The sony erricsson developer center has released a range of pre-made mobile components, which can be easily used in your flash lite projects.

With Sony Ericsson UI components, Flash developers can now build custom user interfaces in a fraction of the time it used to take without compromising too much on performance and memory. Sony Ericsson has introduced a great set of Flash Lite User Interface components, and they are all packed in one MXP file.

These UI components are light, robust, and customizable. They can be easily re-used by Flash developers to rapidly build complex and appealing Flash Lite applications. Sony Ericsson Flash Lite UI components include for example Scrollbar, different kinds of lists, Slider, Softkey, Progress bars, and many other useful UI components.

You can download the components from here, and also browse the rest of the SE mobile dev site.

Symbian have updated their wiki with some information on Flash Lite development.

Here's the blurb from their site:

This article presents the information necessary to get started creating Flash Lite applications for the Symbian platform. It gives a summary of the tools necessary and a basic example, adapted from Adobe's documentation.

You can read the full article here:

http://developer.symbian.org/wiki/index.php/Flash_Lite_Quick_Start

Mark Doherty has posted some interesting news about a new seriers of tutorials for flash lite that are being released.

From the series I expect that viewers will learn how to use Adobe Device Central, discover how to construct a mobile interface and to work with multimedia including FLV.  We’ve tried to build out a set of topics that we get most questions on, things like video optimization, performance and the ‘basics’ such as object orientated programming and memory management.  The focus will remain on Flash Lite 3.x, although many of the APIs and features work everywhere.

Dale Rankine of moket fame will be presenting them, and i am sure they will help people new to mobile to start making engaging flash based content.

read Mark's article here

check out the vimeo page here

Not specifically mobile related, but shows Adobe's trend towards opening up and integrating the Flash Platform so worth taking a look at and keeping an eye on.

Extract from the press release:

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced two new Adobe® Flash® Platform open source initiatives for developers, media companies and publishers. Open Source Media Framework (OSMF), part of the project previously code named Strobe, enables developers to quickly and easily build more robust, feature-rich media players optimized for the Adobe Flash Platform. The Text Layout Framework (TLF) will help developers bring sophisticated typography capabilities to Web applications. Both OSMF and TLF are now freely available as open source software, helping content owners extend their online media efforts as they look to create new business opportunities and monetization strategies for publishing on the Web.

Read the full release or read more about it.

Mark Doherty has posted about the up coming beta release of the flash player 10 for mobile on his blog.

"This week Adobe’s CEO Shantanu Narayen announced during our earnings call with investors that we will release a beta version of Flash Player 10 for smartphones. Predictably this will happen during Adobe MAX 2009, where mobile will be front and centre."

He has also recommended some good resources to start brushing up your flex & AS3 skills :

Flex in a Week (very optimistic!)

gotoAndLearn from Lee

go over to his blog post here for full details

Bill Perry has provided an updated spreadsheet that provides more details on Nokia supported Flash Lite devices.

The new list has the following device types:

• maemo= 3 models
• Symbian S60 = 62 models
• Series 40 = 55 models

It includes some newer phones such as 5800 and N97.

For more information and to download the file, visit Bill's Blog

There's been some activity regarding the Nokia-Adobe Open Screen Project.

There is a new page featuring the latest projects to receive funding:

http://www.openscreenproject.org/developers/get_inspired.html

They also have a twitter feed @OSPFund so that you can follow all the apps that they are funding as it happens.

If you haven't already applied to the fund then you really should!

Mark Doherty has announced the release of the new mobile packager 1.1

As you know we’ve been working very hard on the next version of the Adobe Mobile Packager.  In fact a little harder than we anticipated as I’m sure you’ve noticed that I posted the sneak peek more than a couple of weeks ago.  Ultimately I wasn’t happy with some features including the Symbian and Windows Mobile signing workflows.  I think you’ll agree that the engineering team have done a wonderful job in making it easy to Create->Package->Sign->Distribute packages.

You can read the full story at mark's blog and list of improvements  here

download the packager :

Mobile Packager 1.1 – English

Mobile Packager 1.1 – Italian

Mobile Packager 1.1 – Spanish

Liz myers has been working very hard over the last few months to bring us some more high quality video tutorials on the packaging process. check them out here :

• 01 Overview
• 02 Set-up Your Computer
• 03 Making Your First Packages
• 04 Symbian Signing
• 05 Windows Mobile Signing
• 06 Icon Boot Camp

Mark Doherty has released some news on the distributable player update.

There is now wider support for the beta and more supported devices :

S60 Devices

1. Nokia N78
2. Nokia E65
3. Nokia N95 8GB
4. Nokia N95
5. Nokia N73
6. Nokia N81
7. Nokia 6120 Classic
8. Nokia E51
9. Nokia N81 8GB
10. Nokia E71
11. Nokia N96
12. Nokia N82

Windows Mobile Devices

1. HTC-Pro S621(Same as T-Mobile Dash)
2. HTC S740
3. HTC Touch Cruise P3650
4. HTC Touch Diamond
5. HTC Touch P3452
6. HTC TyTN II P4551
7. Motorola Q
8. Motorola Q9c
9. Motorola Q9h (CDMA)
10. Motorola Q9m
11. Motorola Q Norman (same as Moto Q 9h(GSM))
12. Palm Treo 700w
13. Palm Treo 750
14. Palm Treo Pro
15. Samsung SGH-i607 BlackJack I
16. Samsung SGH-i617 BlackJack II
17. Samsung SGH-i780
18. T-Mobile Shadow
19. T-Mobile Wing

check out the full article @ marks blog

looks like the release dte is getting closer in the uk for the new nokia flagship device, which will come pre-installed with flashlite 3.x and OVI store.

link to the store here

Darren Osadchuk has written a great new article which as been featured on the Adobe Develeper network site :

In this tutorial I'll describe how to build a simple but useful List component for Flash Lite applications. You may be familiar with the ActionScript 2.0 List component that ships with Adobe Flash CS4 Professional. Due to the memory and processor constraints of the mobile environment, that component isn't practical for use in Flash Lite applications. This article includes the sample files for the completed custom List component. The sample project can be extended and updated to tailor any part of it to fit the needs of your Flash Lite mobile application.

Check out out by following this link

The Adobe mobile Devnet site is a great resource for tutorials and articles relating to all things flash lite. Check out the main page @ http://www.adobe.com/devnet/devices/

Open Screen Project Fund — Funding for Developing Flash Lite Applications
In this webinar, Forum Nokia’s Bill Perry will cover the Open Screen Project Fund, including how developers of Flash from Adobe applications can apply for funding; highlight applications that have been funded; and provide tips for submitting ideas. Attendees also will learn about a key component of mobile application development: distribution. Specifics about packaging, signing, and submitting Flash Lite applications to the Ovi Store also will be covered.

28 May: 9 a.m. San Francisco, 12 p.m. New York, 7 p.m. Helsinki

register here

There's a great eseminar recording by Bill Perry from the Adobe Mobile user group in Boston hosted by Alessandro Pace.

http://experts.na3.acrobat.com/p19845502/

The Seminar talks through why you should be using the Ovi platform and how to subscribe and get your content on their for its launch in May.

https://publish.ovi.com/

What are you waiting for, go subscribe now!