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Skyfire For Android Enables (Some) Flash Video

Posted by timothy on from the not-your-grandma's-headline dept.

harrymcc writes "Skyfire, a browser formerly available only for Windows Mobile and Symbian, is releasing a beta for Android. The most notable feature: It can identify Flash video on Web pages and convert it to HTML5 and H.264 on the fly, so it'll play on Android phones. It doesn't support all video, and may be rendered somewhat superfluous when Adobe ships Flash Player 10.1 for Android — but it's an impressive trick."

4 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Re:lol by h4rr4r · · Score: 4, Insightful

    To be fair flash is a piece of shit on all platforms. It only exists because it makes creating content brain dead easy.

  2. Re:lol by EvanED · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I thought Flash was some kind of perfect standard for video and it was already supported on every platform in existence. After all, that's why everyone is so pissed at Apple for failing to support Flash, right?

    Just because Flash sucks doesn't mean that "I can't get the content I want" is better.

    The only reason any device might not support Flash right now is if the manufacturer is evil?

    That's a Red Herring. Adobe would love to provide Flash support for the iPhone, but Apple won't allow it. That's what matters, not whether Adobe was quick-on-the-draw to get support to Android.

  3. Re:Android does support Flash? by evJeremy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm pretty sure the n900 does.

  4. Re:Android does support Flash? by kurt555gs · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Nokia N900 supports Flash in it's own browser, or Firefox, or Chromium. Unlike iWhatever or Android there are no limits put on you. Oh, and you have root access, and can develop in whatever you want, and don't have to ask anyone for any permission, to do anything.

    So there!

    --
    * Carthago Delenda Est *