Archive notice: This article was originally published on October 17, 2005. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The American software group Macromedia has launched “Macromedia Labs.” The English-language website enables developers and designers to download new software versions at a very early stage, offers extensive feedback opportunities and allows a look behind the scenes. According to the provider, the aim of the website is to involve the worldwide developer community in shaping new products and technologies at a very early stage. The start is now being made by the alpha versions of Flash Player 8.5 and Flex Builder 2 available via the “Labs” website.
“With Macromedia Labs, we are massively changing our own software development process and offering users the opportunity to participate more strongly in the rapid introduction of new technologies,” explains Kevin Lynch, chief software architect at Macromedia. Through the early exchange of ideas with customers, they are intended to be able to build up comprehensive know-how about the new technologies in parallel with the software development process. For this purpose, documentation, samples and technical articles are provided on the Macromedia Labs website. Forums and wikis are used for discussion and collaboration among developers, while podcasts and chats always provide a current overview. RSS subscriptions also enable rapid information about the current state of the development process. A showcase gallery is available to users of Macromedia products to present their latest projects and exchange ideas.
At the launch of “Macromedia Labs,” the alpha versions of Flex Builder 2 and Flash Player 8.5 can now be downloaded. Flex Builder 2 – previously developed under the code name “Zorn” – is a new development environment for implementing rich Internet applications based on the open-source tool Eclipse and includes the Flex framework. Multimedia content can be transferred directly from the new Macromedia Flash Professional 8 authoring program.
Flash Player 8.5 supplements the recently introduced Flash Player 8 with professional programming standards and represents a cross-platform state-of-the-art runtime environment. It contains a new Virtual Machine that enables another increase in performance. Also complete runtime error reporting, improved debugging and support for ActionScript 3. According to Macromedia, Flash Player is currently installed on more than 600 million desktop computers and mobile devices worldwide.
Meanwhile, the acquisition of Macromedia by Adobe, already announced in April, has made progress. The US Department of Justice has approved the acquisition; according to Adobe, only the approval of several European regulatory bodies is still outstanding. Both companies continued to expect the transaction to be completed in the autumn of this year.
Further Links:
- “Macromedia Labs” Website
