Posted: 30 Apr 2010 06:07 PM PDT

Microsoft has released Windows Embedded Standard 7 operating system, which allows manufacturers to embed the OS into TVs, interactive digital signs, set-top boxes and other consumer electronic devices.The software giant also announced the commercial release of a Windows 7-based interactive sign, developed in a joint venture with chip maker Intel, that has the ability to recognise the gender of a user.Now that’s awesome isn’t it.The sign comes with interactive technology including panning and zoom, touch, and gesture input. The digital sign is intended as an interactive information point at malls, hospitals and other public places.

Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s OEM division, wrote in a blog post:

Building on the strength of Windows for PCs and Windows for phones, we are upgrading our entire portfolio of platforms and technologies for the embedded market with Windows 7 technologies to better serve our partners and customers.

steve ballmer microsoft 300x225 Microsoft Releases Windows 7 For Embedded Systems

It is not known whether Microsoft plans to rename or replace Windows Embedded Compact or CE by this iteration although it is unlikely given the resource demands and memory footprint.It would be interesting to see how Windows Embedded Standard 7 shapes up with Windows Mobile 7.Would love to know your views on it.

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By Blogsdna

Apple replies back – Flash is Evil Because It is ‘Closed and Proprietary’

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:37 PM PDT

Remember Adobe had launched a sharp attack on Apple’s iPad in a blog posting saying that Apple is mistaken in its approach to connecting consumers to content. Apple did not permit Adobes Flash to be used on its popular iPhone device and also on the iPad.In a rare public comment, Apple’s public relations department responded to criticisms from the project manager for Adobe Flash, suggesting his recent criticism of Apple was “backwards.”In a statement to CNet’s DeepTech, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Miller fired back at Adobe’s Mike Chambers, who revealed this week that his company was abandoning its investment in a feature that would allow Flash applications to be ported natively to the iPhone OS.

steve jobs 300x227 Apple replies back Flash is Evil Because It is Closed and Proprietary

Apple’s Miller adds,

Someone has it backwards — it is HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and H.264 (all supported by the iPhone and iPad) that are open and standard, while Adobe’s Flash is closed and proprietary.

When Apple introduced iPhone OS 4 earlier this month, company co-founder Steve Jobs was asked if there were any plans to add support for Adobe Flash. Jobs simply responded, “No.” At a company meeting in January, the CEO was rumored to have called Adobe “lazy,” and said most Mac crashes are due to Flash. “The world is moving to HTML5,” Jobs was quoted as saying.Jobs also allegedly called Flash a “CPU hog” in a meeting with officials from The Wall Street Journal. The Apple co-founder was said to have called the Web format “full of security holes” and “old technology.”

Adobe employees and supporters have fired back publicly since Apple revealed the iPad, which does not support Flash. Then, earlier this month, Apple took it one step further and specifically prohibited the development of applications using “an intermediary translation or compatibility layer tool.” The change to the iPhone OS developer agreement means that software originally written for formats like Adobe’s Flash cannot be ported to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Adobe’s forthcoming Creative Suite 5 includes software that allows Flash developers to port their software to the iPhone, though Adobe will no longer advance that technology due to Apple’s changes.

One Adobe supporter suggested Apple timed the announcement to hurt sales of CS5. Jobs, in an e-mail, defended the move and said that intermediary software only results in substandard applications.If iPad wont have flash t, iPad users will not be able to access the full range of web content, including over 70% of games and 75% of video on the web and sites like Disney, Hulu, Miniclip, Farmville, ESPN, Kongregate, or JibJab.This was unnecessary from Apple’s side commenting on serious stupid talking and comments.

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By Blogsdna

Flash support coming for Froyo – Android 2.2

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 07:28 AM PDT

News comes that the latest Android release ver. 2.2 aka Froyo would have Flash support embedded.According to Google's VP of Engineering, Andy Rubin, Google will incorporate full Flash support on Android phones, when they release Android 2.2 later this year.It has been about a year since we first saw Flash being demoed on a Android phone and since then, HTC has attempted to port it to its HTC Hero handset which was not that of a success.We might actually see Flash 10.1 on Android as this was never with Android.

android flash Flash support coming for Froyo Android 2.2

Adobe has hinted at times that 2nd half of 2010 would be when we would see the first devices with Flash.In his recent New York Times interview, Rubin pretty much confirmed that time frame somewhere in June,However Rubin did not get into specifics about what phones would be getting the upgrade to Android 2.2 and what devices would be getting native Flash support.After Adobe moved on from trying to bring its services to Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch, they are focusing most of their efforts towards Android.

We look forward to delivering Flash Player 10.1 for Android smartphones as a public preview at Google I/O in May, and then a general release in June. From that point on, an ever increasing number and variety of powerful, Flash-enabled devices will be arriving which we hope will provide a great landscape of choice.

We use the same tools we expect our third party developers to”) the iPad (he bought one for his wife) and Android and/or Chrome tablets (“If a consumer walks into store and two of those tablets are my company's choices, I'm all good.

adobe air flash player logos 300x257 Flash support coming for Froyo Android 2.2

So all you Nexus One owners can rejoice, you will surely receive this update first. The Droid and others should follow.The only other thing unclear about the Flash 10.1 support, is if it will be come default into the Android operating system, or will it be a separate download all together. The community expects Google to make a formal announcement at its upcoming I/O conference on May 19th.

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