Editor's Corner

Flash Lite
This isn't the first time I've written about Flash Lite, and from the looks of things it won't be the last either. The platform, which is already huge in Korea and Japan, is making serious new headway in the U.S.

I'm talking, of course, about the Verizon-Adobe initiative to bring Flash Lite for BREW to Verizon phones. The deal is apparently an extension of a pact Adobe signed with Verizon back in April, just after Adobe acquired Flash Lite creator Macromedia. The initial plan is to pre-install Flash Lite on four high-end Verizon phones and provide free OTA updates for existing owners of those phones. Presumably Flash Lite will eventually be deployed more compatible Verizon phones.

By its nature, Flash Lite is unlikely to power complex games or any sort of enterprise applications, but for simple, cross-platform mobile content it's hard to beat. As part of the deal, Verizon is offering Flash Lite content on its Get It Now service, which has spurred several well-known developers to create new Flash Lite apps and update existing titles. The Weather Channel has already created a Flash Lite version of its popular weather forecasting app, and India Games is offering special content from NBC's "The Office." - Eli