Microsoft has come up with a bright new concept: Use Java ME to unify to one programming platform for all the disparate cell phones out there. Duh. Now, why didn't we think of that at Sun Microsystems? Oh, wait... we did.

See:

Microsoft Java ME OneApp

Here's a quote:

 OneApp is a (small 150k) Java 
 application which can run on 
 any compatible Java phone...

Hinkmond

Java ME technology never gets the fame it deserves for doing what it does best: Fighting Nazis behind enemy lines during WWII??? No, silly, for being a tough little programming platform for cell phones. But when Sonim built it's military-grade XP3 Quest rugged cell phone, it chose to put Java ME tech into it naturally, for all the spec ops missions you might have to go on behind enemy lines.

See:

Take this phone into battle with you

Here's a quote:

 The phone has a shock-resistant 
 screen and meets the military-
 level MIL-810F certification 
 for resistance to humidity, 
 salt, shock and heat. It is 
 equipped with a 2MB camera with 
 built-in flash, assisted GPS, a 
 torch light, an FM radio, a 2GB 
 memory slot, J2ME Java for 
 mobile, an Opera Mini WAP 
 browser and Bluetooth. 

Hinkmond

Here's a recent article on how GlobalFun is not going to run their Java ME development into a ditch anytime soon. They know that Java ME titles continue to sell big around the world. Earlier this week they signed an exclusive deal to write Java ME games based on Turner Broadcasting's brands.

See:

Not ditching Java ME

Here's a quote:

 "From a volume perspective there 
 are still a lot of new handsets 
 being produced and shipped where 
 J2ME is the main platform for 
 games. We believe that there is 
 a great deal of business to be 
 made on the J2ME platform for 
 several years to come."

Hinkmond

Researchers at UC Berkley have taken a Java ME tech-enabled cell phone and created a mini bio lab out of it. They strapped on a microscope to the phone's 3.2 megapixel camera and used Java software to analyze samples of blood and sputum to determine in real-time, lab results that would have taken much longer to process when sent back to a fixed lab.

See:

Mobile device: CellScope fast analysis

Here's a quote:

 ...the CellScope—a mobile 
 phone fitted with a 
 microscope and a built in 
 image analyser. It can be 
 used to field test blood 
 and sputum samples; the 
 magnified images with the 
 parasite count can be sent 
 to doctors in any part of 
 the globe through the 
 phone. 

 The software used for 
 image analysis is written 
 in java and can be used 
 on any operating system
 ...

Hinkmond

The Apply Your Ideas mobile app writing contest being held by Verizon reminds me of Henry Ford's old adage, "You can have any color you want as long as it's black." It appears that even though Verizon encourages "Java, BREW, Android, Windows Mobile and other" developers, you must write an app that runs on the BlackBerry Storm (available through Verizon, natch) in order to enter their contest.

See:

Enter the contest with Java ME

Here's a quote:

 All submitted applications 
 must run on a BlackBerry 
 device, though they can 
 also run on other mobile 
 operating systems. 
 Specifically, all Apply 
 Your Ideas apps must be 
 BlackBerry Storm 
 compatible...

Hinkmond

Yeah, Fox Soccer Channel knows what's what. No p*ssing around with money-losing iPhone and Android app development. They choose to reach the most mobile customers and gain the most money by choosing to release their FoxSoccer.com Mobile Match Tracker mobile application as a Java ME application. Yeah, that's right: Java ME application.

See:

FoxSoccer.com Mobile releases Java ME app

Here's a quote:

 FSC also developed a Java app 
 for mobile phones called 
 FoxSoccer.com Mobile Match 
 Tracker. It’s as you’d expect: 
 a handy mobile app for AT&T 
 and Sprint phones provided 
 they support Java...

Hinkmond

Here's something fun for your Java ME tech-enabled cell phone: Earthworm Jim. It's a game that's been around for years, but now Gameloft and Interplay re-introduce it for a variety of platforms including Java ME mobile phones.

See:

Earthworm Jim worming into your phone

Here's a quote:

 Earthworm Jim, a popular run 
 and gun platform video game 
 featuring an earthworm who 
 dresses up in a Super Suit 
 to fight evil. The game will 
 make its way to mobile...

Hinkmond

Banks are starting to explore the use of USSD which is the Unstructured Supplementary Services Data protocol that will enable a faster way to have your Java ME tech-enabled cell phone talk to your bank services. What could your cell phone possibly want to say to your bank account? Ooh, I don't know... Maybe something like: "Give me MORE MONEY!" :-)

See:

Java ME talks to banks

Here's a quote:

 USSD applications can be 
 implemented using a wide 
 variety of mobile application 
 platforms such as J2ME, WAP, 
 SIM Toolkit, CAMAL, or 
 simply using USSD commands.

 More secure than standard SMS 
 messages since USSD 
 interactions can be stored 
 locally within a secured SIM 
 application, or on the server 
 side.  

Hinkmond

Here are two INQ Mobile cell phones that aren't exactly genius phones (not the brightest bulbs in the pack), but they can do one thing well (utilizing Java ME technology): TWITTER!

See:

Smartphone-Lite Phones

Here's a quote:

 INQ, which is owned by Hong Kong's 
 Hutchison Whampoa, launched its 
 first low-cost, "smartphone-lite" 
 device earlier this year.  And now 
 the company is expanding its 
 portfolio with two new devices, 
 one of which has a full QWERTY 
 keypad.

Hinkmond

July was Cell Phone Courtesy Month, you know, 31 days of not yelling into your cell phone while you were walking down the sidewalk, of not letting your "Get Your Freak On" ringtone go on and on before picking up the call, of not talking on your iPhone while you pee... (That last one's gross) :-P

See:

Cell Phone Courtesy: It's Over

Here's a quote:

 To the 270 million Americans 
 who use a cell phone, this 
 month is for you. July has 
 been named National Cell 
 Phone Courtesy Month.

Hinkmond

If you thought you saw fonts rendered quickly on Java ME mobile devices before, you ain't seen nothin' until you see the BOLT Mobile Browser on Java ME. Rrwoof! Rwow-rwee, Rhaggy! Rhat's rast!

See:

BOLT Mobile Browser: fast font rendering

Here's a quote:

 Many of our readers who are 
 BlackBerry and J2ME cell 
 phone users have enjoyed 
 the BOLT mobile browser...
 BOLT rendered the images 
 like a computer and because 
 BOLT is powered by the 
 Bitstream people who really 
 know their fonts, the fonts 
 appeared quickly and 
 clearly

Hinkmond

Here's some info on how to develop a Java ME game or app for free to upload and sell on the Sony Ericsson PlayNow Arena site. You get a 70% cut.

See:

Develop for Sony Ericsson PlayNow

Here's a quote:

 Sony Ericsson announced its PlayNow 
 arena application submission site 
 is now open to all Java ME and 
 Symbian OS developers. Programmers 
 may submit apps for PlayNow arena 
 as well as the handset maker's 
 existing Fun & Downloads service
 ...there is no charge for 
 developers to submit their apps, 
 and no annual fees.

Hinkmond

The Amazon Kindle has spurred huge growth in the e-book market. Lots of people get Kindle-envy watching other people whip out their sleek devices and immerse themselves in an e-book, any time and anywhere, like at the airport or in a waiting room. So, instead of the Java ME-based Kindle, they go online and buy a Java ME-based e-reader app for their smartphone. Win-win.

See:

Java ME and e-books = Good Match

Here's a quote:

 "I never really wanted something 
 that was a single-function device. 
 I just couldn't see spending ... 
 $300 for a device where I'm sort 
 of locked in to one retailer. 
 Whereas my phone, that does 
 everything."

 Forrester Research analyst Sarah 
 Rotman Epps said that while the 
 Kindle has sparked interest in 
 e-books, downloads of e-reading 
 applications for smart phones 
 have far outnumbered the Kindles 
 sold.

Hinkmond

Here's an article about the latest Mobile version of Google Maps, version 3.2. Notice how Google caters to the big platforms for Mobile: BlackBerry, Java ME, Symbian, and Windows Mobile. And, as should be, Android is last in line when Google thinks about how it can monetize their Mobile Apps, such as Google Maps Mobile. The sheer volume of deployments for each platform means that proper prioritization puts Android last.

See:

Google likes Android last

Here's a quote:

 The latest version doesn't offer
 major changes, but it is expected 
 to improve playback and add 
 functions.

 While these operating systems are 
 rivals to the Google-backed Android 
 OS, the search giant benefits nearly 
 any time consumers go online with 
 handsets. Google has multiple 
 apps for BlackBerry, Java ME, 
 Symbian, and Windows Mobile, and 
 it sometimes will bring new features 
 like voice-driven search to the 
 iPhone before it hits Android. 

Hinkmond

Ah, how sweet. As every engineer worth their salt knows, there comes a time in the product lifecycle of a high tech gadget known as the "Trough of Disillusionment", where public opinion comes crashing down on a once high and lofty cool gizmo.

See:

iPhone hits trough of disillusionment

Here's a quote:

 The rejection of Google Voice, 
 potentially a killer app for 
 smartphones, should prove that 
 Apple doesn't care about its 
 customers.

 The App Store approval process 
 seems capricious and arbitrary. 
 Spend time and money to develop 
 an application only to have it 
 denied for reasons nobody can 
 quite articulate in advance. 

Hinkmond