Adobe kicks off betas for Flash 10.1, Air 2.0

Flash on Android

Eager testers can sign up to try out the first betas of Flash Player 10.1 and Air 2.0, Adobe said today, as its chief executive admitted the software had been delayed until the second half of the year.

Adobe Flash evangelist Lee Brimelow said the first private betas had just kicked off, and anyone wanting to take part in the public betas can sign up to be notified now.

Brimelow said developers might find it handy to get up to date with working on mobile platforms, as the Adobe products will be moving onto Google's Android platform.

"There are going to be so many interesting things that you will be able to do on Android and there are also going to be many new skills that you will need to learn, especially if you are new to mobile design," Brimelow said in a blog post.

Brimelow said there was no specific release date for either beta, while chief executive Shantanu Narayen told US network Fox News that the latest version of Flash has been delayed, possibly until the second half of the year, in order to test running it on tablets.

Narayen called Apple out for refusing to include Adobe Flash on its own tablet, the iPad. He said Apple's refusal is a "business decision" and not a technology one.

Brimelow spoke out on the subject just last week, telling Apple: "Go screw yourself."