13 Cool features in Adobe Air 2.0 Beta
1. Document open with default application: Now you can open files with its default application. Open files like .doc with default app like MS Word or mp3 with Windows Media Player. A new API introcuded called File.openWithDefaultApplication.
2. Mass storage volume detection: API StorageVolumeInfo to detect when a mass storage device, such as a USB drive or cameras, have been connected or disconnected to the user's computer.
3. Microphone data access: You can access the sound data from a microphone directly for recording or other processing without the need of a server.
4. Native process API: Improved interaction existing native code libraries, or to extend the AIR runtime with native code.
5. Global error handling: Uncaught errors, both synchronous errors and asynchronous error events, in one place in your code using global error handling.
6. Improved printing support: Vector printing support has been enabled improving the quality of output to the printer in Mac. A new API will allow an Adobe AIR developer to query the local machine for a list of printers or print without a dialog box.
7. Updated WebKit: WebKit in AIR 2 beta is based on the version shipped with Safari 4.0.3. New features include support for JavaScript profiling, SquirrelFish Extreme JavaScript engine performs 50% faster using SunSpider tests, CSS3 Module support.
8. DNS lookup: DNSResolver API is introduced to look up Domain Name System (DNS) This class provides you with the ability to obtain resource records.
9. Network interface enumeration: Bind to a specific interface's IP address with the new optional localAddress argument to the Socket's bind function.
10. Database transaction savepoints: Multiple database changes as a single transaction can be committed or roll backed.
11. More efficient CPU usage: At least50% less CPU usage when running in the background on Mac.
12. Reduced memory usage: At least 15–20% reduced use of memory. TweekDeck kind of apps sees that without even rebuilding the app.
13. Smaller runtime installer sizes: The runtime installer sizes for Mac OS and Windows are smaller than the older version AIR 1.5.
