# Flash Player 11 RC Available Now



## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/flashplayer11.html

"Adobe Flash Player 11 is more than 1,000 times faster at graphics rendering than previous versions with the power to smoothly animate millions of objects at a screen refresh rate of 60 frames per second," said Diana Helander, group product marketing manager, Flash Platform at Adobe. "Adobe is opening up a new world of immersive, high-performance gaming and premium video experiences by leveraging the powerful GPU capabilities from companies like AMD."


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

1,000 times faster with all new security vulnerabilities? I still hate Flash.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

dpeters11 said:


> 1,000 times faster with all new security vulnerabilities? I still hate Flash.


I really can't argue with that.
I've been seeing a lot of java exploits lately as well.

I guess anything that is going to be on millions of computers is always going to be a big target.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Flash is fast....Flash is Cool... 

Never had a single problem on the PC with it, and love running it on my Android tablet and hundreds of websites.

The security hype is just that...alot to do about nothing.

Thanks for the info Marlin.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

A lot about nothing? I think Flash Player alone has had 50 patched vulnerabilities this year.

Usually it just annoys me, I don't think I've missed much when I don't tell Flashblock to allow something.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

dpeters11 said:


> A lot about nothing? I think Flash Player alone has had 50 patched vulnerabilities this year.
> 
> Usually it just annoys me, I don't think I've missed much when I don't tell Flashblock to allow something.


...and they were quickly addressed...sometimes in hours...often within 24 hours. Quicker than Windows or other such issues in many cases.

I've never had a single security issue with a Flash-enabled site.

I'm lovin Flash for years. There's a reason there are tons of websites that use it - it enlightens the Internet experience. ESPN without Flash, for example, would be pretty boring without Flash.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"hdtvfan0001" said:


> ...and they were quickly addressed...sometimes in hours...often within 24 hours. Quicker than Windows or other such issues in many cases.
> 
> I've never had a single security issue with a Flash-enabled site.
> 
> I'm lovin Flash for years. There's a reason there are tons of websites that use it - it enlightens the Internet experience. ESPN without Flash, for example, would be pretty boring without Flash.


Well, in August they released a patch that fixed 14 vulnerabilities. That was two months after the last one. Granted, responsibly disclosed vulnerabilities may not be as bad if someone else doesn't find it. I don't think it's an apples to apples comparison between Flash vulnerabilities and Windows.

I would think ESPN could pretty much do everything in HTML5. Unfortunately, there is IE8 and older. I'm hoping for Wilbur the Goose to visit this thread, would like his opinion.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> A lot about nothing? I think Flash Player alone has had 50 patched vulnerabilities this year.
> 
> Usually it just annoys me, I don't think I've missed much when I don't tell Flashblock to allow something.


50 patched ones are better than 50 unpatched ones. Or worse yet the whole, security through obsecurity mindset.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"RobertE" said:


> 50 patched ones are better than 50 unpatched ones. Or worse yet the whole, security through obsecurity mindset.


True, I think their longest time for not patching a vulnerability after they were notified was about a year and a half.

But I'm the type of guy that never uses the same password for online accounts twice, I'm not exactly average.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> ...and they were quickly addressed...sometimes in hours...often within 24 hours. Quicker than Windows or other such issues in many cases.
> 
> I've never had a single security issue with a Flash-enabled site.
> 
> I'm lovin Flash for years. There's a reason there are tons of websites that use it - it enlightens the Internet experience. ESPN without Flash, for example, would be pretty boring without Flash.


and 10 minutes later a new one was discovered and exploited. Flash blocked at the firewall, it will stay like that forever on any network I use, flash and trash rhyme for a reason


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

And isn't Adobe's regular patch schedule only quarterly? Sure they can release Out of Band, but at least Microsoft has a monthly scheduled update.

I guess my issue is that Flash is a much smaller program than Windows, I don't see how it can be nearly as complex or nearly as much code. The thing is under 8 megs to download. For me it's not just Flash, I don't like Adobe Reader or Java much either. I'm not expecting then to be a Knuth, but just to write better code.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

wingrider01 said:


> and 10 minutes later a new one was discovered and exploited. Flash blocked at the firewall, it will stay like that forever on any network I use, flash and trash rhyme for a reason


...which happens for every piece of web-exposed piece of software.

Flash-bigots simply won't acknowledge its popularity. It's that simple.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

I don't think Flash itself is popular with web users, it's the functionality. If they are using a modern browser, and go to a site rich in HTML5, they don't wish it was in Flash instead. They are just there for the content.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

dpeters11 said:


> I don't think Flash itself is popular with web users, it's the functionality. If they are using a modern browser, and go to a site rich in HTML5, they don't wish it was in Flash instead. They are just there for the content.


No doubt the browser preferences impact the HTML5 preference.

Most folks are interested in the experience and not the plumbing behind how it works.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Exactly.


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## mystic7 (Dec 9, 2007)

In case no one's noticed, or you just don't know about it, there is now a Flash plugin for 64 bit browsers. This is the link for the IE9 64 bit browser (they also have a plugin for other 64 bit browsers):

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> ...which happens for every piece of web-exposed piece of software.
> 
> Flash-bigots simply won't acknowledge its popularity. It's that simple.


Not as often as it does with flash, the thing is a SDT piece of crap. By converse flash lovers won't acknowledge just how big a piece of junk it is.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

wingrider01 said:


> Not as often as it does with flash, the thing is a SDT piece of crap. By converse flash lovers won't acknowledge just how big a piece of junk it is.


Based on various polls and discussions...plenty of folks disagree with that assessment - in fact....it's widely and successfully used in many, many thousands of websites for a reason (it adds to the user experience), and plenty of folks don't have the issues some report in this thread. In fact, some of us almost never have any Flash issues...so it is often a localized experience for "issues". A day doesn't go by I don't see it on multiple regular sites I visit (including 2 financial institutions) without any incident/issues.

It also works just fine on my Android tablet at all the sites I visit with that device.

This kind of technology is evolutionary, not revolutionary...and we'll see it continue to change going forward...including a migration to something more in the HTML5 category/camp.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

I'm a Flash user and have never experienced any problems.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

MysteryMan said:


> I'm a Flash user and have never experienced any problems.


Like with any other product that has potential security holes, it depends on the integrity of the sites you visit to insure that risky content isn't delivered to your browser or, more importantly, you're not being surreptitiously tracked by LSOs, or "Flash cookies".

There are some good tips here on how to disable Flash Cookies. The "settings manager" referenced in the article may be found here.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Steve said:


> Like with any other product that has potential security holes, it depends on the integrity of the sites you visit to insure that risky content isn't delivered to your browser or, more importantly, you're not being surreptitiously tracked by LSOs, or "Flash cookies".
> 
> There are some good tips here on how to disable Flash Cookies. The "settings manager" referenced in the article may be found here.


Thank you but I'm well aware of cookies and the harm some of them can do and have taken the proper precautions.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

MysteryMan said:


> Thank you but I'm well aware of cookies and the harm some of them can do and have taken the proper precautions.


Gotcha.  Just didn't want less technical folks to interpret your lack of issues as meaning Flash may not be insecure at times.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Based on various polls and discussions...plenty of folks disagree with that assessment - in fact....it's widely and successfully used in many, many thousands of websites for a reason (it adds to the user experience), and plenty of folks don't have the issues some report in this thread. In fact, some of us almost never have any Flash issues...so it is often a localized experience for "issues". A day doesn't go by I don't see it on multiple regular sites I visit (including 2 financial institutions) without any incident/issues.
> 
> It also works just fine on my Android tablet at all the sites I visit with that device.
> 
> This kind of technology is evolutionary, not revolutionary...and we'll see it continue to change going forward...including a migration to something more in the HTML5 category/camp.


the only good thing that I can say about flash is the service calls for removing injected malware from legitimate sites that have been hijacked is quite lucrative


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

wingrider01 said:


> the only good thing that I can say about flash is the service calls for removing injected malware from legitimate sites that have been hijacked is quite lucrative


:lol::lol::lol:


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

wingrider01 said:


> the only good thing that I can say about flash is the service calls for removing injected malware from legitimate sites that have been hijacked is quite lucrative


I still remember bad ads at the New York Times site. I think Facebook has had malicious ads recently, though some of those may have been Java as well.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

Ya. Given that Apple (and lately Microsoft) have given up on it, any developer (including Adobe) that continues to pour development dollars into Flash is not spending their money responsibly, IMHO. They're just going to have to create the same content twice for display on non-Flash capable devices. Makes no sense, when there are other ways to do it once.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Steve said:


> Ya. Given that Apple (and lately Microsoft) have given up on it, any developer (including Adobe) that continues to pour development dollars into Flash is not spending their money responsibly, IMHO. They're just going to have to create the same content twice for display on non-Flash capable devices. Makes no sense, when there are other ways to do it once.


Good thing a number of Android tablets support both Flash and HTML5...looks like they're supporting the best of all worlds as this transition takes years to complete.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

They'll instead focus on building HTML 5 authoring tools.



> Mobile Flash is being killed off. The plugin that launched a thousand online forum arguments and a technology standoff between Apple and the format's creator, Adobe, will no longer be developed for mobile browsers, the company said in a note that will accompany a financial briefing to analysts.
> 
> [...]
> 
> The decision also raises a question mark over the future of Flash on desktop PCs. Security vulnerabilities in Flash on the desktop have been repeatedly exploited to infect PCs in the past 18 months, while Microsoft has also said that the default browser in its forthcoming Windows 8 system, expected at the end of 2012, will not include the Flash plugin by default. Apple, which in the third quarter captured 5% of the world market, does not include Flash in its computers by default. [*more*]


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Woohoo!


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Steve said:


> They'll instead focus on building HTML 5 authoring tools.


YAY!!!! 

Now all we need is for the desktop software to go away... 

~Alan


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Alan Gordon said:


> YAY!!!!
> 
> Now all we need is for the desktop software to go away...
> 
> ~Alan


Yes, that news would get more than a Woohoo from me. I don't know what I'd do if they gave up on Acrobat Reader as well....


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I doubt that PDF is going away anytime soon. It's an open standard now, and Microsoft has fully embraced in in Office, Mac OS and iOS support it natively too.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> Yes, that news would get more than a Woohoo from me. I don't know what I'd do if they gave up on Acrobat Reader as well....


Ya. The Reader has become very bloated, IMHO.

That said, I think Adobe deserves kudos for inventing the now ubiquitous PDF format. It's the best way to create and distribute documents exactly as the author intended, in a compact and searchable format.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Oh sure, I have no problem with PDF the document type. It's solely with Acrobat. Acrobat itself is way too expensive, Acrobat Reader is bloated. I've used PDF995, and even bought the suite to do encryption and stuff, only $20. For a reader, I prefer Foxit, or the builtin support in Chrome.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

Good read, IMHO. From *Wired*.



> It's all over.
> 
> On Wednesday morning, Adobe delivered the eulogy for its multi-media Flash platform for mobile, stating the company would no longer invest resources in porting its once-indispensable cross-browser technology to smartphones and tablets.
> 
> ...


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