FlashCast - Macromedia could bring new excitement to the Mobile Internet

I am still a great believer in the real mobile internet. Having access to the web and email everywhere on a cellular phone could really be a great thing. But not with today's WAP - standard: Its usability is as bad as its usage is expensive and to make things worse it just looks plain ugly - like a strange reincarnation of Gopher.

But now Macromedia is trying a new approach with bringing Flash applications to mobile phones. At DEMOmobile last week the company presented FlashCast - CNET has a short video clip about it (via Russell Beattie and Mike Krisher). And there is already a phone with a Flash player available in Japan (Btw, why is it, that the Japanese are getting all the fun stuff first ?)

Although very little is known by now, it all looks very promising. I really like Flash applications and where it is possible, I always prefer them to java applets on web pages. They usually work faster, more reliable and look much better - especially on a Mac OS plattform.

If Macromedia is able to bring this experience to mobile phones, the internet-to-go could finally get ready for prime time...