Wendong (from Wendong's Smart Phone Weblog which I link to in my Blogroll) pointed out that TagsMe is a cool tool that builds Java ME apps using XML and an easy-to-use syntax. Plus, it has a GUI builder for NetBeans. Yay (no Eclipse)!

See:

TagsMe builds Java ME apps w/XML tags

Here's a quote:

 With the aid of our TagsMe™ GUI 
 (based on NetBeans, the prizewinning 
 IDE from Sun Microsystems) the 
 design and creation of Java ME 
 applications is easier than ever. 
 TagsMe™ platform brings to Java ME 
 the ease of development of 
 FlashLite applications whilst 
 maintaining the power and 
 standardization of Java.

Hinkmond

I've posted before about Cascada Mobile's Breeze platform which makes building a Java ME application a, well uh... breeze, especially if you want to program using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

See:

Program the Mobile AJAX way for Java ME

But, they use an Eclipse plug-in? Yuck! Dang it. You'd think they could use something other than Eclipse for their fancy Java ME tool. :-)

Hinkmond

Run for your lives! Pandora's Box has been opened by Java ME technology for your cell phone! Ahhhh! :-O No need to fret, really. Pandora has had this streaming music service for a while now both for the desktop and for your Java ME tech-enabled mobile phone.

See:

Pandora's Box has been opened, with Java ME

Here's a quote:

 What you'll get in return is a Java 
 applet that gives you access to Pandora's 
 streaming content catalog -- access is 
 free for 30 days; past that is $3/month, 
 naturally.

Hinkmond

Gameloft has announced a new Java ME game for your cell phone called Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain. Yeah. Bring it, baby...

See:

New Java ME Chuck Norris Game

The write-up says you can "play as either Ranger Chuck or Commando Chuck" and battle "combined forces of Fidel Castro and Kim Jong-il". Yikes! That would be a scary tag-team... But if we're talking about Chuck taking 'em on--hey, no prob. K-ya!

Hinkmond

Did you ever want to see what's happening on your PC or Mac screen, from your mobile Java ME device? Well, why not use VNC2Go which is a Java ME MIDlet that lets you use any Java ME cell phone to tap into your desktop running a VNC server.

See:

It's a go-go, running Java ME VNC2Go

Here's a quote:

 VNC2Go is a VNC client (viewer) that 
 runs on MIDP-enabled devices.  It 
 lets you control any desktop server 
 running a VNC service, from any 
 mobile device that supports Java 
 Midlets, such as mobile phones and 
 PDAs.

Hinkmond

Here's yet another example how Java ME technology is used for apps that are not just games. Mobipocket has created a Java ME version of their mobile ebook reader. Nice. Now you can read The Da Vinci Code on the go.

See:

Read books on your Java ME cell phone

Here's a quote:

 With modern feature phones becoming 
 more powerful these days, it doesn't 
 surprise to see many of the original 
 smartphone application makers 
 developing J2ME version of their 
 apps.

Hinkmond

The guys at Motley Fool love to rag on Sun Microsystems stock price in general (eh, who can blame 'em?). But, sometimes they hit the nail on the head, like with their analysis of Apple's resistance to put Java ME technology on the Apple, Inc. iPhone.

See:

Motley Fool ponders Apple's lack of Java ME

Here's a quote:

 While there's been plenty of buzz 
 about the new features of the next-
 generation Apple, Inc. iPhone, 
 there's also been a lot of talk 
 about what the device still lacks.
 ...
 Apple, Inc.'s hesitance bucks the 
 trend followed by just about every 
 other mobile device maker.  Nokia 
 and Motorola have long embraced 
 Java as a means to get advanced 
 capabilities plugged into their 
 devices, making phones more than 
 just, well, phones.

Hinkmond

Inlogic software has released Death Zone, a shoot 'em up, zombie-killing game--just what the world needs most, eh? Well at least they use Java ME technology.

See:

Death Zone, surround yourself with Java ME Zombies

Here's a quote:

 Inlogic software are the people 
 behind the release of this new 
 game called Death Zone, you will 
 need to fight, shoot, kill and 
 much more to survive this game. 
 Fight the zombies and become a 
 hero is what it is all about.

Hinkmond

You know the technology you work on has made it big when there's a YouTube video that explains what the technology is using a gauze filter and a bossa nova beat in the background. Watch when the Google Maps Java ME programmer types System.out.println at timestamp 0:46 to 0:49.

See:

A fuzzy explanation of Java ME

Why Google Maps would need to use System.out.println is beyond me. But, hey, it's Hollywood!

Hinkmond

Sweet lordy. It's getting to the point where it's easier to name the smartphones where Java ME technology isn't present (uh, Apple iPhone... Yeah. Bunch 'o phreaks... ;-) ). HP iPAQ is now shipping with the Sun Java Wireless Client (SJWC), or Java ME technology for those following along at home. And, Apple continues to hide their heads in the sand.

See:

HP iPAQ smartphone shipping with Sun's Java ME

Here's a quote:

 Sun Engineering Services delivered 
 the Java ME binary implementation 
 customized and tuned to a specific 
 feature set requested by HP.  The 
 Sun Java Wireless Client software 
 integrates with the Windows Mobile 
 6.1 native user interface, enabling 
 customers to view e-mail in the 
 original HTML format, access contact 
 information and much more through a 
 familiar operating environment.

Hinkmond

Sh-boogie! Nsicom just released version 4.12 of their CrE-ME Java ME CDC/Personal Profile stack for Windows CE. Nice to see more CDC-based stacks continuing to be sold on Windows Mobile devices.

See:

Delicious CrE-ME Java ME VM

Here's a quote:

 Nsicom has released an updated
 version of its JVM (java virtual 
 machine) for Windows CE. 
 Implementing the J2ME CDC/Personal 
 Profile 1.0 specification, 
 "CrE-ME" version 4.12 lets Java 
 applets run within Internet 
 Explorer, or allows applications 
 to take full control of a device, 
 according to the company.

Hinkmond

Hey, it's nice to see developer support for the Java ME MSA platform, especially from someone like Motorola with the MOTODEV Developer Program. Yeah, yeah... they have that weird UIQ tie-in...

See:

MOTODEV supports Java ME MSA

Here's a quote:

 Java developers can take advantage 
 of key new features and APIs with 
 MOTODEV Studio for Java ME v1.4. 
 It incorporates all previous 
 updates and adds support for the
 full Mobile Service Architecture 
 and the SIP API for J2ME (JSR 180), 
 as well as support for additional 
 handsets.

Hinkmond

Achtung! Ya. Vee vill need zwei Governator candidates for zee Mobile und zee Embedded kommunity.

See:

Governances Board call for nominations

Here's a quote:

 Any java.net member can nominate an 
 active member in the Mobile & Embedded 
 Community to serve as a Governance 
 Board Member.  All nominations will be 
 reviewed by the current Mobile & 
 Embedded Community Governance to 
 verify that the nominee is interested 
 in the position and complies with 
 current Governance Board Member requirements. 

Hinkmond