November 2011
1 post
Adobe ceases development on mobile browser Flash →
I guess that’s that for this blog, then. Goodbye, cruel world!
June 2011
2 posts
Google Swiffy →
Swiffy converts Flash SWF files to HTML5, allowing you to reuse Flash content on devices without a Flash player (such as iPhones and iPads).
YESSSSSS
April 2011
1 post
Reinstalling Flash: Why I caved and rejected... →
Lex is going back to ClickToFlash, after having tried to follow Gruber’s advice on a Flash-free system. “Just a little too hard”, he says, which is the experience I had too.
February 2011
8 posts
Flash Player 10.2 is Here →
Oh good. I hope it fucking installs.
October 2010
1 post
YouTube5 – HTML5 Converter for YouTube videos →
I’ve been remiss in posting, but this seems appropriate. This Safari extension converts all YouTube videos to HTML5 by changing the embed tags. It works even for videos embedded outside YouTube, which the HTML5 beta doesn’t do.
August 2010
2 posts
June 2010
4 posts
May 2010
15 posts
A keen observation →
Because Adobe® Flash® is so Open®.
Adobe's "future of Flash" response →
Worth a read. Some quick quotes:
On Flash being optimised for mouse input:
For existing Flash content developed with mouse input in mind, the Adobe Flash Player runtime will automatically convert the touch events into mouse events. This allows Flash content designed for the desktop to work seamlessly on touch-based devices.
On Flash video:
There are many claims that H.264 will kill...
“Let’s all be very clear about something: Flash on Android is beta. It’s to be...”
– JeffCroft.com: On the Android Flash demo at FlashCamp Seattle
Unfortunate, but Adobe should never have let themselves get into this position.
Dan Wineman:
Today one of my web development clients asked me to provide an estimate for, among other tasks, “Removal of Flash programming to allow for web site readability on Apple devices.”
It has begun.
An apt post for this blog, I think.
(HT to sangsara.)
“Adobe’s much-beleaguered Flash is about to take another hit and online documents...”
– Scribd CTO: “We Are Scrapping Flash And Betting The Company On HTML5″ (TechCrunch)
Thank goodness. I like Scribd, but when presented with a document that I have to enable Flash for, I usually end up closing the window and moving on.
A Very Very Brief History of Flash and the Open... →
Not actually very brief, but more balanced than most. (Definitely more balanced than this site, but that’s a given.)
One thing, though:
Without a doubt Flash-sites have taken some bizarre turns over the years. Cursor trailers, excessive animations, “skip intro” cartoons that were more skip than intro - these types of things were all as annoying as everyone says. But I...
Top 10 Luxury Brands’ Sites Fail To Work On iPad →
The key issue is that all the key luxury brands have designed their sites to use Adobe’s Flash.
Tons of screenshots. It’s like DFD heaven! Via gruber.
April 2010
19 posts
“I guess he’s okay. But no one seems to be in support of him.”
– Louie Mantia’s Thoughts on Flash
Insightful.
Thoughts on Flash →
Surely I’m very much obliged to link to this article by one Steve Jobs.
Now accepting submissions
Please let me know which all-Flash (or unnecessarily partly-Flash) sites you’d like me to make fun of with the submit page. Thanks!
SWFAddress →
SWFAddress is a small but powerful library that provides deep linking for Flash and Ajax.
Deep linking is about providing access to one particular item on a website using a single URL. For example, I’m giving you a deep link to this Wikipedia article on deep linking. Deep linking allows parts of your site to be bookmarked and also crawled by search engines.
Many Flash sites, however,...
kung fu grippe: "Stop whining, and eat our... →
As is often the case, Merlin Mann says it better than any of us can.
He’s also responsible for this very amusing screen capture and commentary.
Features of Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5 →
So, there’s a new version of Flash CS5 which comes with a new product called Flash Catalyst. Flash Catalyst apparently allows the designer to create “expressive interfaces and interactive content without code”.
This is good news for me, right? I can look forward to even more amateurish Flash sites to make fun of.
“Actually, us big-headed UX people and web-standardistas probably need to look to...”
– UX Insights: an interview with Andy Budd
A very valid point. Flash, when done well, can be rich and immersive, and Flash designers have had a long head-start on anyone trying to do the same in, say, HTML5.
“Q: Any change in Apple position on Flash and Java?
Steve: No.”
– Live iPhone OS 4.0 event coverage – gdgt live
Multitasking and a gaming network for 50,000 games. Who needs Flash?
Flash Menu Builder →
Here’s the crux of the problem:
Key Features:
No Flash Programming or Design Skills Required
“No design skills required” is a key feature. Aargh! You evil bastards.
United Overseas Bank →
“Aw, come on, DFD!”, you may exclaim. “It’s just a site with a front page Flash banner. Surely it’s harmless and not particularly stupid?”
You’re right. The large block in the middle is, indeed, a Flash banner which rotates through the bank’s services and promotions. The one on the right is some kind of news box. While they don’t have to...
“Although multimedia has its role on the Web, current Flash technology tends to...”
– Flash: 99% Bad (Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox)
This was from October 2000. Nielsen’s criticisms still seem to hold true.