iPad Hacks: For Flash Get Frash

The software developer c0mex, responsible for bringing you ‘Spirit’ which enables you to jailbreak your iPad, has managed to pull another rabbit out of the hat with an app that allows Flash to run on your iPad. Of course you will need to have already hacked your iPad, but with that out of the way, c0mex’s fluffy new software will delight your Safari browser by jumping into action all those previously unviewable Flash videos. c0mex has called their nifty little jailbreak app ‘Frash’, which, according to an urban dictionary, could mean a cross between fresh and awesome. That’s pretty accurate so far.

Talk about one in the eye for King Steve. He must be flouncing around his fairy castle ordering copious beheadings of his minions right and left. The on-going public feud between Adobe and Apple over Apple’s refusal to use Flash on its mobile internet devices has led to some serious mud-slinging from both sides. Steve Jobs published a vitriolic attack against Adobe in April, deeming Flash ‘doomed technology’. It doesn’t seem that the media consuming public are in agreement with their King over this issue; the two biggest gripes against the iPad are its lack of multitasking and its lack of Flash.

Frash is the Adobe Flash for Android runtime ported to Apple’s iOS which will run on iPad via mobile Safari browser through a compatibility layer. Although Frash will only run on the iPad at the moment, c0mex has plans to roll out this new code across the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.

Frash is still in its development stages, and at the moment remains very buggy. It is prone to crashing and doesn’t support video or keyboard input. Just how Frash will work with the iPad touch screen is still under investigation, as Flash was designed to be used with a mouse. However, in spite of Frash’s current bugginess and rough edges, current work still being undertaken on the software should iron out these difficulties. If a Frash video does crash within the Safari browser, thankfully the whole page doesn’t freeze, as it uses a multi-process model similar to Chrome on a desktop.

I don’t approve of Apple’s closed market mentality on its mobile products. Any jailbreaking that allows disallowed software to migrate onto the iPad is fine by me. And as much as I admire King Steve Jobs and Apple’s incredible achievements, the emergence of Frash is a welcomed one-in-the-eye for the king!