Skyfire browser for iPad goes live, lets you finally watch Flash videos

by Vlad Bobleanta on December 23, 2010 at 12:30 PM

Skyfire, the alternative browser that uses some server-based trickery to make Flash videos playable on the iPhone, has just gone live for iPad. The new version tailored for the iPad comes with one touch access to your Facebook news feed, profile, friends, inbox, events and places. This is all made possible by what Skyfire calls Facebook QuickView, which is basically a button on the lower-side toolbar that gives you quick access to the aforementioned items. Similarly, there's a QuickView for Twitter. Your Google Reader feeds are also just one tap away. Skyfire doesn't incorporate a feed reader, rather it has a dedicated button that will launch the mobile version of Google Reader (and, for one extra tap -- Gmail, Google Buzz, Calendar or Docs) at any time in an overlay.

The Fireplace Feed Reader will, if tapped, display a filtered list of your Facebook feed that only includes links to Web pages, images, and videos posted by your friends. The Popular button on the SkyBar (the lower-side toolbar) will show you what content from the site you're currently on is popular among (all) Facebook users. And the Facebook Like button lets you instantly 'like' any Web page with just one tap. You can also share the page you're on with Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, Read It Later, Instapaper and Pinboard.

Additionally, Skyfire for iPad has support for full-screen browsing, user agent switching, and private browsing. A demo video of the app is available after the break.

Skyfire for iPad costs $4.99. Download it from the iTunes App Store

Tags: apps, browsers, IOS, ipad, skyfire, skyfire for ipad, SkyfireForIpad

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Skyfire iPad App with Flash Added to App Store

Skyfire's iPad app, which brings Flash content to the Apple tablet, was added to the App Store Wednesday night.

The app is available now for $4.99. It acts as a Web browser, converting Flash video into HTML5 and playing it back in a separate window. With the iPad version, that window can be expanded to full-screen mode to take advantage of the iPad's 9.7-inch screen.

While Flash videos are supported, Flash games and apps are not. That being said, not every Web video site - like Hulu - will work with Skyfire for iPad. "We are working hard at it," the company said. Users outside the U.S. might also not be able to access their local TV Web site since some stations do not stream to Skyfire's U.S.-based servers. It is currently only available in English.

The iPad version also includes many of the social-networking components Skyfire recently added to its Android app. The bottom menu bar includes links to Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader, so users can read and interact with their news feeds or followers within the Skyfire app. A "Fireplace" option, meanwhile, pulls up all the links Facebook friends have shared, so you can open up news stories or watch videos within Skyfire. A "Popular" link also shows links that have been shared by friends and the Facebook community in general. Skyfire for iPad also includes a universal "Like" button, so you can like any page on the Internet and have it show up on Facebook.

There is also the option to browse privately so cookies and browser histories are not left behind.

The Skyfire iPhone app made its debut in the App Store in the U.S. in early November, but the initial demand quickly overwhelmed the company. The app, which sells for $2.99, was temporarily pulled from the store, but returned after Skyfire made some capacity adjustments. Recently, Skyfire extended support for its iPhone version to Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Armenia, Malaysia, Mali, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It's also available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and all of Europe.

Skyfire recently provided a sneak peak at the iPad app; the video is below. For more about the iPhone app, see PCMag's full review.

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