Here's an article about Ubuntu Mobile which will launch soon. The popularity behind its underlying Ubuntu Linux distro plus its features for mobile (including Java ME technology support) will surely give Google's Android a run for the mobile device space.

See:

Ubuntu Mobile: The Android Killer

Here's a quote:

 To give device manufacturers and 
 application developers more 
 control, Ubuntu Mobile allows 
 custom users interfaces to be 
 developed in HTML, Flash, Clutter, 
 Python, GTK, C/C++, GTK 
 and Java [ME].

Hinkmond

Oh, the potshots keep flying at Google's Android. Blam! Android takes one in the arm. Blam-blam, one to the leg. Blam-blam-blam, one in the 'ol keester. Here's an article from NetworkWorld that questions the viability of Google's Android.

See:

Google's Android no match

Here's a quote:

 My biggest concern with Android is 
 that I find nothing compelling in 
 it that sets it apart from other 
 handheld OSes.

Hinkmond

Wow, here's a chock-full interview with Jonathan Schwartz where he addresses Java not being open enough by mentioning Java ME technology detractors being the ones who are the most vocal... all within 15 minutes! Boy, that CNET reporter must have talked fast!

See:

Java ME secret deals

Here's a quote:

 Consider the fact that Java [ME] powers billions 
 of mobile devices.  That it won out as part of 
 the Blu-Ray standards war.  That it is the 
 platform of choice for a wide array of 
 enterprises...

 I think you'd find that sometimes those who yell 
 loudest about Sun not being "open enough" with 
 Java... are the same companies who try to cut 
 secret deals with us...  There are very 
 different private agendas in play other than 
 those that show up in public forums.

Hinkmond

The openness of Java ME technology is not just good for Java. It's good for everyone (including, ick!, Apple), as this Gearlog post explains. Sascha Segan, the author, got that right! Damn straight! :-)

See:

Java ME style openness is good for everyone

Here's a quote:

 Sprint and AT&T use Java on their 
 phones, and they have a much freer 
 attitude.  Anyone can write Java 
 programs.  Anyone can install Java 
 programs.  There are thousands of 
 Java programs out there.  If you 
 want to buy something that's 
 approved and guaranteed to work 
 on your phone, you can.  If you 
 want to install something wacky 
 that you found on the Web, feel 
 free.  This [Java ME] openness 
 has not destroyed AT&T or 
 Sprint's networks or phones.

Hinkmond

ComputerWorld sees Adobe, AOL, Google, and Yahoo all going for the same thing--a dinner date with Microsoft to drive their stock price up? No silly! The killer app on smartphones.

See:

Java ME Gold Rush on Cell Phones

Here's a quote:

 All device APIs have the essentials 
 such as file systems, multithreading, 
 and access to the TCP/IP stack.  The 
 trouble is, each platform has a 
 proprietary approach to interacting 
 with users.  One can argue that Java 
 and Series 60 level the field...

Hinkmond

Microsoft is crying over the victory of Blu-ray. They would have to use Java ME technology from Sun if they were to put a Blu-ray DVD player in the Xbox 360. Well, it is possible that there wouldn't be as many bugs in their software if they did move all their Xbox 360 apps to Java ME. :-)

See:

Microsoft cryin' and a-cryin'

Here's a quote:

 "The fundamental problem with Blu-ray 
 from the Microsoft point of view is 
 that it uses Java from Sun," says 
 Mercer.  "I don't think Microsoft will 
 ever introduce a Blu-ray player for 
 the Xbox.  They will just concentrate 
 on downloads."

 Microsoft had a long-standing battle 
 with Sun over the licensing and 
 integration of Java in its products 
 and later built its own competing 
 products...

Hinkmond

Gameloft has decided to get in touch with Java ME cell phones by announcing games with touch-screen support. Lots of interest in touch-based UI has developed with the iPhone and other touchscreen LCD based phones coming to the market in recent times.

See:

Touchy Subject: Gameloft and Java ME touchscreen games

Here's a quote:

 At this time, Gameloft has more than 
 15 games in its library that work 
 great with touchscreen-based phones. 
 These games include Block Breaker 
 Deluxe, Bubble Bash, Single in the 
 City, Sexy Poker Manga, Deal or No 
 Deal, and CSI Miami.  These games 
 were initially developed in Java...

Hinkmond

Here's a guardian.co.uk article on Jonathan Schwartz talking about open source Java technology. The cool part is the mention of the victory of Blu-ray over HD-DVD. For those who don't know, Blu-ray DVD standard has Java ME CDC and Personal Basis Profile technologies. The la-la-la-loser, HD-DVD technology, had no Java ME technology. Blu-ray, winner--Java ME. HD-DVD, la-la-la-loser, no Java ME. You make your own conclusions.

See:

Java ME makes you a winner

Here's a quote:

 Java is more than just a language; it 
 has a cross-platform runtime that allows 
 Java applications to run on a variety of 
 PCs and devices.  "We estimate that the 
 Java runtime platform runs on well over 
 1bn PCs, more than 1bn phones are 
 powered by Java, and with the victory of 
 Blu-ray, the majority of next-generation 
 DVD players will be running Java," says 
 Schwartz.  All this software is free.

Hinkmond

PopCap Games is bringing networked mobile Java ME games to Nokia's SNAP Mobile platform. The first Java ME game to be re-developed by PopCap will be Chuzzle. Hmmm... Sounds like what you put around that Taco Bell dog's mouth when it gets too yappy.

See:

PopCap bringing Java ME to SNAP Mobile

Here's a quote:

 "SNAP Mobile is all about bringing fun 
 multiplayer Java games to the masses," 
 said Paul Whitaker, Head of Business 
 Development for SNAP Mobile, Nokia. 
 "With a catalog of broadly appealing 
 games, PopCap titles are a perfect 
 addition to our growing portfolio." 

Hinkmond

It's groovy, it's loovely. It's Bloove, a new Java ME app for your cell phone to manage your addresses, phone numbers, and messages from the Web to your Java ME phone.

See:

Loovely Bloove

Here's a quote:

 Bloove is an online mobile phone 
 management application which supports 
 newer Nokia and Sony Ericsson Symbian 
 and J2ME phones... The app lets you 
 use your web browser to edit address 
 book contacts, speed dial settings, 
 messages and logs... and initiate 
 calls.

Hinkmond

Did you ever have one of those moments where you just can't remember your freakin' passwords? Ahhh! Do you need to drink more Red Bull? Do you need to implant a Non-Volatile RAM chip inside your head? Nah. All you need is the Java ME technology-enabled LockCyrpt Mobile app.

See:

For moments like these, use Java ME

Here's a quote:

 Got a phone running Java applications? 
 Take LockCrypt with you wherever you 
 go. The J2ME version of LockCrypt, 
 LockCrypt Mobile, runs on Java capable 
 phones. Now you won’t fret when that 
 thief takes your phone as you haggle 
 at the market.

Hinkmond

Java ME technology right now could clothesline the competition like a WWE pro wrestler smacking down a pencil-necked opponent. Over 2 billion (with a "b") devices (Java ME) vs. a piddly 4 million (with a measly "m") devices (iPhone), or even sadder 0 (with a "z") devices (Android).

See:

eComm 2008 organizer wants to see a smackdown

Here's a quote:

 “I wouldn’t be surprised to see 
 an iPhone SDK, J2ME, Skype and 
 Android battling to take center 
 stage,” said Lee S. Dryburgh, 
 conference organizer...

Hinkmond

Hey, isn't AOL that dead company that used to do dial-up Internet for all those poor sods who couldn't afford DSL or cable broadband? Well, looks like they are back now at 3GSM Mobile World Conference in outraaageous Barthelona, Thpain, talking up Yet Another Open Mobile Platform (YAOMP). Ya got your Google Open Handset Alliance, ya got your Open Moko, ya got your LiMo Open Mobile, and now you got your AOHell Open Mobile Platform. Got that straight? No? Me neither!

See:

Yet Another Open Mobile Platform (YAOMP)

Here's a quote:

 AOL today announced the AOL Open 
 Mobile Platform, which it plans to 
 make available to developers this 
 summer.  The new open platform 
 will help stimulate innovation by 
 providing developers with ready 
 access to the tools and source 
 code they need to build and 
 distribute applications across...
 BREW, Java, Linux, RIM, Symbian, 
 and Windows Mobile.

Hinkmond

The New York Times has an article about Java ME games for cell phones staging another attempt at a surge (a demand surge, not troop surge!). Will it be the Nokia N-Gage, Apple iPhone, or Google Android phone that spurs more users to download and play Java ME games? It's anyone's guess, but every year it gets better.

See:

Java ME Game Surge, Not Troop Surge

Here's a quote:

 Though cellphones featuring Java software 
 necessary to run quality video games have 
 been on the market for several years, 
 analysts say users have stopped short of 
 paying extra to download games...  “The 
 games have been truly atrocious,” he said. 
 “They’ve been cut-down, poorly functional 
 versions of what you would see” on smaller 
 game-only consoles like Sony’s PSP.

Hinkmond

Webalo has released a new Mobile Dashboard that lets you push corporate data to Java ME smartphones.

See:

Using Java ME for your Mobile Dashboard

Here's a quote:

 The Mobile Dashboard allows administrators, 
 working from a Web browser, to configure 
 mobile users of devices such as RIM 
 BlackBerry, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Palm 
 Treo, and Java-enabled smartphones to 
 receive pre-existing, internal reports from 
 spreadsheets or business applications...

Hinkmond