped with the new Macs (8.0.23.0).
The plugin is available from this technote.
We've also posted a related FAQ that covers common questions about Flash Player support for Intel-based Macs.
Posted by ehuang at 12:24 PM | Comments (8)
February 07, 2006
Lost in Transition
This week, I discovered that there were some backend changes as part of our transition that affected the player distribution licensing process. For anyone that submitted a request for the SWF spec or an information request through our online license forms after January 14th, your information was not lost but is currently inaccessible because it landed in a different queue.
We are working to resolve this asap, and we apologize for these delays and any inconvenience.
Posted by ehuang at 04:08 PM | Comments (3)
February 01, 2006
Flex 2.0 Beta available ... now with separate Flash Player 8.5 installer download
When we initially launched Labs and the Flex 2.0 alpha, a good bit of the not-as-positive feedback about the release centered on the fact that the player could only be installed if you downloaded the entire tool package. With the Beta release, you can now download and install Flash Player 8.5 alpha 3 separately ... and then go check out the sample apps in the showcase gallery.
Posted by ehuang at 01:45 PM | Comments (3)
January 31, 2006
Flash Player December Stats available!
The highly anticipated December NPD study is now available online. This is the first study to include Flash Player 8 penetration, and it looks like auto-update and Express Install really gave us a kick start out of the gate with the study reporting 45.2% penetration three months after the release. This is 56% faster than Flash Player 6 and Flash Player 7 in the first quarters of those releases. And, based on the server stats from our hosting company, Akamai, Flash Player 8 has been downloaded over 1.4 billion times since the September launch.
Have fun presenting all of your cool Flash 8 content concepts to your clients. ;-)
Posted by ehuang at 09:51 AM | Comments (3)
December 22, 2005
Why isn't there a Flash Player 8 for Linux?
It's been a question floating out there with no answer for a while now, and I actually posted a response on the Labs Forums. I'll repost it here so more people can find it/reference it:
"Based on the short time frame between announcing Flash Player 8 and Flash Player 8.5, we decided to work on developing a Linux version for Flash Player 8.5, which will ship after the Windows and Mac versions.
We have not yet announced plans to develop a 64-bit player on Linux."
*** Closing Comments ***
Flash Player 9 for Linux shipped in January 2007. This is a really old post. Please check recent postings for current/relevant info and updates.
Posted by ehuang at 02:28 PM | Comments (159)
December 21, 2005
Who's using Express Install?
Just curious if you know of other sites that have started using Express Install to upgrade people to Flash Player 8. The Sony Pictures site EnterTheUnderworld.com is the only non-Adobe (formerly Macromedia) one I know about right now.
Posted by ehuang at 03:35 PM | Comments (43)
December 20, 2005
Guy Watson article on Bitmap Caching
Since the DevCenter update hasn't hit the wire yet, I thought I'd point out Guy's new article on bitmap caching. It's a good read for how it works, and how to use the feature to optimize the visual performance of your content.
Posted by ehuang at 06:30 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2005
reminder: we offer distribution licenses for Macromedia Web Players
It always seems that a lot of people aren't aware of our licensing program, so here is a little reminder with links to the information. Macromedia offers MSI and MSM installers for Windows, and DMG for Mac OSX for distribution over intranet and fixed media through a simple online registration process.
www.macromedia.com/licensing/distribution
The process is very quick to complete and at the end of it you will receive an email with a link to the download page. This is the process that ensures you a) have the right installers and b) are legally distributing these installers over your network.
I have also seen some recent newsgroup postings that say the MSI isn't working for people. If you have steps to reproduce an error, or you would like the installer to do something differently/better, please submit a bug/feature request.
Posted by ehuang at 06:28 PM | Comments (3)
October 11, 2005
If you have a beta version of Flash Player 8 - auto-update won't work for you
We turned on auto-updating today for notifying Flash Player users that there is a new version available for download. For people who installed the beta versions of Flash Player 8, you won't be able to use the auto-update feature to upgrade -- so if you have a public beta version of Flash Player 8 installed, please go to the Player Download Center to get the release version. Otherwise, that upgrade dialog will periodically ask you to enter a process that you can't complete ...
Posted by ehuang at 06:03 PM | Comments (2)
October 06, 2005
no sleep for the wicked - flash player 8.5 and new flex 2 product line
We announced some exciting developments for the Flash Platform today - Macromedia Flex 2 product line and Flash Player 8.5. With Flash Player 8.5, we are introducing ActionScript 3.0 - an object-oriented, ECMAScript compliant programming language - and a new ActionScript Virtual Machine (AVM) designed to execute the new language orders of magnitude faster than the original VM. Both AVM2, the new virtual machine, and AVM1 are supported in the Player for backwards compatibility with existing and legacy content.
The other exciting news is that for the first time ever, we are making alpha versions of Flex Builder and Flash Player 8.5 available in conjunction with this year's MAX event. If you want to sign up for early notification of when bits are available for download, you can go to: http://www.macromedia.com/go/flex2notify.
For more detailed information about the products in today's announcement, read the Dev Center article Introducing the Flex 2 Product Line.
Posted by ehuang at 01:40 PM | Comments (12)
September 28, 2005
performance improvements in flash player 8
Well, Tinic sort of beat me to the punch with his post last week on Garbage Collection in Flash Player 8. Which is actually great, because he gives an engineer's perspective on one of the big reasons why performance is better in Flash Player 8, whereas I took a more high-level approach. Definitely read both for the full effect. Plus, there are sample tests and results available in the article that you can check out.
Performance improvements in Flash Player 8
Posted by ehuang at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)