On DesignUpdate.com I show how to create a Flash-based presentation that can be controlled by an AIR for Android app. Both the presentation and the Android app are created from the same FLA file and uses a peer to peer connection to “talk” to one another. The result is an app that not only allows the user to preview slides, but also can control the slides shown in the desktop presentation. Special thanks to Kevin […]

Today I created a tutorial where I walk through Peer to Peer communication using Flash Professional within the context of a real-time chat app. This technology can easily be extended for more robust collaboration projects such as real-time community white boards, social gaming or real-time online support. The source files can be downloaded here. Special thanks to fellow Evangelist Tom Krcha and his very informative FlashRealtime.com blog site and his version using Flash Builder.

Recently at FITC Amsterdam I presented a session Tips and Tricks for Mobile Development. The part of the presentation that generated the most interest was about optimization tips. So I thought I’d post some of my findings here. Redrawing Takes Time To improve rendering, it’s a good idea to see what Flash is redrawing when your project plays. For instance, if one vector shape even slightly overlaps another one then both are redrawn. Luckily you […]

Tips and Tricks for Mobile Flash Development View more presentations from paultrani. Here are my slides from FITC Amsterdam.  If you weren’t there you missed some really cool demos as well.  Either way this slide deck provides a good overview about graphics, usability and optimization that every designer and developer should know if they’re getting into mobile.

Don’t you hate it when you go to a web page on a mobile browser and the mobile site doesn’t have the information you need?  Well, you can change your settings so the web page thinks you’re viewing the page from a desktop computer.  To do this it means changing your User Agent String (UAString) on your mobile device. Here are the steps.  (Note that I’m using a Nexus One and the settings may vary […]

Gone are the days of the simple mouse click when it comes to mobile devices.  In fact, there’s a lot of really cool touch events and gestures that can really extend the functionality of any app. Touch Events vs. Gestures So what’s the difference between touch events and gestures?  Well, touch events are the raw touch points that are available on the device.  Gestures are scripted “solutions” that take advantage of these touch events.  So […]

In Flash Professional CS5: Creating a Simple Game for Android Devices, I show you how to translate your existing Flash skills from the web to mobile devices while designing a game in Flash and publishing it as an AIR for Android app. The finished application includes collision detection, random enemy creation and movement, shooting capabilities, multiple levels, and even a high score screen. This course also goes beyond game functionality and shows how to use […]

With the success of BlackBerry smartphones (17.5 percent of the global smartphone market share) it would be silly to not design for BlackBerry’s upcoming PlayBook tablet. But what makes the PlayBook different from other tablet devices when it comes to the design and user experience? This post takes a look at the specifics of designing for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Screen Design The screen size is 1024 x 600 pixels (display area of 6 inches x […]

Disclaimer Let me start off by saying that I work for Adobe so I’m probably bias (and have been for the past 15 years prior to working for Adobe). I just haven’t found better tools available that allow me to be creative. Know that my goal is to be as objective as possible. So if you feel any part seems incorrect then I’d love to hear it. Thanks! Why Android? There are different mobile platforms […]