iSwifter Brings Flash Games To the iPad — Sort Of 81
itwbennett writes "Peter Smith is blogging about the free iSwifter app, which aims to solve the 'no Flash games on iPads' problem. The app, which is currently available for the iPad and planned for the iPhone and other devices, 'streams Flash games to your iPad. You run the app, which contacts iSwifter servers, which are actually running the Flash. Ideally, the effect is identical to running the app directly from a web page.' Smith tested the app and calls it an 'interesting idea,' but an imperfect solution — at least right now."
iSwiffer? (Score:5, Funny)
Does it also clean your floor?
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Yes. Yes it does.
Re: (Score:2)
It's also a dessert topping.
Re: (Score:2)
i think cloudbrowse does the same thing (Score:4, Informative)
there is some "browser" i have on my iphone that does the same thing. it's like transfering PC Anywhere or VNC. painfully slow and PITA to control the other website
JS Flash players (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:JS Flash players (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Android device with Android Market (Score:1)
I want an Android device with Android Market, but I don't want a phone. Is that so much to ask?
Looks like you will get this with the Samsung Tab.
Be careful what you ask for - it may not have a phone, but require a contract anyway... http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/samsung-galaxy-tab-wifi-only-version-coming/ [engadget.com]
what's the point? (Score:2)
farmville is already on the iphone/ipad and links to facebook. and there is enough porn out there that works on the iphone/ipad that lack of flash isn't that big a deal. worst case you can download your porn yourself using firefox on your PC, convert using handbrake and carry all your porn with you
Converting H*R makes it 10x bigger (Score:2)
and there is enough porn out there that works on the iphone/ipad that lack of flash isn't that big a deal.
What if I don't want FarmVille or porn, but instead I want the games and vector animations on Newgrounds, plus all of Homestar Runner and Weebl and Bob?
convert using handbrake
I tried converting an SWF vector animation to a video file. The video was ten times bigger.
Re:what's the point? (Score:4, Informative)
My company's internal web sites use Flash all over the place. In our workflow system, our annual review system, etc. If the iPad is really going to go corporate in a big way, it will eventually need Flash for these kinds of uses. Internal corporate systems are not going to be rewritten in HTML5 anytime soon.
Re: (Score:2)
You must not have bosses or a marketing department that demands pretty graphs for pointless meetings.
Pretty Graphs (Score:2)
You must not have bosses or a marketing department that demands pretty graphs for pointless meetings.
I have yet to attend a meeting in any size company that required animated, rather than static, graphs.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
If your experience with company internal meetings covers a statistically significant representative sample of corporations
With companies and meetings, a handful is plenty. I have learned that meetings are the same at any level, in companies of any size.
Re: (Score:2)
With companies and meetings, a handful is plenty. I have learned that meetings are the same at any level, in companies of any size.
With medications and reactions to them, a handful is plenty. I have learned in clinical trials that reactions are the same for any individual, and there's no chance of side effects.
Re: (Score:1, Troll)
With medications and reactions to them, a handful is plenty
What a stupid statement. Medications effects and reactions have shown to differ between people; meetings have shown themselves to be universal in nature.
And it still doesn't answer the original question of why a meeting would NEED an animated graph. You are just arguing for the sake of being an asshole; I'll give you the last response since that is what an asshole naturally seeks.
Is it too much to ask that you at least be a clever asshole? Appare
Re: (Score:2)
animated, rather than static, graphs.
You are missing out... it's a reasonable way to display 3-or-4-D data sets.
Re: (Score:2)
http://www.splashnology.com/blog/javascripts/290.html [splashnology.com]
Re: (Score:2)
The same bosses demand iPads and iPhones. Then they demand the websites work in a Steve Jobs approved way.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
So what - we're just Tweeting in posts now? I don't understand.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
I suspect that there are many more intranet apps relying on ActiveX than there are those relying on Flash, so only adding the latter would do little in terms of "enterprise" usability.
You want the real solution? (Score:5, Insightful)
If Flash matters to you, don't buy the iPad, and send Apple a respectful e-mail saying that you require Flash support in a tablet device if you are to buy it. That is the real solution. If sales suffer because of the lack of Flash, and they are aware of it, then it is likely they'll rectify the problem. If not, someone else will.
However if you get all caught up in Shiny New Toy Syndrome and rush out to buy it, no matter how bad a fit for your use it is, don't go and cry about it later. All that tells companies is that you don't really care about what you say you do, they can produce whatever they like with whatever restrictions they like and you'll buy it so long as it is cool.
I just don't understand all the crying about Flash on Apple devices. If it doesn't matter to you, then great, buy their device, be happy and so on. If it does matter, then do not buy their device, let them know that this is a requirement before you make a purchase, and go on with your life.
However don't buy the device because it is cool, without researching it, and then cry because it won't do what you want.
Re: (Score:2)
Seems to be a common thing with people who buy Apple, they buy it and expect the feature to be added instead of being happy with what it does at time of purchase.
Nobody else seems to suffer this annoyance.
Who cares about flash games, plenty of decent native apps for iOS. The people moaning about flash are wanting to stream porn on the phone.
Re: (Score:2)
Or they're wanting to use web business apps, google visualization systems, sales force, etc. You know, big boy toys.
Re: (Score:1)
Which is totally fine (Score:2)
Actually either way is totally fine. There's nothing wrong with buying a tablet as a toy and being happy with the apps in the store. There's also nothing wrong with wanting it as a professional device, and demanding that it works with all your sites/software and refusing to buy it if it doesn't meet your needs. The problem is people who want to buy it because it is a shiny toy, and then cry because it isn't what they wanted. Don't buy it then.
This is particularly true given the price. When you are talking s
Re: (Score:2)
We're done here. Close the thread. (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)
I just don't understand all the crying about Flash on Apple devices. If it doesn't matter to you, then great, buy their device, be happy and so on. If it does matter, then do not buy their device, let them know that this is a requirement before you make a purchase, and go on with your life./quote.
And if Flash doesn't matter and you're not going to buy an Apple product anyway, bitch on Slashdot about it so we can circulate mod points!
Why not the other way? (Score:3, Insightful)
If Flash matters to you, don't buy the iPad, and send Apple a respectful e-mail saying that you require Flash support in a tablet device if you are to buy it.
I hated Flash before it was seemingly cool to like it again.
So I'll advise anyone who has had a multi-year dislike of Flash, from the CPU-sucking browser crashing video playback, to the headache inducing animated ads, to the flash overlays that perch atop the real content - to those people, email other device makers and ask them why on earth they are
That's fine too (Score:2)
I'm ok with whatever people want. Devices, like computers and tablets, are just tools to be used to accomplish the job you want. What that job is will differ person to person. So if you have no use for Flash, then getting a device that doesn't support it makes sense. However some people do have a use for Flash. For them it does not make sense to get it, and then complain about it.
My objection is just to people who buy devices and then bitch that they aren't what they want. This seems to happen more often wi
Re: (Score:1)
Re:You want the real solution? (Score:5, Insightful)
If Flash matters to you, don't buy the iPad
I don't know anyone who has an iOS device that complains about lack of Flash. I know dozens upon dozens of people with iOS devices, some for years now.
It seems like most of the bitching about Flash comes from Flash developers who won't or can't port to Cocoa Touch or HTML 5. Which is fine by me, they are complaining about a vendor making a somewhat arbitrary technical decision that impacts their careers. I'd be pissed too if a large portion of my market was obviated practically overnight.
Re: (Score:3)
Exactly I have no desire for flash on my device, I have more friends than I can count that own iphones and not a single one has ever said a peep about flash missing from the device. In fact as a developer I am happy with Apple making it just as difficult as possible for flash to work on the device.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
no JavaScript, no H.264
Without those you have an incomplete implementation of Flash, because Flash uses those (well, technically a variation of ECMAScript, but it's very similar anyway).
As long as it's in the flash wrapper... don't care. Point is it's a thing that does nothing without the flash wrapper. Get it? Adobe would like nothing more than to wrap the whole of the internet in flash. So let them, in their own machine. Just keep it the hell away from my browser.
Re: (Score:2)
However if you get all caught up in Shiny New Toy Syndrome and rush out to buy it, no matter how bad a fit for your use it is, don't go and cry about it later. All that tells companies is that you don't really care about what you say you do, they can produce whatever they like with whatever restrictions they like and you'll buy it so long as it is cool.
Doesn't this describe the Apple user base as a whole?
Re: (Score:2)
I think it's a simple tit-for-tat response to all the conspicuous joy about those Apple devices. It's ok for Apple fanbois to buy iPads, but they don't need to relentlessly tell everyone about it. If it matters
I see a trend here... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I see a trend here... (Score:4, Insightful)
I see thin clients becoming a common solution to many graphical/computational intensive applications in the future.
I see the future not coming any time soon, at least until mobile Internet access plans in the United States become much cheaper. At least thick clients can work in environments that connect to the Internet only intermittently.
Is it necessary? (Score:2, Insightful)
I may be in the minority, but I really don't notice the lack of flash on our iPad (or iPhones). It seems like this stuff is a solution in search of a real problem.
Re: (Score:2)
I really don't notice the lack of flash on our iPad (or iPhones).
Notice that you can't play anything on Newgrounds.com.
Re: (Score:1)
Like I said, I may be in the minority but Flash isn't missed. Double that for the Flash ads.
Restaurants (Score:2)
Same here, with one exception -- restaurant websites tend to use Flash.
Of course if I can't find the info I'm looking for then I'm not going to waste my time on the place, so it's not my loss.
Re: (Score:2)
Totally. I say that every time I see a commercial for diabetes related materials. I mean I don't have diabetes. Seems like their insulin is a solution in search of a problem.
Re: (Score:2)
Not necessary, but nice to have. I've only used flash maybe half a dozen times in the several months since I've had it on my phone. But those half a dozen times, it was really nice to have the option.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
And the day that an enlightened populace doesn't blame the vendor for the poor performance of their device when viewing sites crafted using a particular technology, they will.
Remember how everybody blamed MSFT when Windows 95 broke existing programs written by fans of Petzold's Undocumented Windows? Same problem, different words, except that Apple went the other way preemptively this time.
Did we just go backwards? (Score:2)
Remember the days when mobile phones couldn't render full web pages, and we used Opera Mobile which rendered it on their servers and streamed an image back?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is exactly the same, isn't it? That's awesome. And sad.
Going in circles (Score:2)
Technology always goes in circles. Just look at how "cloud computing" is being touted as a big deal now, but it was the norm up until the personal computing came along.
Perhaps geeks simply enjoy reinventing the wheel.
Re:Going in circles (Score:4, Interesting)
When the following generation looks at the folks that came before and sneers that they are old, outmoded and do not have the necessary mental capacity to understand the "new way" re-inventing the wheel is a sad but necessary part of the process.
Most of what is considered to be recent developments in computer science has foundations if not actual implementations in the years before 1970. It may be in a different context, but the same problems have been solved, and are being solved again.
I don't think it is a choice - it is absolutely necessary for people to re-invent the wheel every few years. It is either that or slide backwards as old methods that work are discarded. We are either going to replace them (usually with the same old methods, eventually) or give up and accept less.
Re: (Score:2)
It will not be accepted (Score:2)
That application will not pass the approval process because it downloads stuff and runs it... quite against the requirements for apps, if I recall.
Re: (Score:2)
Damn. I really should have read TFA before posting.
Remote rendered flash for games? (Score:1)
I'd think the latency would destroy any usability on anything but farmville type games?
problemo? (Score:2)
Peter Smith is blogging about the free iSwifter app, which aims to solve the 'no Flash games on iPads' problem.
That's a problem?
And yet... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
So, they do try to emulate a keyboard/mouse events as part of the conversion process, but it's pretty laggy apparently.
Counterpoint (Score:2)
Really, the existence of something like iSwifter is an interesting counterpoint to the article from yesterday about how terrorists are frequently engineers, or rather, it points out that the same isn't true in most cultures.
When someone is willing to gin up a jury-rigged way to play Flash games remotely on an iDevice rather than stick an IED in Steve Jobs' car to solve the same problem, I think that's a pretty good testament to how committed most technically-skilled people are to civilization, and that's a
Re: (Score:2)
Counterpoint: Isn't Flash pretty much the equivalent of an IED? Saving it from demise is like breaking Osama bin Laden out of jail.
Swifter (Score:3, Funny)
Swifter, no swifting!!!