With this release, the AIR runtime has gone global:
- The runtime has been translated into ten additional languages: Japanese, French, German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese.
- The AIR APIs and file formats have been updated to enable AIR-based applications to be localized
- International keyboard input is fully supported
- AIR 1.1 is GB18030 certified

Additionally, a new certificate migration feature is available which allows developers to migrate their applications between different digital signing certificates. 

Get your copy of AIR 1.1

In order to use the new functionality there are a few steps that must be followed first. Matt Chotin has written an article outlining these steps.

At the Flex camp in Toronto Last month Mike Potter gave a presentation on How to Promote Your Flex and AIR applications. In the presentation he examines and provides advice on how to promote to Communities, Blogs, at Events and Offical Adobe Programs. This is a great resource if you’ve got a new application that you want the world to know about : )

You can check out the slides from the presentation Here

Today Adobe announced the Open Screen Project which is an effort put on by Adobe as well as some major technology Leaders to deliver a consistent Rich Internet experiences across televisions, personal computers, mobile devices, and consumer electronics.

This is a big move by Adobe, and I think if everything goes as planned the Flash Runtime will become the standard platform for devices, whether it be mobile, set-top or desktop.

In essence the Open Screen Project will allow developers to have the ability to write an application once and deploy it anywhere across any device. To make this possible Adobe has recruited a wide range of partners to help with the Open Screen Project. Some of these companies include ARM, Chunghwa Telecom, Cisco, Intel, LG Electronics Inc., Marvell, Motorola, Nokia, NTT DoCoMo, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Verizon Wireless, and leading content providers, including BBC, MTV Networks, and NBC Universal. One of the big players missing from the List is Apple, but I already saw that one coming after Steve Jobs made it very clear how he feels about Flash. The iPhone and iPod are some of the most innovative mobile devices out there and not having Apple on board will be an issue I think in the future. For Apple to ignore the impact and adoption Flash has on the internet is a big mistake on their behalf in my opinion.

Adobe also annouced some major changes in support of the Open Screen Project today that remove barriers for developers and designers to allow them to effectively publish content and applications across multiple devices. The changes annouced today are:

• Removing restrictions on use of the SWF and FLV/F4V specifications
• Publishing the device porting layer APIs for Adobe Flash Player
• Publishing the Adobe Flash® Castâ„¢ protocol and the AMF protocol for robust data services
• Removing licensing fees – making next major releases of Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR for devices free

By Adobe publishing the device porting layer APIs companies can now create a version of the players that is custom for their device, but the source code for the Flash player itself still remains closed source and proprietary. The removal of the licensing fees will allow a company to have Flash pre-installed on their devices without paying Adobe anything!

To learn more About the Open Screen Project check out

 

Jason Bartholme posted a great list of AIR Resources on his blog that will keep you busy for days. Topics include Getting Started with AIR Tutorial section, a collection of sample AIR applications as well as a list of articles and blog links.

The Adobe Media player is the latest creation to be release on the AIR runtime from Adobe. The media player allows the playback of streamed, downloaded or locally stored content in the adobe Flash format.

One of the things that makes this media play special is the ability to subscribe to television shows and other online video content and then automatically receive new episodes of the shows as they become available.

Some major Networks have added to the list of providers including CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon & more.

HD Content is also available thanks to the H.264 standard video support in Flash Player 9. You can even watch HD in full screen!

Adobe also announced Adobe TV, which is a free online video resource that provides information and tutorials on Adobe products!

Click here to learn more

This is a great little AIR app that shows the power of bringing the Web to the desktop.  

The Google Analytics Reporting Suite has a host of features that help you understand how your website is performing and where you can improve. From tracking your visitors, referrals and campaigns to viewing your AdWords ROI metrics, the Google Analytics Reporting suite is a must-have for every web business.

Check it out on the Adobe Exchange

The Ottawa Flex User Group happens on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm. Its held in the main floor conference room of the Adobe Tower located at 343 Preston St.

During these meetings presentations are given by fellow members as well as industry guests on all sorts of Flex, AIR and Flash related topics. Its a great place to network and meet fellow developers and talk about some of the cool and exciting things you have been working on. Also a great place to get some advice on best practices and development strategies.

Everyone is welcome, so come out and introduce yourself!

For more information check out Ottawa Flex User Group Website or join the Google Group

 

Today Adobe announced that the pre-release alpha version of Adobe AIR for Linux! Previously the AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) platform was only available to Mac and Windows users. Now Linux users can run AIR applications and RIA developers can extend the reach of their desktop applications on Adobe AIR to Linux users without writing additional platform-specific code!

Go to Adobe Labs (www.adobe.com/go/airlinux) to learn more.