All you need to know about SkyFire 1.5 (Features, Video Tour and much more)

SkyFire 1.5 was launched a couple of days back for Windows Mobile phones. Claimed as the greatest SkyFire browser yet, this latest update brings support for full screen, improved touch-screen experience, higher resolution screen and much more. With version number 1.5.0.15020, it supports both touch (PPC) and non-touch screens (SMP).(Features, enhancements and tour video included below)

(Image credit: WMExperts)

SkyFire 1.5 new features

The latest version of SkyFire adds the following new and exciting features:

• Full VGA support: Skyfire now provides native support for the high resolution VGA and wVGA screens as available on many newer Windows Mobile phones. Web pages now render sharp and crisp with full fidelity.
• Finger friendly UI: A new, intuitive, and finger friendly UI for high resolution phones provides an easier browsing experience.
• Smooth Scrolling: Kinetic scrolling has been added to Skyfire. Pan or flick the screen to move in any direction smoothly.
• Full screen mode: For touch screens, browse in full screen mode with no UI elements on the screen for maximum page visibility.

SkyFire 1.5 enhancements

The enhancements or the updates that this browser brings include:

• Auto-move text entry box when the (virtual keyboard) is used: Assures that a text entry box moves into view in case the virtual (on-screen) keyboard covers it.
• Updated Flash and Silverlight: Uses the latest version available for both Flash and Silverlight.
• Updated Start Page: Optimized for high resolution devices.
• Performance: Upgraded both client and server for faster and more responsive browsing.

How to Download SkyFire 1.5

There are a couple of ways to get hold of version 1.5

• Upgrade it from your existing Skyfire browser via the upgrade notification once it becomes available.
• Download it by navigating to get.skyfire.com from your mobile browser.

Shown below is a video tour from pocketnow which showcases and discusses the different features of this latest sensation from SkyFire.

SkyFire also plan to announce SkyFire for Nokia-based touch screen phones pretty soon. Be sure to stay tuned to know about it once it arrives.

Adobe to drop Flash Player support for PowerPC G3

Adobe Systems is dropping support for Apple’s older PowerPC G3 hardware in its Flash Player, the company said Thursday.

The news came in a note on its support Web site alerting users to an updated version of the Flash Player that fixes several security issues. Adobe said the next version of the product, Flash Player 10.1, will be the last to support PowerPC-based G3 computers. The new Flash Player is expected to be released in the first half of 2010.

Adobe’s move will probably not affect very many people. The last PowerPC-based G3 was produced in the summer of 1999, when it was replaced with the Power MacG4.

Dropping support for older products is something companies do regularly, in part because it enables them to take advantage of new technologies and push their products forward. Indeed, Adobe said in the support note that it is dropping support for the G3 “due to performance enhancements that cannot be supported on the older PowerPC architecture.”

Adobe already requires a multicore Intel processor in order to run its flagship product, Creative Suite 4, so the company is no stranger to dropping support for older Apple machines.

Apple itself dropped support for all PowerPC-based computers with the latest version of Mac OS X, Snow Leopard. Even Apple’s iLife consumer product no longer supports the G3 processor.

Apple began the transition to Intel-based processors in 2005, when Steve Jobs said during his Worldwide Developers Conference keynote speech that the company would be moving away from PowerPC.

Source: Cnet News