6 Adobe AIR Apps to Check Out
Adobe's AIR platform allows developers to create web applications that run on your desktop without the need of a web browser. Now that AIR has dropped the beta tag (see our previous coverage), it's time to look at some of the AIR apps you can use today. And if you want to know why we here at Read Write Web are so excited about AIR, read more of our analysis about the platform to get caught up. Did your favorite app make the list?
Twhirl
It goes without saying that one of the most popular AIR applications is the Twitter client, Twhirl. Although it never got a write-up by any top blogs, it seems that everyone discovered this app on their own anyway. One of the best things about Twhirl is that it can be used to connect to multiple Twitter accounts. This is very useful for those that keep a Twitter account for personal use and a separate one for a business or service that they run. The Twhirl app demonstrates how AIR apps bring the web to the desktop, as it can dock in the system tray, just like a real desktop application does. You can search Twitter users, view their timelines, and choose to follow or unfollow them as you like. You can also search the public timeline in a feature that is powered by another web service, terraminds. Twhirl automatically fetches your friends' status updates, direct messages, and replies, while color-coding different types of messages. You'll receive both visual and audible notifications of tweets, with new messages displaying in a preview pop-up. Within Twhirl, you can easily post links via the URL-shortening feature provided by snurl.com. The app is skinnable and comes with multiple color schemes built-in that you can choose from. Overall, Twhirl is one of the best Twitter clients, and one of the best AIR apps, too. Download it here.
Google Analytics
For web site owners, measuring traffic and visitor stats are crucial tasks to managing the site and improving performance. With the Google Analytics AIR application, those who use Google's free analytics software can now view those stats without needing to log in using a web browser. This robust application allows for multiple profiles from different Analytics accounts. Within the app, all the visitors, traffic, and content reports are available, just as they are online. A tabbed interface allows you to easily switch between the various reports. Within each area, you can drilldown into the data to view things like goal values and data segmentation. The app provides animated, interactive graphs, making viewing the data just as useful, if not more so, than when you view it online. You can also quickly swich between the interactive reports to viewing them in a PDF format instead. These reports can then be saved or printed, just like any online PDF. Alternately, reports can be exported to PDF, Excel, or XML formats. Download it here.
RichFLV
RichFLV is an AIR app that lets you edit Flash Video (FLV) files. The app reads FLV metadata - while importing the video, the app outputs the number and types of tags found for video, sound, keyframe (Keyframe Tags), and data (DataTags). With RichFLV, you can read, edit, modify, or delete cuepoints and cut FLV files. You can also use the app as a conversion tool, and convert the FLV files to SWF (Shockwave Flash) format. The sound in the FLV can be converted to an MP3, as well. Although serving a niche audience, this popular app has already been downloaded 654 times from the AIR Marketplace. Download it here.
AgileAgenda
AgileAgenda is a project scheduling utility which lets project managers enter data about tasks. The app, an Adobe AIR Derby Best in Show winner, dynamically adjusts to the changing conditions of a project. It knows today's date and it will automatically adjust tasks that are or aren't complete based on that. Tasks can be moved, extended, or split as needed. A light table lets you view the tasks, reassign them, change their priority, or change the durations. And like most project scheduling utilities, a GANTT view is available as well. Your data can either be stored locally, or even better, on AgileAgenda's web service. AgileAgenda supports data sharing via XML or PDF exports and/or a web-based view on their web service. Download it here.
AOL Top 100 Videos
For some fun with AIR, check out the AOL Top 100 Videos application. This desktop widget lets you view the latest music videos, related artist videos, and special features provided by AOL. The music videos are sorted into various genres, like "Rock & Alternative," "Hip Hop," "Pop," "Country," "Latin," and there is also a category for the "Most Watched" videos. The Top 100 app offers three different views - a Standard View, which is just a normal window, a Full Screen View, and a cool, sidebar-like Docked View. You can bookmark your favorite videos and via the related info sections, you can purchase the album, download ring tones and more, while reading up on your favorite artists. Download it here.
Xdrive Lite
Xdrive Lite is a new AIR app that was just launched today, but it certainly has potential to be one of the better apps. With the AIR client app, Xdrive users can upload files and folders to the online Xdrive web storage service right from the desktop. When logged into the Xdrive Lite app, everything in your Xdrive folder is shown within the app in the upper portion of the window, and below this is a local browser. Uploading files and folders is as easy as dragging and dropping them from one pane to the other. A Transfers section allows you to view the progress of the uploads and downloads. The app can also be used to share files with your friends through email, or by grabbing the embed code or file link. Download it here.
That's just a brief look at some of the apps Adobe AIR currently offers, though I am sure there are many more that you might find just as good or even better [update: go2web20 followed up with more apps]. Do you agree with our list? In the comments, let us know who would be in your favorites!
(Note: some of these apps still require the beta version of AIR to run).
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Awesomesauce! I forgot all about Google Analytics for a while. Great list to start off with AIR.
It would be all good if most of the current AIR applications actually worked with AIR 1.0
Find an appliction you like and try installing it. Most likely it will complain you are running AIR 1.0 - they all expect AIR Beta 3 at max.
Great stuff Adob. You release a platform without applications...
Hi,
thanks for mentioning twhirl on your list!
I've got one request: could you please change the link to download twhirl to http://www.twhirl.org/files/twhirl.air? This will always link to the most recent official release.
Thanks!
Thanks for filling me in about Adobe Air. I think there will be hundreds of new applications in this platform soon.
@twhirl: Done!
You missed a good one, www.uvlayer.com, video discovery, collecting and sharing, enjoy!
@Mark: thanks, I'll check it out!
How could you leave Snitter off the list? While it doesn't have all the features of twhirl, it does let you post comments and get automatic tweets. It was the first Air application I tried and I'm looking forward to trying additional ones. I'd love for someone to design an app in which I could create Twitter groups - that would help me view just the tweets I'm interested in at the moment.
@Adam R.: I had to pick one twitter app and twhirl is my fav! :)
The Pownce client is an AIR client as well. It's very slick.
ยป http://pownce.com/download/
Worth it if you're a power Pownce user.
I'm the author of AgileAgenda, thanks a lot for recommending our application, we appreciate the kind words.
Incidentally, I saw the comment about no AIR 1.0 apps working, as of a few minutes ago AgileAgenda is now updated to 1.0 so it'll work for you just fine!
wonderful stuff, but i do worry that user adoption will run the crash and burn route if every app says "unrestricted access to system and user data" required for installation! what do you think? after years of worms and trojans and general paranoia from consumers, why hasn't adobe created better authorization controls and seals for the people making the air apps - versus just the apps themselves!?
eBay Desktop 1.0 (based on AIR 1.0) went live last night. It is a free download: http://desktop.ebay.com
FYI - so far we've seen great willingness on the part of users to try it out. There have been very few technical glitches, and overall our users are very positive about using it.
Alan Lewis
Product Manager, eBay Desktop
Snittr by Jonathon Snook is another great Twitter client, I like how easy it is to skin.
Ebay desktop is another one worth mentioning, my friend practically lives off it.
And my personal favorite Doomi, a simple task manager with reminders.
Can't wait to see where AIR is in a year.
Thought I'd give the Analytics app a go. The install window informs me that the publisher is unknown and the app wants unrestricted system access which "may put your computer at risk". Real user friendly stuff. Your average Joe is going to either run a mile or conversely ignore the warning and end up installing the next piece of malware he finds. Surely big players like Adobe and Google could get their acts together and actually sign the binaries.
First off, I'm going to make an assumption that RWW readers could be broadly categorised as "early adopters". If you don't agree with this assumption, you might as well stop reading now as the rest of what I am going to say is probably just going to make you mad, spit your coffee on your screen and laptop, ruin your computer and pretty much screw your day.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
We all love the latest thing here. We're often the first to try this web app or that aggregated service or the other distributed cloud Compuglobalhypermeganet dealy. Rich Internet Applications? Where do I sign up? Is this the queue for offline access of my web apps? Another way to Twitter? Just try and stop me!
I remember in the mid 90s when I first discovered this internet thing, I was being told by all and sundry that JavaVMs and Applets were going to revolutionise the online experience. Everyone could use the same apps regardless of choice of operating system and we could all hold hands and sing as one.
Now, I'm happy to admit that maybe people were only telling -me- that Java was the way of the online future, but I suspect I wasn't the only one. Needless to say (but I'm going to say it anyway), Java didn't solve everyone's problems, we aren't all holding hands and I really wish some of you would stop singing. Please.
To my mind (and maybe only my mind), having to download a runtime library was a big barrier to Java's adoption. Using the rest of my family as a test case of 2 computer literate older siblings (who have lives and don't spend too much time logged in like I do) and 2 computer illiterate parents, people want these sorts of things to work transparently at best, or quickly with minimum interruption at worse.
AIR might well be funky but even I, an avowed early adopter who has had his fingers burnt by failed apps and business models so many times his keyboard has scorch marks yet still come back begging for more, even I have only downloaded the AIR runtime for the first time tonight. The thought of adding yet another library to a system already loaded with .NET frameworks, Qt toolkits, codec packs and god knows how many other things I've downloaded and forgotten about had left me wanting to curl up into the foetal position in the corner and drool quietly while waiting for my wife to come home and make it all go away (she has a simple solution - apparently there's some kind of off button?). However, I've always been a sucker for hype, and hype will always hogtie me in the end.
To make a short story unbearably longer, while we all might think that AIR is the next big thing that will revolutionise, well, everything ever, how many of us really think that the common garden variety internet user (who is not like you and me) is going to go to the effort of downloading the next AIR/Gears/Prism service?
I'm really not convinced that the rest of the world is ready for this yet.
Feel free to correct me if you think I'm wrong and I'm happy to have that conversation through other channels if you don't feel like clogging up the comments here by telling me how much of an idiot I am in more ways than you care to count. I've never been afraid to change my mind if the argument is compelling enough :)
isn't saying adobe air like saying adobe adobe integrated runtime?
Take a look at Ora Time and Expense. It also has been updated to AIR 1.0.
I'm thinking the killer app for air would be a Lifestreaming client. I wrote about this the other day with a visual prototype of what it would look like.
A buddy of mine created a cool AIR app that shows how your eyes work when they scan a web page. If you've ever seen any of those eye-tracker exercises, it's alot like that but with your mouse. Check it out:
http://about.stompernet.com/scrutinizer/
You have to give your email address to get it, but it's probably cool enough to register (I did).
Excuse my n00bness, but what do I need to run these - what I mean is there a runtime/framework I have to download - ie Air where exactly do you get it (obviously adobe)?
Xdrive.com sucks, adrive.com is so much better (50gb free instead of 5gb)
I haven't heard of www.adrive.com but that sounds pretty interesting. I do know about xdrive and refuse to use them because of the fact they're owned by AOL.
-Bob
Dude this was posted on WWW.STEVEROSS4PRES.COM like a week ago
LAME!!!
Dude this was posted on WWW.STEVEROSS4PRES.COM like a week ago
LAME!!
Dude this was posted on WWW.STEVEROSS4PRES.COM like a week ago
LAME!
what about that neopets game. looks like nothing else there. i like the idea of games on the platform and im glad they are exploring that.
I'll toss in another vote for the Pownce AIR app. I'm far more entrenched in Twitter than Pownce, but I prefer the latter for its functionality and lack of 140 character constriction.
By and far though, my favorite AIR app has got to be its uninstaller. :)
twhirl is the best twitter AIR app out of all the twitter AIR apps!
http://www.spymac.com/details/?2146727
We need an AIR app that will stream videos from the server to the Computer like Stage6.com, since it's shutting down tomorrow.
As far as Twitter Air clients, personally I say that Snitter is hard to beat - http://snook.ca/snitter . Looks like it has all the features of Twhirl and maybe more. I think it looks a little swishier too.
Hey, Richard --
If Shane's comment (#16) doesn't win the $30 prize, there is no God.
Have to vote with Graeme on #16 :-)
I am the author of music top 100 air widget.I wanted to here from you all as how did you like our app?
http://music.aol.com/help/syndication/desktop-widgets
AOL Top 100 Vids is the bomb!
I feel I should somehow apologise for being indirectly responsible for shaking Graeme's spiritual belief to the core by not winning that day's comment competition.
Sorry Graeme. I'll try harder next time.
:D
Adobe develops new interesting software
http://www.i-guide.ro
No relation to that skinny Macboowk Air!
It won't be long before there are a lot of awesome games for Adobe Air. I started a website devoted to reviews, downloads, and news about Adobe Air Games! Check it out at http://www.adobeairgames.com