Adobe Flash Player: Difference between revisions
KolbertBot (talk | contribs) m Bot: HTTP→HTTPS |
Rescuing 3 sources and tagging 0 as dead. #IABot (v1.5.1) |
||
Line 43: | Line 43: | ||
* '''MP3:''' Support for decoding and playback of [[Streaming media|streaming]] [[MP3|MPEG-2 Audio Layer III]] (MP3) audio was introduced in Flash Player 4. MP3 files can be accessed and played back from a server via [[HTTP]], or embedded inside an SWF file, which is also a streaming format. |
* '''MP3:''' Support for decoding and playback of [[Streaming media|streaming]] [[MP3|MPEG-2 Audio Layer III]] (MP3) audio was introduced in Flash Player 4. MP3 files can be accessed and played back from a server via [[HTTP]], or embedded inside an SWF file, which is also a streaming format. |
||
* '''FLV:''' Support for decoding and playing back video and audio inside [[Flash Video]] (FLV and F4V) files, a format developed by [[Adobe Systems]] and [[Macromedia]]. Flash Video is only a container format and supports multiple different video [[codec]]s, such as [[Sorenson Spark]], [[VP6]] and more recently [[H.264]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Flash H.264 | publisher = [[MainConcept]]| url = http://www.mainconcept.com/products/sdks/video/flash.html | accessdate =September 24, 2010}}</ref> Flash Player uses hardware acceleration to display video where present, using technologies such as [[DirectX Video Acceleration]] and [[OpenGL]] to do so. Flash Video is used by [[YouTube]],<ref name="youtubeflash"/> [[Hulu]],<ref name="huluflash"/> [[Yahoo! Video]], [[BBC Online]]<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/futuremedia/technical/av_addendum.shtml#flash Future Media Standards & Guidelines – AV Addendum v1.5] BBC</ref> and other news providers. FLV files can be played back from a server using [[HTTP]] [[progressive download]], and can also be embedded inside an SWF file. Flash Video can also be streamed via [[Real Time Messaging Protocol|RTMP]] using the [[Adobe Flash Media Server]] or other such server-side software. |
* '''FLV:''' Support for decoding and playing back video and audio inside [[Flash Video]] (FLV and F4V) files, a format developed by [[Adobe Systems]] and [[Macromedia]]. Flash Video is only a container format and supports multiple different video [[codec]]s, such as [[Sorenson Spark]], [[VP6]] and more recently [[H.264]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Flash H.264 | publisher = [[MainConcept]] | url = http://www.mainconcept.com/products/sdks/video/flash.html | accessdate = September 24, 2010 | deadurl = yes | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20101118043148/http://www.mainconcept.com/products/sdks/video/flash.html | archivedate = November 18, 2010 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Flash Player uses hardware acceleration to display video where present, using technologies such as [[DirectX Video Acceleration]] and [[OpenGL]] to do so. Flash Video is used by [[YouTube]],<ref name="youtubeflash"/> [[Hulu]],<ref name="huluflash"/> [[Yahoo! Video]], [[BBC Online]]<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/futuremedia/technical/av_addendum.shtml#flash Future Media Standards & Guidelines – AV Addendum v1.5] BBC</ref> and other news providers. FLV files can be played back from a server using [[HTTP]] [[progressive download]], and can also be embedded inside an SWF file. Flash Video can also be streamed via [[Real Time Messaging Protocol|RTMP]] using the [[Adobe Flash Media Server]] or other such server-side software. |
||
* '''PNG:''' Support for decoding and rendering [[Portable Network Graphics]] (PNG) images, in both its 24-bit (opaque) and 32-bit (semi-transparent) variants. Flash Player 11 can also encode a PNG bitmap via ActionScript. |
* '''PNG:''' Support for decoding and rendering [[Portable Network Graphics]] (PNG) images, in both its 24-bit (opaque) and 32-bit (semi-transparent) variants. Flash Player 11 can also encode a PNG bitmap via ActionScript. |
||
* '''JPEG:''' Support for decoding and rendering compressed [[JPEG]] images. Flash Player 10 added support for the [[JPEG-XR]] advanced image compression standard developed by [[Microsoft Corporation]], which results in better compression and quality than JPEG. JPEG-XR enables [[Lossy compression|lossy]] and [[Lossless compression|lossless]] compression with or without [[Alpha compositing|alpha channel]] transparency. Flash Player 11 can also encode a JPEG or JPEG-XR bitmap via ActionScript. |
* '''JPEG:''' Support for decoding and rendering compressed [[JPEG]] images. Flash Player 10 added support for the [[JPEG-XR]] advanced image compression standard developed by [[Microsoft Corporation]], which results in better compression and quality than JPEG. JPEG-XR enables [[Lossy compression|lossy]] and [[Lossless compression|lossless]] compression with or without [[Alpha compositing|alpha channel]] transparency. Flash Player 11 can also encode a JPEG or JPEG-XR bitmap via ActionScript. |
||
Line 284: | Line 284: | ||
In February 2010, Adobe officially apologized<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.adobe.com/emmy/archives/2010/02/flash_bug_repor.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210080408/http://blogs.adobe.com/emmy/archives/2010/02/flash_bug_repor.html|archivedate=February 10, 2010|title=Flash Bug Report|date=February 6, 2010|accessdate=March 27, 2010}}</ref> for not fixing a known vulnerability for over a year. In June 2010 Adobe announced a "critical vulnerability" in recent versions, saying there are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild against both Adobe Flash Player, and Adobe Reader and Acrobat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa10-01.html|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]|title=Security Advisory for Flash Player, Adobe Reader and Acrobat |accessdate=June 8, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10257411.stm|title=Adobe acknowledges critical security flaw in software|publisher=BBC News|date=June 7, 2010}}</ref> Later, in October 2010, Adobe announced<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa10-05.html|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]|title=Security Advisory for Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader and Acrobat|accessdate=October 31, 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101031162814/http://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa10-05.html| archivedate= October 31, 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref> another critical vulnerability, this time also affecting [[Android (operating system)|Android]]-based mobile devices. Android users have been recommended to disable Flash or make it only on demand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/10/29/flash-vulnerability-revealed-for-android-fix-coming-november-9th/|publisher=[[MobileCrunch]]|title=Flash vulnerability revealed for Android, fix coming November 9th|accessdate=October 31, 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101031004437/http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/10/29/flash-vulnerability-revealed-for-android-fix-coming-november-9th/| archivedate= October 31, 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref> Subsequent security vulnerabilities also exposed Android users, such as the two critical vulnerabilities published in February 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-04.html|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]|title= Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player|date=February 7, 2013|accessdate=July 7, 2013}}</ref> or the four critical vulnerabilities published in March 2013,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-09.html|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]|title= Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player|date= March 12, 2013 |accessdate=July 7, 2013}}</ref> all of which could lead to arbitrary code execution. |
In February 2010, Adobe officially apologized<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.adobe.com/emmy/archives/2010/02/flash_bug_repor.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210080408/http://blogs.adobe.com/emmy/archives/2010/02/flash_bug_repor.html|archivedate=February 10, 2010|title=Flash Bug Report|date=February 6, 2010|accessdate=March 27, 2010}}</ref> for not fixing a known vulnerability for over a year. In June 2010 Adobe announced a "critical vulnerability" in recent versions, saying there are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild against both Adobe Flash Player, and Adobe Reader and Acrobat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa10-01.html|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]|title=Security Advisory for Flash Player, Adobe Reader and Acrobat |accessdate=June 8, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10257411.stm|title=Adobe acknowledges critical security flaw in software|publisher=BBC News|date=June 7, 2010}}</ref> Later, in October 2010, Adobe announced<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa10-05.html|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]|title=Security Advisory for Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader and Acrobat|accessdate=October 31, 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101031162814/http://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa10-05.html| archivedate= October 31, 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref> another critical vulnerability, this time also affecting [[Android (operating system)|Android]]-based mobile devices. Android users have been recommended to disable Flash or make it only on demand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/10/29/flash-vulnerability-revealed-for-android-fix-coming-november-9th/|publisher=[[MobileCrunch]]|title=Flash vulnerability revealed for Android, fix coming November 9th|accessdate=October 31, 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101031004437/http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/10/29/flash-vulnerability-revealed-for-android-fix-coming-november-9th/| archivedate= October 31, 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref> Subsequent security vulnerabilities also exposed Android users, such as the two critical vulnerabilities published in February 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-04.html|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]|title= Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player|date=February 7, 2013|accessdate=July 7, 2013}}</ref> or the four critical vulnerabilities published in March 2013,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-09.html|publisher=[[Adobe Systems]]|title= Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player|date= March 12, 2013 |accessdate=July 7, 2013}}</ref> all of which could lead to arbitrary code execution. |
||
[[Symantec]]'s Internet Security Threat Report<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www4.symantec.com/Vrt/wl?tu_id=SUKX1271711282503126202|title=Internet Security Threat Report: Volume XV: April 2010|publisher=Symantec|pages=37, 40, 42|date=April 2010|accessdate=May 9, 2010| |
[[Symantec]]'s Internet Security Threat Report<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www4.symantec.com/Vrt/wl?tu_id=SUKX1271711282503126202|title=Internet Security Threat Report: Volume XV: April 2010|publisher=Symantec|pages=37, 40, 42|date=April 2010|accessdate=May 9, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425183113/http://www4.symantec.com/Vrt/wl?tu_id=SUKX1271711282503126202|archivedate=April 25, 2010|deadurl=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref> states that a [[remote code execution]] in [[Adobe Reader]] and Flash Player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35759|title=Adobe Acrobat, Reader, and Flash Player Remote Code Execution Vulnerability|date=October 15, 2009|accessdate=May 9, 2010}}</ref> was the second most attacked vulnerability in 2009. The same report also recommended using [[browser extension]]s to disable Flash Player usage on untrusted websites. [[McAfee]] predicted that Adobe software, especially Reader and Flash, would be primary target for attacks in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mcafee.com/us/local_content/reports/7985rpt_labs_threat-predict_0110_fnl_lores.pdf |title=2010 Threat Predictions |publisher=McAfee Labs |page=2 |date=December 2009 |accessdate=May 9, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Adobe applications had become, at least at some point, the most popular client-software targets for attackers during the last quarter of 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mcafee.com/us/local_content/reports/threats_2009Q4_final.pdf |title=McAfee Threats Report: Fourth quarter 2009 |publisher=McAfee Avert Labs |page=16 |date=February 2010 |accessdate=May 9, 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215182751/http://www.mcafee.com/us/local_content/reports/threats_2009Q4_final.pdf |archivedate=February 15, 2010 |df=mdy }}</ref> The [[Kaspersky Lab|Kaspersky]] Security Network published statistics for the third quarter of 2012 showing that 47.5% of its users were affected by one or more critical vulnerabilities.<ref name="ksn-q312-report">{{cite web|url=http://www.securelist.com/en/analysis/204792250/IT_Threat_Evolution_Q3_2012|title=IT Threat Evolution: Q3 2012|publisher=Kaspersky Lab ZAO|date=November 1, 2012|accessdate=November 2, 2012}}</ref> The report also highlighted that "Flash Player vulnerabilities enable cybercriminals to bypass security systems integrated into the application."<ref name="ksn-q312-report"/> |
||
Steve Jobs criticized the security of Flash Player, noting that "Symantec recently highlighted Flash for having one of the worst security records in 2009".<ref name="thoughtsonflash">{{cite web |url=https://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/ |title=Thoughts on Flash |publisher=Apple | author = Steve Jobs |authorlink=Steve Jobs |date=April 29, 2010|accessdate=May 9, 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100501010616/http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/| archivedate= May 1, 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref> Adobe responded by pointing out that "the Symantec Global Internet Threat Report for 2009, found that Flash Player had the second lowest number of vulnerabilities of all Internet technologies listed (which included both web plug-ins and browsers)."<ref>[https://www.adobe.com/choice/flash.html future of Flash]. Adobe (July 14, 2009). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/white_papers/b-whitepaper_internet_security_threat_report_xv_04-2010.en-us.pdf Symantec Global Internet Threat Report for 2009], page 40, "In 2009, Symantec documented 321 vulnerabilities affecting plug-ins for Web browsers (figure 9). ActiveX technologies were affected by 134 vulnerabilities, which was the highest among the plug-in technologies examined. Of the remaining technologies, Java SE had 84 vulnerabilities, Adobe Reader had 49 vulnerabilities, QuickTime had 27 vulnerabilities, and Adobe Flash Player was subject to 23 vulnerabilities. The remaining four vulnerabilities affected extensions for Firefox."</ref> |
Steve Jobs criticized the security of Flash Player, noting that "Symantec recently highlighted Flash for having one of the worst security records in 2009".<ref name="thoughtsonflash">{{cite web |url=https://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/ |title=Thoughts on Flash |publisher=Apple | author = Steve Jobs |authorlink=Steve Jobs |date=April 29, 2010|accessdate=May 9, 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100501010616/http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/| archivedate= May 1, 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref> Adobe responded by pointing out that "the Symantec Global Internet Threat Report for 2009, found that Flash Player had the second lowest number of vulnerabilities of all Internet technologies listed (which included both web plug-ins and browsers)."<ref>[https://www.adobe.com/choice/flash.html future of Flash]. Adobe (July 14, 2009). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/white_papers/b-whitepaper_internet_security_threat_report_xv_04-2010.en-us.pdf Symantec Global Internet Threat Report for 2009], page 40, "In 2009, Symantec documented 321 vulnerabilities affecting plug-ins for Web browsers (figure 9). ActiveX technologies were affected by 134 vulnerabilities, which was the highest among the plug-in technologies examined. Of the remaining technologies, Java SE had 84 vulnerabilities, Adobe Reader had 49 vulnerabilities, QuickTime had 27 vulnerabilities, and Adobe Flash Player was subject to 23 vulnerabilities. The remaining four vulnerabilities affected extensions for Firefox."</ref> |
||
Line 364: | Line 364: | ||
* '''Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 3''' (version 9.0.115.0, codenamed ''Moviestar'' or ''[[Frogstar]]'') (December 2007)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://blogs.adobe.com/penguinswf/2007/12/flash_player_9_update_3_final.html | title= |
* '''Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 3''' (version 9.0.115.0, codenamed ''Moviestar'' or ''[[Frogstar]]'') (December 2007)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://blogs.adobe.com/penguinswf/2007/12/flash_player_9_update_3_final.html | title= |
||
Flash Player 9 Update 3 (Final) | last=Melanson | first=Mike | date=December 4, 2007 | accessdate=January 23, 2014 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100907232212/http://blogs.adobe.com/penguinswf/2007/12/flash_player_9_update_3_final.html | archivedate=September 7, 2010}}</ref> |
Flash Player 9 Update 3 (Final) | last=Melanson | first=Mike | date=December 4, 2007 | accessdate=January 23, 2014 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100907232212/http://blogs.adobe.com/penguinswf/2007/12/flash_player_9_update_3_final.html | archivedate=September 7, 2010}}</ref> |
||
** [[H.264]]<ref>Adobe press release: http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200712/120407adobemoviestar.html</ref> |
** [[H.264]]<ref>Adobe press release: {{cite web |url=http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200712/120407adobemoviestar.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2007-12-14 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212234753/http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200712/120407adobemoviestar.html |archivedate=December 12, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> |
||
** [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]] ([[HE-AAC]], AAC Main Profile, and AAC-LC) |
** [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]] ([[HE-AAC]], AAC Main Profile, and AAC-LC) |
||
** New Flash Video file format F4V based on the [[ISO base media file format]] (MPEG-4 Part 12) |
** New Flash Video file format F4V based on the [[ISO base media file format]] (MPEG-4 Part 12) |
Revision as of 09:37, 10 September 2017
Original author(s) | FutureWave | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Developer(s) | Adobe Systems | ||||||||||||||||
Initial release | 1996 | ||||||||||||||||
Stable release(s) [±] | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Preview release(s) [±] | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Written in | C++ | ||||||||||||||||
Operating system | Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, Solaris, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Android, and Pocket PC | ||||||||||||||||
Platform | Web browsers and ActiveX-based software | ||||||||||||||||
Available in | Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Korean, and Turkish[9] | ||||||||||||||||
Type | Run-time environment, Media player, and Browser extension | ||||||||||||||||
License | Freeware | ||||||||||||||||
Website | www |
Adobe Flash Player (labeled Shockwave Flash in Internet Explorer and Firefox)[10] is freeware software for using content created on the Adobe Flash platform, including viewing multimedia, executing rich Internet applications, and streaming video and audio. Flash Player can run from a web browser as a browser plug-in or on supported mobile devices. Flash Player was created by Macromedia and has been developed and distributed by Adobe Systems since Adobe acquired Macromedia.
Flash Player runs SWF files that can be created by the Adobe Animate and Adobe Flash Professional authoring tools, by Adobe Flash Builder or by third party tools such as FlashDevelop. Flash Player supports vector and raster graphics, 3D graphics, an embedded scripting language called ActionScript, and streaming of video and audio. ActionScript is based on ECMAScript, and supports object-oriented code, and is similar to JavaScript. Flash Player has a wide user base, and is a common format for games, animations, and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) embedded in web pages. Adobe stated in 2013 that more than 400 million out of over 1 billion connected desktops update to the new version of Flash Player within six weeks of release.[11]
Flash Player is distributed for free and its plug-in versions are available for every major web browser and operating system. Google Chrome comes bundled with the sandboxed Adobe Flash plug-in[12][13] and Windows 8 and later come with their own integrated Flash Player (for Internet Explorer and Edge).[14][15][16]
Flash Player has become increasingly criticized for its performance, consumption of battery on mobile devices, the number of security vulnerabilities that had been discovered in the software, and that Flash is a closed platform. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was highly critical of Flash Player, having published an open letter detailing Apple's reasoning for banning the Flash platform from being used on its iOS device family. Its usage has also waned due to modern web standards that allow some of Flash's use cases to be fulfilled without third-party plugins.[17][18][19] In July 2017, Adobe announced[20] that it would end support for Flash Player in 2020, and continued to encourage that open HTML5 standards be used in place of Flash.[21][22] The announcement was coordinated with Apple[23], Facebook[24], Google[25], Microsoft[26], and Mozilla[27].
Features
Adobe Flash Player is a runtime that executes and displays content from a provided SWF file, although it has no in-built features to modify the SWF file at runtime. It can execute software written in the ActionScript programming language which enables the runtime manipulation of text, data, vector graphics, raster graphics, sound and video. The player can also access certain connected hardware devices, including web cameras and microphones, after permission for the same has been granted by the user.
Flash Player is used internally by the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), to provide a cross-platform runtime environment for desktop applications and mobile applications. AIR supports installable applications on Windows, Linux, macOS, and some mobile operating systems such as iOS and Android. Flash applications must specifically be built for the AIR runtime to use additional features provided, such as file system integration, native client extensions, native window/screen integration, taskbar/dock integration, and hardware integration with connected Accelerometer and GPS devices.[28]
Data formats
Flash Player includes native support for many different data formats, some of which can only be accessed through the ActionScript scripting interface.
- XML: Flash Player has included native support for XML parsing and generation since version 8. XML data is held in memory as an XML Document Object Model, and can be manipulated using ActionScript. ActionScript 3 also supports ECMAScript for XML (E4X), which allows XML data to be manipulated more easily.
- JSON: Flash Player 11 includes native support for importing and exporting data in the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format, which allows interoperability with web services and JavaScript programs.
- AMF: Flash Player allows application data to be stored on users computers, in the form of Local Shared Objects, the Flash equivalent to browser cookies.[29] Flash Player can also natively read and write files in the Action Message Format, the default data format for Local Shared Objects. Since the AMF format specification is published, data can be transferred to and from Flash applications using AMF datasets instead of JSON or XML, reducing the need for parsing and validating such data.
- SWF: The specification for the SWF file format was published by Adobe, enabling the development of the SWX Format project, which used the SWF file format and AMF as a means for Flash applications to exchange data with server side applications.[30][31] The SWX system stores data as standard SWF bytecode which is automatically interpreted by Flash Player.[32] Another open-source project, SWXml allows Flash applications to load XML files as native ActionScript objects without any client-side XML parsing, by converting XML files to SWF/AMF on the server.[33][34]
Multimedia formats
Flash Player is primarily a graphics and multimedia platform, and has supported raster graphics and vector graphics since its earliest version. It supports the following different multimedia formats which it can natively decode and playback.
- MP3: Support for decoding and playback of streaming MPEG-2 Audio Layer III (MP3) audio was introduced in Flash Player 4. MP3 files can be accessed and played back from a server via HTTP, or embedded inside an SWF file, which is also a streaming format.
- FLV: Support for decoding and playing back video and audio inside Flash Video (FLV and F4V) files, a format developed by Adobe Systems and Macromedia. Flash Video is only a container format and supports multiple different video codecs, such as Sorenson Spark, VP6 and more recently H.264.[35] Flash Player uses hardware acceleration to display video where present, using technologies such as DirectX Video Acceleration and OpenGL to do so. Flash Video is used by YouTube,[36] Hulu,[37] Yahoo! Video, BBC Online[38] and other news providers. FLV files can be played back from a server using HTTP progressive download, and can also be embedded inside an SWF file. Flash Video can also be streamed via RTMP using the Adobe Flash Media Server or other such server-side software.
- PNG: Support for decoding and rendering Portable Network Graphics (PNG) images, in both its 24-bit (opaque) and 32-bit (semi-transparent) variants. Flash Player 11 can also encode a PNG bitmap via ActionScript.
- JPEG: Support for decoding and rendering compressed JPEG images. Flash Player 10 added support for the JPEG-XR advanced image compression standard developed by Microsoft Corporation, which results in better compression and quality than JPEG. JPEG-XR enables lossy and lossless compression with or without alpha channel transparency. Flash Player 11 can also encode a JPEG or JPEG-XR bitmap via ActionScript.
- GIF: Support for decoding and rendering compressed Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) images, in its single-frame variants only. Loading a multi-frame GIF will display only the first image frame.
Streaming protocols
- HTTP: Support for communicating with web servers using HTTP requests and POST data.[39] However, only websites that explicitly allow Flash to connect to them can be accessed via HTTP or sockets, to prevent Flash being used as a tool for cross-site request forgery,[40] cross-site scripting, DNS rebinding[41] and denial-of-service attacks. Websites must host a certain XML file termed a cross domain policy,[41] allowing or denying Flash content from specific websites to connect to them. Certain websites, such as Digg, Flickr, Photobucket already host a cross domain policy that permits Flash content to access their website via HTTP.[42]
- RTMP: Support for live audio and video streaming using the Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) developed by Macromedia. RTMP supports a non-encrypted version over the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or an encrypted version over a secure Transport Layer Security (SSL) connection. RTMPT can also be encapsulated within HTTP requests to traverse firewalls that only allow HTTP traffic.
- TCP: Support for Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) Internet socket communication to communicate with any type of server, using stream sockets. Sockets can be used only via ActionScript, and can transfer plain text, XML or binary data (ActionScript 3.0 and later).[43][44] To prevent security issues, web servers that permit Flash content to communicate with them using sockets must host an XML-based cross domain policy file, served on Port 843.[45] Sockets enable AS3 programs to interface with any kind of server software, such as MySQL.[46]
Performance
Hardware acceleration
Until version 10 of the Flash player, there was no support for GPU acceleration. Version 10 added a limited form of support for shaders on materials in the form of the Pixel Bender API, but still did not have GPU-accelerated 3D vertex processing.[47] A significant change came in version 11, which added a new low-level API called Stage3D (initially codenamed Molehill), which provides full GPU acceleration, similar to WebGL.[48][49] (The partial support for GPU acceleration in Pixel Bender was completely removed in Flash 11.8, resulting in the disruption of some projects like MIT's Scratch, which lacked the manpower to recode their applications quickly enough.[50][51])
Current versions of Flash Player are optimized to use hardware acceleration for video playback and 3D graphics rendering on many devices, including desktop computers. Performance is similar to HTML5 video playback.[52][53] Also, Flash Player has been used on multiple mobile devices as a primary user interface renderer.[54]
Compilation
Although code written in ActionScript 3 executes up to 10 times faster than the prior ActionScript 2,[55] the Adobe ActionScript 3 compiler is a non-optimizing compiler, and produces inefficient bytecode in the resulting SWF, when compared to toolkits such as CrossBridge.[56][57][58][59][60]
CrossBridge, a toolkit that targets C++ code to run within the Flash Player, uses the LLVM compiler to produce bytecode that runs up to 10 times faster than code the ActionScript 3 compiler produces, only because the LLVM compiler uses more aggressive optimization.[58][59][60]
Adobe has released ActionScript Compiler 2 (ASC2) in Flex 4.7 and onwards, which improves compilation times and optimizes the generated bytecode and supports method inlining, improving its performance at runtime.[61]
As of 2012, the Haxe multiplatform language can build programs for Flash Player that perform faster than the same application built with the Adobe Flex SDK compiler.[62][unreliable source?]
Development methods
Flash Player applications and games can be built in two significantly different methods:
- "Flex" applications: The Adobe Flex Framework is an integrated collection of stylable Graphical User Interface, data manipulation and networking components, and applications built upon it are termed "Flex" applications. Startup time is reduced since the Flex framework must be downloaded before the application begins, and weighs in at approximately 500 KB. Editors include Adobe Flash Builder and FlashDevelop.
- "Pure ActionScript" applications: Applications built without the Flex framework allow greater flexibility and performance.[63][64][65] Video games built for Flash Player are typically pure-Actionscript projects. Various open-source component frameworks are available for pure ActionScript projects, such as MadComponents, that provide UI Components at significantly smaller SWF file sizes.[66][67]
In both methods, developers can access the full Flash Player set of functions, including text, vector graphics, bitmap graphics, video, audio, camera, microphone, and others. AIR also includes added features such as file system integration, native extensions, native desktop integration, and hardware integration with connected devices.
Development tools
Adobe provides five ways of developing applications for Flash Player:
- Adobe Flash Builder: enterprise application development and debugging
- Adobe Animate: graphic design, animation and scripting toolset
- Adobe Scout: visual profiler for performance optimization
- Apache Flex: a free SDK to compile Flash and Adobe AIR applications from source code; developed by Adobe and donated to the Apache Foundation[68]
- CrossBridge: a free SDK to cross-compile C++ code to run in Flash Player
Third-party development environments are also available:
- FlashDevelop: an open-source Flash ActionScript IDE, which includes a debugger for AIR applications
- Powerflasher FDT: a commercial ActionScript IDE
- CodeDrive: an extension to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 for ActionScript 3 development and debugging
- MTASC: a compiler
- Haxe: a multi-platform language[69]
Game development
Adobe offers the free Adobe Gaming SDK, consisting (as of August 2014[update]) of several open-source AS3 libraries built on the Flash Player Stage3D APIs for GPU-accelerated graphics:[70]
- Away3D: GPU-accelerated 3D graphics and animation engine
- Starling: GPU-accelerated 2D graphics that mimics the Flash display list API
- Feathers: GPU-accelerated skinnable GUI library built on top of Starling
- Dragon Bones: GPU-accelerated 2D skeletal animation library
A few commercial game engines target Flash Player (Stage3D) as run-time environment, such as Unity 3D[71] and Unreal Engine 3.[71][72] Before the introduction of Stage3D, a number of older 2D engines or isometric engines like Flixel saw their heyday.[73]
Adobe also developed the CrossBridge toolkit which cross-compiles C/C++ code to run within the Flash Player, using LLVM and GCC as compiler backends, and high-performance memory-access opcodes in the Flash Player (termed "Domain Memory") to work with in-memory data quickly.[74] CrossBridge is targeted toward the game development industry,[75] and includes tools for building, testing, and debugging C/C++ projects in Flash Player.
Notable online video games developed in Flash include Angry Birds, FarmVille and FarmVille 2, and AdventureQuest (started in 2002, and still active as of 2011).[76]
Availability
Desktop platforms
The latest version of Flash Player is available for Windows XP and later, Mac OS X 10.6 and later and Linux.
Adobe Flash Player is available in four flavors:
- The "Internet Explorer – ActiveX" version is an ActiveX control for use in Internet Explorer, its shells, and other Windows applications that support ActiveX technology. This plugin cannot be installed on Windows 8 and later, because these OSes come with their own integrated Flash Player ActiveX.
- The "Firefox – NPAPI" version is available for Firefox as well as other applications that support NPAPI technology.
- The "Opera and Chromium – PPAPI" version is available for Chromium and browsers based on Chromium (such as Opera) as well as other applications that support PPAPI technology. This plugin cannot be installed on Google Chrome as it comes with its own built-in Flash component.
- The "projector" version is a standalone player that can open SWF files directly.[77]
On February 22, 2012, Adobe announced that it would no longer release new versions of NPAPI Flash plugins for Linux, although Flash Player 11.2 would continue to receive security updates.[78][79][80] In August 2016 Adobe announced that, beginning with version 24, it will resume offering of Flash Player for Linux for other browsers.[81]
The Extended Support Release (ESR) of Flash Player on macOS and Windows was a version of Flash Player kept up to date with security updates, but none of the new features or bug fixes available in later versions. It has been on version 11.7 as of July 9, 2013,[82] version 13 as of May 13, 2014,[83] and version 18 as of August 11, 2015.[84] Adobe has decided to discontinue the ESR branch and instead focus solely on the standard release as of August 2016.[85]
Platform | Latest version | Browser support |
---|---|---|
Windows XP and later Windows Server 2003 and later[86] |
26.0.0.137[86] | Firefox, Chrome, Chromium, Safari, Opera,[86] Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge[6] |
Windows 2000 | 11.1.102.55[87] | ? |
Windows 98 and ME | 9.0.115.0[87] | ? |
Windows 95 and NT 4 | 7.0.14.0[87] | ? |
Mac OS X 10.6 or later | 26.0.0.137[86] | Firefox, Chrome, Chromium, Safari, Opera[86] |
Mac OS X 10.5 | 10.3.183.90[87] | ? |
Classic Mac OS, PowerPC | 7.0.14.0[87] | ? |
Classic Mac OS, 68k | 5.0[88] | ? |
Linux | 26.0.0.137[86] | Firefox, Chrome, Chromium, Opera[6] |
Mobile platforms
In 2011, Flash Player had emerged as the de facto standard for online video publishing on the desktop, with adaptive bitrate video streaming, DRM, and fullscreen support.[36][37] On mobile devices however, after Apple refused to allow the Flash Player within the inbuilt iOS web browser, Adobe changed strategy, enabling Flash content to be delivered as native mobile applications using the Adobe Integrated Runtime.
Up until 2012, Flash Player 11 was available for the Android (ARM Cortex-A8 and above),[89][90] although in June 2012, Google announced that Android 4.1 (codenamed Jelly Bean) would not support Flash by default. Starting in August 2012, Adobe no longer updates Flash for Android.[91] In spite of this, Adobe Flash is still available to install on Android devices via Adobe's update archives (up to Android 4.3).
Flash Player is certified to be supported on a select range of mobile and tablet devices, from Acer, BlackBerry 10, Dell, HTC, Lenovo, Logitech, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp, SoftBank, Sony (and Sony Ericsson), and Toshiba.[92][93][94] As of 2012, Adobe has stopped browser-based Flash Player development for mobile browsers in favor of HTML5,[95][96] however Adobe continues to support Flash content on mobile devices with the Adobe Integrated Runtime, which allows developers to publish content that runs as native applications on certain supported mobile phone platforms.
Version 9 is the most recent version currently available for the Linux/ARM-based Nokia 770/N800/N810 Internet tablets running Maemo OS2008, classic Mac OS and Windows 95/NT.[97] Version 10 can be run under Windows 98/Me using KernelEx. HP offers Version 6 of the player for HP-UX.[98] Other versions of the player have been available at some point for OS/2, Symbian OS, Palm OS, BeOS and IRIX.[99] The Kodak Easyshare One includes Flash Player.[100]
Adobe said it will optimize Flash for use on ARM architecture (ARMv7 and ARMv6 architectures used in the Cortex-A series of processors and in the ARM11 family) and release it in the second half of 2009. The company also stated it wants to enable Flash on NVIDIA Tegra, Texas Instruments OMAP 3 and Samsung ARMs.[101][102] Beginning 2009, it was announced that Adobe would be bringing Flash to TV sets via Intel Media Processor CE 3100 before mid-2009.[103] ARM Holdings later said it welcomes the move of Flash, because "it will transform mobile applications and it removes the claim that the desktop controls the Internet."[104] However, as of May 2009, the expected ARM/Linux netbook devices had poor support for Web video and fragmented software base.[105]
Among other devices, LeapFrog Enterprises provides Flash Player with their Leapster Multimedia Learning System and extended the Flash Player with touch-screen support.[106] Sony has integrated Flash Player 6 into the PlayStation Portable's web browser via firmware version 2.70 and Flash Player 9 into the PlayStation 3's web browser in firmware version 2.50.[107] Nintendo has integrated Flash Lite 3.1, equivalent to Flash 8, in the Internet Channel on the Wii.
The following table documents Flash Player and AIR support on mobile operating systems:
Platform | Latest version |
---|---|
Android 2.2–4.1, ARM Cortex-A8+[108] | Flash Player 11.1, AIR 3.1[90][109][110] |
Android 2.1 | Flash Lite 3.0 |
iOS | Flash Player 11.1, AIR 3.1[89][109] |
BlackBerry 10.0–10.3.1 | Flash Player 11.1, AIR 3.1 |
BlackBerry Tablet OS | Flash Player 11.1, AIR 3.1[109][111] |
Maemo | Flash Player 9.4[112] |
PlayStation 3 with Firmware 2.50, NetFront 2.81 | Flash Player 9.1 (update 3) |
PSP with Firmware 2.70 | Flash Player 6[113] |
Symbian OS | Flash Lite 4.0[114] |
Wii (Internet Channel) | Flash Lite 3.1[115] |
Pocket PC 2003[116] | Flash Player 7[117][118] |
Windows Mobile 5[116] | Flash Player 7[117] |
Other hardware
Some CPU emulators have been created for Flash Player, including Chip8,[119] Commodore 64,[120] ZX Spectrum[121] and the Nintendo Entertainment System.[122] They enable video games created for such platforms to run within Flash Player.
Open source
Adobe has taken steps to reduce or eliminate Flash licensing costs. For instance, the SWF file format documentation is provided free of charge[123] after they relaxed the requirement of accepting a non-disclosure agreement to view it in 2008.[124] Adobe also created the Open Screen Project which removes licensing fees and opens data protocols for Flash.
Adobe has also open-sourced many components relating to Flash.
- In 2006, the ActionScript Virtual Machine 2 (AVM2) which implements ActionScript 3 was donated as open-source to Mozilla Foundation, to begin work on the Tamarin virtual machine that will finally implement the ECMAScript 4 language standard with the help of the Mozilla community.[125] It was released under the terms of a MPL/GPL/LGPL tri-license and includes the specification for the ActionScript bytecode format; Tamarin Project jointly managed by Mozilla and Adobe Systems[126] It is now considered obsolete by Mozilla.
- In 2011, the Adobe Flex Framework was donated as open-source to the Apache Software Foundation and rebranded as Apache Flex.[68] Some saw this move as Adobe abandoning Flex, and stepping away from the Flash Platform as a whole.[127][128] Sources from Apache say that "Enterprise application development is no longer a focus at Adobe. At least as Flash is concerned, Adobe is concentrating on games and video.",[127][129] and they conclude that "Flex Innovation is Exploding!".[129] The donated source code included a partly developed AS3 compiler (dubbed "Falcon") and the BlazeDS set of technologies.[128][129]
- In 2013, the CrossBridge C++ cross-compilation toolset was open sourced by Adobe and released on GitHub.[130][131] The project was formerly termed "Alchemy" and "Flash Runtime C++ Compiler", and targeted the game development market to enable C++ video games to run in Adobe Flash Player.[132]
However, Adobe has not been willing to make complete source code of the Flash Player available for free software development. Free and open source alternatives to the Adobe Flash Player such as Shumway and Gnash have been built, but are no longer under active development[133] and therefore not a viable alternative. The only fully functional open-source third-party Flash Player is the commercially available Scaleform GFx Player, which is game development middleware designed for integration into non-Flash video games.
Criticism
Usability
In some browsers, prior Flash versions have had to be uninstalled before an updated version could be installed.[134][135] However, as of version 11.2 for Windows, there are now automatic updater options.[136] Linux is partially supported, as Adobe is cooperating with Google to implement it via Chrome web browser on all Linux platforms.[137]
Mixing Flash applications with HTML leads to inconsistent behavior with respect to input handling (keyboard and mouse not working as they would in an HTML-only document). This is often done in web sites[138] and can lead to poor user experience with the site.
The February 20, 2014 update to 12.0.0.70 introduced a reported bug, producing green video with sound only. This defect is related to hardware acceleration and may be overcome by disabling hardware acceleration via the Adobe settings in Firefox (accessed by right clicking within the video) or in Internet Explorer (within the Tools settings).[139] This defect may be related to widely used graphics hardware, AMD Radeon HD video cards, and similar visual defects have occurred in earlier Flash updates, with the same workaround.
Privacy
Flash Player supports persistent local storage of data (also referred to as Local Shared Objects), which can be used similarly to HTTP cookies or Web Storage in web applications. Local storage in Flash Player allows websites to store non-executable data on a user's computer, such as authentication information, game high scores or saved games, server-based session identifiers, site preferences, saved work, or temporary files. Flash Player will only allow content originating from exactly the same website domain to access data saved in local storage.[140]
Because local storage can be used to save information on a computer that is later retrieved by the same site, a site can use it to gather user statistics, similar to how HTTP cookies and Web Storage can be used. With such technologies, the possibility of building a profile based on user statistics is considered by some a potential privacy concern. Users can disable or restrict use of local storage in Flash Player through a "Settings Manager" page.[141][142] These settings can be accessed from the Adobe website or by right-clicking on Flash-based content and selecting "Global Settings".
Local storage can be disabled entirely or on a site-by-site basis. Disabling local storage will block any content from saving local user information using Flash Player, but this may disable or reduce the functionality of some websites, such as saved preferences or high scores and saved progress in games.
Flash Player 10.1 and upward honor the privacy mode settings in the latest versions of the Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari web browsers, such that no local storage data is saved when the browser's privacy mode is in use.[143]
Security
Adobe security bulletins and advisories announce security updates, but Adobe Flash Player release notes do not disclose the security issues addressed when a release closes security holes, making it difficult to evaluate the urgency of a particular update. A version test page allows the user to check if the latest version is installed, and uninstallers may be used to ensure that old-version plugins have been uninstalled from all installed browsers.
In February 2010, Adobe officially apologized[144] for not fixing a known vulnerability for over a year. In June 2010 Adobe announced a "critical vulnerability" in recent versions, saying there are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild against both Adobe Flash Player, and Adobe Reader and Acrobat.[145][146] Later, in October 2010, Adobe announced[147] another critical vulnerability, this time also affecting Android-based mobile devices. Android users have been recommended to disable Flash or make it only on demand.[148] Subsequent security vulnerabilities also exposed Android users, such as the two critical vulnerabilities published in February 2013[149] or the four critical vulnerabilities published in March 2013,[150] all of which could lead to arbitrary code execution.
Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report[151] states that a remote code execution in Adobe Reader and Flash Player[152] was the second most attacked vulnerability in 2009. The same report also recommended using browser extensions to disable Flash Player usage on untrusted websites. McAfee predicted that Adobe software, especially Reader and Flash, would be primary target for attacks in 2010.[153] Adobe applications had become, at least at some point, the most popular client-software targets for attackers during the last quarter of 2009.[154] The Kaspersky Security Network published statistics for the third quarter of 2012 showing that 47.5% of its users were affected by one or more critical vulnerabilities.[155] The report also highlighted that "Flash Player vulnerabilities enable cybercriminals to bypass security systems integrated into the application."[155]
Steve Jobs criticized the security of Flash Player, noting that "Symantec recently highlighted Flash for having one of the worst security records in 2009".[156] Adobe responded by pointing out that "the Symantec Global Internet Threat Report for 2009, found that Flash Player had the second lowest number of vulnerabilities of all Internet technologies listed (which included both web plug-ins and browsers)."[157][158]
April 7, 2016, Adobe released a Flash Player patch for a zero-day memory corruption vulnerability CVE-2016-1019 that could be used to deliver malware via the Magnitude exploit kit. The vulnerability could be exploited for remote code execution.[159][160]
Vendor lock-in
Flash Player 11.2 does not play certain kinds of content unless it has been digitally signed by Adobe, following a license obtained by the publisher directly from Adobe.[161]
This move by Adobe, together with the abandonment of Flex to Apache was criticized as a way to lock out independent tool developers, in favor of Adobe's commercial tools.[162][163][164]
This has been resolved as of January 2013, after Adobe no longer requires a license or royalty from the developer. All premium features are now classified as general availability, and can be freely used by Flash applications.[165]
Apple controversy
In April 2010, Steve Jobs, at the time CEO of Apple Inc. published an open letter explaining why Apple would not support Flash on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.[156] In the letter he blamed problems with the "openness", stability, security, performance, and touchscreen integration of the Flash Player as reasons for refusing to support it. He also claimed that when one of Apple's Macintosh computers crashes, "more often than not" the cause can be attributed to Flash, and described Flash as "buggy".[166] Adobe's CEO Shantanu Narayen responded by saying, "If Flash [is] the number one reason that Macs crash, which I'm not aware of, it has as much to do with the Apple operating system."[167]
Steve Jobs also claimed that a large percentage of the video on the Internet is supported on iOS, since many popular video sharing websites such as YouTube have published video content in an HTML5 compatible format, enabling videos to playback in mobile web browsers even without Flash Player.[168]
Release history
- Macromedia Flash Player 2 (June 17, 1997)
- Macromedia Flash Player 3 (May 31, 1998)
- Added alpha transparency, licensed MP3 compression
- Brought improvements to animation, playback, and publishing, as well as the introduction of simple script commands for interactivity
- Macromedia Flash Player 4 (June 15, 1999)
- Saw the introduction of streaming MP3s and the Motion Tween. Initially, the Flash Player plug-in was not bundled with popular web browsers and users had to visit Macromedia website to download it; As of 2000, however, the Flash Player was already being distributed with all AOL, Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers. Two years later it shipped with all releases of Windows XP. The install-base of the Flash Player reached 92 percent of all Internet users.
- Macromedia Flash Player 5 (August 24, 2000)
- A major advance in ability, with the evolution of Flash's scripting abilities as released as ActionScript
- Saw the ability to customize the authoring environment's interface
- Macromedia Generator was the first initiative from Macromedia to separate design from content in Flash files. Generator 2.0 was released in April 2001, and featured real-time server-side generation of Flash content in its Enterprise Edition. Generator was discontinued in 2002, in favor of new technologies such as Flash Remoting, which allows for seamless transmission of data between the server and the client, and ColdFusion Server.
- In October 2000, usability guru Jakob Nielsen wrote a polemic article regarding usability of Flash content entitled "Flash: 99% Bad". (Macromedia later hired Nielsen to help them improve Flash usability.)
- Macromedia Flash Player 6 (version 6.0.21.0, codenamed Exorcist) (March 15, 2002)
- Support for the consuming Flash Remoting (AMF) and Web Service (SOAP)
- Supports ondemand/live audio and video streaming (RTMP)
- Support for screenreaders via Microsoft Active Accessibility
- Added Sorenson Spark video codec for Flash Video[169]
- Support for video, application components, shared libraries, and accessibility
- Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX, also released in 2002, allowed video to be streamed to Flash Player 6 (otherwise the video could be embedded into the Flash movie).
- Macromedia Flash Player 7 (version 7.0.14.0, codenamed Mojo) (September 10, 2003)
- Supports progressive audio and video streaming (HTTP)
- Supports ActionScript 2.0, an object-oriented programming language for developers
- Ability to create charts, graphs and additional text effects with the new support for extensions (sold separately), high fidelity import of PDF and Adobe Illustrator 10 files, mobile and device development and a forms-based development environment. ActionScript 2.0 was also introduced, giving developers a formal object-oriented approach to ActionScript. V2 Components replaced Flash MX's components, being rewritten from the ground up to take advantage of ActionScript 2.0 and object-oriented principles.
- In 2004, the "Flash Platform" was introduced. This expanded Flash to more than the Flash authoring tool. Flex 1.0 and Breeze 1.0 were released, both of which used the Flash Player as a delivery method but relied on tools other than the Flash authoring program to create Flash applications and presentations. Flash Lite 1.1 was also released, enabling mobile phones to play Flash content.
- Last version for Windows 95/NT4 and Mac Classic[87]
- Macromedia Flash Player 8 (version 8.0.22.0, codenamed Maelstrom) (September 13, 2005)
- Support for runtime loading of GIF and PNG images
- New video codec (On2 VP6)
- Improved runtime performance and runtime bitmap caching
- Live filters and blendmodes
- File upload and download abilities
- New text-rendering engine, the Saffron Type System
- ExternalAPI subsystem introduced to replace fscommand
- On December 3, 2005, Adobe Systems acquired Macromedia and its product portfolio (including Flash).[170]
- Macromedia Flash Player 8 (version 8.0.24.0) (April 23, 2006)
- Adobe Flash Player 9 (version 9.0.15.0, codenamed Zaphod and formerly named Flash Player 8.5) (June 22, 2006)
- Introduction of ActionScript Virtual Machine 2 (AVM2) with AVM1 retained for compatibility
- ActionScript 3 (a superset of ECMAScript 3) via AVM2
- E4X, which is a new approach to parsing XML
- Support for binary sockets
- Support for regular expressions and namespaces
- AVM2 donated to Mozilla Foundation as open-source virtual machine named Tamarin
- Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 1 (version 9.0.28.0, codenamed Marvin) (November 9, 2006)[171]
- Support for fullscreen mode[172]
- Adobe Flash Player 9 (version 9.0.45.0) (March 27, 2007)
- Support for Creative Suite 3.
- Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 2 (version Mac/Windows 9.0.47.0 and Linux 9.0.48.0, codenamed Hotblack) (June 11, 2007)
- Security Update
- Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 3 (version 9.0.115.0, codenamed Moviestar or Frogstar) (December 2007)[173]
- Adobe Flash Player 10 (version 10.0.12.36, codenamed Astro) (October 15, 2008)
- New Features
- 3D object transformations
- Custom filters via Pixel Bender
- Advanced text support
- Speex audio codec
- Real Time Media Flow Protocol (RTMFP)
- Dynamic sound generation
- Vector data type
- Enhanced Features
- Larger bitmap support
- Graphics drawing API
- Context menu
- Hardware acceleration
- Anti-aliasing engine (Saffron 3.1)
- Read/write clipboard access
- WMODE
- New Features
- Adobe Flash Player 10 (version 10.0.32.18) (July 27, 2009)
- Adobe Flash Player 10 (version 10.0.42.34) (November 16, 2009)
- Adobe Flash Player 10 (version 10.0.45.2) (February 21, 2010)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.1 (version 10.1.53.64, codenamed Argo) (June 10, 2010)[176]
- Reuse of bitmap data copies for better memory management
- Improved garbage collector
- Hardware-based H.264 video decoding
- HTTP Dynamic Streaming
- Peer-assisted networking and multicast
- Support for browser privacy modes
- Multi-touch APIs
- For Macs/OSX 10.4 ppc or later
- Using Cocoa UI for Macs
- Use of double-buffered OpenGL context for fullscreen
- Use of Core Animation
- Adobe Flash Player 10.2 (version 10.2.152.26, codenamed Spicy) (February 8, 2011)
- Stage Video, a full hardware-accelerated video pipeline
- Internet Explorer 9 hardware-accelerated rendering support
- Custom native mouse cursors
- Multiple monitor fullscreen support
- Enhanced subpixel rendering for text
- Adobe Flash Player 10.2 (version 10.2.152.32) (February 28, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.2 (version 10.2.153.1) (March 21, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.2 (version 10.2.159.1) (April 15, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.181.14, codenamed Wasabi) (May 12, 2011)[177]
- Media measurement (video analytics for websites; desktop only)
- Acoustic Echo Cancellation (acoustic echo cancellation, noise suppression, voice activity detection, automatic compensation for microphone input levels; desktop only)
- Integration with browser privacy controls for managing local storage (ClearSiteData NPAPI)
- Native control panel
- Auto-update notification for Mac OS X
- Last version for Mac OS X 10.5[87] and Windows 2000 (unofficially bypassing the XP installer)
- Adobe replaced Extended Support Release 10.3 by 11.7 on July 9, 2013.[82]
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.181.23) (June 5, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.181.26) (June 14, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.181.34) (June 29, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.183.5) (August 14, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.183.7) (August 24, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.183.10) (September 21, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.183.11) (November 11, 2011)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.183.25) (September 18, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (version 10.3.183.29) (October 8, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11 (version 11.0.1.152, codenamed Serrano) (October 4, 2011)[178]
- Desktop only
- Stage 3D accelerated graphics rendering[179]
- Desktop: Windows (DirectX 9), OS X (Intel processor only) and Linux (OpenGL 1.3), SwiftShader fallback
- Mobile: Android and iOS (OpenGL ES 2)
- H.264/AVC software encoding for cameras
- Native 64-bit
- Asynchronous bitmap decoding
- TLS secure sockets
- Stage 3D accelerated graphics rendering[179]
- Desktop and mobile
- Mobile only
- H.264/AAC playback
- Front-facing camera
- Background audio playback
- Device speaker control
- 16- and 32-bit color depth
- Desktop only
- Adobe Flash Player 11.1 (version 11.1.102.55, codenamed Anza) (November 10, 2011)[181]
- Last version of the web browser plug-in for mobile devices (made for Android 2.2 to 4.0.3)
- iOS 5 native extensions for AIR
- StageText: Native text input UI for Android
- Security enhancements, last official version for Windows 2000[87]
- Adobe Flash Player 11.1 (version 11.1.102.62) (March 5, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.2 (version 11.2.202.228) (March 28, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.2 (version 11.2.202.233) (April 12, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.2 (version 11.2.202.235, codenamed Brannan) (May 3, 2012)[182]
- The Windows version offers automatic updater options[136]
- Dropped support of the browser plug-in for mobile devices (Android). Android app developers are encouraged to use Adobe Air and Android web developers should switch to HTML5.
- Extended support for Flash player 11.2 on Solaris as it is the last version to be supported.[87]
- Adobe replaced Extended Support Release 11.2 on Linux with 24.0 on December 13, 2016.
- Adobe Flash Player 11.3 (version 11.3.300.257) (June 8, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.3 (version 11.3.300.262) (June 21, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.3 (version 11.3.300.265) (July 11, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.3 (version 11.3.300.268) (July 26, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.3 (version 11.3.300.270) (August 4, 2012)
- Desktop and mobile
- Fullscreen interactive mode (keyboard input during fullscreen)
- Native bitmap encoding and compression (PNG, JPEG, JPEG-XR)
- Draw bitmaps with quality (low, medium, high, best)
- Texture streaming for Stage3D
- Dropped support for Linux and Solaris
- Mobile-only
- Auto-orientation on specific devices
- USB debugging for AIR on iOS
- Desktop and mobile
- Adobe Flash Player 11.3 (version 11.3.300.271) (September 18, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.3 (version 11.3.300.273) (October 3, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.4 (version 11.4.402.259) (August 10, 2012)
- Flash Player only
- ActionScript workers
- SandboxBridge support
- Licensing support: Flash Player Premium features for gaming
- Flash Player and AIR
- Stage3D "constrained" profile for increased GPU reach
- LZMA support for
ByteArray
- StageVideo attachCamera/Camera improvements
- Compressed texture with alpha support for Stage3D
- DXT encoding
- AIR only
- Deprecated Carbon APIs for AIR
- Direct AIR deployment using ADT
- Push notifications for iOS
- Ambient AudioPlaybackMode
- Exception support in Native Extensions for iOS
- Flash Player only
- Adobe Flash Player 11.4 (version 11.4.402.265) (August 21, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.4 (version 11.4.402.278) (September 18, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.4 (version 11.4.402.287) (October 8, 2012)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.5[183]
- Shared ByteArray
- Invoke Event enhancement (for openurl)
- Packaging multiple libraries in an ANE (iOS)
- Debug stack trace in release builds of Flash Player
- Statically link DRM (desktop only)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.6 (codenamed Folsom)[183]
- Lossless video export from standalone and authplay.dll
- Support for flash.display.graphics.readGraphicsData() that returns a Vector of IGraphicsData
- Improve permissions UI related to full screen keyboard access
- Prevent ActiveX abuse in Office documents
- Support file access in cloud on Windows
- Enhance multi-SWF support
- Migration certification for ANEs
- RectangleTexture
- File API update so AIR apps conform to Apple data storage guidelines
- Separate sampler state for Stage3D
- Set device specific Retina Display resolution (iOS)
- Adobe Flash Player 11.7 (version 11.7.700.169, codenamed Geary) (April 9, 2013)[183]
- SharedObject.preventBackup property
- forceCPURenderModeForDevices
- Remote hosting of SWF files in case of multiple SWFs
- Support for uploading 16-bit texture formats
- GameInput updates
- Android – create captive runtime apps
- Adobe replaced Extended Support Release 11.7 on Mac and Windows with 13.0 on May 13, 2014.[83]
- Adobe Flash Player 11.8 (codenamed Harrison)[183]
- Stage3D baselineExtended profile
- Recursive stop on MovieClip
- Flash Player & AIR Desktop Game Pad Support
- Support for large textures (extendedBaseline, 4096)
- Rectangle texture
- DatagramSocket
- ServerSocket
- Substitute a redirected URL from a source URLRequest for part of the URL in a new URLRequest
- Adobe Flash Player 11.9 (codenamed Irving)[183]
- OS X Mavericks Support
- Mac .pkg Installation Support
- Adobe Flash Player 12 (codenamed Jones)[184]
- Improved Mac .pkg Installation Support for the work flow and UI
- Support for Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 7
- Support for Safe Mode in Safari 6.1 and higher
- 64-bit PPAPI Flash Player for Google Chrome
- Graphics: Buffer Usage flag for Stage3D
- Adobe Flash Player 13 (codenamed King)[185][186]
- Adobe Flash Player 14 (version 14.0.0.125) (June 10, 2014)[187]
- Stage 3D Standard profile
- Adobe Flash Player 14 (version 14.0.0.145) (July 8, 2014)
- Adobe Flash Player 14 (version 14.0.0.179) (August 12, 2014)
- Adobe Flash Player 15 (version 15.0.0.152) (September 9, 2014)[188]
- Improved support for browser zoom levels
- Adobe Flash Player 15 (version 15.0.0.167) (September 24, 2014)
- Adobe Flash Player 15 (version 15.0.0.223) (November 11, 2014)
- Adobe Flash Player 15 (version 15.0.0.239) (November 25, 2014)
- Adobe Flash Player 16 (version 16.0.0.235) (December 12, 2014)[189]
- Stage3D – Standard Constrained Profile
- PPAPI Installers for Windows and Mac
- Adobe Flash Player 16 (version 16.0.0.257) (January 13, 2015)
- Adobe Flash Player 16 (version 16.0.0.287) (January 22, 2015)
- Adobe Flash Player 17 (version 17.0.0.134, codenamed Octavia) (March 12, 2015)[190]
- Control Panel improvements
- Installer improvements for Mac
- Adobe Flash Player 18 (version 18.0.0.160) (June 9, 2015)
- Contains fixes for Adobe Security Bulletin APSB 15–11[191]
- Adobe Flash Player 19 (version 19.0.0.185) (September 21, 2015)
- Adobe Flash Player 20 (version 20.0.0.228) (December 8, 2015)
- Adobe Flash Player 21 (version 21.0.0.182) (March 10, 2016)
- Adobe Flash Player 22 (version 22.0.0.192) (June 16, 2016)
- Adobe Flash Player 23 (version 23.0.0.164) (September 13, 2016)
- Adobe Flash Player 24 (version 24.0.0.186) (December 13, 2016)
- Adobe Flash Player 24 (version 24.0.0.194) (January 10, 2017)
- Adobe Flash Player 25 (version 25.0.0.127) (March 14, 2017)
- Adobe Flash Player 25 (version 25.0.0.148) (April 11, 2017)
- Adobe Flash Player 25 (version 25.0.0.163) (April 20, 2017)
- Adobe Flash Player 26 (version 26.0.0.131) (June 13, 2017)
See also
References and notes
- ^ "Adobe - Flash Player". flash.cn (in Simplified Chinese). Zhongcheng Network Technology Co., Ltd. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ a b "_flash_install_packages_". flash.cn. Zhongcheng Network Technology Co., Ltd. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ "ADOBE® FLASH® PLAYER ENTERPRISE SUPPORT". harman.com. Harman International. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ^ "Flash Player官方下载中心". Flash (in Simplified Chinese). Flash.cn. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ "关于Linux操作系统下Flash Player个人版停用的公告". Flash (in Simplified Chinese). Flash.cn. May 10, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Adobe - Flash Player". Adobe.com. Adobe Systems. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Archived Flash Player versions". Adobe.com. Adobe Systems. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
- ^ "Download Flash Player 32 Beta". labs.adobe.com. Adobe Systems. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ "Adobe Flash Player Download". Adobe Systems. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
- ^ "Why You Should Ditch Adobe Shockwave". Krebs on Security. May 14, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ "Adobe Flash Runtimes Statistics". Adobe Systems Incorporated. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
- ^ Integrated Adobe Flash Player Plug-in, Chrome team blog
- ^ Porting Flash to sandboxed PPAPI platform, Official Chromium Blog
- ^ "Flash Player issues | Windows 8". Adobe Systems. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- ^ "Flash Player Issues | Windows 10 | Internet Explorer". Adobe Systems. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- ^ "Flash Player issues | Windows 10 | Microsoft Edge". Adobe Systems. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- ^ Barrett, Brian (July 15, 2015). "Flash. Must. Die". Wired.com. Condé Nast.
- ^ Vaughan-Nichols, Steven J. (June 16, 2016). "How to really fix the latest Adobe Flash security hole". ZDNet. CBS Interactive.
- ^ Collins, Katie (March 11, 2016). "Adobe rushes out emergency update for 'critical' Flash security flaw". CNET.
- ^ "Flash & The Future of Interactive Content". July 25, 2017.
- ^ Lardinois, Frederic. "Get ready to finally say goodbye to Flash — in 2020". TechCrunch. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ Warren, Tom (July 25, 2017). "Adobe will finally kill Flash in 2020". The Verge. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ "Adobe Announces Flash Distribution and Updates to End". July 25, 2017.
- ^ Pudełek, Jakub (July 25, 2017). "Migrating Games from Flash to Open Web Standards on Facebook".
- ^ Laforge, Anthony (July 25, 2017). "Saying goodbye to Flash in Chrome".
- ^ "The End of an Era – Next Steps for Adobe Flash". July 25, 2017.
- ^ Smedberg, Benjamin (July 25, 2017). "Firefox Roadmap for Flash End-of-Life".
- ^ AIR 3, Adobe
- ^ "What are local shared objects?". Security and privacy. Adobe Systems. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ SWX: SWF Data Format, official website
- ^ swxjava – SWX RPC implementation in Java, Google Code
- ^ swx-format – Data Format, Google Code
- ^ SWX Contest Winners, SWX Format Website
- ^ Introducing SWXml, Aral Balkan
- ^ "Flash H.264". MainConcept. Archived from the original on November 18, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b Flash and the HTML5 <video> tag, YouTube Blog
- ^ a b Pardon Our Dust, Hulu Blog
- ^ Future Media Standards & Guidelines – AV Addendum v1.5 BBC
- ^ Protocols: HTTP vs. RTMP> Beginner's Guide to Distributing Flash Video, Adobe Press
- ^ Cross-domain policy file usage recommendations for Flash Player, Adobe
- ^ a b Policy file changes in Flash Player 9 and Flash Player 10, Adobe
- ^ "Sites which support crossdomain.xml to allow Flash and Silverlight access". Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- ^ Socket, Adobe ActionScript 3 API Reference
- ^ Sockets, ActionScript 3.0 Developer’s Guide
- ^ Setting up a socket policy file server, Adobe
- ^ AsSQL – MySQL Driver for AS3, Google Code
- ^ Remi Arnaud (2011). "3D in a Web Browser". In Eric Lengyel (ed.). Game Engine Gems 2. CRC Press. pp. 208–212. ISBN 978-1-56881-437-7.
- ^ Christer Kaitila (2011). Adobe Flash 11 Stage3D (Molehill) Game Programming Beginner's Guide. Packt Publishing Ltd. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-84969-169-7.
- ^ "Stage3D vs WebGL Performance — Airtight Interactive". Airtightinteractive.com. October 28, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ^ "Stage3D". scratch.mit.edu. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
- ^ Adobe Flash Player 11.8 – Bug 3591185: Pixel Bender shader performance drastically degraded in FP11.8. Closed as "NeverFix"
- ^ Comparing Flash, HTML5 Performance, OS News
- ^ Battery Performance with Flash Player 10.1 on Nexus One, Flash Mobile Blog
- ^ Reference Designs and Demos, QNX
- ^ ActionScript 3.0 overview, "ActionScript 3.0 code executes up to 10 times faster than legacy ActionScript code.", Adobe
- ^ "Alchemy:FAQ". Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help), Adobe Labs, "ASC performs few optimizations at this time" - ^ Zotov, Peter (May 6, 2012). "Reaching the Limits of Adobe Stupidity – whitespace". Whitequark.org. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ^ a b Alchemy:FAQ Archived May 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Adobe Labs
- ^ a b Optimizing ActionScript Bytecode using LLVM, Adobe
- ^ a b Adobe Alchemy, is it ActionScript heresy?, Unit Zero One
- ^ Introducing ASC 2.0, Thibault Imbert, ByteArray.com
- ^ AS3 vs haXe performance, SplashDust website Archived January 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Optimizing performance of applications for connected TVs, Adobe Developer Connection
- ^ Top 10 Performance Killers in your AIR Application, FlexWiz
- ^ Flex versus ActionScript – the debate gets new life, Greg's Ramblings
- ^ Pure ActionScript + MadComponents vs. Flash Builder 4.5, MobileAppDev
- ^ Flex 4.5 vs Pure AS3, Michael Crosby
- ^ a b "Adobe donates Flex to Apache". Techworld. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ^ Response to “Thoughts on Flash”, True Gryc Blog
- ^ "Adobe Gaming SDK". creative.adobe.com. Adobe. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ^ a b Wagner James Au (2012). Game Design Secrets. John Wiley & Sons. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-118-46391-8.
- ^ "Adobe Flash 11 adopts Unreal Engine 3 for better browser games | The Verge". theverge.com. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ^ "List of Flash Gaming Engines". FlashRealtime.com. April 23, 2011. Archived from the original on April 6, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ CrossBridge for Flash Player, GitHub
- ^ "Adobe Finally kills Adobe Flash Player in 2020 - Article Pub". Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- ^ Remi Arnaud (2011). "3D in a Web Browser". In Eric Lengyel (ed.). Game Engine Gems 2. CRC Press. p. 205. ISBN 978-1-56881-437-7.
- ^ "Downloads". Adobe Flash Player Support Center. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- ^ "Adobe and Google Partnering for Flash Player on Linux". Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ^ Noyes, Katherine (April 6, 2012). "For Flash on Linux, Chrome Will Be Users' Only Choice | PCWorld Business Center". Pcworld.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ "Adobe Releases Last Linux Version of Flash Player – Slashdot". Linux.slashdot.org. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ "Beta News – Flash Player NPAPI for Linux". Adobe AIR and Adobe Flash Player Team Blog. August 31, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
- ^ a b Tareq Aljaber (May 17, 2013). "Extended Support Release Updated to Flash Player 11.7". Adobe AIR and Adobe Flash Player Team Blog. Adobe. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Upcoming changes to Flash Player's extended support release". Adobe. March 5, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
- ^ "Upcoming changes to Flash Player's extended support release". Adobe. May 15, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- ^ Campbell, Chris (August 23, 2016). "Where can I find the "Extended Support Release" of Flash Player for Windows or Macintosh?". forums.adobe.com. Adobe Systems.
- ^ a b c d e f Adobe Flash Player Versions, Adobe.com
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Archived Flash Player versions". Adobe. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ^ "Flash Player 5". System 7 Today. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ a b iOS features in Adobe AIR 2.6, Adobe Devnet
- ^ a b "Flash Player 10.1 – Installations and updates". Archived from the original on October 8, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Arthur, Charles (June 29, 2012). "Flash Player for Android: Adobe calls time, declares it dead". The Guardian. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
- ^ Flash Platform Certified Devices, Adobe
- ^ Flash Platform Certified Devices: Smartphones, Adobe
- ^ Flash Platform Certified Devices: Tablets, Adobe
- ^ Adobe abandons Flash Player on mobile browsers for HTML5, CBS News
- ^ Adobe abandons Flash for mobile devices, The Telegraph
- ^ Web Players. Adobe. Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ MACROMEDIA INTRODUCES FREE FLASH PLAYERS FOR LINUX, SOLARIS, IRIX USERS. | Technology > Software Services & Applications from. AllBusiness.com. Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ Macromedia – Flash Player SDK http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer_sdk/ (Taken July 7, 2006).
- ^ Press Room: For immediate release. Adobe. Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ Adobe Flash 10 to be ARM-optimized in 2009. Electronista (November 17, 2008). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ Press Room: For immediate release. Adobe. Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ ARM welcomes Adobe's mobile Flash move – 5/2/2008. Electronics Weekly (May 2, 2008). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ ARM netbooks struggle with video, apps. Eetimes.com (April 14, 2009). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ Adobe Success Story: LeapFrog Enterprises http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/showcase/index.cfm?event=casestudydetail&casestudyid=21019&loc=en_us (Taken July 7, 2006).
- ^ "New info on the firmware updates for PS3 and PSP". ThreeSpeech. October 14, 2008.
- ^ Adobe Flash Player Archived October 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Android Market
- ^ a b c Announcing Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 Archived May 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Adobe Flash Platform Blog
- ^ Flash Player 10.1: Live and Ready for Android « Adobe Flash Player Team Blog. Blogs.adobe.com. Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ [2] Retrieved on September 19, 2011.
- ^ Maemo software | Nokia › Maemo Browser Archived December 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Maemo.nokia.com. Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ Mobile and Devices Developer Center: Sony PSP. Adobe (July 16, 2007). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ Symbian ^3. Adobe Flash Lite (April 27, 2010). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ Scott Janousek » Blog Archive » Nintendo Wii Flash Player supported via Opera updated to Flash Lite 3.1 (Flash 8/9) Archived September 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Flashmobile.scottjanousek.com (September 1, 2009). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ a b Download Macromedia Flash Player 7 for Pocket PC Archived February 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Adobe
- ^ a b Flash Player 7 For Pocket PC Archived January 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Adobe (July 14, 2009). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ rich Internet applications | Adobe Flash Platform runtimes. Adobe.com (July 14, 2009). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ "Flip8 – the World's First Flash Emulator — v0.9". Newsdee.com. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
- ^ Claus Wahlers. "FC64 – Flash Commodore 64 Emulator — Demo — c么deazur brasil lab". Codeazur.com.br. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
- ^ "FlashZXSpectrum48k, Sinclair ZX Spectrum Emulator written in Flash". Jorin.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "aminnes – Project Hosting on Google Code". www.aminlab.com/. May 17, 2010.
- ^ SWF Technology Center | Adobe Developer Connection. Adobe.com (July 14, 2009). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ "Adobe Open Screen Project".
Starting today, there will be no restrictions on the use of the SWF specification or the FLV and F4V specifications that make up video in Flash. Formerly, to look at the SWF specification users had to sign a licensing agreement not to use it to create competing players
- ^ "Adobe and Mozilla Foundation to Open Source Flash Player Scripting Engine". Mozilla Foundation Press Center. San Francisco: Mozilla Foundation. November 7, 2006. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- ^ Tamarin Project Archived February 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Mozilla.org (October 5, 2010). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ a b Tim Anderson (November 15, 2015). "Adobe Flex SDK bombshell STUNS developers".
- ^ a b Joab Jackson, IDG News Service (November 16, 2011). "Adobe Donates Flex to Apache". PCWorld.
- ^ a b c Flex != Flash, PrintUI, January 27, 2013
- ^ Open Source Flash C++ Compiler, CrossBridge, Adobe Blogs, June 25, 2013
- ^ CrossBridge, Adobe Gaming GitHub Website
- ^ Adobe Open-Sources Flash C/C++ Compiler, Phoronix, Michael Larabel, June 26, 2013
- ^ "Gnash Reference Manual". gnu.org. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
- ^ "Flash Player Help / Installation problems".
- ^ "Help / Uninstall (old-version) Flash Player (if installation is unsuccessful)".
- ^ a b "Patch for Adobe Flash". The H. March 29, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ^ "Adobe roadmap for the Flash Player". Adobe. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ^ Usage Statistics of Flash for Websites, December 2013. W3techs.com (July 22, 2013). Retrieved on December 9, 2013.
- ^ Bug 3712099, at "bugbase.adobe.com". Retrieved on February 22, 2014.
- ^ "What Is a Local Shared Object?". Adobe Systems. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Adobe Flash Player Settings Manager". Adobe Systems. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Web Storage Settings Panel". Adobe Systems. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ^ "Private browsing in Flash Player 10". Adobe Systems. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Flash Bug Report". February 6, 2010. Archived from the original on February 10, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- ^ "Security Advisory for Flash Player, Adobe Reader and Acrobat". Adobe Systems. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
- ^ "Adobe acknowledges critical security flaw in software". BBC News. June 7, 2010.
- ^ "Security Advisory for Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader and Acrobat". Adobe Systems. Archived from the original on October 31, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Flash vulnerability revealed for Android, fix coming November 9th". MobileCrunch. Archived from the original on October 31, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player". Adobe Systems. February 7, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ "Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player". Adobe Systems. March 12, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ "Internet Security Threat Report: Volume XV: April 2010". Symantec. April 2010. pp. 37, 40, 42. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Adobe Acrobat, Reader, and Flash Player Remote Code Execution Vulnerability". October 15, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
- ^ "2010 Threat Predictions" (PDF). McAfee Labs. December 2009. p. 2. Retrieved May 9, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "McAfee Threats Report: Fourth quarter 2009" (PDF). McAfee Avert Labs. February 2010. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "IT Threat Evolution: Q3 2012". Kaspersky Lab ZAO. November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
- ^ a b Steve Jobs (April 29, 2010). "Thoughts on Flash". Apple. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ future of Flash. Adobe (July 14, 2009). Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ Symantec Global Internet Threat Report for 2009, page 40, "In 2009, Symantec documented 321 vulnerabilities affecting plug-ins for Web browsers (figure 9). ActiveX technologies were affected by 134 vulnerabilities, which was the highest among the plug-in technologies examined. Of the remaining technologies, Java SE had 84 vulnerabilities, Adobe Reader had 49 vulnerabilities, QuickTime had 27 vulnerabilities, and Adobe Flash Player was subject to 23 vulnerabilities. The remaining four vulnerabilities affected extensions for Firefox."
- ^ "Adobe Patches Flash Zero-Day Exploited by Magnitude EK". April 7, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ "Security Advisory for Adobe Flash Player". April 5, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ Update: Premium Features for Flash Player, Adobe AIR and FP Blog
- ^ "Why will Premium Flash Player Features Kill Flash?". ASVGuy. March 10, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ Shankland, Stephen (March 28, 2014). "Adobe to charge Flash coders to use 'premium' features". CNET. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ "And Then Premium Features Arrived…". ASVGuy. April 5, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ Adobe Premium Features for Flash Player, Flash Player Dev Center, Adobe
- ^ Cassella, Dena (February 1, 2010). "Steve Jobs Unleashes His Fury During Town Hall Meeting". Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Richmond, Shane. (April 30, 2010) Adobe hits back at Apple's 'smokescreen' – Telegraph Blogs. Blogs.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
- ^ YouTube Mobile gets a kick start, Official YouTube Blog
- ^ Macromedia, Inc. (March 4, 2002) Macromedia and Sorenson Media bring video to Macromedia Flash content and applications, Retrieved on August 9, 2009
- ^ "Adobe Completes Acquisition of Macromedia". Adobe Systems. December 5, 2005. Archived from the original on June 2, 2007. Retrieved June 18, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Huang, Emmy (November 15, 2006). "Flash Player 9 Update (9.0.28.0) release now available for Windows and Macintosh". Archived from the original on June 25, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ^ "Adobe – Developer Center Exploring full-screen mode in Flash Player 9". Adobe.com. December 3, 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ Melanson, Mike (December 4, 2007). "Flash Player 9 Update 3 (Final)". Archived from the original on September 7, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ^ Adobe press release: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Adobe Systems Incorporated (December 3, 2007) List of codecs supported by Adobe Flash Player, Retrieved on August 5, 2009
- ^ Halfast, Todd. "Flash Player 10.1 Now Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux " Adobe AIR and Adobe Flash Player Team Blog". Blogs.adobe.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ "features Flash Player 10.3 Release Notes". Kb2.adobe.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ "Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 Release Notes: 10/04/11". Kb2.adobe.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ Introducing Molehill: 3D APIs for Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR, Adobe Edge
- ^ Extending AIR, Adobe Devnet
- ^ "Flash Player 11.1 and AIR 3.1 User Release Notes: 11/09/11". Kb2.adobe.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ "Adobe Introduces Premium Features for Gaming with Flash Player 11.2; Announces Collaboration with Unity Technologies". adobe.com. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Flash Player and Adobe AIR feature list". adobe.com. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
- ^ "Flash Player 12.0.0.3". Adobe Systems. November 14, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ "Adobe Labs Downloads". Adobe. April 22, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
- ^ "Flash Player 13.0.0.80". Adobe Systems. January 28, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
- ^ "8/12/2014 – Release – Flash Player 14". Adobe Systems. August 12, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ "11/11/2014 – Release – Flash Player 15". Adobe Systems. November 11, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ "12/9/2014 – Release – Flash Player 16". Adobe Systems. December 9, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ "12/3/2015 – Release – Flash Player 17". Adobe Systems. March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ^ "Adobe Security Bulletin". Retrieved March 25, 2017.
Further reading
- Understanding Flash Player with Adobe Scout – an article discussing the internals of the player and the Adobe Scout profiling tool
External links
- Adobe Flash Player
- Flash Tester (explains official old working version check)