Presented at #AEL12. With the recent rise of web technologies like HTML5, it is important that the Flash Player continually evolve to remain the ideal technology platform for advanced interaction on the Web and beyond. Flash has always been an important enabler for education, and remains so. This session details the various enhancements, new functionality, and general improvements available in the new versions of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR®.

1. WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE
ADOBE® FLASH® PLATFORM
AND WHY IT IS STILL
RELEVANT FOR EDUCATION
Joseph Labrecque
Adobe Summer Institute | July 25th 2012
#AEL12

2. Joseph Labrecque, MA
Senior Interactive Software Engineer
University of Denver - Office of Teaching and Learning
Adjunct Faculty
Proprietor / Owner
Fractured Vision Media, LLC
Adobe Community Professional
Adobe Education Leader
Adobe Influencer
Author
Packt Publishing
O’Reilly Media
video2brain
Adobe Press
Peachpit
Artist
An Early Morning Letter, Displaced
shivervein
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3. Joseph’s Books, DVDs, & Videos
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4. Here is some more…
Published in: Appears in…
Adobe Inspire Magazine
Adobe Developer Connection
Adobe Developer Center
ZDNet LifeHacker
ActiveTuts+ The Flex Show
CodeBass DU Today
InsideRIA The Clarion
UX Magazine The Source
Flash and Flex Developer Magazine
Runtime Expectations
…and channels like YouTube!
…and more, and more.
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5. November 9th 2011
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6. What Happened?
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7. Mobile Flash Player
Why did Adobe Decide to no longer develop the Flash Player
for Mobile Browsers?
• The Flash Player was not going to achieve the same
ubiquity on mobile as it has on the desktop.
• Ubiquity of HTML5 on mobile browsers.
• Differences in how users consume rich content on mobile
devices compared to the desktop.
• Scalability of developing plugins for mobile browsers.
• Shifting some resources from Flash to HTML5
http://www.mikechambers.com/blog/2011/11/11/clarificati
ons-on-flash-player-for-mobile-browsers-the-flash-
platform-and-the-future-of-flash/
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8. Mobile Flash Player
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9. Desktop Flash Player
We feel that Flash continues to play a vital role of
enabling features and functionality on the web that
are not otherwise possible. As such, we have a long
term commitment to the Flash Player on desktops,
and are actively working on the next Flash Player
version.
http://www.mikechambers.com/blog/2011/11/11/c
larifications-on-flash-player-for-mobile-browsers-
the-flash-platform-and-the-future-of-flash/
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10. Mobile AIR
We are continuing to develop Adobe AIR for both the
desktop and mobile devices. Indeed, we have seen
wide adoption of Adobe AIR for creating mobile
applications and there have been a number of
blockbuster mobile applications created using
Adobe AIR.
http://www.mikechambers.com/blog/2011/11/11/c
larifications-on-flash-player-for-mobile-browsers-
the-flash-platform-and-the-future-of-flash/
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11. Flex Framework
We know Flex provides a unique set of benefits for
enterprise application developers. We also know that
the technology landscape for application development
is rapidly changing and our customers want more direct
control over the underlying technologies they use. Given
this, we are planning to contribute the Flex SDK to an
open source foundation in the same way we contributed
PhoneGap to the Apache Foundation when we acquired
Nitobi.
http://blogs.adobe.com/flex/2011/11/your-questions-
about-flex.html
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12. Exodus!
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13. Post-Apocalypse
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14. Adobe: “FLASH IS NOT DEAD”
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15. Flash Player
Flash Player 11.0 [October 2011]
Flash Player 11.1 [November 2011]
Flash Player 11.2 [March 2012]
Flash Player 11.3 [June 2012]
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16. Adobe AIR
Adobe AIR 3.0 [October 2011]
Adobe AIR 3.1 [November 2011]
Adobe AIR 3.2 [March 2012]
Adobe AIR 3.3 [June 2012]
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17. Apache Flex
December 2011 – July 2012:
• The Apache Flex Project has
received the entire Flex
Framework.
• The Apache Flex Project has
received the “mxmlc Flex
Compiler”.
• Flex SDK 4.8.0 parity release!
• Awaiting “Falcon” compiler.
http://incubator.apache.org/flex/
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18. Flash Professional CS6
• Mobile Simulator
• Captive Runtime
• Native Extensions
• Sprite Sheets
• PNG Sequences
• CreateJS
• SDK Manager
• Stage3D
• LZMA Compression
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19. Flash Builder 4.6
• Part of CS6 Master
Collection and
Creative Cloud
• Flex SDK 4.6
• Mobile
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20. ActionScript Native Extensions
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21. Captive Runtime
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22. PPAPI “Pepper” Plugin API
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23. BlackBerry 10
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24. Windows 8 “Metro”
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25. Flash Player Statistics
Flash Player 11 :: ~80%
Flash Player 10 :: ~15%
Flash Player 9 :: ~1%
“Not Detected”* :: ~4%
http://riastats.com/
Flash Player (all versions) 95.66%
http://www.statowl.com/
DU.EDU Stats* = ~96%
*Includes iOS
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26. Flash Player Statistics (cont.)
• 1.3 billion people with no install.
• 24 out of 25 top Facebook games are Flash Player.
• Facebook: Angry Birds Friends – 18 million people.
• Every 8 weeks – 200 million people opt-in to silent
installs.
• 200 million is over 3 times the number of XBOX360
units sold since 2005.
• Hundreds of millions of Flash Players can be
updated in 48 hours.
• 400 million connected desktops update to the new
version of Flash Player within a week of release.
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27. Flash Player Statistics (cont.)
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28. What’s New?
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29. Flash Player 11
• Stage3D • Secure Random #’s
• Cubic Bezier Curves • Secure Sockets
• removeChildren() • Socket Progress Events
• isPlaying() • G.711 Audio
• JPEG-XR • LZMA Compression
• H.264 Encoding • Garbage Collection
• Native JSON • Async Bitmap Decode
• 64-bit Runtime • High Resolution Bitmap
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30. AIR 3
• ActionScript Native Extensions
• Captive Runtime
• Camera Position API (mobile)
• Device Speaker Control (mobile)
• Background Audio Playback (iOS)
• Color Depth Setting (Android)
• StageText and StageVideo (mobile)
• Encrypted Local Storage (mobile)
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31. Flash Player 11.1
• Support for Android 4.0
• Security Enhancements
• Final version planned for Android
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32. AIR 3.1
• Updated Native Text (Android)
• Updated Native Extentions (iOS5)
• Security Enhancements
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33. Flash Player 11.2
• Stage3D -- Drivers Gating Relaxed to 2008
• Right-Click and Middle-Click Events
• Mouse Lock and Relative Coordinates
• Throttle Events
• Domain Memory Access
• Multithreaded Video Decode (desktop)
• Background Updates (Windows)
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34. AIR 3.2
• All the Flash Player 11.2 goodies except
auto-update.
• Improved compilation times.
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35. Flash Player 11.3
• Full Screen Keyboard Input
• Frame Label Events
• Mouse Release-Outside Event
• BitmapData Quality Draw Commands
• BitmapData Native Encoder (JPEG, PNG, JPEGXR)
• Driver Info Details
• NetStream -- Low Latency Audio
• Stage3D -- Texture Streaming
• Background Updates (Mac)
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36. AIR 3.3
• All the Flash Player 11.3 goodies except
auto-update.
• Aspect Ratio Handling (mobile)
• USB Debugging (iOS)
• Enhanced Background Behavior (iOS)
• Stylus Support (Android)
• Simulator Support (Mac)
• AppStore Support (Mac)
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37. Flash Player Premium Features
• AIR - Does not apply
• Use BOTH Stage3D
and DomainMemory
• AND make over
$50,000 USD
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38. Flash in Education
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39. ALORA (records management)
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40. CourseMedia (media distribution)
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41. VideoManager (catalog)
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42. VideoManager (stream)
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43. CrunchBuddy (smart ops)
• Server based AIR!
• Trancoding “brain”.
• Talks well with native
operating system,
Adobe Media Servers,
and custom web
applications.
http://ctl.du.edu/staff/jo
sephlabrecque/crunchb
uddy.htm
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44. Gaming (desktop and mobile)
• Flash Player is the
“Console of the web”
• 9 out of 10 top Facebook
games use Flash Player.
• The iOS App Store, Android
Market, and Amazon Appstore
feature best-selling #1 games.
• Abundance of tooling,
workflows, and frameworks.
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45. Simulations
Both 2D and 3D
simulations work well
in Flash Player.
http://kurst.co.uk/sa
mples/fbglobe/
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46. Other Targets
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47. CreateJS
• Classic tweens & easing
• Bitmaps, text, vector art, sounds
• Groups, movieclip & graphic symbols
• Shadow & glow, add blend mode, cache
• Labels & timeline JavaScript
• Warnings
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48. Sprite Sheets
• Export image sequences
from symbols & bitmaps
in Library
• Transform symbols &
export sequences from
Stage
• Process automation
using JS APIs
• Create sprite sheets from
symbols in Library or on
Stage
• JSON, XML, JS output
• Extensible data output
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49. Adobe Edge
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50. Unity
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51. Making Choices
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52. Flash Player in the Browser
Adobe might say:
• Gaming / Simulations
• Premium Video
In reality, use Flash Player
when you are okay with a
desktop-only experience and
need the reliability, power, and
richness Flash Player
provides.
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53. Adobe AIR Package
• MOBILE!
• Desktop apps
• Server-based apps
• Need ANEs
• Translate web-based
Flash Player
experience to devices
which have no Flash
Player.
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54. Native Application
• When you are only
targeting ONE single
platform.
• When you absolutely
need the speed and
power of native.
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55. Flash Player w/ Canvas
One strategy for mobile:
• Use Flash Player experience on
desktop.
• Fallback to a lighter, canvas or
DOM experience for mobile.
• CreateJS is a great enabler!
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56. HTML & Friends
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57. HTML vs. Flash / HTML & Flash
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58. Looking to the Future
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59. Flash Player 11.4 + AIR 3.4
• ActionScript Workers 1.0 (Flash Player)
• ATF textures with Stage3D
• Stage3D constrained mode – 2005
• StageVideo.attachCamera
• Camera.copyToByteArray / Camera.copyToVector
• LZMA compression for ByteArray
• AIR iOS Push Notifications
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60. ActionScript “Next”
Performance is the primary goal when we approach
how to evolve ActionScript. Adobe aims to increase
developer productivity by simplifying the language,
improving tool support, and boosting bug
prevention. Having reduced unnecessary
complexity, we will be in a position to innovate
within the Flash runtimes much more quickly.
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61. Flash Player “Next”
The primary goal of this work is to provide a modern
implementation of the core Flash runtimes and the
ActionScript virtual machine in order to significantly
improve script execution performance and provide a
foundation on which Flash can move forward over
the next decade.
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62. Flash Professional “HellCat”
• Rebuilt! 64-bit!
• Modernized codebase
• What else???
• Shhhh…
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63. Flash Builder 4.7
• We know it is coming… August
• Streamlined – lots of fluff removed.
– Flash Catalyst
– Data Wizards
– Design View …I actually love design view 
• Falcon compiler!
• Apache Flex!
• ActionScript Workers!
• More?
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64. Adobe Media Server 5
• Renamed “Flash Media Server” since it
serves to more than just Flash Player.
• Targets Flash Player, AIR, iOS, more?
• Adobe Access 4 integration.
• Advanced DRM for iOS HLS streams.
• Same DRM protection as other targets.
• Great for big-name broadcasters.
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65. Adobe Monocle
Advanced profiling tool.
Works with release version
of Flash Player.
Step through calls with
visual accompaniment.
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66. Starling
• Free & Open Source
• Platform independent
• Amazing Performance
• Familiar API
• Embraced by Adobe
• Powered by the Community
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67. Away3D
• Free and Open Source
• Starling Integration
• Materials / Shaders
• Cameras
• Lights
• Primitives
• Physics
• Frame-based animation
• Prefab3D companion app
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68. Proscenium
ActionScript 3 code library
built on top of the Adobe®
Flash® Platform Stage3D
APIs that allows for rapid
development of interactive
3D content.
Experimental!
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69. 2D Game Libraries
CitrusEngine
[http://citrusengine.com/]
StarlingPunk
[http://www.andysaia.com/radicalpropositions/starlingpunk/]
Flixel
[http://flixel.org/]
Axel
[http://www.axgl.org/]
FlashPunk
[http://flashpunk.net/]
SmashIO
[http://smash.io/]
AS3isolib
[http://code.google.com/p/as3isolib/]
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70. 3D Game Libraries
Alternativa3D
[http://alternativaplatform.com/en/]
Away3D
[http://away3d.com/]
Flare3D
[http://www.flare3d.com/]
Unity
[http://unity3d.com/?flash]
Unreal Engine
[http://www.unrealengine.com/flash/]
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71. Thank you.
@JosephLabrecque
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