Phone Flash ban nets Skyfire US$700k in one week

The Flash workaround tool for iPhones, iPods and iPads launched by US firm SkyFire last Thursday has pulled in over 300,000 downloads, according to the company. 

The app, which costs US$2.99 -and is currently only available in the US -- would have netted the company around US$900,000. However as tech news site TechCrunch pointed out, it would also have delivered Apple a 30 per cent share of sales or around $270,000. 

Sales may have been even higher had the company not been forced to restrict downloads. 

The application, which relies on SkyFire's internal servers to render Flash format video into Apple-approved HTML5, was taken off line just five hours after it went on sale, with the company reporting its servers were over capacity. 

Last Friday SkyFire changed tack, following steps taken by the similarly popular Flipboard app for the iPad, by allowing new customers in batches.  

Skyfire's Apple-rooted revenues so far are just the tip of the iceberg for the company.

Jeff Glueck, chief executive of SkyFire said it would announce "additional country support shortly". 

While the app promises to bridge the Flash vacuum for Apple mobile users, it has some limitations.
For example, US streaming service Hulu has reportedly blocked the app from rendering its videos.