If you want to watch Flash videos on your Apple iPhone or iPad then you will finally be able to later this week.
Not that Apple has reached some kind of groundbreaking deal with Adobe, of course – rather, a new app launching this week provides iPhone and iPad users with a decent workaround solution to enable them to watch online videos originally encoded in Adobe Flash.
Skyfire for iOS arrives
The Skyfire app is set to be made available for download via the US iTunes Store at 9am ET on Thursday for $2.99 - and is the first Flash-playing application to receive Apple's approval.
No word yet on a UK iTunes Store launch/price, but we'll be sure to bring you those details as and when.
Adobe still claims that around 75 per cent of online video is encoded in Flash. Yet Apple has resolutely not included Flash on iPhone or iPad or iPod touch, claiming that it kills the battery life and performs badly on mobile devices.
Skyfire's new workaround app lets users access a page that contains Flash video and almost immediately watch it, with Skyfire's servers translating the vid to HTML5 in the background.
"We will attack those pesky blue Flash error messages," said Jeffrey Glueck, Skyfire's CEO.
Skyfire for iOS isn't a standalone app, but instead works on top of Apple's Safari browser.
Skyfire has said that its app received a rigorous review from Apple, though it was still approved in under two months.
Via CNNMoney.com
