Adobe has just released the first public alpha of Apollo. Apollo is a cross-platform runtime environment that allows developers to leverage their existing web development skills (Flash, Flex, HTML, JavaScript, Ajax) to build and deploy rich Internet applications (RIAs) to the desktop. I have been playing with private builds of Apollo for about 6 weeks now, and I must admit that the Apollo/Flex platform is way too much fun! I hope to release my Twitter client over the next few days. I plan on releasing the source so you can check out how easy and fun it is to create Internet connected desktop applications.

Apollo for Adobe Flex Developers Pocket Guide - an ebook by Mike Chambers, Rob Dixon and Jeff Scwartz - is now available for download from Adobe Labs. Hopefully this means we’ll be seeing an alpha release in the next few days.

ScaleNine offers a list of 10 Ways to Skin a Flex App. There are lots of great links to resources for skinning your app from CSS to programmatic skinning to 9-slice.

Chris Brichford, an engineer on Adobe Apollo team, talks about Leveraging HTML and JavaScript in Apollo Applications in a video from this year’s MAX in Las Vegas. There are some nice examples of how to manipulate the HTMLControl (an embedded web browser) by applying blurs and rotations, and how to mashup content from websites like Google Maps with a Flex UI wrapper.

One of the small gems in this presentation is when Chris talks about the selection of WebCore and JavascriptCore as the HTML rendering engine for Apollo. WebKit is open-source, has a small footprint, is mobile friendly and Apollo will be kept in sync with Apple’s Safari web browser. In the true spirit of open-source, Adobe is sharing a significant amount of code with Apple.

I’m sure it won’t be too long before somebody creates a very simple Apollo Web Browser that can be used by Windows and Linux users for testing web site compatibility with the popular Safari browser.

[Video link via Peter Elst]

Mike Downey, Apollo Sr. Product Manager, presented a cool Apollo Demo at DEMO. The video shows off a demo of Ebay Desktop that is currently being developed by Ebay and Effective UI. The demo really gives you a good idea of how easy it is to deploy Apollo applications and also demonstrates some of the online/offline capabilities built into the Apollo framework.

Adobe has posted Mike Chamber’s recent presentation of Understanding Apollo E-Seminar. In the presentation Mike covers the core technologies that are supported by Apollo, he demonstrates a sample audio application, and shows you how to create a simple Apollo app.

Web developers should note that Apollo is not just for Flash/Flex content. Apollo will equally embrace web technologies such as XHTML, CSS, JavaScript and AJAX. If you’ve been ignoring this new product simply because you thought it was Flash/Flex based, you should take a serious look and discover how you can transfer your web skills to this exciting new platform.

[Link via Ryan Stewart]

ScaleNine (cool site name by the way) is offering free, high-quality Themes for your Flex 2 apps. There are currently 6 themes in the collection with more coming in the near future.

Ryan Stewart recently Interviewed Mike Downey who is a Senior Product Manager for Adobe Apollo. Apollo is a new product currently in it’s early stages of development that promises to provide a cross-platform desktop runtime capable of combining Flex, Flash, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and AJAX content into stand-alone desktop applications.

Adobe has just launched the Adobe - Flex Cookbook Beta site. The site contains a list of problems, solutions and explanations that will help you in your daily Flex development. I really wish this site was available a few months ago when I first started working with Flex 2.0. Upon first glance though, I can immediately see the value that this site will have for those beginning their Flex adventures! If you contribute a solution to the cookbook, you may a chance to have your solution published by O’Reilly.

There has been some great Flex/Apollo coverage this weekend. Michael Arrington and Steve Gilmor are presenting an audio podcast with Adobe senior vice president and chief software architect Kevin Lynch. In the interview they discuss the new Apollo cross platform runtime that will allow web developers to create desktop applications leveraging their existing Flash, Flex, JavaScript and HTML skills. In another presentation, Mike Chambers interviews Christian Cantrell who shows off some of the applications that Christian has developed using Flex and the Apollo beta. There is some really cool stuff here. In fact it’s so cool I almost name this post “I want Christian’s Job”!