Adobe Air is a runtime environment to build rich internet applications that can be deployed to the desktop application and run across operating systems. AIR applications can run offline, and then activate other functionalities or upload data when an internet connection becomes available. An example is eBay Desktop which allows sellers to complete a listing offline and then upload it when an internet connection established.

Snippely: Snippely is a basic text and code organizational tool. Instead of storing bits of code, quick notes, and memos in text files all over your hard drive, this application will let you save and organize “snippets” in one convenient location. A snippet is a collection of one or more pieces of code and notes. Snippets are stored in groups for organization and quick retrieval.

Web Snapshot: The easiest way to take screenshot of a website. Enter the Url and Press Snap. Or Drag&Drop it from your browser. Click on the Thumnails to Save.

Icon Generator: Icon Generator is a little application that lets you generate a CS3 or Web 2.0 style icon, only 3 step. Pick color, type characters, and save it. Just create 4 different sizes of the icon.

Pixus: Measure it does it with Firefox, but it is limited to browser only. Pixus will let you to measure anything that you see on your screen

Flickr Flipper: Flickr Flipper allows you to search for Flickr photos and also search for photos from specific Flickr users. It uses Papervision to display the photos one at a time and even allows you to download the photo to your computer. Currently it only returns up to 100 photos of your search.

Google Analytics Reporting Suite: The Google Analytics Reporting Suite brings Google Analytics to the desktop, with a host of features that help you understand how your website is performing and where you can improve. From tracking your visitors, referrals and campaigns to viewing your AdWords ROI metrics, the Google Analytics Reporting suite is a must-have for every web business.

Kuler Desktop: The kuler desktop brings Adobe’s color theme web application to the desktop. You can download themes as ASE (Adobe Swatch Exchange) files to your desktop, or quickly copy as hex values to your clipboard.

Klok: Klok is a tool intended to be used by individuals, who have a need to track the time they spend on projects, tasks or anything else for that matter.

(via Gabfire design tips)

Yahoo and Adobe are bringing pay-per-click ads to Adobe’s Portable Document Format so that publishers can serve up ads inside PDFs distributed on Web sites and over e-mail that are contextually relevant to the content.

The text advertisements appear in a panel to the right of the content in the PDF and are subject matter matched using keywords and analysis of associated concepts. The ads are dynamic, meaning different ads can pop up at different times and clicking on an ad takes you to the advertiser Web site.

Publishers upload their PDF content into Yahoo’s ad serving system and then monitor the performance through Yahoo’s system. Publishers take a cut of the revenue from each click on the ads and Yahoo will split its share of the revenue per click with Adobe.

The service gives PDF publishers access to Yahoo’s network of advertisers and allows them to make money off the content without having their own sales force or having to do the ad insertion themselves, says Josh Jacobs, vice president of publisher solutions at Yahoo.

Publishers participating in the beta include IDG’s InfoWorld, which moved to a Web-only format earlier this year, as well as Wired, Pearson’s Education, Meredith Corporation and Reed Elsevier.

Read more here 

Today Adobe announced the launch of the Adobe Media Player, a desktop app that enables consumers to view high quality video whether they are online or offline. It is also designed for content owners to distribute, track and monetize their video. Built on their Apollo framework, the Adobe Media Player is cross-platform and based on open standards. The Adobe Media Player leverages other Adobe tools such as the Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Flash Media Server 2, and the Adobe Media Encoder. For the end user, the video player can be used to create media channels via RSS, as well as for video downloads and streaming. Adobe is previewing the player at the National Association of Broadcasters trade show today and it will be available in the Fall of 2007.

More importantly from Adobe’s strategic plan, this is an attempt from Adobe to feed the ecosystem around Apollo and make end users more comfortable and knowledgeable about Apollo’s capabilities. Their path to success relies on developing and encouraging the development of compelling applications that add value to the average consumer. Additionally, this offering adds tremendous value to content owners - through various tools which include:

Analytics

Adobe gives content owners advanced tools to learn more about the ways that end users consume their media. It is all permission based via cookies, but I think Adobe is counting on a majority of the people enabling this feature. Most probably won’t be aware of the implications of enabling the cookies. The key innovation here is that it will track the media consumption both online and offline.

Content protection

Adobe offers streaming encryption, content integrity and identity based protection. This will make content publishers happy, because they’ll have innovative tools that will allow them to build a legitimate business and not feel that their content is stolen. This is great for the small video producers of the world, who don’t want to spend a lot of money protecting their content.

More enhanced montetization

Adobe gives content owners more flexible options over advertising and monetizing the media. Adobe Media Player heavily leverages RSS - content owners can feed ads via RSS and overlay ads or branding in many different ways. In seeing a demo, I saw a couple of ads that appeared. I was surprised at how non-intrusive they were and how it didn’t disturb the flow of my video experience.

Customization

One of the cool things I was able to see was a great deal of skins and customization that gave publishers an opportunity to really enhance their brand equity. Going from channel to channel, the level of detail and difference between the channels was impressive.

Conclusion

Adobe is getting into the Desktop Media Player business, which means they are competing with Microsoft’s Windows Media Player directly. It is also a major opportunity for Adobe to feed the Apollo ecosystem and show people the limitations of traditional desktop software.