Adobe Flash Player

Adobe Flash Player
Developer(s) Adobe Systems (formerly by Macromedia)
Initial release 1996; 15 years ago (1996)
Stable release 11.1.102.55  (November 11, 2011; 3 months ago (2011-11-11)) [±]
Preview release 11.2.202.160 Beta 3  (December 20, 2011; 57 days ago (2011-12-20)) [±]
Operating system Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Android, and Pocket PC
Platform Web browsers and ActiveX-based software
Available in Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Spanish, Korean, and Turkish.[1]
Type Run-time environment, Media Player and Browser extension
License Freeware
Website www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

The Adobe Flash Player is software for viewing multimedia, Rich Internet Applications and streaming video and audio, on a computer web browser or on supported mobile devices. Flash Player runs SWF files that can be created by the Adobe Flash authoring tool, by Adobe Flex or by a number of other Macromedia and third party tools. Flash Player was created by Macromedia and now developed and distributed by Adobe Systems after its acquisition. Flash Player supports vector and raster graphics, 3D graphics, an embedded scripting language called ActionScript and streaming of video and audio. ActionScript is based on ECMAScript, and has supports object-oriented code, and may be compared to JavaScript. Flash Player has a wide user base, with over 99% penetration on internet connected personal computers, and is a common format for games, animations, and GUIs embedded into web pages.

Flash Player is freely available as a plugin for recent versions of web browsers (such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari) on selected platforms. Google Chrome integrated the player into the distribution. Each version of the plugin is backwards-compatible.

Flash Player is used internally by the Adobe Integrated Runtime (Adobe AIR), in order to provide a cross-platform runtime environment for desktop applications and mobile applications. The runtime supports installable applications on Windows, Linux, Mac OS and some mobile operating systems such as iOS and Android. Flash applications must specifically be built for the Adobe AIR runtime in order to utilize additional features provided, such as file system integration, native client extensions, native window/screen integration, taskbar/dock integration, and hardware integration with connected Accelerometer and GPS devices.[2]

Contents

Runtime

Adobe Flash Player is a runtime that executes and displays content from a provided SWF file. The SWF File Format has recently become an open format standard. Adobe has not been willing to make complete source code of the Flash Player available for free software development. The source code for the ActionScript Virtual Machine has been released as a project named Tamarin[3] under the terms of an MPL/GPL/LGPL tri-license. It includes the specification for the ActionScript byte code format. This project is jointly managed by Mozilla and Adobe. The full specification of the SWF format is available without restriction by Adobe.[4] However, the free software player Gnash is quite incomplete at this time.[5]

Availability

Desktop platforms

The latest version of Flash Player, version 11, is available for all major desktop platforms, Windows (XP and newer), Linux, Solaris and Mac OS X.[6]

Adobe released an alpha version of Flash Player 10 for x86-64 Linux on November 17, 2008. Adobe released a beta version of Flash Player 11 on July 13, 2011, which has 64-bit editions for all supported platforms.[7] Flash Player 11 was released to web on October 3, 2011.

Adobe Flash Player 11 is available in three flavors: "ActiveX", "Plug-in" and "Projector". The "ActiveX" version is an ActiveX control for use in Internet Explorer and any other Windows applications that supports ActiveX technology. The "plug-in" version is available for Netscape-compatible browsers on Microsoft Windows, Macintosh and Linux. The "projector" version is a standalone player that can open SWF files directly.[8]

Mobile platforms

Flash Player 11 is available for Android (ARM Cortex-A8 and above[9]) and Apple iOS.[6] Flash Player is also certified to be supported on a select range of mobile and tablet devices, from Acer, Dell, HTC, Lenovo, Logitech, LG, Motorola, Research In Motion, Samsung, Sharp, SoftBank, Sony (and Sony Ericsson) and Toshiba.[10][11][12]

Version 9 is the most recent official version currently available for the Linux/ARM-based Nokia 770/N800/N810 Internet Tablets running Maemo OS2008, classic Mac OS and Windows 95/NT.[13][14] Version 10 can be run under Windows 98/Me using KernelEx. HP offers Version 6 of the player for HP-UX.[15] Other versions of the player have been available at some point for OS/2, Symbian OS, Palm OS, BeOS and IRIX.[16] The Kodak Easyshare One includes Flash Player.[17]

Adobe said it will optimize Flash for use on ARM architecture (ARMv6 and ARMv7 architectures used in the ARM11 family and the Cortex-A series of processors) and release it in the second half of 2009. The company also stated it wants to enable Flash on NVIDIA Tegra, Texas Instruments OMAP 3 and Samsung ARMs.[18][19] Beginning 2009, it was announced that Adobe would be bringing Flash to TV sets via Intel Media Processor CE 3100 before mid-2009.[20] Later on, ARM Holdings said it welcomes the move of Flash, because "it will transform mobile applications and it removes the claim that the desktop controls the Internet."[21] However, as of May 2009, the expected ARM/Linux netbook devices had poor support for Web video and fragmented software base.[22]

Among other devices, LeapFrog Enterprises provides Flash Player with their Leapster Multimedia Learning System and extended the Flash Player with touch-screen support.[23] Sony has integrated Flash Player 6 into the PlayStation Portable's web browser via firmware version 2.70 and Flash Player 9 into the PlayStation 3's web browser in firmware version 2.50.[24] Nintendo has integrated Flash Lite 3.1, equivalent to Flash 8, in the Internet Channel on the Wii.

The following table documents Flash Player support on mobile operating systems:

Operating System Prerequisites Usage Latest Adobe Flash Player
Android Android 2.2+, ARM Cortex-A8+ Standalone Applications & Internet Browser[25] Flash Player 11.1, AIR 3.1[9][26][27]
Apple iOS None Standalone Applications Flash Player 11.1, AIR 3.1 [6][26]
BlackBerry Tablet OS None Standalone Applications Flash Player 11.1, AIR 3.1 [26][28]
Maemo Internet Browser Flash Player 9.4[29]
PS3 Firmware 2.50, NetFront 2.81 Internet Browser Flash Player 9.1 (update 3)[30]
PSP Firmware 2.70 Internet Browser Flash Player 6[30]
Symbian OS Internet Browser Flash Lite 4.0[31]
Wii Opera Internet Channel Flash Lite 3.1[32]
Pocket PC Pocket PC 2003[33] Internet Browser Flash Player 7 (stand-alone apps v6)[34][35]
Windows Mobile Windows Mobile 5[33] Internet Browser Flash Player 7[34]

Privacy

See also: Local Shared Object

Flash Player supports persistent local storage of data (also referred to as local shared objects), which can be used similarly to HTTP cookies or Web Storage in web applications. Local storage in Flash Player allows websites to store non-executable data on a user's computer, such as authentication information, game high scores or saved games, server-based session identifiers, site preferences, saved work, or temporary files. Flash Player will only allow content originating from exactly the same website domain to access data saved in local storage.[36]

Because local storage can be used to save information on a computer that is later retrieved by the same site, a site can use it to gather user statistics, similar to how HTTP cookies and Web Storage can be used. With such technologies, the possibility of building a profile based on user statistics is considered by some a potential privacy concern. Users can disable or restrict use of local storage in Flash Player through a web-based "Settings Manager" page.[37] These settings can be accessed from the Adobe website or by right-clicking on Flash -based content and selecting "Global Settings..."

Local storage can be disabled entirely or on a site-by-site basis. Disabling local storage will block any content from saving local user information using Flash Player, but this may disable or reduce the functionality of some websites, such as saved preferences or high scores and saved progress in games. Due to exceptions generated by many flash applications when local storage is turned off, video may never appear, or the player may appear to crash due to the latest 3.x Firefox plugin container implementation.

Beginning with Flash Player 10.1, Flash Player supports the privacy mode settings in the latest versions of the Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari web browsers, such that no local storage data is saved when the browser's privacy mode is in use.[38]

Release history

Adobe Flash release notes do not disclose the security issues addressed when a release closes security holes, making it difficult to evaluate the urgency of a particular update.

Criticism

In April 2010, Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Inc. criticised the stability of the Flash Player, claiming that when one of Apple's Macintosh computers crashes, "more often than not" the cause can be attributed to Flash. Additionally, he labeled Flash as "buggy".[51]

Adobe's CEO Shantanu Narayen responded by saying, "If Flash [is] the number one reason that Macs crash, which I'm not aware of, it has as much to do with the Apple operating system."[52]

Despite 64-bit operating systems being mainstream for 5 years and the majority of PC's sold today running 64-bit Windows, Adobe did not release a version of Adobe Flash Player for 64-bit browsers until 2011, playing a part in holding back the use of 64-bit browsers.

Apple controversy

As of 2011, Flash Player has emerged as the de facto standard for online video publishing on the desktop, with adaptive bitrate video streaming, DRM, and fullscreen support.[53][54] On mobile devices however, after major operating system providers such as Apple and Microsoft refused to allow Flash Player within web browsers, Adobe has stopped all Flash Player development for mobile browsers in favor of HTML5.[55][56]

In April 2010, Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Inc. published an open letter explaining why Apple wouldn't allow Flash on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, citing the following technical reasons:

There has been speculation that Steve Jobs rejected Flash for business reasons, rather than the technical reasons he mentions in his letter.

“ Allowing Flash—which is a development platform of its own—would just be too dangerous for Apple, a company that enjoys exerting total dominance over its hardware and the software that runs on it. Flash has evolved from being a mere animation player into a multimedia platform capable of running applications of its own. That means Flash would open a new door for application developers to get their software onto the iPhone: Just code them in Flash and put them on a web page. In so doing, Flash would divert business from the App Store, as well as enable publishers to distribute music, videos and movies that could compete with the iTunes Store. ”

—"Why Apple Won’t Allow Adobe Flash on iPhone," Wired Magazine, (2008)[65]
“ This is not about technology. The criticisms from Apple about Flash can also be applied to many other systems that Apple has not directly opposed. Therefore Apple's stance appears driven by their business need to protect the iPhone platform against the threat of a cross-platform competitor. ”

—Ray Valdes, V.P. of Gartner Research - "Why Adobe Flash on mobile isn't dead" (2010)[66]
“ "[Apple is] very, very keen to keep control of the end-to-end experience and therefore having a separate runtime in the form of Adobe is a problem, One could argue it could be detrimental to Apple's business model because there's a lot of Adobe games - or games that are delivered in Flash - which are free and therefore that would detract from people downloading [paid gaming content] from the App Store." ”

—Ben Wood, Director at CCS Insight[67]

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ Flash Player Download Center
  2. ^ [www.adobe.com/products/air.html Adobe AIR 3], Adobe
  3. ^ Tamarin Project. Mozilla.org (2010-10-05). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  4. ^ SWF Technology Center | Adobe Developer Connection. Adobe.com (2009-07-14). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  5. ^ "Gnash Reference Manual". www.gnu.org. http://www.gnu.org/software/gnash/manual/gnashref.html#runs-on. Retrieved 2011-11-12. 
  6. ^ a b c iOS features in Adobe AIR 2.6, Adobe Devnet
  7. ^ http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/flashplayer11.html
  8. ^ "Downloads". Adobe Flash Player Support Center. http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/downloads.html. Retrieved October 29, 2011. 
  9. ^ a b "Flash Player 10.1 – Installations and updates". http://www.flashmobileblog.com/2010/03/02/flash-player-10-1-installations-and-updates/. Retrieved 2010-11-19. 
  10. ^ Flash Platform Certified Devices, Adobe
  11. ^ Flash Platform Certified Devices: Smartphones, Adobe
  12. ^ Flash Platform Certified Devices: Tablets, Adobe
  13. ^ Web Players. Adobe. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  14. ^ [1]
  15. ^ [2]
  16. ^ MACROMEDIA INTRODUCES FREE FLASH PLAYERS FOR LINUX, SOLARIS, IRIX USERS. | Technology > Software Services & Applications from. AllBusiness.com. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  17. ^ Macromedia – Flash Player SDK http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer_sdk/ (Taken 7 July 2006).
  18. ^ Press Room: For immediate release. Adobe. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  19. ^ Adobe Flash 10 to be ARM-optimized in 2009. Electronista (2008-11-17). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  20. ^ Press Room: For immediate release. Adobe. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  21. ^ ARM welcomes Adobe's mobile Flash move – 5/2/2008. Electronics Weekly (2008-05-02). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  22. ^ ARM netbooks struggle with video, apps. Eetimes.com (2009-04-14). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  23. ^ Adobe Success Story: LeapFrog Enterprises http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/showcase/index.cfm?event=casestudydetail&casestudyid=21019&loc=en_us (Taken 7 July 2006).
  24. ^ "New info on the firmware updates for PS3 and PSP". ThreeSpeech. 2008-10-14. http://threespeech.com/blog/2008/10/new-info-on-the-firmware-updates-for-ps3-and-psp/. 
  25. ^ Adobe Flash Player, Android Market
  26. ^ a b c Announcing Flash Player 11 and AIR 3, Adobe Flash Platform Blog
  27. ^ Flash Player 10.1: Live and Ready for Android « Adobe Flash Player Team Blog. Blogs.adobe.com. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  28. ^ [3] Retrieved on 2011-09-19.
  29. ^ Maemo software | Nokia › Maemo Browser. Maemo.nokia.com. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  30. ^ a b Mobile and Devices Developer Center: Sony PSP. Adobe (2007-07-16). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  31. ^ Symbian ^3. Adobe Flash Lite (2010-04-27). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  32. ^ Scott Janousek » Blog Archive » Nintendo Wii Flash Player supported via Opera updated to Flash Lite 3.1 (Flash 8/9). Flashmobile.scottjanousek.com (2009-09-01). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  33. ^ a b Download Macromedia Flash Player 7 for Pocket PC, Adobe
  34. ^ a b Flash Player 7 For Pocket PC. Adobe (2009-07-14). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  35. ^ rich Internet applications | Adobe Flash Platform runtimes. Adobe.com (2009-07-14). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  36. ^ "What Is a Local Shared Object?". Adobe Systems. http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/articles/lso/. Retrieved 1 July 2010. 
  37. ^ "Adobe Flash Player Settings Manager". Adobe Systems. http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html. Retrieved 1 July 2010. 
  38. ^ "Private browsing in Flash Player 10.". Adobe Systems. http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplayer/articles/privacy_mode_fp10.1.html. Retrieved 1 July 2010. 
  39. ^ Macromedia, Inc. (2002-03-04) Macromedia and Sorenson Media bring video to Macromedia Flash content and applications, Retrieved on 2009-08-09
  40. ^ "Adobe Completes Acquisition of Macromedia". Adobe Systems. 2005-12-05. http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200512/120505AdobeAcquiresMacromedia.html. Retrieved 2007-06-18. 
  41. ^ Emmy Huang: Flash Player 9 Update (9.0.28.0) release now available for Windows and Macintosh
  42. ^ Adobe – Developer Center : Exploring full-screen mode in Flash Player 9
  43. ^ Adobe press release: http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200712/120407adobemoviestar.html. Blog post from Emmy Huang, the Product Manager for Adobe Flash Player: http://weblogs.macromedia.com/emmy/archives/2007/12/flash_player_9_10.cfm
  44. ^ a b Adobe Systems Incorporated (2007-12-03) List of codecs supported by Adobe Flash Player, Retrieved on 2009-08-05
  45. ^ [4]
  46. ^ features Flash Player 10.3 Release Notes
  47. ^ Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 Release Notes: 10/04/11
  48. ^ Introducing Molehill: 3D APIs for Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR, Adobe Edge
  49. ^ Extending AIR, Adobe Devnet
  50. ^ Flash Player 11.1 and AIR 3.1 User Release Notes: 11/09/11
  51. ^ Cassella, Dena (2010-02-01). "Steve Jobs Unleashes His Fury During Town Hall Meeting". http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/steve-jobs-unleashes-his-fury-during-town-hall-meeting/. Retrieved 2010-02-22. 
  52. ^ Richmond, Shane. (2010-04-30) Adobe hits back at Apple's 'smokescreen' – Telegraph Blogs. Blogs.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  53. ^ Flash and the HTML5 <video> tag, YouTube Blog
  54. ^ Pardon Our Dust, Hulu Blog
  55. ^ Adobe abandons Flash Player on mobile browsers for HTML5, CBS News
  56. ^ Adobe abandons Flash for mobile devices, The Telegraph
  57. ^ Response to “Thoughts on Flash”, True Gryc Blog
  58. ^ YouTube Mobile gets a kick start, Official YouTube Blog
  59. ^ Steve Jobs (2010-04-29). "Thoughts on Flash". Apple. http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
  60. ^ future of Flash. Adobe (2009-07-14). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  61. ^ Symantec Global Internet Threat Report for 2009, page 40, "In 2009, Symantec documented 321 vulnerabilities affecting plug-ins for Web browsers (figure 9). ActiveX technologies were affected by 134 vulnerabilities, which was the highest among the plug-in technologies examined. Of the remaining technologies, Java SE had 84 vulnerabilities, Adobe Reader had 49 vulnerabilities, QuickTime had 27 vulnerabilities, and Adobe Flash Player was subject to 23 vulnerabilities. The remaining four vulnerabilities affected extensions for Firefox."
  62. ^ Comparing Flash, HTML5 Performance, OS News
  63. ^ Battery Performance with Flash Player 10.1 on Nexus One, Flash Mobile Blog
  64. ^ Reference Designs and Demos, QNX
  65. ^ Why Apple Won’t Allow Adobe Flash on iPhone | Gadget Lab. Wired.com. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
  66. ^ Why Adobe Flash on mobile isn't dead - despite what Apple's Steve Jobs says, Silicon.com
  67. ^ Why Adobe Flash on mobile isn't dead, page 2, Silicon.com

External links

File formats
Software
Viewers
Adobe Flash Player · Adobe Flash Lite · Adobe AIR · Gnash · Lightspark · Qflash · Swfdec
Authoring tools
Server-side software
Related topics