Skyfire For Android Enables (Some) Flash Video 69
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."
What could go wrong? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:lol (Score:5, Insightful)
To be fair flash is a piece of shit on all platforms. It only exists because it makes creating content brain dead easy.
Is it really Transcoding? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Is it a security nightmare like opera? (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Is it really Transcoding? (Score:1, Insightful)
I suspect it's stripping and repackaging it. (could be wrong, but I don't think a raw h.264 stream is streamable)
Which would mean, naturally, that it won't work for other codecs, but h.264 is the majority of flvs these days, so sounds OK.
The CPU to actually transcode would be crazy, I can't imagine they're doing that...
Re:Is it a security nightmare like opera? (Score:3, Insightful)
You have nothing to worry about. No one cares that you visit slashdot, and if you get good kharma, you can even turn off the ads.
Re:Cool, how can I block it? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:lol (Score:3, Insightful)
but... but.... I'm shocked!
First the summary tells me that Android phones don't already support Flash, and now you tell me that Flash is a "piece of shit"?
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? The only reason any device might not support Flash right now is if the manufacturer is evil?
Re:Is it a security nightmare like opera? (Score:1, Insightful)
A man-in-the-middle attack doesn't have a legally binding privacy policy.
Re:lol (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.
Re:Is it a security nightmare like opera? (Score:2, Insightful)
I would rather not have someone recording every page I visit, which is what opera does with its man-in-the-middle attack is a feature browser.
Like your ISP's DNS server?
Re:Android does support Flash? (Score:3, Insightful)
Skyfire... (Score:3, Insightful)
What skyfire does, as near as I understand it, is route all traffic to skyfire servers, which then convert the whole shebang, in real time, to what they then send to your phone. I've played flash games, seen web video, etc, all sans any trouble at all. It wasn't the most user-friendly browser initially but it has improved dramatically recently. It still won't zoom as easily as opera, for example....
However, you should be aware of the middle man, and in using it you are implicitly trusting them with everything you do through them, and some might have a problem with that.
Re:lol (Score:2, Insightful)
In the market targeted by Flash Builder (aka Flex) HTML5 will simply not work. We're talking about large businesses that dont want to migrate from IE6.
Re:Android does support Flash? (Score:4, 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!
Re:Android does support Flash? (Score:1, Insightful)
yes. it's always just around the corner, isn't it?