The Adobe Flash Player is a widely distributed multimedia and application player created and distributed by Macromedia (a division of Adobe Systems). Flash Player runs SWF files that can be created by the Adobe Flash authoring tool, by Adobe Flex or by a number of other Macromedia and third party tools. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Software developer (disambiguation). ... Adobe Systems (pronounced a-DOE-bee IPA: ) (NASDAQ: ADBE) (LSE: ABS) is an American computer software company headquartered in San Jose, California, USA. Adobe was founded in December 1982[1] by John Warnock and Charles Geschke, who established the company after leaving Xerox PARC in order to develop and sell... A software release refers to the creation and availability of a new version of a computer software product. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... A software release refers to the creation and availability of a new version of a computer software product. ... A programming language is an artificial language that can be used to control the behavior of a machine, particularly a computer. ... An operating system (OS) is the software that manages the sharing of the resources of a computer and provides programmers with an interface used to access those resources. ... Windows redirects here. ... Mac OS X (pronounced ) is a line of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. ... This article is about operating systems that use the Linux kernel. ... Solaris is a computer operating system developed by Sun Microsystems. ... An O2 Pocket PC phone A Pocket PC, abbreviated P/PC or PPC, is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer (Personal digital assistant) that runs the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system. ... See Language (journal) for the linguistics journal. ... This article is about media players in general. ... A software license is a legal agreement which may take the form of a proprietary or gratuitous license as well as a memorandum of contract between a producer and a user of computer software. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Macromedia was an American graphics and web development software house headquartered in San Francisco, California producing such products as Macromedia Flash. ... Adobe Systems (pronounced a-DOE-bee IPA: ) (NASDAQ: ADBE) (LSE: ABS) is an American computer software company headquartered in San Jose, California, USA. Adobe was founded in December 1982[1] by John Warnock and Charles Geschke, who established the company after leaving Xerox PARC in order to develop and sell... This article is about the proprietary file format . ... Adobe Flash, previously called Shockwave Flash and Macromedia Flash, is a set of multimedia technologies developed and distributed first by Adobe Systems and earlier by Macromedia. ... Adobe Flex is a collection of technologies released by Adobe Systems for the development and deployment of cross platform, rich Internet applications based on the proprietary Adobe Flash platform. ... Macromedia was an American graphics and web development software house headquartered in San Francisco, California producing such products as Macromedia Flash. ...

Adobe Flash, or simply Flash, refers to both a multimedia authoring program and the Adobe Flash Player, written and distributed by Adobe, that uses vector and raster graphics, a native scripting language called ActionScript and bidirectional streaming of video and audio. Strictly speaking, Adobe Flash is the authoring environment and Flash Player is the virtual machine used to run the Flash files, but in colloquial language these have become mixed: "Flash" can mean either the authoring environment, the player, or the application files.

Flash Player has support for an embedded scripting language called ActionScript (AS), which is based on ECMAScript. Since its inception ActionScript has matured from a script syntax without variables to one that supports object-oriented code, and may now be compared in capability to JavaScript (another ECMAScript-based scripting language). ActionScript is a scripting language based on ECMAScript, used primarily for the development of websites and software using the Adobe Flash Player platform (in the form of SWF files embedded into Web pages). ... ECMAScript is a scripting programming language, standardized by Ecma International in the ECMA-262 specification. ... JavaScript is a scripting language most often used for client-side web development. ...

The Flash Player was originally designed to display 2-dimensional vector animation, but has since become suitable for creating rich Internet applications and streaming video and audio. It uses vector graphics to minimize file size and create files that save bandwidth and loading time. Flash is a common format for games, animations, and GUIs embedded into web pages. For the geographical term, see ria. ... GUI redirects here. ...

The Flash Player is built into some browsers and is available as a plugin for recent versions of other browsers (such as Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari and Microsoft Internet Explorer) on selected platforms. Each version of the plugin is completely backwards-compatible. Firefox redirects here. ... Opera is an Internet suite which handles common internet-related tasks, including visiting web sites, sending and receiving e-mail messages, managing contacts, and online chat. ... Safari is a web browser developed by Apple Inc. ... Internet Explorer, abbreviated IE or MSIE is a web browser from Microsoft currently sold as part of Microsoft Windows. ...

Supported platforms

The latest version of Flash Player, Version 9, is available for Windows (98 and newer), Linux (x86-32 only), Solaris and Mac OS X. Version 7 is the most recent official version currently available for the Linux/ARM-based Nokia 770/N800 Internet Tablets, classic Mac OS, Pocket PC and Windows 95/NT.[2][3] HP offers Version 6 of the player for HP-UX.[4] Other versions of the player have been available at some point for OS/2, Symbian OS, Palm OS, BeOS and IRIX.[5] The Kodak Easyshare One includes Flash Player. The Flash Player SDK was used to develop its on-screen menus, which are rendered and displayed using the included Flash Player.^[1] Among other devices, LeapFrog Enterprises provides Flash Player with their Leapster Multimedia Learning System and extended the Flash Player with touch-screen support.^[2] Sony has integrated Flash Player 6 into the Playstation Portable's web browser via firmware version 2.70. Nintendo has integrated Flash Player 7 in the Internet Channel on the Wii. Windows redirects here. ... This article is about operating systems that use the Linux kernel. ... x86 or 80x86 is the generic name of a microprocessor architecture first developed and manufactured by Intel. ... Solaris is a computer operating system developed by Sun Microsystems. ... Mac OS X (pronounced ) is a line of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. ... The ARM architecture (previously, the Advanced RISC Machine, and prior to that Acorn RISC Machine) is a 32-bit RISC processor architecture developed by ARM Limited that is widely used in a number of embedded designs. ... The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet is a wireless Internet appliance from Nokia, originally announced at the LinuxWorld Summit in New York City on May 25, 2005. ... The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet is a wireless Internet appliance from Nokia, originally announced at the Las Vegas CES 2007 Summit in January 2007. ... This article relates to both the original Classic Mac OS as well as Mac OS X, Apples more recent operating system. ... An O2 Pocket PC phone A Pocket PC, abbreviated P/PC or PPC, is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer (Personal digital assistant) that runs the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system. ... HP-UX (Hewlett Packard UniX) is Hewlett-Packards proprietary implementation of the Unix operating system, based on System V (initially System III). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Symbian OS is a proprietary operating system, designed for mobile devices, with associated libraries, user interface frameworks and reference implementations of common tools, produced by Symbian Ltd. ... Palm OS is an embedded operating system initially developed by U.S. Robotics owned Palm Computing, Inc. ... BeOS is an operating system for personal computers which began development by Be Inc. ... IRIX is a computer operating system developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. ... A camera from the EasyShare series Kodak EasyShare is a line of digital cameras made by Eastman Kodak Company that helped popularized the digital camera docking station. ... See also the activity of leapfrog. ... Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $66. ... The PlayStation Portable , officially abbreviated as PSP) is a handheld game console released and currently manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment. ... For the video game system, see Nintendo Entertainment System. ... The Internet Channel is a version of the Opera web browser for use on the Wii by Opera Software and Nintendo. ... The Wii (pronounced as the pronoun we, IPA: ) is the fifth home video game console released by Nintendo. ...

No x86-64 editions of the Flash player are currently available for any platform [6], due to the x86-32-specific garbage collector and just-in-time compilation engine [7]. Adobe engineers have stated that 64-bit editions for all supported platforms, including Linux, are in development [8]. Just In Time (JIT) is an inventory strategy implemented to improve the return on investment of a business by reducing in-process inventory and its associated costs. ...

As Flash is a proprietary format, Adobe has not been willing to make source code or detailed file format specifications available for free software development, although a basic format specification is available. The principal alternative free software player, gnash, is quite incomplete due to the lack of such specifications and the necessity for reverse engineering. Free software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things. ... Gnash is a project which aims to create a player and browser plugin for the Adobe Flash file format which is free software, replacing the proprietary software niche currently occupied by Adobe Flash Player. ... Reverse engineering (RE) is the process of taking something (a device, an electrical component, a software program, etc. ...

Internet Privacy/Persistent Identification Elements

See also: Local Shared Object

Flash Player is an application that, while running on a computer that is connected to the internet, is designed to contemporaneously interact with websites containing Flash content that are being visited online. As such, under certain configurations the application has the potential to silently compromise its users' internet privacy, and do so without their knowledge. By default, Flash Player is configured to permit small, otherwise invisible "tracking" files, known as Persistent Identification Elements (PIE)^[3] or Local Shared Object files, to be stored on the hard drive of a user's computer. Sent in the background over the internet from websites to which a user is connected, these files work much the way "cookies" do with internet browsers. When stored on a user's computer, PIE (.sol) files are capable of sending personally sensitive data back out over the internet without the user's knowledge to one or more third parties. In addition, Flash Player is also capable of accessing and retrieving audio and video data from any microphone and/or webcams that might be either built in or connected to a user's computer and transmitting it in realtime over the internet (also potentially without the user's knowledge) to one or more third parties. Local Shared Object (LSO) is a cookie-like data entity used by Adobe Flash Player. ... Internet privacy consists of privacy over the media of the Internet: the ability to control what information one reveals about oneself over the Internet, and to control who can access that information. ... Local Shared Object (LSO) is a cookie-like data entity used by Adobe Flash Player. ... Typical hard drives of the mid-1990s. ... This article is about the HTTP state mechanism. ... Audio can mean: Sounding that can be heard. ... For other uses, see Video (disambiguation). ... Microphones redirects here. ... A web camera (or webcam) is a real time camera whose images can be accessed using the World Wide Web, instant messaging, or a PC video calling application. ...

While these capabilities can all be affirmatively blocked and/or disabled by the user, the Flash Player application does not provide an internally accessible "preferences" panel to accomplish this. Instead access to the various settings panels necessary to manage the application's "Privacy," "Storage," "Security," and "Notifications" settings can be achieved through a web-based "Settings Manager" page located on the "support" section of the Adobe.com website, or by third party tools (see Local Shared Object). Each of the functions can be enabled/disabled either "globally" to cover all websites, or set differently for individual websites depending on how the user desires Flash Player to be able to interact with each one. Local Shared Object (LSO) is a cookie-like data entity used by Adobe Flash Player. ...

Whilst the Flash Control Panel Settings in theory allow users to protect their privacy it should be remembered that suitably crafted Visual Basic Script or similar code can overwrite any user defined settings before the Flash Player Plug-in is called by a webpage.

In addition to cookies, many banks and other financial institutions also routinely install Persistent Identification Elements using Flash Player on users' hard drives when they establish and access their accounts, as do other interactive sites such as "YouTube" and the like. This article is about the HTTP state mechanism. ... YouTube is a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. ...

History

• Macromedia Flash Player 2
  • First version under Macromedia brand
  • Mostly vectors and motion, some bitmaps, limited audio
• Macromedia Flash Player 3
  • Added alpha transparency, licensed MP3 compression
• Macromedia Flash Player 4 (May 1999)
• Macromedia Flash Player 5 (August 2000)
• Macromedia Flash Player 6 (March 2002)
  • Support for the consuming Flash Remoting (AMF) and Web Service (SOAP)
  • supports ondemand/live audio and video streaming (RTMP)
  • Support for screenreaders via Microsoft Active Accessibility
  • Added Sorenson Sparc video codec for Flash Video
• Macromedia Flash Player 7 (September 2003)
  • supports progressive audio and video streaming (HTTP)
  • supports ActionScript 2.0, an Object-Oriented Programming Language for developers
• Macromedia Flash Player 8 (August 2005)
  • support of GIF and PNG bitmapped images
  • new video codec (On2 VP6)
  • improved runtime performance
  • live filters such as blur and drop shadow
  • file upload and download capabilities
  • crisp pixel-perfect text rendering
  • new security features to prevent unsafe code from running
• Macromedia Flash Lite 1.0 and 1.1
  • Based on Flash Player 4
• Macromedia Flash Lite 2.0 (December 2005)
  • Based on Flash Player 7
• Adobe Flash Player 9 (June 2006) previously named Flash Player 8.5
  • New ECMAScript scripting engine, ActionScript Virtual Machine AVM2. AVM retained for compatibility.
  • Actionscript 3 via AVM2.
  • E4X, which is a new approach to parsing XML.
  • Support for binary sockets.
  • Support for Regular Expressions and namespaces.
  • ECMAScript 4 virtual machine donated to Mozilla Foundation and named Tamarin.
• Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 1 (version 9.0.28.0) (November 2006^[4])
  • Support for full-screen mode.^[5]
• Adobe Flash Lite 2.1 (December 2006)
  • Running on the BREW platform
• Adobe Flash Lite 3 (Announced on February 2007)
  • Support for FLV transcoding
• Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 3 (version 9.0.115.0, codenamed Moviestar) (December 2007)^[6]
  • H.264
  • AAC (HE-AAC, AAC Main Profile, and AAC-LC)
  • ISO Base Media File Format (MPEG-4 Part 12)

For other uses, see MP3 (disambiguation). ... AMF is a binary format based loosely on the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP). ... For other uses, see Soap (disambiguation). ... Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) is a proprietary protocol developed by Adobe Systems (formerly developed by Macromedia) that is primarily used with Macromedia Flash Media Server to stream audio and video over the internet to the Adobe Flash Player client. ... Flash Video is the name of a file format used to deliver video over the Internet using Adobe Flash Player (formerly known as Macromedia Flash Player) version 6, 7, 8, or 9. ... HTTP (for HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the primary method used to convey information on the World Wide Web. ... NatusRoma 00:49, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... TrueMotion VP6 is a video codec developed by On2 Technologies as a successor to earlier efforts such as VP3 and VP5. ... ECMAScript for XML (E4X) is a programming language extension that adds native XML support to ECMAScript (which include ActionScript, DMDScript, JavaScript, JScript). ... An Internet socket (or commonly, a socket or network socket), is a communication end-point unique to a machine communicating on an Internet Protocol-based network, such as the Internet. ... Tamarin is a free virtual machine and just in time compiler intended to implement the fourth edition of the ECMAScript standard, commonly referred to as JavaScript 2. ... BREW is an application development platform created by Qualcomm for mobile phones. ... FLV (Flash Video) is a proprietary file format used to deliver video over the Internet using Adobe Flash Player (formerly known as Macromedia Flash Player) version 6, 7, 8, or 9. ... H.264 is a high compression digital video codec standard written by the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) together with the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) as the product of a collective partnership effort known as the Joint Video Team (JVT). ... Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. ... High Efficiency AAC (HE-AAC) is a lossy data compression scheme for digital audio. ... MPEG-4 is a standard used primarily to compress audio and visual (AV) digital data. ...

See also

• Adobe Shockwave Player
• Adobe Flash Lite
• Gnash, a free software Flash player
• Flash Video
• Microsoft Silverlight
• Local Shared Object

Adobe Shockwave (formerly Macromedia Shockwave) was Macromedias first and most successful multimedia player prior to the introduction of Macromedia Flash (now Adobe Flash). ... Adobe Flash Lite is a lightweight version of Adobe Flash Player optimized for mobile phones and other devices. ... Gnash is a project which aims to create a player and browser plugin for the Adobe Flash file format which is free software, replacing the proprietary software niche currently occupied by Adobe Flash Player. ... Free software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things. ... Flash Video is the name of a file format used to deliver video over the Internet using Adobe Flash Player (formerly known as Macromedia Flash Player) version 6, 7, 8, or 9. ... Microsoft Silverlight is a browser plugin that allows web applications to be developed with features like animation, vector graphics, and audio-video playback - features that characterize a rich internet application. ... Local Shared Object (LSO) is a cookie-like data entity used by Adobe Flash Player. ...

References and notes