After the general introduction of Flash in the previous blog entry, including the definition of Flash and the advantages & disadvantages of Flash, now we come to the second chapter of Flash Schools and Flash Tutorials series – how to deal with Flash? This part includes the following contents:

Who can View and How to View Flash?

According to a survey conducted in 2000, 96.4% web users have Shockwave Player(Flash Player) preinstalled in their computers. There it goes, exactly those people can experience Flash content via the Flash Player.

How to Create Flash Movie?

To create your own Flash movies, Flash games, Flash banners, Flash slideshows, Flash animations, etc. you have to have some Flash programs. For example, Adobe Flash Lite, Flash SWF Editor, Flash SWF Banner Maker and so on.

How to Download & Convert Flash SWF Files?

Have no idea and prefer not bother to make Flash by yourself? Try to download it directly from Internet with a handy online Flash downloader and then proceed to convert the downloaded Flash SWF to video in popular formats for playback on various portable devices.

How to Ask for Help about Flash?

After you have installed Flash, you should go through the lessons that are included in the program. Start Adobe Flash, click Help in the menu and choose Lessons. These lessons will teach you the basics of Flash.

This blog is going to be the first entry of “Flash Schools and Flash Tutorials” series, which is aiming to systematically introduce and analyze flash in an unique way, focusing on the common issues that everybody should know, no natter you are a flash master or a beginner, and using very simple and easy-to-understand words.

The first chapter – Flash Introduction – includes two parts: What is Flash? And What is the Difference between Flash and Animated Images & Java?

What is flash?

Flash files are in the SWF format, traditionally called “ShockWave Flash(SWF)” movies, “Flash movies,” or “Flash games”, usually have a .swf file extension.

Flash is a multimedia graphics program specially for use on the Web.

Flash enables you to create interactive “movies” on the Web.

Flash uses vector graphics, which means that the graphics can be scaled easily to any size without losing clarity/quality.

Flash does not require programming skills and is easy to learn.

What is the Difference between Flash and Animated Images & Java?

All of them can be used to create dynamic and interactive effects on webpages, however, flash SWF stands out because of the following advantages:

SWF is faster loading than animated images because it was intentionally created small and light.

SWF is easy and smooth to compress.

SWF supports transparencies, allows interactivity and requires no programming skills.

Everything has two sides, flash SWF is the same. The major disadvantage of SWF is the compatibility. You can not play SWF videos properly unless you have Macromedia Flash installed on your computer.

For more info, please refer to my previous blog entry here.

Hello, newbies, when the first time you hear Flash Mob, I guess your immediate reaction is to think is this flash the same one as flash swf file that we always talk about here and what kind of tools we can use to convert it to regular video for easy playback on more platforms.

Well, I admit I had the same first reaction as you did. However, flash mob and flash are totally two different things! They share nothing in common except the same English word – “flash”. Seriously, flash mob refers to a large group of people who assemble suddenly via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails in a public place, perform an unusual and pointless act for a brief time, then disperse.

Some basic background info about flash mob you should know:

The first flash mob – created in Manhattan in May 2003, by Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper’s Magazine. The first attempt was unsuccessful but the second one was, which subsequently occurred on June 3, 2003 at Macy’s department store.

Notable flash mob 1 – the second largest and well-known flash mob was the April 2006 silent disco in London. At various London Underground stations, people gathered with their portable music devices, and at a set time began dancing to their music. It was reported that more than 4,000 people participated at London Victoria station.

Notable flash mob 2 – the world’s largest flash mob to date: Worldwide Pillow Fight Day (or International Pillow Fight Day) was a pillow fight flash mob that took place on March 22, 2008. Over 25 cities around the globe participated in the first “international flash mob”.

Will you be a part of flash mob to celebrate New Year 2011?

I personally think it is a good idea and definitely you can give it a try! New Year 2011 is just around the corner and a flash mob new year celebration is no doubt a unique start. By the way, the only flash mob I have participated is Free Hugs, wow, that feels good! LOL!

Well, when we talk something about conversion, especially the format conversion of different video types, what is your first reaction? Bored? Confused? Or still wondering what is the exact difference between the two formats that I am going to convert?

It is normal and makes sense because almost all the articles and tutorials are actually introducing how to select the target video format, without pointing out the essence and usage of the conversion.

So, we need a special approach to visualize the conversion process from this format to that format, and at the same time, to make the users understand the actual use of input and output video format in a more entertaining way.

Right, we are talking about demo presentation. Here are some examples:

How to make such a demo work? It is easy and just scroll down.

Find a proper host for your original source file: the left part in the illustration. For example, if your source file is flash SWF, upload it to webpage with code, click here for details and other approaches to visualize flashes. If the source file is Microsoft PPT, try to Google some hosting websites that can hold PPT and generate embed code for you to embed it anywhere you want on the internet.

Use the right converting product: the middle part in the illustration. Choose the products have good reputation to convert SWF to video, PPT to video or any other video conversion you need. It bridges the source and target formats, and the most important, it guarantees the good quality of the converted video, makes it playable, customizable and likable.

Find a platform to show your target file: the right part in the illustration. A platform to display your video is much easier to find nowadays. YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, etc will be ok. Most people choose to upload the converted videos to YouTube not only because it accepts diverse video formats, but also generates embed code for convenient insertion to webpage. Of course, you can also create your own web player to display those videos, like this one: Moyea Web Player.

For more interesting flash to video conversion demos, please click here. By the way, try to play those cute flash games, and that is exactly the charm of flash: interaction!

There are a lot of websites nowadays that can facilitate to create your own website for free, and with rich style and templates to choose from. www.webs.com is one of them and one of my favorites as well.

View the flash demo below to know the great features of Webs and to discover what you can do on Webs.

A little more explanation before uploading SWF files onto webs.com:

1. Become a member of webs.com first, no worries, the sign up is simple and without too much data involved.

2. Follow the instructions afterwards to create your own website and customize it.

3. There are basically 3 popular forms of SWF files: the flash file saved in your local PC with .swf extension name; the flash file generated from flash making program with embedded HTML code; and the flash file downloaded online with its URL, we will talk about the ways to upload them all to webs today respectively.

Upload Flash File with .swf Extension to Webs

Log in to your webs account and enter the editing mode using site builder. Click “Video” tab on the top to enter “Insert a Video” interface.

Click the video type you are going to add on the left panel to start the uploading process. It is very necessary to know the video formats that webs.com accept shown below:

Oops! .SWF is definitely not supported. In this circumstance, take it easy and use SWF to Video converter to convert .swf file to above eligible formats within seconds.

Upload the converted .swf file to your own page created by webs.com, preview the effect like this.

Upload Flash File with Embedded Code to Webs

If your flash file(flash banner, for example) is generated by other programs and with embedded code, you can add the code directly to webs by clicking “HTML” tab located in the top tool bar.

Preview the effect.

Upload Flash File from URL to Webs

If the only source you know is flash URL, which was extracted from flash downloader like this:

Click “HTML” tab mentioned previously, add the flash URL to the embed code we provided like this:

Width and height value can be changed according to the actual demand.

Preview the effect.

These are 3 different ways for uploading 3 different forms of flash SWF files to your own webpage created by webs.com. Go ahead and try them to make your page unique and memorable.

Hello, everyone, have a peek at our brand-new website below and please note it will be available to visit really soon!

The new website is with clear guidance and complete product options. All done for you!

Enjoy and see you there!

Get bored with just plain text and tables in Excel? Wanna add a little bit varieties and animations to make it vivid and alive? No problem, the step-by-step tutorial below will tell you exactly how to achieve that in the simplest way.

Step 1: Open a new Excel file or an existing one. (PS: Excel 2010 is available now and it is said very good with new features like Web Apps and visual effects.)

Step 2: Click “Developer” tab, choose “Insert“, then “ActiveX Controlbar“.

Step 3: Click “other Active X” in the “ActiveX Controlbar“, select “Shockwave Flash Object” from the list.

Step 4: Right click the inserted Flash Active X, select “Property“.

Step 5: Input the Flash absolute path and name in “Movie” field. Set the value in “EmbedMovie” field as “True“, and keep the default values in “Height“, “Width” and “Scale” fields.

Note: If you change the default value in “Scale” field from “ShowAll” to “NoScale“, the inserted Flash will keep the original ratio(1:1).

Step 6. Click the “Design Mode” button on Active X tab, Excel will start to play the inserted Flash. Click this button again to enter “Design Mode” where you can continue to edit the target Flash.

Note: If temporarily you can not see the Flash, please close the Excel file after saving, and reopen it, click “Design Mode” button to try it again.

According to foreign media reports, the rumors about BlackBerry tablet PC ‘s release has lasted for several months. Ashok Kumar, an analyst from Rodman & Renshaw, has released a statement last Friday regarding this issue, which accurately revealed the news that may make the rumors come true.

From Boy Genius Report released in May, it is guessable that BlackBerry tablet PC screen size might be 8.9 inches, only the bluetooth or WiFi connection available, has to mate with BlackBerry phones. When it comes to June report from Wall Street Journal, it is estimated that the equipment will come with “a slide-out keyboard, which can operate BlackBerry new system on it, and with general search column.”

Kumar said in the statement, actually the size of BlackBerry tablet PC is 7 inches, with 1GHz Marvell processor, two cameras for video conference. Insiders have confirmed the accuracy of the news, meanwhile, they also said BlackBerry tablet will support Flash, and the hardware-based Flash accelerator is also available.

Adobe CEO, Mr. Shantanu Narayen previously said that Flash 10.1 will land BlackBerry in the late 2010. Although the impact of flash-supported BlackBerry tablet is still unknown in the market, it is definitely an ideal equipment for mobile enterprise users.

Anyhow, whether the BlackBerry tablet will be released in the upcoming Dec is still a mystery.

PS: for more ways to make flash playable on devices which radically do not support flash, please turn to this useful tool for help.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs ‘ distinct personality makes him to execute the matters he has decided with full force. Take his attitude to Flash for example, once he has publicly expressed his “hatred” to Flash and made it very clear that Apple will not support Adobe software. Now, he proves it with the release of iPhone OS 4.0 SDK. This system modified the developer agreement and completely blocked Flash application on iPhone platform.

It says in the latest iPhone developers license agreement: “application can only use the Apple-approval API, other APIs are not allowed. Applications can only be compiled with Objective-C, C, C + + or JavaScript, only the C, C + + and Objective-C code can be connected directly to official APIs (it is prohibited to invoke official APIs via intermedia program, compatible layer and any compatible tools). ”

This, almost pronounces the sentence of death for Adobe ‘ plan to promote Flash to iPhone. Despite of the fact that Apple may not support Flash, Adobe has announced in 2009 MAX that there will be Packager for iPhone which can be used by Flash developers to create local iPhone applications. This package will be included in the upcoming Flash Pro CS5.

Adobe says, the development of new technology can help developers to create applications for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, so that they can approach Apple indirectly. What a pity, everything is in vain now.

For common users like you and me, we can use the third-party programs to make flash SWF playable on iPhone and other Apple products. Thank God, a kind of complementarity that we can use to enjoy the fabulous Flash on fabulous gadgets.

July 22, 2010, according to the foreign media, when Apple’s iPad tablet PC is considered a new reading experience for consumers by the traditional publishing industry, some companies have already crossed the boundary between paper and digital media and plan to fight for the digital publishing battle.

Virgin Group, as one of the iPad-platform supporters, is planning to release the iPad-exclusive consumer magazine – Maverick in early October this year. It is only applicable to iPhone applications, not yet a Kindle, web and paper version.

Due to the excellent features like supporting HTML5 video, meta color photographs, complex interactive applications and enormous display screen, iPad definitely brings brand-new digital reading experience for mass customers. That is why this product is so popular in numerous consumers. As iPad keeps expanding its market share, the industry is also looking forward to the performance of Google Android and other upcoming tablet PCs.

Richard Branson indicates the advantage of iPad-exclusive magazine Maverick released by Virgin Group lies in the fact that there is no corresponding paper version. Because the traditional publishers they don’t want the extremely low price of electronic version to impact the higher price of paper version. That is also the reason why they can’t reduce the price of digital publications.

On the other hand, the rejection between iPad and Flash will restrict Apple’s growth unless iPad can earn more support from publishers than Android tablet PC, which relatively has bigger market shares.

You may be also interested in the conversion instead of restriction between Flash and iPad. Click here to learn how to convert flash SWF to MP4 for playback on iPad, iPod, iPhone etc.