“‘Since the iPad came out we’ve had a lot of clients say that they just don’t want Flash on their sites,’ said Chantelle Simoes, vice president at Ninth Degree Inc., a design firm in Dana Point, Calif., which has built websites for Sanyo and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. If current trends continue, Ms. Simoes said, her 10-person firm will need to hire people familiar with Apple’s development tools,” Worthen reports. “On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated, whose website uses Flash extensively, unveiled a Web app built with HTML 5. ‘We’re going forward on more than one front,’ said Terry McDonnell, editor of Sports Illustrated Group, a unit of Time Warner Inc… While that means having to maintain multiple versions of its properties, Mr. McDonnell said it doesn’t make sense to settle on one technology because Sports Illustrated needs to be able to reach readers no matter what device they use.”
“Carnival Corp., which remade the home page for its cruise line without Flash a year ago because of the iPhone, is unlikely to continue using Flash on other parts of its website or for its online videos. ‘The iPhone and iPad have made us take a look at alternatives’ to publishing in Flash, said Jordan Corredera, director and general manager of Carnival’s online business,” Worthen reports. “Flash still has a commanding share of the market, with about 75% of online video using the format. Online video site Hulu, which doesn’t have an iPad app, said this month it wouldn’t make its videos available in HTML 5. Among the reasons for the decision is that HTML 5 doesn’t have all the ancillary features of Flash, such as the ability to secure and track videos. Hulu is jointly owned by several media companies, including News Corp., which also publishes The Wall Street Journal.”
MacDailyNews Take: Giving only part of the story is unfair to your readership, Ben. They will notice, especially as sites like us point it out, and your credibility will suffer. Hulu is widely expected to bring its service to iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, via an app in the App Store that delivers video via HTML5, not Adobe’s Flash. That bit of information completely changes the mistaken impression you’ve left with your readers. We understand that it’s fun to have a “war” that you can report on, but this war is over but the shooting. There are too many iPhone OS devices now, not to mention tens of millions more next year, for any website or service of note to stick solely with Flash. Flash is being marginalized rapidly and no amount of half truths or Adobe whining is going to change that fact. Next up: Classes on Adobe’s Flash being cancelled due to lack of interest.
Worthen continues, “Adobe on Wednesday added tools to its Web design software that support HTML 5. ‘Whenever technologies come out that people want to use we will support those,’ said Kevin Lynch, Adobe’s chief technology officer.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Because it’s obviously working, we repeat:
Note to advertisers: (including those who advertise via third-party ad networks and become, in effect, our advertisers): Your Flash-based ads are no longer reaching the most well-heeled customers online: 50+ million iPhone owners. They’re also not hitting 35+ million iPod touch users or 1+ million brand new iPad users. If you care about reaching people with discretionary income, you might want to consider dumping your flash-based ads and moving to a more open format that people with money and the will to spend it can actually see.
Help kill Adobe’s Flash:
• Ask MarketWatch to offer HTML5 video via the customer support web form here.
• Ask CNBC to offer HTML5 video via the customer support web form here.
• Contact Hulu and ask them to offer HTML5 video via email:
• Ask ESPN360 to offer HTML5 video instead Flash via their feedback page here.
• Join YouTube’s HTML5 beta here.
• On Vimeo, click the “Switch to HTML5 player” link below any video.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lynn W.” for the heads up.]