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Jim Phelan

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Top Stories by Jim Phelan

Anyone who regularly visits Macromedia's Web site has inevitably seen the Red Bull Copilot and Volvo V50 Web sites. These elegantly crafted applications are perfect examples to make the case for Flash video: they combine the rich user experience of a Flash application seamlessly with high quality streaming video. Macromedia purports Flash video to be a technology that is "outside the box," implying that it can be integrated gracefully with a Web site or Flash application without a stale, uninspired video player surrounding it. Aside from the other major benefits of video in Flash, such as Flash's massive install base and cross-platform compatibility, this point should be well taken. I've used the phrase "Outside the Box" prominently in the title of this article because I believe that this development represents a sea change in the way we deliver media to our users:... (more)

Open Source and the Flash Platform: What Should Adobe Do Next?

Open source must in some way present itself as a bit of a dichotomy to Adobe, now that it has acquired Macromedia. It is generally accepted that open source solutions foster innovation and adoption. However, with an open file format and a free player, is it possible that some projects could eventually challenge Flash's own role by creating competing tools? Jim Phelan writes: In a major repositioning effort in June of 2005, Macromedia - now Adobe - unveiled the "Flash Platform." The conception of Flash, the company had decided, needed to change: Flash had evolved from a tool for ... (more)

When AJAX Isn't Enough: Cases for Rich Clients with the Flash Platform

AJAX’s rise to stardom has caused IT managers, software architects, and developers to give due consideration to enhancing richness and interactivity in web applications. AJAX and its adoption by major web players gave us hope for desktop like responsiveness on the web. Although AJAX is certainly the culprit behind most of the hype, it’s certainly not the only game in town. In this session, Jim presents the Flash Platform as a viable option for delivering enterprise grade web applications. Adobe Flex 1.5, Flex 2.0, Flex Data Services, Flash Remoting, and Flash Media Se... (more)

WebDDJ Feature: Open Source and the Flash Platform

Newly appointed Web Developer's & Designer's Journal Editorial Board Member Jim Phelan writes: OSFlash, MTASC, FlashDevelop, Red5, FlexUnit...This article from WebDDJ vol 3 no 5 looks at a welter of initiatives that testify to the growth of the Flash Platform. In a major repositioning effort in June of 2005, Macromedia (now, of course Adobe, but then still an independent company) unveiled the "Flash Platform." The conception of Flash, the company had decided, needed to change: Flash had evolved from a tool for designers to an interoperating set of technologies appropriate for Web... (more)

Microsoft .NET In A Flash, A New Tool Lets .NET Developers Write Flash Applications

Not long ago developers and IT professionals looked at Flash with disdain. The anti-Flash camp had contempt for its lack of accessibility, minimal standards compliance, and of course there was the infamous back button debacle. But things have changed. Large companies are embracing Flash for rich media delivery. Developers are jumping on the bandwagon in swarms. In the last year there's been an explosion in Flash development tools, including several full-featured development environments and a homespun SWF compiler or two. Flash video suddenly seems to be everywhere, and if you're... (more)