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Creating mobile content with Flash Lite

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New Features

Understanding the mobile world

For a long time, mobile content and data services were the future. But today, the world is filled with mobile and consumer electronic devices. Phones, PDAs, MP3 players, portable gaming consoles—they all make life more convenient for consumers, and that's why the mobile market is skyrocketing. By the end of 2007, there will be 2,713 million mobile devices in use worldwide (Gartner Dataquest July 2007) compared to 755 million PCs (Forrester July 2007).

Unlike the open environment of the web—where anyone can create and upload content—the mobile world is still, in many ways, a closed world with a very specific content ecosystem:

• Content providers, designers, and developers create original mobile content that they can distribute through OEMs, operators, and aggregators
• OEMs manufacture mobile devices and network equipment. Devices can be open or closed; open devices allow users to download third-party software and content.
• Operators manage the network, service provisioning, billing, and customer service. Operators also can control what content end users can view on their mobile portals or "decks" or push content to users via text messages
• Aggregators collect and distribute mobile content directly to consumers or through their relationships with operators
• Brands and companies pay for advertising inventory

The world of mobile devices is also different from the web world in other respects. In the mobile world, device diversity and frequent releases are the norm, network speeds can fluctuate from spot to spot, screen sizes and form factors vary greatly from device to device, device firmware can't always be updated, and each geographical region has unique characteristics.

To enter the mobile ecosystem, designers and developers need the right tools and resources. Adobe Flash Lite paves the way for mobile content development and distribution.

If you have cool, compelling, or innovative Flash Lite content that you would like to submit as a candidate to be showcased on this page, send an email to flcontent@adobe.com with your name, SWF or FLV file, and a brief description of the content. We will contact you if you have been selected.

What is Flash Lite?

Based on the Adobe Flash Platform, Flash Lite is the runtime specifically optimized for mobile phones and consumer electronic devices. "Lite" means that it has a light footprint in all ways: file size, memory usage and CPU requirements. Using the same Flash skills and tools you already have, you can take mobile design to new levels of creativity and interactivity.

Flash Lite supports many different content types—including wallpapers, screensavers, games and applications—so there's no limit to the kinds of applications you can create (see above for more examples):

• Real-time, interactive traffic maps
• Games
• Animated screensavers
• Advertising and mobile marketing applications

There are a lot of factors to take into account when developing mobile content, including the device and operating system you're developing for, as well as which content types and versions of Flash Lite they support. In the Adobe Mobile & Devices Developer Center, you'll find detailed information about Flash Lite-supported handsets. In Adobe Device Central CS3—a new component in all Adobe Creative Suite 3 editions and several point products such as Flash CS3 Professional—you can view device profiles to access detailed information on capabilities and Flash Lite functionality per device.

Additional resources:

• Getting started with Adobe Flash Lite Guide (PDF, 1.5 MB)
• Flash-enabled devices (as of February 24, 2008) (PDF, 418K)
• Flash Lite version comparison chart (PDF, 156K)
• Adobe Device Central online help
• Flash Lite Exchange (examples of third-party Flash Lite content)
• Adobe Developer Center for Flash Lite
• Adobe Flash Lite
• Adobe Device Central CS3

The Flash Lite opportunity

Today, over 300 different models of Flash Lite-enabled devices are available, and you can create content directly for more than 100 models. Over 500 million Flash Lite-enabled devices have shipped around the world. According to Strategy Analytics, the number of Flash Lite shipped devices will reach more than 1 billion by the end of 2010. That means there's a significant opportunity to make waves in the world of mobile content as an early innovator and put your work in the hands of millions of users around the world—and generate incremental revenue by selling that content through Adobe's global partner network or through client-contracted work.

Today, many of these devices are pre-installed with Flash Lite 1.1, while some support Flash Lite 2.0. With the release of the Flash Lite 3.0 player in Q4 2007—including Flash Video support—you will have more opportunities to create and distribute content. The penetration of Flash Lite 3.0 devices will grow over time as more device OEMs and operators adopt this new technology.

If you already develop using Flash, there's little learning curve for Flash Lite. That means lower development costs and a faster time to market to create richer interactive mobile content with engaging interfaces.

Sell your content

After you develop, you can sell your apps to Adobe's network of aggregators or directly to partner operators like Verizon Wireless. You can also develop Flash Lite content for contracted client work.

Additional resources:

• Flash Lite Device Installed Base (PDF, 20K)
  2007 and 2008 worldwide installed base of Flash Lite devices, broken out by region, country and version.
• Flash Lite Annual and Cumulative Device Shipments (PDF, 91K)
  2007 and 2008 worldwide annual and cumulative device shipments, broken out by region, country and version.
• Flash Lite /Mobile Customer Showcase
• Getting Started with Flash Lite Guide (PDF, 1.5 MB)
• Adobe Flash Lite

Workflow for creating mobile content

Learn to create mobile content

Samples

Straight from the Mobile & Devices team and community, these samples show you how to create new content or migrated existing content to mobile devices using Flash Player and Flash Lite. View and download the source code for most applications by browsing, right-clicking, and selecting View Source or select a link to view the sample on a community member’s site.

Downloads

Download authoring tool updates, device profiles, content development kits (CDKs), players for various platforms and related software and downloads from Adobe Labs and take your design and development to the next level.

Nokia

BREW

KDDI

NTT Docomo

Windows Mobile 5.0

Sony Ericsson

Sony PSP

Mobile Developer Community

Engage with and learn from the Adobe mobile developer community:

Adobe mobile user groups

Australia Adobe mobile and devices user group (OZMAD)
Focused on Flash Lite and the mobile and devices industry. Local and international speakers, presentations and demonstrations. Meets monthly (usually the last Monday of the month) in Toowong, Brisbane. Check www.ozmadgroup.com for details, or contact ozmad@moket.com.au.

Boston Adobe mobile and devices user group
First user group in the world completely dedicated to Flash Lite for mobile devices. There are some 190 members from all over the world who are part of this user group. Local and international speakers, presentations and demonstrations. Meet monthly and has a private mailing list for announcements and discussions. Check www.flashmobilegroup.org for details, or contact flashmobilegroup@gmail.com.

Dallas Adobe mobile and devices user group
This group focuses on showcasing and discussing the latest advancements in mobile technology. Developers from just about every mobile platform available attend to share their knowledge and passion for mobile. The group normally meets the first monday of each month. Check www.momodallas.com or contact kirk.ballou@flash-widgets.com for more info.

India Adobe mobile and devices user group (IndiMAD)
The IndiMaD User Group aims to bring Flash Lite enthusiasts together. This group is based in India, and wants to bring developers and professionals from all over the globe to come together and promote one technology—Flash on mobiles. Although the group discussions will revolve around Flash Lite, we will also be open to discussing other mobile technologies. The group will hold monthly meetings either on physical ground or remotely inviting guest speakers. To know more about the group please visit www.indimadgroup.com/blog/ or send an email to flashliteindia@gmail.com.

Italy Adobe mobile and device user group
Our group is dedicated to all aspects of mobile and focuses on different mobile technologies, from Flash Lite to J2ME and C++. We have 20 founding staff members of different professional levels, ages, and nationalities, with one common passion for mobile. We have a private mailing list for announcements and discussions, and meet as much as possible. For details visit http://mobile.actionscript.it , or contact mobile@actionscript.it.

Spain Adobe mobile and devices user group
BlocketPc.com is the Spanish Mobile Adobe User Group. Managed by Marcos González and Raúl Jiménez, at our site we publish tutorials, code, reviews of software, tests of mobile devices, online meetings, live conferences, news, etc...all focused on development on mobile devices.Check www.blocketpc.com for details, or contact info@blocketpc.com.

UK Adobe mobile and devices user group
This site will be dedicated to Flashlite, other mobile development software and news from Adobe, and the user group community. The group has monthly meetings and a private mailing list for announcements and discussions. Check www.flashmobilegroup-uk.org for details, post at http://groups.google.com/group/flashmobilegroup-uk, or contact UKMaD@flashmobilegroup-uk.org.

Mobile and device bloggers

Read the most recent blog posts about Adobe mobile and devices from the community

Contests

Current contests

Forum Nokia Code Camp Competition

Register your application today for your chance to win up to 15K Euros in cash prizes and an opportunity to showcase your winning application at the S60 Summit in Barcelona, Spain. The Forum Nokia Code Camp Competition is on and we are looking for the next developer rock star! Registration begins March 18th, so get ready to code your application and enter.

Past contests

2007 Flash Lite Game Contest

Submit your Flash Lite game to one of the three regional categories (Americas, EMEA, Asia) by February 15th, 2008. Prizes include $5,000 dollars, an Adobe Creative Suite 3 software license, and three O'Reilly books. Entries will be judged by a panel of Adobe, Playyoo, and Flash Lite game developers worldwide based on innovation in concept, game play, graphics, as well as an evaluation of the technical merits of the game, such as memory optimization and loading times. This contest is over! And the winners are?

Third-party Flash Lite application contest 2006

Enter to win money and have a chance to be evaluated for distribution through the Moket Content Network. The Mobile and Devices User Group of Boston, Australia, and Brazil are the sole sponsors of this Flash Lite application contest.  Adobe is not responsible for and shall not be liable for any and all losses, damages, rights, claims, and actions of any kind in connection with the contest. Learn more about the contest in this recorded presentation. This contest is over! And the winners are?

Mobile Game Contest

By popular demand, Mobile.Actionscript.it is pleased to announce the 2nd annual Mobile Game contest. This year Mobile.Actionscript.it has decided to bring the contest to an other level—it will not be exclusively Flashlite oriented, but J2ME games will be accepted as well. The prizes are an Adobe Studio 8 complete license for the winner of the Flashlite category, an N93 Nokia smartphone for the J2ME winner, and iRivers and O'Reilly books for second and third placements. Mobile.Actionscript.it is the sole sponsor of this contest. Adobe is not responsible for and shall not be liable for any and all losses, damages, rights, claims, and actions of any kind in connection with the contest. The contest is over!  And the winners are?

Forums

Visit the mobile and devices community discussion forums.

Community application gallery

Visit the Flash Lite exchange and/or the Pocket PC exchange to see and download Flash Lite applications created by the community.

Events, seminars, and webinars

Webinars

Mobile and devices webinars

Events

There are no scheduled events at this time.

Adobe mobile podcast series

Watch or listen to this podcast series aimed at creative professionals new to mobile, as Adobe host John Agger walks you through tutorials on mobile content creation. The Adobe Mobile Podcast series is created in partnership with Terry White's Creative Suite Video podcast and includes the following episodes:

• Why mobile is important
• Mobile & Devices Part 2
• Getting started with mobile

Recorded webinars

• Learn the Basics webinars shows you how to develop mobile and Flash Lite content with Adobe Creative Suite 3. (Oct 2007)
• Symbian Signed – Crash course for Flash developers (Aug 2007)
• What you need to know to sell you content to mobile businesses (Jul 20, 2007)
• Best Practices for Performance and Memory for Flash Lite (Jun 27, 2007)
• Embedding Video and Sound in Adobe Flash Lite (Jun 6, 2007)
• New, Time-saving Mobile Workflows in Adobe Creative Suite 3 (Registration required) (May 30, 2007)
• Testing & Porting Flash Lite Content with Device Central (Apr 25, 2007)
• Mobile workflows in Adobe CS3 (Apr 4, 2007)
• Adobe Creative Suite 3 launch event webcast (Mar 27, 2007)
• FlashLite vs. J2ME on-line seminar (Mar 21, 2007)
• A briefing on the Flash Lite for Application Development book by the three authors (Feb 28, 2007)
• Connecting to external data services using Flash Lite (Jan 24, 2007)
• Monetising Flash Mobile content through M-Commerce (Oct 18, 2006)
• Porting Flash Lite 1.1 content to Flash Lite 2.0 (Sep 27, 2006)
• Moving to Flash Lite 2.0
• Flash Lite 2 Preview Seminar
• Creating Flash Lite Wallpapers
• Tips for Optimizing Flash Lite Content
• Getting Started with Flash Lite 1.1
• Using Dynamic Data with Flash Lite 1.1
• ActionScripting – FSCommand2() Commands
• Mobile Authoring with Flash Professional 8
• Interacting with Device Applications Using ActionScript