Technewsworld.com says it best when they write how Android might become the next best thing since sliced overhyped bread, but there are also a whole bunch o' existing open source mobile apps and tools that are great right now to download and use.

See:

Lots of Open Source Mobile Software Using Java ME Tech

Here's a quote:

 Sure, Android's open platform might 
 someday put every OSS mobile app and 
 tool you can imagine into the palm 
 of your hand.  Or not.  Meantime, 
 here's a lineup of existing mobile 
 applications and tools for work, 
 play and organization.

My AW (Awesome Wife) found this Java ME technology reference on how to use a Java ME technology-enabled app to measure your carbon footprint automatically from your cell phone using your GPS recorded movement (no manual entry needed).

See:

Measure your gas with Java ME tech

Here's a quote:

 Those funds will go toward 
 continued development of the 
 Java-based mobile application, 
 which automatically updates 
 carbon information without the 
 user having to manually input 
 data.  The application, now 
 named Carbon Diem, uses GPS 
 location info to automatically 
 monitor your transportation. 
 The app can tell if you drive, 
 fly, take the train or walk...

Hinkmond

More stories about using Java ME technology to do Mobile Banking from your cell phone. Sheesh. You'd think that the banks weren't disappearing left and right overnight currently. Poof. No more IndyMac. Zip. No more WaMu. Well at least BB&T, Citibank, IBC Bank and PNC are still around and you can use this Java ME app called MyMoneyManager from your cell phone to withdraw all your money before it's too late. :-)

See:

Panic button to your bank account w/Java ME

Here's a quote:

 Sprint announced its partnership 
 with mobile banking specialist 
 mFoundry in April of last year 
 and now the software is finally 
 ready, said Kevin McGinnis, 
 director of consumer 
 applications and entertainment 
 services.  It is called 
 MyMoneyManager and is available 
 for most of Sprint’s phones that 
 use Qualcomm’s BREW and Sun 
 Microsystems’ Java platforms...

Hinkmond

Sony Ericsson had resistance from Microsoft to rehab Windows Mobile on their X1 to skin the OS with panels. Java ME technology on the other hand loves when developers and OEMs come up with their own skins. Have you seen LWUIT?

See:

Don't wanna go to rehab, no, no no!

Here's a quote:

 Microsoft's initial response 
 to Sony Ericsson's plan to skin 
 the OS with panels was not a 
 positive one: "I still remember 
 in the very beginning phase we 
 a little bit [did] disclose our 
 panel concept to Microsoft and 
 [the] first reaction from 
 Microsoft was 'no, no, no! 
 Please stay Microsoft way, 
 Windows way'.

All the mortgage finance meltdown making you say, "Gahhhh..."? Fret not. The banking industry in Malaysia doesn't really care about the impending American Great Depression II, the sequel and untold story starring Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko, mortgage securities exec. Instead they are looking to expand their mobile banking business using Java ME technology (NOTE: this is not yet another Java ME game, YAJMEG) :-)

See:

Malaysian banks looking to expand Java ME banking

Here's a quote:

 “We will also target customers who 
 are looking for more functionality 
 via a J2ME (Java Platform Micro 
 Edition) application on Java-enabled 
 devices and leveraging on the third-
 generation (3G) and General Packet 
 Radio Service infrastructure.

Hinkmond

Forget today's news about Android. Nokia is having their "Calling All Innovators" Contest with cash prizes up to US $25k and the chance to meet and greet VCs and Mobile Operators. (I'm not sure why you'd want to do that... but, hey, at least that's better than meeting with a Wall Street mortgage-backed securities broker!) :-)

See:

Nokia's Calling All Innovators Contest

Here's a quote:

 ...the opportunity to show off your 
 technical kung fu and introduce the 
 world to your true killer app!  Open 
 to all technologies, if it runs on 
 S60 or Series 40, then we want to 
 see it!  Regardless if it has just 
 been created or you have been 
 selling it for a while, casual or 
 commercial, we want to showcase the 
 best of the best. Be it on Flash 
 Lite, Java, Python, or open source.

Hinkmond

Did you ever get the funny feeling that your team is out somewhere playing miniature golf? Well, TeleNav has their Mobile Workforce software which allows supervisors to keep track of the locations of their workers.

See:

Mobile App to keep track of your staff

Here's a quote:

 ...based on TeleNav's navigation 
 software for mobile phones, which 
 can keep supervisors apprised of 
 workers' locations via GPS (Global 
 Positioning System) as well as 
 provide maps and turn-by-turn 
 directions.  TeleNav is available 
 for [blah, blah, blah...] and J2ME 
 (Java 2, Micro Edition).

Hinkmond

Here's a video demonstration of how to use Hot Lava software to create and deploy mobile educational content for the BlackBerry as a Java ME app. Cool! Using Java ME tech to learn is very good utilization of the mobile platform found on most cell phones today.

See:

Mobile Learning using Hot Lava Software

Learning stuff while standing in line at the grocery store is a great idea. Beats playing Tetris... most of the time... ;-)

Hinkmond

Info2Cell has created Java ME technology-enabled services for cells phones in the Middle East and Africa to help celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, which has been going on since September 1 this year.

See:

Info2Cell takes advantage of Java ME in the Middle East

Here's a quote:

 Info2cell.com, the leading mobile 
 application service provider in the 
 Middle East, has announced that it 
 has launched a comprehensive range 
 of new services for its subscribers 
 to commemorate the holy month of 
 Ramadan.  The new services have been 
 active since September 1, 2008, and 
 are part of info2cell.com''s 
 strategy to constantly deliver fresh 
 and innovative services in the 
 Middle East and Africa, a multi-
 billion dollar market that is 
 expected to touch USD 107 billion 
 by 2013...

Hinkmond

While one end of the Googleplex campus in Mountain View, Calif. toils on the vapor-phone we know as Android, the other (more lucrative) end of the Googleplex effortlessly works on Google Mobile Maps written in... (wait for it)... Java ME technology for BlackBerry phones and billions of other Java ME technology-enabled phones.

Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. The right hand should have told the left hand to use 100% Java ME technology on Android for ubiquity (portable to many more phones than just the lonely yet-to-be-released HTC Dream) and easier to program with all the JSRs and functionality that enables Google Mobile Maps to work oh-so-well. Just ask the Google Mobile Maps team! Or watch this video...

See:

Google hearts Java ME technology

See, that little stick figure guy is loving it! Java ME technology (and Google Mobile Maps) gets you up and running (or back to biking) in no time. Sweet!

Hinkmond

Well here's a difference between being a Java ME technology developer versus an Apple iPhone developer: Seems that the Apple AppStore can c---block your app as judged by a group of controlling gatekeepers who think your mobile app "duplicates... [desktop] functionality".

See:

iPhone Developer of Podcaster gets c-blocked

Here's a quote:

 Apple Rep says: Since Podcaster 
 assists in the distribution of 
 podcasts, it duplicates the 
 functionality of the Podcast 
 section of iTunes.

 That's right folks, it duplicates 
 the functionality of the desktop 
 version of iTunes.  Therefore, 
 it was denied from sale in the 
 app store. 

Hinkmond

A lot of developers don't realize how fast you can get 3-D graphics to blaze on a cell phone using Java ME technology. The frames-per-second on some devices, like Sony Ericsson phones, are pretty impressive.

See:

Fast Frames-Per-Second with Java ME

When thinking of programming the next cool mobile 3-D app, think of programming it in Java ME technology if you want something fast and portable.

Hinkmond

There are security cameras everywhere these days--at all major street intersections, on the doors into public buildings, in line at the bank, in the dressing room at Victoria's Secret... Oh, wait. Maybe not that last one.

Anyway, Digitus has come out with its ginormous new line of security cameras that transmit 420 lines of resolution in real time to your Java ME technology-enabled cell phone.

See:

See everything, I mean everything with Java ME

Here's a quote:

 DIGITUS has been offering its 
 customers the next generation 
 of IP since this year’s summer. 
 The MPEG4 or MJPEG image data 
 are transmitted in real time 
 with a resolution of 738 x 480 
 pixels (420 TV lines), equipped 
 with movement detection and 
 alarm messaging.  Cell 
 telephone surveillance via a 
 J2ME enabled cell telephone is 
 also supported...

Hinkmond

Yeah, it's just crazy keeping your ADHD-induced facebook/myspace/flickr/twitter/youtube/bebo/photobucket Web page updated with your latest photos, videos, and other content. It's nice that there's Java ME tech on your cell phone to ease the pain, with the NewBay LifeCache Social Networking Gateway.

See:

NewBay LifeCache Social Networking: the Java ME way

Here's a quote:

 The NewBay LifeCache Social 
 Networking Gateway enables 
 carriers to selectively 
 integrate with multiple social 
 networking sites through the 
 client...

 NewBay LifeCache Social 
 Networking Client is available 
 over-the-air or pre-embedded 
 on a range of handsets.  It 
 supports J2ME, and [blah-blah-blah,
 yadda-yadda-yadda] platforms.

Hinkmond

Here's a benchmark comparison of different Java ME VMs out there in open source by the BugLabs blogger, Kevin Schultz. In his comparison, you can see how the phoneME VM really kicks the patootie out of the competition.

See:

phoneME by far the best Java ME VM

Here's a quote:

 PhoneME really came into its own 
 now that JIT can be enabled... It 
 will be great to pass on serious 
 speed improvements to our users.

Hinkmond