Nissan creates first Flash app for mobiles, expect ad bombardment
If you've used the Internet on a computer you've probably used Flash, but thanks to Nissan you'll be able to play a Flash app specifically built to run on mobiles.
There are different ways you can download apps. You can download them from mobile app stores, while you can also play them on a browser with an Internet connection. Robot Unicorn Attack, for instance, is playable as a Flash game on a website, but also as a downloadable app.
Flash developers have being dying to play with another platform, and ever since Android 2.2 came out we've been expecting an influx of apps created using Flash. It's early days, but there are plenty of Flash developers out there who would like to directly port the apps they make to the Android Market without hassle, rather than having to spend time converting them to work on a different mobile platform.
Now Nissan has developed what it says is the world's first Flash application specifically built for mobile phones, advertising its Nissan Volt car. If you've got an Android 2.2 phone like the Google Nexus One, you can download and play the Juke Power-Up app from this website. There wasn't much point in anyone trying to make such an app before -- previous versions of Android couldn't run Flash.
With Juke Power-up you'll need the phone to run Flash and have an accelerometer, as it requires users to shake their phone as fast and hard as they can, measuring their intensity, adrenaline and energy levels, which they can then post to Facebook.
More websites will need to produce more web content specifically created for mobile phones. Yes, Flash is everywhere, but generally sites aren't set up to provide a good experience for mobile devices. Creating playable apps is another step towards creating a proper Web experience for phones.
Flash also powers many animated ads, and we expect more companies to create branded games and applications. Play a game or use a tool for free and spend some time with the company's logos and slogans. It's the kind of 'engagement' and 'brand attachment' that makes marketing types go weak at the knees.
Would you download these types of branded applications? Or is it better to go the other way and dispense with Flash altogether? Let us know.