Adobe today announced the upcoming launch of Flash Player 11 and AIR 3, promising "console-quality 2D and 3D games" delivered over the Internet to a full range of computers, mobile devices, and other connected appliances.
Dozens of new features in Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 allow developers to deliver a new class of gaming and premium video experiences, as well as sophisticated, data-driven applications with back-end systems integration across devices, including the iPhone and iPad via AIR. AIR native extensions add support for unique device features and native code libraries, empowering developers to freely choose the right mix of Flash, HTML5 and native code to provide powerful user experiences across PCs and devices.
AIR 3 is also bringing improvements to video streaming, offering the ability to stream full frame rate HD video within AIR applications for iOS via H.264 encoding.
Hardware-accelerated rendering of 2D and 3D graphics is said to see a 1,000-fold increase in performance over Flash Player 10.2 and AIR 2, offering animation of millions of objects at 60 frames per second for smooth video performance on computers and connected televisions, with support for mobile devices currently in a pre-release state. Other improvements include new support for content protection, rentals and subscriptions, as well as support for thousands of AIR native extensions to allow developers to increase the functionality of their software.
Public release versions of Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 will debut early next month.
