For the past 6 months we've been working with Adobe on a few AIR desktop products that leverage web-based services and content to create rich internet applications (RIA). It's been great to be part of the future of such a powerful new desktop authoring environment like AIR which combines web technologies including, html, JavaScript, AJAX and flash with a rich cross platform technology. The possibilities are truly limitless for what you can do...just look at the full spectrum of apps presented on Monday.
Ebay Desktop Buyers App
http://desktop.ebay.com/
New York Times Mobile Content Saving
http://shifd.com/
Nasdaq Market Replay
https://data.nasdaq.com/mr.aspx
For those of you that don't know Current, it's an on air network that gets much of its content from users who produce, edit and vote on clips using the current.com website. Quite a new twist of the web informing the T.V. Users even make ads that advertisers pay them to produce which then air in place of a traditional ad spot. To make it even more interesting, this network was founded more than a year ago by former Presidential candidate Al Gore who currently holds the chairman position. The content is often pithy, compelling and so varied that you're bound to find something interesting. Check it out here.
But what inspired this post was actually an element of their new web site called "viewpoints". Viewpoints is a section of their site where they allow users voice their opinions on various hot topics from the war on Iraq to abortion rights to stem cell research to Al Gores favorite, climate change. This is of course nothing new since virtually every blog out there does something similar. What makes this concept truly compelling is the interaction design and the overall rich media concept.
When the page first loads you see a moving cloud of names and numbers go by....
After a few seconds the letters and numbers organize into a face wall of video posts. 
Users can roll over any of the faces and see a snap shot of people's opinions, post a reply or record their own video comment. Brilliant idea with an equally brilliant execution! Check it out here: http://current.com/viewpoints
Yesterday was a great day for our AOL Music widget which launched on Oct. 1st, 2007. The widget was showcased at the MAX keynote to 5000 people and we had presentations and a kiosk set-up running most of the day. Seeing some good press on this so far (see below).
Recent Press
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/10/01/more-adobe-air-apps/
http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3ib6d9442b13753841d8df3470b6a46e61
Blog coverage
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Stewart/?p=560
http://macblender.com/adobe-media-player-beta-flash-player-9-update/
http://blog.adobemax2007.com/
http://www.megite.com/mxna/1191313563/41
Adobe Press
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200709/100107MAXAIRCustomer.html
http://www.adobe.com
http://labs.adobe.com/showcase/air/aol.html
Yesterday I presented at the Adobe AIR Bus Tour Conference in NYC. The conference is being held all over the country and is hosted by some of Adobe's brightest engineers, evangelists and product managers who literally drive across the Country in a big tour bus hosting all day conferences for the flash dev community (Conference speakers ). AIR stands for Adobe Integrated Runtime and is a killer cross platform framework that combines web technologies like JavaScript, HTML and MYSQL(light) with flash. 
As we approached the venue I saw the Air Bus parked out front which literally looked like a rock star tour bus but for nerds, geniuses and
We've also been invited to present at the MAX conference next week which will be another great opportunity to showcase our work and expose our widgets to the Flash Dev and Web 2.0 communities.
