TechBytes: Flash Coming to Smart Phones

April 19, 2010— -- Adobe Flash powers the animation for most Web sites, and it could finally be coming to smart phones .

Adobe's CEO announced that Flash 10.1 for use with Google's Android, Palm's Web OS and Rim's Blackberry is slated for release by the end of the year. But you still won't find Flash programs on the iPod or iPad, because Apple has decided to block them.

The iPad could soon become a must-have for doctors. Applications are coming online to help them keep medical records, screen X-rays and do research, all in one portable device that fits in a lab coat pocket.

"It's a very comfortable size with a very comfortable screen. So when I'm sitting with a patient, I have their chart open, they're not sure what dose of drug they're taking. I'm able to show them a picture of the pill they're taking," said Dr. Edward Goldberg, a New York internist. "The iPad is kind of the size of a chart, and it's easier to get my fingers functioning on it."

Medical software designers are now modifying iPhone apps for use on the iPad.

New versions of the Nook eRreader are in the pipeline. A next generation Nook Two and a Wi-Fi-only Nook "Lite" is expected out later this year.

The Lite will cost a little less than $200 and should be available by summer.Next week, a software update adds a browser to current models, and should be available for download.

Mark Fiore draws animated political cartoons. But Apple rejected him from its app store because his work "ridicules public figures."

Last week, Fiore won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning, which is, of course, all about ridiculing public figures. Now, Apple has had a change of heart, and has invited Fiore to reapply to the app store, and he's taken Apple up on it.