July 13, 2011

64-bit Flash Player 11 accelerates 3D, more

You can download a beta version of the new Flash Player 11 from Adobe Labs. Highlights include:

• Stage3D APIs — A new set of low-level, GPU-accelerated 3D APIs enable advanced 3D experiences and improved 2D performance across devices.
• 64-bit support — Support for 64-bit operating systems and browsers on Linux, Mac OS, and Windows.
• G.711 audio compression for telephony — Integrate voice/telephony into business apps using G.711 codec.
• H.264/AVC SW Encoding — Encode higher quality video locally using H.264 video.
• Socket Progress Events — Build advanced file sharing apps like FTP clients that send large amounts of data.
• HD surround sound — Deliver full HD videos with 7.1 channel surround sound directly to AIR powered TVs.

More features are listed here, and you can check out Flash Player PM Thibault Imbert’s post for more background & detail on the features.

Learn about InDesign + ePub this Friday

Live demo/Q&A on Friday at noon Pacific:

InDesign CS5.5 offers some great new features for creating and controlling ePub output. Join Adobe’s Colin Fleming for an examination of the dark corners of ePub; discover tips for working with the Article panel, tricks for controlling order and the power of editing the code.

Update: Here’s the recording.

360-degree cockpits, new & old

• 360vr features a 360-degree pano of the Space Shuttle Discovery’s flight deck, captured during the orbiter’s decommissioning process. [Via]
• Photographer Patrick McGee has shared a pair of Waco biplane cockpits. [Via]

Tangentially related: Don’t miss Shlomi Yoav’s eye-popping, wide-angle Shuttle launch photo.