So, what’s on the list here. We have examples for Flex core components use for the new Flex developer and Cloud API examples ( such as Google Maps, iTunes, etc ), Animation, Data Visualizations ( Charts and Graphs ) and even examples of the upcoming Flash Developer 4 components.

You have options for using Tour de FLEX, you can use a web version, or you can download and install the AIR version for use online or off. Either way I recommend taking a look at this tool because it will be a great way to jumpstart any new project.

Tour de FLEX @Adobe.com

Now, on to the propoganda for the week. Many of my fellow designers (or better yet would be Developers) flooded to their tiny cracks in the Internet to begin bloging about how HTML 5 was going to kill the Flash Platform. I have to say I don’t quite agree with them. Although, HTML 5 is a step forward for a rich Inter experience, to me it does not bring us any closer to Standardization. Perhaps some of you will argue with me but thats ok.

One of the biggest arguments for HTML 5 being Flash’s harbinger of death, is the new <video> tag. This tag was designed by W3C to allow for embeding video into a website as easily as using the <img> tag. However, recent reports from the 4 major browers is that, while they will all support the tag its self, they will be supporting different codex’s. What does that mean for me and you the designer/developer? We have yet another tag to verify Cross Browers Compatability. How does this move us forward in Standardization of the web? THe shore answer… It doesn’t. Some of you may remember the days when we would have to have videos optimized for RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, and QuickTime. Now most of us just use the .FLV and let one plugin do all the work. That to me is a step toward Standardization. One video format, One codex. HTML 5 with the tag takes us one step backward, in my opinion.

On an other hand, our communtity has been blasting off about “Open Web vs Propritary Web”. Of course like many of my brethren, I would love to see great developer tools released at no cost. I believe that would help us all to advance world communication 10 fold and I think Adobe is really starting to see that light. It has always been my opinion that Flash was originally intended as a Design option for the Internet, a luxury item if you will, however with Adobe’s envolvement in Open Source projects in recent years and the development of a Flex/Flash SDK for Eclipse… I’m hoping to see Actionscript and Flash Development tools in the future.

Here is my last point to ramble on about… Google I love you! I use your iGoogle along with Microsoft Outlook to bypass the network firewall at my work just to bring you all this message, however, the claims being made that you are backing HTML 5 because you are betting on RIA over Binary Applications and allowing our community to Slander Adobe because you believe its the Propritary RIA Devil, Is just disgusting. Get with the times Google. Adobe has been backing RIA Development for the last 6 years, actually when you think about it much longer then that. I was making Flash games back in ‘98 that almost 12 years ago, guess what games are Applications. Granted back then they where rudimentary. My point is Adobe has been pushing RIA Development for years now, really we should be greatful for all they have done to help us Standardize the web.

There really are more topics that could be discussed here, such as bloating, which many tests have shown both sides of the coin can be heavily bloated or optimized for spectacular performance. However, I really don’t have the time. I do have a day job. ha ha ha!

As for me I will thank Adobe for giving us .flv, I myself will continue to use it even after HTML 5 becomes the “standard”, I just don’t believe that <video> tag is going to make my life any easier. To Googles RIA, Great Job I’m glad to see any new inovation in our industy, I just don’t see myself going through all the trouble of programming an RIA in Javascript then having to go through 8 different browers just to fine tune, debug, and re-code my project. For now and under I see greater standardization of the web and browers I’ll still be using the Flash platform for my RIA, and .NET for private and commercial informative sites. Over the big picture of day to day design and development has not changed one bit.