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.
Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by Juli Clover
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week.
Past Launch Dates
Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent.
Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC.
Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple.
Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs.
On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop.
Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch.
According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by Tim Hardwick
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020.
If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
Tuesday December 2, 2025 3:30 pm PST by Juli Clover
OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic.
Altman said that OpenAI needs to work on personalization for each user, image generation,...
Hasn't Adobe buried that bloated zombie yet? Who the hell cares about Flash these days?
Adobe's eternal promises for 1000x "better" performance over whatever last version of its crappy software means nothing to any reasonable consumer, and even less to Mac users in general.
Once more, bury that rotten corpse and let us move on, please...
Flash IS DEAD.
Is that your opinion or just because Steve said so? Tough talk = more Apple brownie points I guess. You give us real Apple fans a bad name.
Hope so, there is no reason why it shouldn't be an option for us consumers.
Consumers do have the option, they can buy Android. Its no different to a physical keyboard or removable battery, if those features are critical to a consumer then the iPhone is not the best mobile device choice.
Its like saying I really need a four wheel drive, hybrid electric SUV. I see no reason why Ferrari should offer those options on their F450. They dont and have no moral, legal, ethical or financial responsibility to do so.
Most of web developers ( at least freelancers) are Mac users and I can tell you that 99% of us are excited for HTML5 and CSS3 and does not care about flash anymore.
The future of web design is websites that adapt it's design to the device you are using, one web, multiple devices with no need of using pinch to zoom or whatever, and this is something you do with CSS3, no flash
Html5 is a nightmare.
My company develops complex web banners and sites. for companies like ATT and Fedex to name a few. I can't tell you how many times a Firefox update has killed a site. Or how many times we built things for Facebook only to have Firefox like it but not Chrome. Or having to make mp4 videos for Safari and Firefox while having to make an .ogv version for Chrome. Or having CSS work in one browser but not fully in another.
Flash has its faults for sure but its far from dead. Media companies ask for 95% of their content in flash because they know the user experience will be the same across all browsers.