Disqus
Adobe confirmed on its blog that it will resume development of its Flash Packager for iPhone. This component is part of its Flash Professional CS5 development tool and allows developers to port their applications to the iPhone. Though a salient feature of Creative Suite 5, it was rendered useless in April when Apple banned third-party development tools in its iOS 4 developer terms of service.
In response to Apple’s restrictive changes, Adobe thumbed its nose at Apple in a scathing blog post and announced that it was no longer investing resources into developing its iPhone Packager tool. Though the Packager would still be included in Creative Suite 5, it could not be used to create iOS apps and would not be updated by Adobe. The tool sat lifeless within Adobe’s software suite and served as a constant reminder of Apple’s control over its mobile platform.
Fast forward to yesterday when Apple loosened its iOS terms of service to allow the usage of third-party development tools. Though Flash content is still not supported within the iOS browser, the Packager for iPhone can now be used to create standalone apps. Adobe also confirmed that it will work hard to keep the product updated. This change of heart by Apple has brought joy to Flash developers everywhere as their Packager-created apps are now reportedly being approved by Apple. Good news all around for developers!
[Via Adobe]
About The Author
Kelly Hodgkins
Kelly spent the last four years covering mobile technology at places like BGR, Gizmodo and The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Before writing, she spent a few years working with and teaching others how to use Adobe Flash and Macromedia Director. Even earlier than that, she spent several years as a Ph.D student in Microbiology. When she's not writing, she can be found fishing the lakes and hiking the mountains of Western Maine with her husband and tribe of children. You can follow her on Twitter @kellyhodgkins.
