open platform

Adobe has announced that it will be lifting licensing fees for Flash to developers working on mobile applications as part of its new Open Screen Project. The goal is to bring more rich content to phones across a standardized platform. Flash is already ubiquitous in Web browsers, so the available content on the net is mature and widespread. Currently, phones use a disparate variety of software to power video and games; rarely has the feedback been overwhelmingly positive about a mobile experience with either kind of media.

It's been a banner year for cellphones-one that brought us the iPhone, mobile TV and new open-source systems. But as always, two months before 2008 rolls in, fresh offerings already have us salivating. Smartphones are getting smarter, incorporating video calling, touchscreens and easy IM access. Free services are experiencing a renaissance, sprouting practical and well-designed applications that offer everything from step-by-step driving directions to lists of your friends' top-rated nearby eateries.