This tutorial covers the very basics of creating an Adobe AIR application that will work on Mac, Windows and Linux. It will show you what software to install and how to turn some web code into an Adobe AIR application. You will get enough information to get you started and from there you can create the next great Adobe AIR application.

Step 1. Get Aptana Studio – It’s free. http://www.aptana.com

Get Aptana Studio

Step 2. Get the Adobe AIR plug-in for Aptana Studio. http://www.aptana.com/air

Step 3. Create a new project in Aptana by going to File -> New and choosing Adobe AIR Project.

SocialAddict for Adobe Air, and for the web, has been updated to version 1.2. 

Updates include:

• FriendFeed mobile replaces FriendFeed 2 Go.
• Pownce removed.
• Updated Adobe Air version.
• New installer thanks to the Badge Builder.

Install Social Addict v 1.2

For those that don’t know, SocialAddict is an application that brings together the mobile version of multiple social networking sites for quick and easy access.  It’s available for your desktop via Adobe Air or on the web.

I’ve been waiting and waiting for the Apple App Store.  One of the items I really wanted was a checklist so I could keep track of things I needed at the store and tasks to be done, all without being connected to the internet.  Now I have that in Todo.

Todo is a $10 application that specializes in creating task lists on your iPod Touch or iPhone.  It’s pretty basic in use, but does allow for multiple task lists, priorities, due dates, notes and more.  You can even customize the line that crosses out a completed item.

I realized that the code I wrote for SocialAddict on Adobe Air could easily translate into a web application.  So I tossed the files up online and now it’s accessible everywhere.

Check it out: http://twistermc.com/s

What’s cool about this is you can use it in a few different ways.

1 – Use it without Adobe Air.

2 – Load it in Firefox’s sidebar.  Just visit the URL above, bookmark the page and be sure to check the ‘Load in Sidebar’ box.  Now whenever you click on the bookmark, it’ll pop-open.

After my recent success with Plurkit, I decided to take the idea to the next level and add in more social sites.  The outcome is SocialAddict which has 11 social sites within one Adobe Air application.

What SocialAddict does is loads the mobile or iPhone version of each site for easy access.  Again, I didn’t tie into any APIs or do massive re-construction.  These are all previously available applications that have been tied together to make it quick and easy to go from one to the next.

Within SocialAddict you’ll find:

• BrightKite
• Facebook
• FriendFeed To Go

I’ve been playing around with Aptana and Adobe Air to see if I could create a basic application.  What I created was Plurkit; an Adobe Air version of Plurk mobile.

Ok, I’ll be the first to admit, this is not as good as something like Twhirl. However, it is my first attempt at anything in Adobe Air so I’m pretty happy.

I didn’t use the Plurk API and do a lot of crazy coding.  All I did was take the mobile version of Plurk and embed it into an Adobe Air application.  And voila; Plurkit!

Google Analytics is a great program, but add in Adobe AIR and it becomes even better with the Google Analytics Reporting Suite module. It’s a stand alone application that gives you direct access into your Google Analytics account with a few great features thrown in.

The first thing I love is the ability to have multiple profiles.

I have a handful of profiles and where as switching between each one isn’t to difficult in Google Analytics, it is a bit tedious. With Google Analytics Reporting Suite, I can save profiles (aka bookmarks) for each account I want to access. Then I just double click and I’m in. No more having to load the GA website, enter a password, choose a profile then a site and then getting to the stats. This is just so much simpler.