BUG : ExtendBacklightDuration on Distributable Player

When testing VGTrailers, I found something strange with ExtendBacklightDuration...
I first thought it was because I used a unsupported phone (Samsung I320)
Thanks to Darren, I know this bug also occurs on at least one supported phone : Samsung BlackJack

What is the bug ?
Well, when I play a video, I tried to extends backlight duration until the video ends...
Basically, I call fscommand2("ExtendBacklightDuration", 6); every 5 seconds (every 6 seconds I got some flicker)
Doing this, the backlight NEVER switch off, even after video ending...and using fscommand2("ExtendBacklightDuration", 0);

With AMP 1.1, I finally took the time to make some tests and was able to reproduce it (with AMP1.0 & AMP1.1)
I repeat : at this time, bug was only detected on 2 (Samsung) WiMo devices....
I unfortunatly can't test it on S60 devices since I don't own one and Nokia's RDA doesn't allow this kind of test...

So simply make a fla with this code

Stage.align = "TL";
Stage.scaleMode = "noScale";
fscommand2("DisableKeypadCompatibilityMode"); //patch for 5800, thanks Dale!
fscommand2("Fullscreen", true);


fscommand2("ExtendBacklightDuration", 35);
fscommand2("ExtendBacklightDuration", 35);

stop();

Publish it and deploy it using AMP....
BackLight 'should' never switch off again
even if you add a fscommand2("ExtendBacklightDuration", 0); or change the duration...

It's not the documented behavior...

If the time elapses without an additional call to this command, the backlight behavior reverts to the default duration.

So, if you first call fscommand2("ExtendBacklightDuration", XX)
you should never call fscommand2("ExtendBacklightDuration", YY) again before XX seconds

I got the same result publishing a 2.0, 2.1 or 3.0 SWF (I haven't CS4 so I was unable to test under 3.1)
If I load the SWF under FL2 player on my N70 w/o problem.

So, if you got this problem or could test it, I will happy to got your feedback.
If I missed something, I'm interested too!

Flash on Android...or the death of Flash Lite

I assume you know Adobe announced the first Android device with Flash

I first thought it was the port BSQuare talked about 4 months ago but it seems it's Adobe's own port.

So, why this title 'the death of Flash Lite' ?
Did you read on the press release or heard on Adobe spot these 2 words : "Flash Lite" ?
"Flash Platform" yes, but "Flash Lite" no
But, from the specs, we can say it's Flash Lite (AS2 support, Flash 10 in 2010...)
I personnally think we're seeing here the end of Flash Lite and the birth of Flash for mobile.
What the difference ? Probably none! ...except the resume nightmare (see below)

These last months, Adobe made a lot of change like with (Flash Platform, Flash Builder, Flash Catalyst...), I already told what I think about it and, now, I can add the mobile point of view...

So what is the 'resume nightmare' ?
Easy : what does a job title like "Flash Expert" will now mean ? Flash animator expert ? Flash Developper Expert ? Flash developper expert with Flex frameworks ? Flash developper expert in mobile ?!
Adobe already argued it's to make it clear...I still personnaly doubt it will !

My own experience : I'm receiving a lot of "Lead AS3 developper" job offers and I always have to explain I'm "Lead Flex developper", it's Flash, it's AS3...but I'm lost without my mx classes, components and Cairngorm !!!

So I can't imagine what a Flex developper will soon answer when he'll receive a Flash mobile job offer...or a Flash Lite developper an AIR/Flex job offer!

This said, I can't wait for AS3 on mobile !!!!!!

New SE capuchin phone : T715

Sony Ericsson announced yesterday a new phone : T715

A "credit-card sized slider style phone"...small screen...
It's strange since actually people are looking for wide screen for video & web browsing...

Support FL2.0 and capuchin

In App advertising - first look

As announced, I plan to release VGTrailers using in-app ads....

When I first looked to this kind of solution 1 year ago, I only found one company which, hélas, stopped it 2 months ago!

Now, the play has changed : almost half of the mobile adversting companies have an in-app ads solution.
Well, in fact, they have in-pittyPhone ads solutions !
Some of them also had Android solution and one had also BlackBerry and Palm solution...
Problem is these solutions need a SDK...it's not an API you can plug in using Flash Lite : no Actionscript SDK !

So I contacted 5(!) of the mobile advertising companies which seems to have a full API to find a solution.

See you in some days for, I hope, some results!

PS: If you already succeed to include dynamic ads on your Flash Lite app, please give me some feedback!

SE PlayNow app store submission in July

Finally, Sony Ericsson PlayNow submission website will open 1st July.
I know GetJar is behind the submission process so I can't wait to see how they mix SE PlayNow & GetJar !

Almium luxury clock : 130K in 2 months!

Today, while looking for news at GetJar, I noticed Almium luxury clock screensaver results : 129836 downloads in 2 months

At this rate, they'll beat Kamasutraining (remember, sex based games increase your traffic...but decrease your professional stats!)

I must say I'm VERY surprised...and even more looking at their 2nd screensaver, Aluminium luxury screensaver : only 25500 download

Do we see here the power of the famous "Recommended by GetJar" label ?
Note, it also helped me a lot ...

EDIT : I received an email this morning from FLite Developer Challenge sponsors. GetJar talks about this success. See Alessandro's post about it.

Flash Player 10 on Smartphones

From Mark, it's now official : the future of Flash on mobile will be Flash Player 10

I suggest you to listen to part 13 of Adobe Q2 Financial Results :
- OEM already got the beta version of this player
- Android & WebOs will support this player

3 notes :
- we're talking about SMARTPHONES not phones
- developer beta version available at MAX in October
- it seems it's about the Web Flash Player version ("web browsing experience")...what about standalone ?

Device Central CS3 #9

From Mark, a new update to Device Central CS3 is available.

I personnaly thanks Adobe for that...still using DC CS3, I missed Nokia 5800 and SE Capuchin phones !

So, what's new ?
- new Asian phones
- new Nokia phones (standard and luxe one)
- new Sony Ericsson capuchin phones

Mark added "Distributable Flash Player 3.1" but don't know what it means...nothing new on DC CS3 after update nor info on this on DC CS3 update page....
FL 3.1 + DC CS3 = ????

Unfortunatly, no Chumby profile :(
I had Scott Janousek's one but it's no longer up-to-date
I don't know if there is a Chumby profile on DC CS4....since Chumby is now a FL3.1 powered device, it should be...

FlashLite Phone Browser v1.1

This morning I released the new version of FlashLite Phone Browser (see on the right side the AIR badge to install it)

This version uses a database to store information and include Sony Ericsson phones.
You could also filter the Flash Lite version wanted.



Unfortunatly, when I made v1.0, I missed an important point about update so v1.0 users have to uninstall their versions before installing v1.1.
Sorry for that !

VGTrailers : video submitted to Flash Lite Developer Challenge

Here is the submitted video of VGTrailers, our entry to Flash Lite Developer Challenge.

You could see it's a very limited app...but, hé!, we made it in less than 1 month, using only sunday and some late hours ;)

Anyway, it was fun and we'll release it soon.

Chumby à Paris

2 months ago, I said Chumby will be 'soon' available in some Europeans countries.

It's done ! You can now buy Chumby if you live Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, France and UK !
Shipping cost is 24.95$ ... and doesn't move if you add TShirts!

So, I'll definitly get one soon !

(i)Phone UI prototyping

While reading info for the new iPhone (I still doesn't like it...for an user and developer point of view!), I found a very interesting idea : iPhone Stencil Kit

It could help a lot prototyping an app!

For more tools, I found an old post from Thomas Joos very interesting

From comments, I also found this "iPhone-Catalyst" :)



All of this may, of course, be ported to anything else than pittyPhone !

2009 : Android Year ?!

This morning, I was looking for all these new phones coming this year...
Link after link, I read more and more "new android phone by...", "first android phone of ..."
To summarize, I'll give you this link

the French Orange network will see Android powered handsets from Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG, Samsung and HTC

So almost every 'big' phones companies will release their android phone...
One is missing : Nokia....

Iphone, Android, Nokia S60 5th (and Flash10)......2012 will be interesting...

Flash Lite Developer Challenge : Nominees

At last, nominees list is available on the Flash Lite Developer Challenge page

Unfortunatly, VGTrailers isn't on the list....
If I could, I'll say Gamesflash has a lot more of functionnalities so it wins

I'm also surprised to not see Samir's PTA ... perhaps Synctur is better, I don't know

Congratulations to the nominees !
See you in 6 days for the winners ! :)

ps: I'll give more info on my own entry soon

Poulpy Game was downloaded 10K times !

Last week, after 3 months on GetJar, Poulpy Game reached the 10000 downloads score.
We're very happy !

I already made a post about Poulpy's stats so I will only add some new stuff :

I provided SWF, CAB and SIS files....
77% of people downloaded the SWF version
20% the CAB version
3% the SIS version

7500 download in first month
2500 download in 2 following months


Sukodu Classic got the same result in one month


Thanks to everyone who downloaded Poulpy Game!
I really hope you enjoyed it, like you'll enjoy our future releases!

New SE capuchin phones : Naite & C901GH

From Sony Ericsson, it seems SE is launching a new kind of phone : Greenheart™
Note, they already announced the prototypes in September'08.

The Naite & C901 are so FL2.0 enabled devices with Capuchin support, made of recycled plastics and with a low power consumption.

New SE Capuchin services !

While Nokia added the new Device service (thanks Dale to pointing it), Sony, following Satio announcement, added 10 new services :
-Accelerometer
-Bluetooth (!!)
-Contacts
-File (!!!!!!)
-Internationalization
-Location
-Messaging
-Multimedia (record audio!)
-Persistency
-Radio
+ the availability to create your own !

It's me or Sony is fighting hard with Nokia ?!
I can't wait for the Satio !

SE Labs : lot of Capuchin app to try!

June is SE's month !! ;)

Sony Ericsson launched its beta lab
You already can test 5 capuchin apps...the most interesting is the Capuchin Twitter

The Capuchin Twitter application allows both browsing and posting of tweets

I want a Capuchin enabled phone!!!
Please Sony, launch something like Nokia's RDA and Samsung's Labs!

SE PlayNow app store

Via AVIarts, SE launched its "content and service platform" and...will accept submission !
After Nokia's OVI, it's Sony Ericsson and its PlayNow !

I tried to open the Submission page w/o success so no more information right now...

I really hope it won't cost as much fees as for OVI store...

Flash lite on linux ?

Since I just discovered the Azingo phone, I made some research on Flash Lite from Linux based devices...
Please note these devices uses or can play Flash Lite. I'm not sure how and what for (ie UI, browser, standalone, widget ?)

For mobile, I so found
- Azingo
- QTopia based devices, using FLite player port from Calsoft Labs (see below)
- Linux 2.4 based devices, using FLite player port from BSquare

I thought the ALP based devices will add Flash Lite support too, since they used NetFront browser but I can't find any information..


For others devices, I found
- Chumby (Chumby Power!!!)
- SysGo
- QNX (Flash Lite 3.1.7)
- BSquare
- Calsoft Labs


I also found the Freescale optimized chip for Linux based device which will compet with ARM, Adobe partner ?

Azingo & Vodafone

It's not a "fresh" news but I was reading some stuff about LiMo and discovered the Azingo phone.

Something between Android (for its SDK) and the iPhone (for the UI), the phone includes Flash Lite 3.1 support (on a linux platform!)

jump to 1:30 for more info on flash lite

From their news, I learnt they made a contract with Vodaphone to distribute their phone. Also note their partnership with Adobe.