Presentation at the University of Denver for the Instructional Design and Web Development for Educators class. October 11th, 2010 Recording at: http://vimeo.com/15766159

1. MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES
AND ADOBE
presented by
Joseph Labrecque
Instructional Design and Web Development for Educators - Denver, CO
October 11 th, 2010

2. Joseph Labrecque
Flash Platform Developer
Multidisciplinary Digital Artist
Adobe Education Leader
• University of Denver
 Senior Multimedia Application Developer
 Center for Teaching and Learning
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 2

3. About the DU Center for Teaching & Learning
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers
a variety of faculty development opportunities
including workshops and seminars, grant funding
for faculty-initiated projects, and support and
development of technological applications that
advance teaching and learning goals.
Two Units:
• Teaching and Learning Support
• Grants and Teaching Support
• Application and Services Support
• Research and Development
• Application Development
(ColdFusion, Flash, Flex, AIR, Java, PHP)
• Technology Advisement and Forecasting
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 3

4. About Adobe Systems
“To revolutionize how the world engages
with ideas and information.”
• Type
• Documents
• Imaging
• Web
• Mobile / All Screens
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 4

5. Adobe Education Leaders
“The Adobe Education Leaders (AEL) Program
highlights the successes and contributions of
innovative educators involved in higher and K–12
education who are using Adobe tools and applications
in the classroom.
As new products are developed or existing products
are updated, the Education Leaders are involved in
beta programs and online seminars on a range of
technology and program topics. They are asked for
feedback, invited to participate in focus groups, and
are among the first to support learning objectives
through effective use of the technology.”
http://www.adobe.com/education/hed/community/l
eaders/
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 5

6. What is Mobile?
Mobile is basically anything device can carry around
with you! Many believe this is the future of general
computing.
During this session, we will be discussing a number of
things.
• Different forms that mobile computing takes
• Mobile platforms
• The Mobile Web
• App Stores and Markets
• Adobe and Mobile
• DU and Mobile
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 6

7. Form Factors? Devices?
• Phones
• We are still calling them phones???
• Blackberry, iPhone, and Android devices
• Also traditional cell phones
• Tablets
• Emerging market
• iPad is the first of many
• Blackberry Playbook
• Bunch of Android devices coming soon
• Netbooks
• Ultra-portable (underpowered) laptops
• Laptops
• The mobile standard for years!
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 7

8. This is Uncharted Territory!
Everyone is guessing at this point.
Plenty of forecasting.
Lots of new, emerging stuff.
Lots of OPINIONS and UNKNOWNS!!!
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 8

9. Let’s talk mobile platforms
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 9

10. Platforms
• RIM BlackBerry OS
• Apple iPhone OS
• Google Android OS
• Microsoft Windows Mobile
• Linux
• Symbian OS
• Palm OS
• Windows Phone 7
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 10

11. Mobile and the Web
m. Subdomain Websites
• Generally made for older phones
• Super-basic version of the website content
• Basically a big list
Phone Formatting
• Phone Browser overrides the text width
• Sometimes removes images
Custom CSS
• Website has a mobile CSS for phones
• Probably the best solution for a while
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 11

12. App Stores and Markets
• Popularized and pioneered by Apple for the
iPhone.
• Adopted by Google Android and others.
• Really a take off the Linux software
distribution method.
• Makes it convenient to just grab apps with
little hassle.
• Must be written for each and every platform.
• As a result- not all apps are on all device
platforms.
• This is BAD. Very few have the time, money,
and people necessary to do this.
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 12

13. Let’s talk mobile development
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 13

14. Native Development Examples
Apple iDevices
• Apps written in Objective-C (1986)
• Vastly different from many other languages
• iPhone SDK (Apple Proprietary)
• Many tools are Apple-only
• Time to publish (WEEKS - MONTHS!)
Google Android
• Apps written in Java (1995)
• Shares many similarities with C#, ActionScript,
and other languages
• Android SDK (Open Source)
• Time to publish (SECONDS!)
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 14

15. Packager for iPhone - Problems with Fruit
• Adobe announces Packager for iPhone in late
2009 to allow Flash developers to compile
their code to native and distribute through the
App Store just like any normal app.
• Days before CS5 launches, Apple changes their
developer agreement to exclude all apps
written using “intermediate layers” – This
includes Flash, Lua, Unity, C#; anything that is
not Objective-C
• Adobe refocus on AIR for mobile, specifically
AIR for Android and Blackberry but other
platforms will follow.
• In September, Apple reversed their decision
and Adobe has resumed work on AIR for iOS.
• Still no Flash Player :(
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 15

16. AIR for Android
• Super-private prerelease earlier this year – later
opened wide to a much larger prerelease program.
• If the user downloads an APK from the market and
does not have the runtime, the user is prompted to
install Adobe AIR the first time they grab an AIR for
Android app.
• Cost is minimal. Flash and Flex developers can
leverage the skills they already have and distribute
their apps across platforms and devices easily.
• Mobile Flex Framework “Slider” is no more.
• Flex 4.5 “Hero” will include specifics for mobile
applications – specifically to deal with resolution
differences across devices and touch interactions.
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 16

17. AIR for Blackberry
• AIR has been adopted by RIM as the premiere
development environment for applications on their
new QNX platform.
• The first party applications, OS application launcher
and other integral pieces of the OS are built with
AIR!
• Blackberry Playbook is the first of many devices
using this technology!
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 17

18. What is DU doing about Mobile?
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 18

19. DU and Mobile
• Experiments with Adobe AIR for Android
• CourseMedia™ StudyShufffer
• Adobe AIR + Flash Player will be on Android,
BlackBerry, Symbian OS, Palm/HP, Windows Mobile…
• Farthest reach – write once, run *almost* everywhere
• Apple iDevices remain a problem in regard to
embedded Flash but not any longer for app
development.
http://www.openscreenproject.org/
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 19

20. Experiment #1 – SketchNSave
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 20

21. Experiment #1 – SketchNSave
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 21

22. Experiment #2 – StudyShuffler
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 22

23. Experiment #2 – StudyShuffler
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 23

24. What about Flash Player on Android?
Works pretty well!
• Near parity with the desktop 10.1
• Anything CPU/GPU-intensive will tax
any battery; Flash or no Flash.
• Have not noticed any battery drain on
normal usage.
However…
• Desktop controls often tiny, tiny…
• Developers can optimize apps for
mobile in many ways.
• New ways to think about UI on
ANY platform – not just Flash.
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 24

25. What about other institutions?
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 25

26. Other Institutions
Western Michigan University
• Bus broadcasting system
• Robot controlled by mobile devices
Illinois Central College
• Mobile Technologies Class
Full Sail University
• Mobile Development Degree
Savannah College of Art and Design
• LMS designed for mobile
• Administrative mobile apps
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 26

27. The future?
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 27

28. Mobile Forecasting
Platform Market Share Changes?
• Android on the rise!
• Expanding options!
• iPhone steady
• Traditional platforms reduction
• Windows Phone 7?
Will iDevices Open Up?
• Maybe.Yeah, slightly!
Where are all the Tablets?
• iPad… Android… Blackberry!
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 28

29. Closing…
Blog: http://inflagrantedelicto.memoryspiral.com/
Twitter: @JosephLabrecque
Email: Joseph.Labrecque@du.edu
Thank you…
JOSEPH LABRECQUE - MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES AND ADOBE 29