Roger Y. sent me a pointer to the recent news that Sony Ericsson is creating an unholy alliance between Flash Lite and Java ME (see: Franken-mobile-technology). Pshaw! Who needs that when you can already run Flash-like UIs on your Java ME cell phone using TWUIK?

See:

Who needs Flash Lite when you have Java ME and TWUIK?

Now that's cool. And, all you need is Java ME technology on your phone. No need for any unholy alliance! :-)

Hinkmond

Xerox PARC has it going on with Java ME technology. Look at their Seamless Doc Viewer. Reminds me of the iPhone Web browser, panning and zooming and what-not. Cool. Xerox PARC is a player!

See:

Xerox PARC knows how to use Java ME to it's fullest

Here's a quote:

 Seamless Document Viewer

 A J2ME application designed to help solve 
 the problem of viewing documents on small 
 screens (cell phones and other mobile 
 devices), this app automatically segments 
 a document into blocks and displays the 
 keyphrase for each block. The keyphrases 
 are intended to help users navigate to 
 sections of interest quickly. The cell 
 phone demo we saw used a fairly intuitive 
 touchscreen interface that included an 
 interesting way to pan and zoom in and out 
 of sections of a document. Because 
 documents viewed through the application 
 need to be processed and analyzed in 
 advance, it is better suited for viewing 
 PDF's and static documents, not frequently 
 updated web pages.

Hinkmond

Here's a Java ME technology-enabled app that ties together Social Networking on Last.fm (showing everyone in your network which Hannah Montana songs you really dig and which you don't), Music Playing, and something you always have in your pocket. No, not your Wii remote controller--your cell phone of course.

See:

Socially networking on Last.fm with Java ME

Here's a quote:

 We have just released version 3.1... 
 MyStrands Social Player, which allows 
 you to scrobble tracks to Last.fm as 
 you play music on your Symbian S60 3rd 
 Edition and J2ME... devices... 
 Recently listened tracks on your 
 mobile device will now be available 
 on your Last.fm profile.

Hinkmond

The hype is starting to build on Skype for Java ME cell phones which is now in beta.

See:

Skype on your Java ME phone

Here's a quote:

 Following recent moves to extend Skype 
 conversations to a wide variety of new 
 mobile and wireless devices, Skype is 
 taking another major step as it 
 continues to merge its internet 
 communications software with mobile 
 phones.  The company released a beta 
 version of Skype for your mobile, a 
 mobile “thin” client that works on 
 about 50 of the most popular Java-
 enabled mobile phones from Motorola, 
 Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

Hinkmond

Here's a Top 10 Most Disruptive Technology Combinations list from the Exchange Morning Post. We made number 8, but got grouped together with all Open Source technologies. Hrumph!

See:

We are number 8, hey, we are number 8!

Here's a quote:

 Linux and other open-source operating 
 systems have allowed manufacturers to 
 build simpler, cheaper machines... Sun's 
 Java has enabled the development of rich 
 applications for both the Web and 
 handheld devices.

Hinkmond

Here's yet another instance of a company finding a working business model around Java ME technology. It just keeps getting better. The company eBuddy moved their application from the regular desktop Internet world to mobile devices. With an advertising model on the desktop Web and a revenue-sharing model for their mobile app, it seems they have hit a sweet spot.

See:

Java ME tech-enabled eBuddy.

Here's a quote:

 Mobile: The J2ME application has been 
 downloaded more than 3 million times 
 since its launch in June 2007.  The J2ME 
 application is especially popular in 
 Asia...  The J2ME client may be 
 downloaded at http://get.ebuddy.com 
 and... may also be downloaded via 
 popular mobile application sites on the 
 internet, like GetJar.com.

Hinkmond

The people who tout Mobile Web browsing as the next big thing on mobile devices, forget that Java ME technology is versatile enough to run a feature-rich Web browser on top of the Java ME platform itself. Java ME looooves the Web browser. Here's a picture of the Thunderhawk Web browser, which comes in a Java ME variety. So, Java ME technology and the Mobile Web browser are not mutually exclusive.

See:

Mobile Web Browsing the next big thang

Here's a quote:

 With good browsers and good Web access, 
 it is now possible to deliver rich and 
 effective Web applications to mobile 
 users.  And since all you need to do 
 this is a Web site, there is no need to 
 go through the carriers, as your 
 customers will come directly to you.

 And as mobile browsers adopt more 
 features of rich Internet applications, 
 such as offline access, this will 
 become an even more attractive option.

Hinkmond

Tweedle Dum: If you think we're waxworks, you ought to pay, you know.

Tweedle Dee: Contrarywise, if you think we're alive you ought to speak to us.

Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum: That's logic.

See:

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum

Here's a quote:

    Some say, compar'd to Bononcini
    That Mynheer Handel's but a Ninny
    Others aver, that he to Handel
    Is scarcely fit to hold a Candle
    Strange all this Difference should be
    'Twixt Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee!
              -- John Byrom

Hinkmond

The Apple, Inc. iPhone is losing steam over there across the pond. Perhaps it's the $600 price tag. Perhaps it's the 24-month lock-in to a carrier. Or, maybe...

See:

iPhone losing steam in Europe

Here's a quote:

 Apple's experience in Europe raises 
 questions about the iPhone's prospects 
 around the world. The company has said 
 it wants to sell 10 million units by 
 the end of 2008.  But Apple may need to 
 change its business model to reach that 
 target...

Hinkmond

Chris P. just sent me his latest diff to allow our Java ME CDC/Foundation Profile to build for iPhoneOS/ARM (to run on the actual iPhone device, not just the simulator). So, here it is: Java ME running on an iPod Touch (yeah, I know you're going to complain it's not the iPhone. Don't tase me, bro. The iPod Touch is the same diff. ;-) )

See:

Java ME CDC/FP running on iPod Touch

You know I didn't doctor these photos, since you can see the timestamp and evidence of my fat-finger typos trying to type in the password and command in the first photo. :-) Freakin' Apple touchscreen..! ;-)

Hinkmond

Digisoft.tv is cranking out Java ME technology-based software for IPTV set-top boxes. 1.5 million licenses so far and counting. Yeah, baby.

See:

Java ME tech-based IPTV rocks!

Here's a quote:

 Digisoft.tv has sold more than 1.5 
 million licences for its Java-based 
 software, which enables high-definition
 revenue-generating applications to be 
 run on television set-top boxes.  The 
 Cork-based company has signed a global 
 partnership with Sun for its software 
 stack based on the Java Platform Micro 
 Edition, which runs on internet protocol 
 (IP) TV set-top boxes.

Hinkmond

JuiceCaster is soon pouring out a mobile-media broadcasting Java ME app offered via T-Mobile called JuiceCaster 6.0. This Java ME app can keep track of all your Web social networking sites.

See:

JuiceCaster to get all the juice

Here's a quote:

 I've been impressed with what I've 
 seen from JuiceCaster, a mobile-media 
 broadcasting app that's available as 
 a WAP site from any Internet-enabled 
 cell phone, and very soon, as a Java 
 app offered through T-Mobile...
 the downloadable client is 
 unsurprisingly prettier, faster, and 
 more robust.

Hinkmond

Inlogic has released a mobile version of a slot machine game for cell phones. Oh joy, just what we all need.

See:

Slot machine for Java ME tech-enabled phones

Here's a quote:

 But the mobile Slot Machine 
 is not about winning money, 
 it's about having fun. You 
 can still stake virtual 
 amounts of money, though, if 
 that will make you feel 
 better. Three different 
 kinds of slot machines are 
 available in the game, 
 making sure that players 
 never get bored.

Hinkmond

Here's something I'm working on with Chris Plummer and Dean Long for JavaOne this year. Chris recently was able to build our Java ME CDC/Foundation Profile platform on Darwin OS x86 (hmmm... Darwin OS... I wonder what that means... ;-) ) last weekend. (I think he started on Friday afternoon and was ready with it on Saturday). Faster than you can say, "Java ME rules!"

See:

Java ME says "Hello world."

Hello, iPhone. Think different. Think Java ME. :-)

Hinkmond

I've been working with Misha Krivoruchko, Jan Sterba, Igor Karpov, Oleg Pliss, Peter Kim, and the rest of the team led by Richard Gregor on the JavaFX Script Player project and on running cell phone demos for the upcoming JavaOne conference. Jan got the first demo running on his device in Prague this morning. I spent some time getting it to run on the cell phone we have in California. I finally had success and was able run this demo of JavaFX Script running on a Pantech Duo C810.

See:

Success: Running JavaFX on a Java ME cell phone

Yeah, I know. It doesn't look like much, but when you realize it's JavaFX script running on Java ME it makes you think about the possibilities... :-)

Some fun JavaFX Script code for FancyGraphics:

import javafx.gui.*;

// This version of the class relies on the Reprise APIs

Canvas {
   content: [
       Rectangle {
           x: 10
           y: 10
           width: 100
           height: 100
           /* fill: LinearGradient {
               stops: [
                   Stop {offset: 0.0, color: Color {red: 0.0 green: 0.5 blue: 1.0}},
                   Stop {offset: 0.5, color: Color {red: 0.4 green: 0.1 blue: 0.4}},
                   Stop {offset: 1.0, color: Color {red: 0.6 green: 0.4 blue: 0.2}}
               ]
           } */
       },
       Circle {
           centerX: 150
           centerY: 150
           radius: 20
       },
       Line {
           opacity: 0.5
           x1: 100
           y1: 100
           x2: 200
           y2: 200
           fill: Color {red:0.6 green: 0.6 blue: 0.6}
           strokeWidth: 10
           stroke: Color {red: 0.8 green: 0.8 blue: 0.8}
           strokeDashArray: [10.0,20.0,30,40,50,60]
       },
       Text {
           font: Font {
            name: "Courier"
            size: 20
           }
           x: 50
           y: 50
           content: "Hello, FX!"
           fill: Color {red: 0.8 green: 0.4 blue: 0.4}
           stroke: Color {red:0.9 green: 0.2 blue: 0.2}
           strokeLineJoin: StrokeLineJoin.MITER
           strokeLineCap: StrokeLineCap.ROUND
       },
Path {
           transform: Translate {x: 120 y:160 }
           elements: [
               MoveTo {x:-30 y:-70},
               LineTo {x:-50 y:-70},
               LineTo {x:-50 y:-50},
               LineTo {x:50 y:-50},
               LineTo {x:50 y:-30},
               LineTo {x:30 y:-30},
               MoveTo {x:0 y:-150},
               LineTo {x:0 y:-50},
               LineTo {x:50 y:50},
               LineTo {x:-50 y:50},
               LineTo {x:0 y:-50},
               MoveTo {x:0 y:50},
               LineTo {x:0 y:150}
           ]
           stroke: Color {red:0.7 green:0.25 blue:0.0}
           strokeWidth: 10
           strokeDashArray: []
           fill:null
           transform: [
             Rotate {x: 120 y:160 angle: 30},
             Translate {x: 120 y:160 },
             Scale {x:0.5 y:0.5 },
           ]
       }              
       ]
}