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Java ME (J2ME) Notes
Analog Devices Selects Kada Systems to Implement Java ME (J2ME) on its New Blackfin Car Telematics Platform
Kada Systems, a leading independent provider of certified Java™ 2 Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME (J2ME)™) software deployment solutions for mobile solution providers, today announced that Analog Devices, Inc., a leader in semiconductors for signal processing applications, has selected Kada to implement Java "Java Powered" Java ME (J2ME) solution supporting CLDC 1.1/MIDP 2.0 for use in its newly-announced Blackfin(R) Car Telematics Platform. A comprehensive and open solution based on the company's Blackfin Processor, ADI's Blackfin Car Telematics Platform enables cost reductions of at least 50 percent over current car telematics system implementations. Adding Java to ADI's Blackfin Car Telematics Platform ensures that applications developed for the platform will run across multiple vehicle models.
Java ME (J2ME) CDC for PocketPC ARM lobby
The Java ME (J2ME) CDC for PocketPC ARM lobbying is failing. The number of posts on the CDC mailing list, as asked by a Sun manager for lobbying efforts has been isolated to a handful of people. I for one usually see things going the way they should in the Java community efforts, but for this one I have to mention something. This is the quote from Hinkmond Wong of Sun on the list: "It just takes time and effort to do it right. We don't have the resources at Sun to do it correctly right now, because the demand does not justify the cost involved and we have other higher return projects that demand the limited resources we have in-house. But, anyone and everyone is free to do exactly what we did and port Java ME (J2ME) Personal Profile to ARM/Pocket PC under community licensing (when you distribute it commericially, there is a royalty that is paid to Sun for the compatibility testing) and then sell it to all the people asking for it.
Chinese mobile operator hedges bets with Java
China Unicom plans to distribute mobile phone downloads using a version of Java, a deal that could influence how other carriers sell games, ring tones or business applications. In the past, the Chinese company has used Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) software to deliver over-the-air downloads to subscribers. As a major carrier, it has been one of the largest feathers in the cap of BREW creator and licenser Qualcomm. But on Monday, China Unicom - which uses CDMA as opposed to the more popular GSM mobile standard - said it plans to end that exclusive arrangement and start selling downloads that use a version of Sun Microsystems' rival Java software language for mobile phones, Java2 Micro Edition (Java ME (J2ME)). The wireless carrier licensed the Java ME (J2ME) technology from Motorola division 4thPass. The deal is an example of how carriers who once relied on BREW exclusively to sell games, ring tones and other downloads are adding Java ME (J2ME) into the mix, according to Mazin Ramadan, CEO of 4th Pass. While BREW-based downloads are considered by the wireless industry to be of a higher quality than those based on Sun's technology, it's estimated that Java ME (J2ME) developers outnumber BREW developers by at least 5-to-1. As a result, there are many more Java ME (J2ME)-based games available for wireless companies to sell. "It doesn't make sense to ignore Java ME (J2ME)," Ramadan said.
Wireless gaming market to generate US$41.3 billion in revenue in 2007
The global market for wireless gaming services will grow from US$561 million in 2002 to US$41.3 billion in 2007 according to the new report from The Research Room - Wireless Gaming: Strategies for Profit. The majority of this revenue will be driven from Java and BREW downloadable games and the additional traffic that the networked and multiplayer games generate on the mobile data networks. Wireless gaming will do more than just move gaming into the wireless world - it will create whole new markets for cross-platform, online multiplayer and networked games - and will provide the games publishers and developers with some instantaneous feedback on the success or failure of their games, along with a potential ongoing revenue stream from sales beyond the initial purchase of the game.
Third largest network operator in world to deploy Java Technology-Based Services Over CDMA2000 1X Network
Motorola (NYSE: MOT) today announced that China Unicom, the third largest network operator in the world, has selected Motorola's Java™ technology-based download platform to deliver mobile content to its millions of subscribers in China. Using Motorola's end-to-end wireless data solutions, the mobile operator will build upon the CDMA2000 1X infrastructure provided by Motorola last year and deploy MAS™, an intelligent provisioning technology from 4thpass, a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola.
Rococo Software And Aplix Announce New Java/Bluetooth Solution
Rococo Software and Aplix Corporation, announced a collaboration to integrate Rococo's standards-based Java/Bluetooth technology with the Aplix JBlend platform. This alliance will enable mobile phone manufacturers to implement a single, integrated solution for Java/Bluetooth technology support in Aplix's market-leading JBlend Java virtual machine (JVM) environment. The companies will work together to market, sell and promote the joint solution worldwide. The JBlend platform is the de facto solution for running Java applications and services in mobile phones. It includes a high-performance, small-footprint JVM environment for a variety of configurations (CLDC, CDC) and profiles/extensions (MIDP, i-mode DoJa, Sprint and others); and all the porting tools and test suites needed to Java-enable a full line of consumer products. JBlend has been implemented in more than 20 million handsets worldwide.
SAP, Sharp to build Java ME (J2ME) applications that deliver real-time data across corporate networks
Enterprise software company SAP AG and Japanese electronics giant Sharp have teamed up in order to build applications that deliver real-time data across corporate networks to smaller mobile devices. The applications will be designed using open source operating system Linux and Java-based programming protocols, in an expansion of the companies' support for non-Windows-based software and vendors. The deal marks yet another company embracing open-source operating systems in the development of enterprise-focused applications. Mobile phone and electronics giant Motorola recently threw its weight behind Linux-based mobile device and software development. The support of major companies like SAP, Sharp and Motorola gives the Linux-based mobile operating system a boost at a time when it is increasingly seen as a threat to Microsoft's proprietary Windows CE mobile device operating system, as well as alternatives offered by VxWorks and Palm
Hey Apple, Got Java ME (J2ME)?
Though Apple has done a first rate job building in Java desktop and Web development support (J2SE and JEE developers rejoice!), their Java ME (J2ME) development solutions are zip, zilch, rien. Given the high priority Apple has assigned to enabling a new kind of productivity application via their iLife vision and iApps, one would think that supporting wireless software development would be a high priority in Cupertino. And given that Apple also supports basic data synchronization with many Java ME (J2ME) enabled devices via iSync (example: the latest rev supports, among other things, Bluetooth synchronization with my Nokia 3650), one might get downright giddy with anticipation of the fantastic Java ME (J2ME) development options that must surely be on offer for OS X. Unfortunately, one would be very disappointed. As best I can tell, Apple doesn't currently offer any Java ME (J2ME) development tools.
GPRS and Java Coming Good
Europe: The number of customers actively using multimedia messaging services (MMS), Java games and GPRS services continued to accelerate over the last two months mmO2 revealed today. Growth in new mobile data services and plans to deliver significant customer benefits through enhanced market segmentation were detailed by mmO2 at a presentation today to city analysts and the media. mmO2 almost doubled the number of MMS active users to more than 180,000 and saw the number of Java games purchased to date increase from 278,000 to more than half a million since its last reported figures at the end of March 2003.
Java for Palm OS Devices
While we've been able to build and deploy Java applications for Palm OS since the early KVM days, the Java ME (J2ME) runtime itself has always been a separate Palm executable (PRC) that you needed to install first before you could use your Java ME (J2ME) apps. While this is no problem for geeks like me, it fails my "Mother Test" (whereby I measure the simplicity and usefulness of new tech by how intuitive it is or isn't to my intelligent, but non-technical, mother). And so we've waited, and waited, and waited for Palm to see the light and include a Java ME (J2ME) runtime built-in to their shipping environment. Things are about to change for the better: Palm and IBM recently announced that Palm Tungsten devices will soon ship with an integrated Java ME (J2ME) runtime. With these devices, you won't have to go through the one time installation of the Java ME (J2ME) MIDP runtime: Java ME (J2ME) apps will soon be first class citizens on many Palm devices. And given their expected ship dates later this year, one would assume (IBM, correct me if I'm wrong here) that this runtime will be MIDP 2.0, bringing the latest and greatest Java device APIs to Palm Tungstens everywhere.
Java-Enabling Module for NEC Handsets
Japan : Access announced that its Compact NetFrontTM Plus micro-browser and JV-LiteTM 2 Wireless Edition, a Java-enabling module for mobile phones, have been deployed in NEC's latest handset. The N341i is compatible with the GPRS-based Spanish i-mode service 'MoviStar e-mocion' which , launched on June 26, 2003. About JV-Lite2 JV-Lite 2 is a Java virtual machine designed for embedded applications. It was developed from JV-Lite, a highly successful proprietary implementation of clean-room Java that has been licensed to over 14 OEMs and shipped over two million copies. JV-Lite 2 is a Sun-authorized Java module that guarantees 100% compatibility with Embedded Java, Personal Java and Java ME (J2ME) (Java 2 Micro Edition). It runs on real-time operating systems like Linux, VxWorks and ITRON, and has been optimized to realize the advantages that Java offers for application development, debugging and portability, even in systems with limited memory resources and CPU power. JV-Lite 2 also includes WAVE (Windows-based Abstract Virtual Environment), ACCESS' simple window manager, for easy porting to various types of hardware platforms.
Interview: Java apps revolve around Sun
From Project Relator to an internal program called JavaFirst, Sun believes it's time developers started treating mobile devices like real computers. Mark Jones, InfoWorld's executive news editor, spoke with Sun's Rich Green, vice president of developer tools, and Jeff Anders, group marketing manager, at June's JavaOne show. InfoWorld: Applications built around services-oriented architectures are typically done in JEE environments. In that context, how will Java ME (J2ME) applications evolve on mobile devices?
Sprint and Sony Music Entertainment Announce Broad Strategic Partnership To Distribute Mobile Entertainment Content
Sprint and Sony Music Entertainment (SME) have signed an agreement that will move wireless entertainment to the next level. Sprint (NYSE: FON, PCS), which operates the largest all-digital, all-PCS nationwide network and SME, one of the world's leading music companies, will soon offer a wide variety of downloadable ringers created by the Sony Music Mobile Products Group, including animated polyphonic tones, actual clips from songs and specialized sound and voice recordings, available to PCS Vision(SM) customers nationwide. Sprint currently offers several hundred polyphonic ringers in categories that include urban, rock, pop, country, TV/movie themes, animated ringers and voice ringers in both English and Spanish. The new agreement with SME expands this catalog with differentiated content, available on select Java-enabled PCS Vision Phones, that includes:
Sharp Develops Wireless Handset Featuring Nazomi's Hardware Acceleration Technology for Java Software: Provides Consumers an Enhanced Experience for Rich Multimedia Applications
Nazomi Communications, Inc. today announced a significant technology integration milestone that results in a new era of wireless handsets manufactured by Sharp Corporation. Nazomi's JSTAR coprocessor technology for the Java platform has been incorporated into Sharp's Spring Model 2003 wireless camera phones that provide users with increased handset performance while at the same time providing greater application performance. The wireless camera phone, now shipping throughout Japan, has unique value-added capabilities as the Java software processing function has been migrated to Java hardware processing. Sharp accomplished this by working with Nazomi to integrate Nazomi's JSTAR coprocessor into its wireless handset. This technology brings users optimal functionality of Java applications that are run by the handset.
Will Americans learn to love smart cards?
Although these so-called smart cards--and their less technology-laden brethren, chip cards--have been relatively well-received overseas, the reception in the United States remains frosty. But efforts under way in the United States to better protect its borders and increase company security may finally give the smart card its day. Stephen Humphreys, CEO of identity-management software maker ActivCard, already has deals to launch as many as 50 million cards over the next 10 years, with about 80 percent going to government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Secret Service.
Sun Makes Push for Java on Cell Phones: Buys wireless software server company Pixo Inc.
Sun Microsystems Inc. on Thursday will announce plans to buy wireless software server company Pixo Inc. in an all-cash transaction that is due to close on July 1, according to officials at the Santa Clara, Calif., company. Pixo, of San Jose, Calif., makes software that helps service providers manage the billing and delivery of Java applications to wireless devices. Officials at Sun said that the move will help to increase the adoption of its Java programming language on cell phones.
Upwardly Mobile Java
Call it a paradigm shift if you want. by whatever name, in information technology, it's a seismic event when the epicenter of innovation shifts from one platform to another. It's happened before as data centers gave way to desktops, and it could be happening again as the PC, in turn, gives way to the wireless handset. The desktop PC is at a mature stage in its evolution. Although an essential piece of any IT environment, there's not much new raw material that application developers can use to create new capability. The wireless handset, though, is on the verge of achieving a combination of processing power, persistent connectivity, Ubiquitous presence and proven transaction infrastructure that can transform people's lives. Java could amplify the emergence of this new platform. Sun Microsystems, the originator and custodian of Java, would certainly like it to be so. But there's plenty that Sun needs to do before this dream can be realized.
O2 Takes Java Apps
Pinpoint Networks announced the market launch of Java ME (J2ME) application delivery services on their Fuel platform with mobile operator, O2. “With Java’s growing popularity, rich graphical user interface and large developer base, we are excited to provide our Revolution subscribers with the best possible mobile data services currently available,” said Richard Sedgwick, business manager, O2. “Pinpoint’s sophisticated Fuel platform helps us efficiently manage a consistent mobile data experience across our growing portfolio of handsets, and quickly and easily add Java ME (J2ME) content to the Revolution service.” The innovative features and excitement that Java brings to the mobile industry also add complexities to launching Java services. As cited by the GSM Association, fragmentation in the mobile handset market makes it difficult for any operator to depend on specific handset features or to standardize their Java ME (J2ME) deployment strategy. Additionally, the Gartner Group reports that through 2006, 75 percent of Java ME (J2ME) applications will be specific to a single device profile. Fuel helps solve this problem of device fragmentation through proprietary Application Profiling and Device Fingerprinting technologies. These technologies optimize the application delivery process and deliver content unique to the capabilities of each subscriber’s device. The Gartner Group also reports that through 2006, more than 70 percent of mobile phones will have support for Java ME (J2ME).
James Gosling's "Java is Everywhere" cartoon
Goofy "Java is Everywhere" cartoon that was shown during James Gosling's keynote at JavaOne. Shows some of the places beyond PCs where you can find Java. 
Java, Java everywhere
Mobile desktops, wireless carriers, app servers -- is there anywhere Java isn't? Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president of software at Sun Microsystems, wears the satisfied smile of a politician who's so sure he'll be elected that he's already bought a house close to the capitol. In his view, the tally is a formality. Schwartz seemed ready to repaint the JavaOne banner outside the recent show at San Francisco's Moscone Center to read "Java Won." What did Java win? For one thing, it won Sun, which is now perfectly content to be known as The Java Company. Java phones, Java desktops, Java servers, Java chips, Java tools. Java, Java, Java. Java won Sun a seat at the table with some impressive company: Motorola, Intel, Texas Instruments, Siemens, Samsung, Nokia, Oracle, and SAP among them. Hewlett-Packard and Dell inked a deal to install Sun brand Java on all of their Windows PCs. They must have seen some handwriting on the wall, because moving in advance of the judge's ruling (Sun won, the judge is set to rule on Microsoft's appeal) might sour cozy relations with its No. 1 partner. Java (also) won a big one by default. A year ago, .Net had acquired so much momentum, it looked like Microsoft could put Sun's lights out at will. Then Microsoft did something I still can't fathom. It nuked the .Net brand, which vanished from Smartphones, PDAs, set-top boxes, clients and servers. Without .Net, what can Microsoft use to present its software as a unified, integrated offering?
Systronix JStik Real-Time Native Java Network Module Now in Full Production
Systronix(R), innovator of embedded Java systems such as JStamp(R), announces that its JStik™ Real-Time Native Java™ Network Module is in full production and ready to ship. Systronix's JStik Real-Time Native Java Network module will result in tremendous cost and time savings compared with competitive solutions such as embedded PCs and proprietary single board computers. Systronix's JStik is priced hundreds of dollars less than competitive network modules. The Java Virtual Machine and Real-Time Operating System embedded in JStik's silicon provide faster, more reliable operation while consuming a fraction of the power and memory of conventional approaches. JStik combines Java ME (J2ME)/CLDC Java support with the speed of native execution.
Lycos launch opens up mobile content market
Lycos this week became the first media owner to announce the commercial launch of a new Java mobile content portal model. The Java application gives media owners and brands the ability to go head to head with operator-owned portals like Vodafone Live! by establishing a permanent alternative branded portal on consumers' handsets.
helloNetwork, Zingy to Enable Wireless Customers to Send Personal Video to Their Mobile Phones
helloNetwork, the globally recognized leading developer of Java™-based streaming media technology, and Zingy, the largest provider of mobile ringtones in North America, have entered into a partnership agreement under which they will offer the country's first personalized video content service for wireless customers. Starting this summer, Zingy is planning to launch a subscription-based service that gives its nearly two million registered users the opportunity to upload their own video clips to zingy.com and then send those clips to their Java-enabled mobile phones.
Java Serendipity
When Sun first launched its Java software in San Francisco eight years ago, chief technology officer Eric Schmidt excitedly showed me how a scrolling stock ticker could run on a PC. Whoop-de-do. It was the first of many instances when Java's reality seemed to be failing to live up to its promise, which was even then already being hyped. But last Friday I spoke by phone with Sun's current software boss, Jonathan Schwartz, who made me think that we might finally be entering a new era of exciting Java-based technology. Schwartz says Java is poised to solve the problem of delivering digital content securely. This—a challenge that has bedeviled the music and movie industries, among others—is no minor matter. And such a route is not one that most of us expected Java to take. Of course it has already transformed the way enterprise software is written and operates, but that's a less compelling story, so now that I've mentioned it let's move on. The big news out of Java One was that both Hewlett-Packard and Dell announced they would start shipping the latest version of Java on all their PCs this fall.....Sun has succeeded in bypassing Microsoft's obstinacy partly because of the stunning success it has had with Java on cellphones. About 100 million phones worldwide now contain Java. Schwartz claims that the number of Java-equipped cellphones sold this year will exceed the world's total sales of PCs. "To outship PCs is a vision we articulated five years ago," says Schwartz contentedly, "and we're there." Think of it this way: the most popular personal computing environment, so to speak, has become something other than the PC. Now Dell and HP have pragmatically decided not to let their machines miss out on whatever software gets developed and sold on cellphones. Schwartz predicts that the rest of the PC industry will soon follow its two leaders, and Java will be on all PCs. "This," exults Schwartz, "opens up the platform for us to develop a secure PC platform for the delivery of digital content." Explains Schwartz: "There are four things every person in the civilized world increasingly carries with them—keys, money, a pen, and your phone." If you've always got your phone with you, you will likely have a Java SIM as well. Schwartz claims that PC companies will next start routinely including readers for Java smartcards in their machines. One of Dell's hottest laptops already includes a smartcard reader. Says Schwartz: "The inclusion of a smartcard reader effectively opens up the PC to be a secure platform for the delivery of digital rights to multimedia content—music, video, games, news, you name it." I don't know if this entire approach will work, but I know it's a new idea.
PalmSource and IBM to Advance Web Services Applications for Palm Powered Devices
PalmSource Inc., provider of the popular operating system for handheld and smartphone devices and the Palm OS(R) subsidiary of Palm Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM), today announced it will collaborate with IBM to advance the development of next-generation Web Services applications for Palm Powered™ devices. PalmSource and IBM are working together to provide the more than 270,000 registered Palm OS software developers with advanced tools to create powerful networked software programs that run on Palm Powered devices and enterprise servers, connected via wireless networks. This relationship complements a recent announcement between Palm Inc. and IBM that provides a Java powered embedded runtime for the Palm™ Tungsten™ devices via IBM's WebSphere Micro Environment.
Low-footprint software platform adds Java capability
If you want to run Java on limited resources, such as on a Smart Card, the only realistic choice so far has been the reduced subset of Java for the card environment. Now, OneEighty Software has introduced Origin-J, a JVM (Java virtual machine) that runs within restricted resources. You can run the JVM within the resources typical of a card. It is a "clean-room" JVM with a typical core code of 40 kbytes, depending on processor, application, and peripheral set. Because it supports multithreading and garbage collection, it can run threaded applications and any J2SE-compliant code. The major restriction is that, because the implementation targets embedded applications, it does not implement Java graphics libraries.
Motorola Announces Winners of CodeMeMoto Developer Contest at JavaOne
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) recently announced the winners of its CodeMeMoto developer contest at a reception during the 2003 JavaOne Developer Conference in San Francisco. Prizes were awarded in two categories: games/entertainment and business/productivity. In each of the two categories the first place winners received $20,000; the second place winners received $10,000, and the third place winners received $5,000. The contest was sponsored by the Motorola MotoCoder(SM) and iDEN(R) developer programs. Nick Capone of Animobile walked away with the first prize in the games and entertainment category for his game, Fatal Error. This is an action game in which players try to save the planet from "war machines" originally designed to protect the earth, which have now malfunctioned and seek to enslave mankind. Televigation won the first prize in the business and productivity category for TeleNavTrack, a GPS-enabled tracking service that includes an electronic timecard so field workers can enter their work hours electronically, job dispatching so new job orders can be sent directly to field workers' mobile phones, and a turn-by-turn navigation feature.
Cell phone makers rally around Java
Top cell phone makers are converging on a more common implementation of Java in handsets. An emerging standard software profile, powered by first-ever hardware acceleration using ARM Ltd.'s Jazelle instruction-set extensions, is fast marching to market, said several OEMs at the JavaOne conference last week. There's little doubt Java has become the default application environment for next-generation phones. About 94 million Java phones from 22 OEMs have shipped to date, said Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president of Sun Microsystems Inc.'s software group. "We will outstrip the PC industry. We have volume coming out of our ears," Schwartz said. But to date those phones have been plagued by incompatible implementations. "There are some 170 makes of [Java] handsets but every one has to be modeled differently because media acts differently on each one," said a manager from one company that distributes Java ring tones. The fix has come in two parts. MIDP 2.0, now available, provides a better baseline of Java APIs, and the so-called Java Specification Request (JSR) 185 defines a superset of Java APIs, including MIDP 2.0, with many of the options removed. JSR 185 could be ratified before the end of June.
How to get a 3G handset for nothing
Those readers suffering from deep feelings of social inadequacy as they watch their affluent friends sending full-colour polyphonic video clips or 3D Java-enabled text messages from their 3G handsets might be interested in the following guide to obtaining any mobile phone for nothing.
Java here, there and everywhere
Compatibility, mobility and ubiquity were the central themes at Sun Microsystems' JavaOne conference in San Francisco this week. Among its many initiatives, the vendor unveiled a portal for Java developers called java.net, a news website at www.java.com, and a new logo. "Java is getting a new look," said Jonathan Schwarz, executive vice president of the Software Group at Sun. "We aim to simplify the process of building content and to drive it out into the world." News that Hewlett Packard and Dell plan to ship the latest Java Runtime Environment on their PCs later this year was another boost for Java, especially in light of Sun's ongoing battle with Microsoft over its handling of Java software in Windows XP. Ease of development was a major theme at the event, with Sun improving the uniformity between Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) for the desktop, Enterprise Edition (JEE) for servers, Micro Edition for hand-helds and Java Card for ID tags and smartcards.
Sun Microsystems Unveils java.net, the Ultimate Destination for Developers and Focal Point for Open Source Collaboration
Sun Microsystems, Inc. today unveiled java.net(SM) (http://www.java.net), a new community and Web site created to facilitate Java™ technology collaboration in applied areas of technology and vertical industry solutions.
iTRAKjava Personal Tracking Device Introduced
A simple, cost-efficient, personal safety device has been introduced by Data Burst Technologies, which allows someone to track a single vehicle, small fleet or an individual on foot using GPS technology.
Sun eyes mobile Java app future
Sun Microsystems has revealed plans to further develop component-based applications for wireless devices. As the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company continues to beat its "Java everywhere" drum here at JavaOne, executives report that an internal project known as JavaFirst is examining how to make rich applications interact with services available on JEE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) back ends.
The next step: Java Everywhere
Jonathan Schwartz, the executive vice president of software for Sun Microsystems, showed off a new Java logo and "Java Powered" branding campaign at JavaOne. A new $500 million campaign will attempt to unify all Java platforms, from JEE in the enterprise, to J2SE on desktops, to Java ME (J2ME) on smartcards, cellphones, and handhelds. The new brand and logo and "Java everywhere" campaign will also create brand-awareness among consumers (and not just tech-savvy people), many of whom already associate "java" with cool cellphones applications and games. Kudos to Sun, IBM, and everyone else for such a visionary undertaking! We strongly believe this next evolutionary step for the platform firmly and emphatically seals its success for many years to come. Click the image below to see the new java.com page, and learn how Java is Everywhere, from cars, to smartcards, to cellphones, to Mars!
Java Everywhere
Nokia adds MIDP 2.0 to Series 60
Nokia has announced the addition of MIDP 2.0 support to the Series 60 software platform, enabling manufacturers to incorporate the latest version of the mobile Java specification. Series 60, which runs on top of the Symbian OS, has been licensed by Samsung, Matsushita, Sendo and Siemens, in addition to its use in the Nokia 7650, 3650 and N-Gage.
Sun preps $500m Java brand push
Sun is to lead a $500 million marketing campaign aimed at making Java, its programming technology, one of the world's best-known technology brands. Similar to the successful "Intel Inside" program which helped everyone -- from techies to consumers -- realise that Intel semiconductors were the brains inside their PCs, the "Java Powered" campaign will see Sun and its partners branding PCs, phones, and a host of other devices with a new Java logo. Sun Microsystems Executive Vice President for Software Jonathan Schwartz told reporters over the weekend that Sun will commit half its entire advertising spend to the campaign, and along with partner spending the overall campaign value is expected to top $500 million. More details of the campaign are expected on Monday and during Schwartz's own keynote address to the conference on Tuesday.
Sun, Intel partner to attract device makers to Java VM
Sun Microsystems Inc. today announced a new partnership with chip maker Intel Corp. as well as new plans to sell wireless application services to businesses, all parts of an effort to continue the expansion of the company’s Java 2 Micro Edition technology in wireless. The news also comes in conjunction with Sun’s annual JavaOne developer’s conference in San Francisco. Wireless will play a major role during this year’s conference, with the number of mobile phones shipping Sun’s Java ME (J2ME) technology hitting about 100 million by the end of this month.
Handango Offers Largest Java(TM) Software Catalog for Mobile Devices
Today at JavaOne in San Francisco, Handango, the leading publisher and platform for mobile software, announced it has amassed the industry's largest catalog of Java ME (J2ME) (Java 2 Micro Edition -- the version of Java for mobile devices) software, according to an independent source. With more than 1,700 Java ME (J2ME) software titles delivered through major portals, mobile operators, phone manufacturers and developers, Handango has become the leading provider of Java ME (J2ME) applications.
Pervasive Computing in the Palm of Your Hand
IBM plans to show off its commitment to Java-based pervasive computing at this week's JavaOne Conference in San Francisco by unveiling Palm as well as two other leading device manufacturers as its newest partners for the Websphere Micro Environment (WME), a Java-powered embedded runtime environment. On Tuesday, IBM plans to announce that Palm and QNX Software Systems, a telematics that developed the Neutrino operating platform, will integrate IBM's WME middleware with enterprise applications. In addition, Nokia will integrate IBM's Websphere tools for developers to create enterprise applications can be extended to its handsets.
Nokia Adds Java(TM) Applications to Americas' Software Market Powered by Handango
Nokia, the global leader in mobility, and Handango, the leading publisher and platform for mobile software, today announced the expansion of Nokia's consumer applications portal to include Java applications. Nokia's Americas' Software Market (http://americas.softwaremarket.com), which Handango manages for Nokia, will now offer Java applications designed to run on various Nokia mobile handsets.
IBM Teams Up With Palm, Nokia For Mobile Java
At JavaOne this week, IBM will unveil new partnerships with Palm Solutions Group and Nokia aimed at spreading the use of Java on mobile devices in the enterprise, the companies said. The partnerships will enable solution providers to more easily build Java applications for a range of wireless devices, according to IBM, Somers, N.Y. IBM and Palm, Milpitas, Calif., will unveil plans for Palm to integrate and ship IBM WebSphere Micro Environment, a wireless Java application development platform, with its Palm Tungsten handheld devices.
Sun to wave new Java banner
Sun Microsystems will spend tens of millions of dollars to emblazon all manner of computing products with a new Java logo, the company plans to unveil next week at its JavaOne conference. Under the branding campaign, everything from cash registers and microchip-enabled "smart cards" to TV set-top boxes and video recorders will carry the logo, said Jonathan Schwartz, Sun's executive vice president of software. The campaign is geared to convince ordinary people, not just programmers and computer experts, that Java carries value, he said. Business partners that ship Java products will share in the effort, whose total budget will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, he said. The campaign will try to convince consumers that they're getting value--security and the ability to safely download programs--with Java devices, he said. "In terms of total shipments of Java virtual machines, we are exceeding on an annual basis the PC industry," Schwartz said. A major portion of that includes Java-enabled mobile phones, 200 million of which should ship in 2003, he said.
Precise Biometrics and Schlumberger Renew Agreement to Develop Biometric Security for Cyberflex Smart Card
Precise Biometrics AB (publ) (Other OTC:PBMTF), developer and provider of world-leading and user-friendly biometric security solutions based on fingerprints, and Schlumberger, one of the world's leading smart card providers, have renewed their existing agreement on the integration of the biometric security option in the Cyberflex Access -- 64K smart card. With the original project now commercially successful, the companies will enlarge the scope of the agreement to include licensing of the Precise BioMatch™ software, as well as marketing and sales. The agreement between Precise Biometrics and Schlumberger, announced in February 2002, has resulted in an upcoming market launch of a new Java™ Card application by Schlumberger.
Taiwan gets 100,000 i-mode subscribers
Taiwan's KG Telecom has said that the number of KGT i-mode subscribers has broken the first critical figure of 100,000 to indicate a meaningful market size, significantly surpassing its goal for the first half of this year. In the second half of this year, KGT is planning to further launch a series of such heavyweight Java applications as i-appli, i-area and MMS, in order to provide consumers with more diversified and richer services. It is predicted that KGT will reach its 200,000 goal of i-mode subscribers for 2003 by the end of the year.
Motorola and Starhub put the Hulk in your hands
Fans of Incredible Hulk, a popular Marvel® Comics character, can now have their hero in their hands. In an exclusive collaboration for the launch of the big-screen adaptation The Hulk(tm), Motorola will provide Hulk(tm)-themed phone covers, screensavers, wallpapers and a Java(tm) game for new and existing C350 and T720 phone users on the StarHub network.
Farewell to handhelds - GPS, Java, and push-to-talk give smart phones a clear edge over PDAs
General Motors announced last week that it will partner with wireless carrier Nextel to use Nextel’s Motorola cell phones with data capabilities to market a field-force management application to its commercial truck fleet customers. The announcement casts a shadow over the future of handheld devices in the business marketplace. By selecting a cellular phone, GM in essence said no to Palm, HP, and Microsoft. IT departments should consider the reasoning behind GM’s decision before recommending a handheld solution of their own. GM representatives told me they believe the cell phone is nonthreatening, a piece of hardware most people are comfortable using. But in addition to push-to-talk, the Nextel Motorola phones have a JVM (Java Virtual Machine) that runs Java ME (J2ME) (Java 2 Platform Micro Edition) applications, which can be downloaded and upgraded over the wireless network. In many respects, leveraging Java on the client with JEE app servers on the back end makes handsets equal in capability to handhelds. In fact, handsets are already encroaching on traditional handheld markets. For example, an application exists for remote IT systems management called IC2 from Inciscent. Engineers use PermitWorks to look up permit contracts in construction. Ernie Cormeir, vice president of business solutions at Nextel in Reston, Va., tells me that there are Java clients for PeopleSoft and that Siebel CRM apps run over Nextel’s iDEN wireless network. The combination of GPS, Java, push-to-talk, and ease of use makes it hard not to consider a handset over a handheld.
Telefonica Movistar launches video-clip download service
Telefonica Movistar, the Spanish mobile telecommunications group, is offering a service which allows subscribers to download humorous video clips via the Movistar e-mocion service. Telefonica Movistar is thus the first operator on the Spanish market to offer such a service. Thanks to Java technology, Telefonica Movistar subscribers do not need to install anything on their handsets to download the clips. Abstracted from Expansion
Picture this: View Web camera snapshots using a Java ME (J2ME)-capable phone
Cool article on how to use MIDP to manipulate and use the images taken by those now-ubiquitous picture cellphones. With a Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME (J2ME))-enabled phone, you can view any Web camera images while you're mobile. This article details the high-level process of taking a snapshot image from a Web camera on a periodic basis, posting it to a Web server, and then downloading the image to a Java-based phone/PDA. This article does not cover security, so if your images are confidential, you'll need to secure your Web server. Security, of course, should always be considered with any application.
Australia aims to be tops in Java Games
Australia is positioning itself as the testbed for the new generation of wireless games and entertainment with the establishment of advanced Government and industry backed developer sites. According to Atari Australia's MD Adam Lancman: "The mobile game market is about to take off with phones now being released in Western markets which are able to support amazing quality for mobile games. "It's a great opportunity for Australian developers to use their creative and technical talents to provide great content for this burgeoning market," Lancman said.
Siemens and Mobileway Team to Deploy JAVA-based Mobile Content Using Patented 'Over-The-Air' Payment Solution
Hot in pursuit of the successful co-operation in the mobile game domain -- BattleMail KungFu in 2001, Siemens and Mobileway have intensified their collaboration with the launch of 'Over-The-Air' (OTA) micro payment solution, based on premium SMS(1). This jointly patented solution renders mobile subscribers the ease to pay their mobile phone bills when using Java™ applications or OTA downloads
JEE OT: Java Compatible(TM) and Java Verified(TM) Products Drive Widespread Demand For Java(TM) Technology Enabled Solutions
Just a reminder that Java ME (J2ME) is not the only java edition experiencing tremendous growth. Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) and leading IT vendors today jointly announced growing demand for Java Compatible(TM) and Java Verified(TM) products. To date 19 licensees are shipping Java(TM)2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (JEE(TM)) v 1.3 Compatible products -- up 46 percent from January 2002. Currently surpassing 3.5 million, the number of JEE Reference Implementation(RI) downloads also demonstrates Java(TM) platform's widespread adoption.
Meet the Winners of the Motorola Barcode Scanner Contest
First prize: CargoTel Wireless Inventory Management
Second prize: Dana Software ScanForm™
Third Prize: Patient Demographics and Dictation Entry Device
Sun Unveils Java Card Security Profile
Sun Microsystems on Monday released a security profile that it says will make it easier for its Java smart card licensees to meet required security standards. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based tech giant said its Java Card System Protection Profile would reduce the time and cost for its licensees to complete security evaluations under the Common Criteria, which provides international standards for the security evaluation of IT products.
Sharp Microelectronics Previews Java Card OS to North American Smart Card Manufacturers
Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas will preview the development of a Java Card™* OS with 1 MB of memory that allows full multiple applications on a single card at the CardTech/SecurTech Conference. The new OS is being used in Sharp's new large-capacity Smart Card.
Games firm axes WAP,SMS jobs, focuses on Java
DIGITAL Bridges, the wireless entertainment company, has made a fifth of its 70 staff redundant after refocusing on games featuring Java software. The Dunfermline company said there was not enough revenue in games for older mobile phone technologies such as WAP and SMS. The firm, recently named as one of Europe’s top 100 technology companies, last year moved its sales and marketing operation to London in an attempt to win more work from international clients. It set up a distribution arm, DBI Distribution, to get Java-based games to market more quickly.
Danish operator sets up Java gaming community
TDC Mobil has set up a gaming community allowing members to download games to their mobile handsets. The platform behind the TDC Mobil launch is hosted and driven by wireless application infrastructure provider Realtime. Besides making it possible for users to browse and download games to their mobile handset, the platform includes storage functionality and handles the complex technical issues of billing. The platform is state-of-the-art within Java solutions and allows for future enhancements with chat rooms and multimedia services such as video streaming and music.
In-Fusio develops mobile South Park games in Java
IN-FUSIO announced that it has secured the licence for COMEDY CENTRAL's hit animated series, South Park. In this, the first outing for South Park on mobiles, IN-FUSIO will use its proven mobile gaming pedigree to offer a range of fun and addictive mobile games through Java and ExEn channels.
Certification for Java Wireless Applications
The world's first quality assurance scheme for mobile phone applications launches today at www.siemens-mobile.com/developer. Created by Siemens Information and Communication Mobile, the 'Siemens mobile Optimized Test' and assurance logo will let developers prove the outstanding quality of their product. Also, it will offer consumers and operators a symbol of total quality assurance. The testing scheme is open to any developer of JavaT applications for Siemens handsets.
UAE to issue 2 million java smart card IDs in 2004
The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) is to issue identity smart cards to its 2 million population beginning in the middle of 2004, according to smart card vendor Gemplus International SA, which has won the contract to supply the system in conjunction with Sagem SA. The system will use Java Card technology, which can easily accommodate future applications being added to the card's functionality, Gemplus said. The initial aim of the U.A.E.'s biometrics smart card system is for identification purposes, storing fingerprint data and personal details. The systems may later be extended to include data such as driver's license, border control, and emergency medical data, according to Gemplus.
SavaJe Licenses ARM Swerve i3D Client to Deliver Interactive 3D Java Applications on Mobile Phones
ARM, the industry's leading provider of 16/32 bit embedded RISC microprocessor solutions, today announced that SavaJe Technologies, developers of a universal open Java(TM) applications platform and operating system (OS) for wireless devices, has licensed the ARM(R) Swerve i3D Graphics Client to embed into the SavaJe technology platform. The SavaJe Java platform, developed for the next generation of smart phones, comprises a rich set of Java APIs, including MIDP 2.0 and Personal Profile, and an operator-customizable User Experience layer consisting of GUI and applications written completely in Java. The SavaJe Operating System (OS) provides a wireless environment utilizing the full capabilities and functionality of Java technology. It is completely self-sufficient, requiring no other kernel or OS.
Research Room says carriers should focus on Java, BREW download technologies
New and established wireless players should look to Java and BREW application download technologies and the mobile gaming market as the next big area for growth, according to new research firm The Research Room. The firm pegged Java- and BREW-based applications, mobile gaming software, wireless local area network solutions providers, MMS content and Wi-Fi connectivity and account management software as the top areas for opportunity.
Korean operators to adopt Java platform
Sun Microsystems Inc. has scored a major win in one of the world's hottest mobile data markets, with its announcement today that Korea has adopted Sun's Java platform as its wireless Internet standard. Sun and the Korean Wireless Internet Standardization Forum, a consortium including the country's three mobile operators, jointly agreed to develop and commercialize Java as part of the Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability. WIPI will adopt Java 2 Platform Micro Edition as its official Java specification, and WIPI will serve as Korea's wireless Internet standard for mobile handsets.
The secret Java offensive starts...
Advertising from Sun has started for Java One. It says: "Did you know... That there are more than 100 million Java technology-enabled mobile phones?" Actually, yes - but does Sun? The current campaign starts with the challenge, above; and it goes on: "...that there are 34 carriers worldwide with Java technology-enabled wireless networks? That by 2007, almost 100% of all handsets will have Java capabilities? That there are 300 million Java Card implementations in use for authentication and identity management today?" Well now you do. But you wouldn't find that out from visiting www.sun.com - or, if you do manage it, let Sniffer know, because no packets we could trace betrayed its location there. It would appear to be a bit of a secret at Sun itself.
Motorola MOTOCODER contest!
Enter the coolest Java ME (J2ME)™ app for any Motorola Java ME (J2ME)™-enabled handset (T720, i95cl, V60i, i88, etc.), and you could win up to $20,000, two Motorola handsets of your choice, free certification of the app or two free passes to JavaOne 2003.
First National Bank Omaha and Oberthur Bring Latest Generation of Smart Cards to the Midwest
First National Bank Omaha, a division of First National of Nebraska, will over the next two years issue 100,000 Visa smart cards from Oberthur Card Systems, one of the leading suppliers of smart cards to American financial institutions. The smart card rollout is one of the first of its kind in the Midwest and allows First National Bank Omaha to offer its customers the best possible protection against card fraud and a range of personal data management applications.
Tira Wireless Delivers the Excitement of Playoff Fever to AT&T Wireless mMode Customers with NHL PowerShot Hockey
Tira Wireless, a full service publisher of wireless Java™ applications for mobile phones, announced today that NHL® PowerShot Hockey™ is now available to AT&T Wireless mMode(SM) subscribers. NHL PowerShot Hockey is a fast-paced, 2-on-2 hockey game that puts the excitement of the NHL directly into the hands of hockey fans.
Belgium introducing Java-based ID cards
Belgium has begun introducing the country's first electronic identification cards. The Belgium government issued Java-based cards to residents in 11 cities last week, with the goal of eventually providing every Belgian resident over 12 years old with an electronic identification (EID) card, Sun Microsystems Inc. said in a statement Thursday. Sun, which is providing the technology, said the EID project is the single largest government deployment of Java card technology in Europe. No date has been set for its completion.
Ultima Online goes mobile
Ultima Online is going wireless. Electronic Arts recently announced that it has contracted with a mobile media gaming company to run a cellphone version of the ever popular real-time RPG in Japan. Dwango, which already runs a few of its own racing and space sim cell games, will create the game for the phone. Apparently the mobile version will still allow gamers to roam the country side, kill stuff, build stuff, and collect stuff, just like the PC version. The mobile world of Britannia will be created using a mix of Java applets and Web page interfaces, allowing gamers to create unique characters, shop in town, and even own their own pets, houses, and shops.
DoCoMo, Visa in mobile payments trial
NTT DoCoMo, Visa, Nippon Shinpan, OMC Card and AEON Credit have announced a trial service enabling Japanese users to pay for goods with their mobile handsets. The service uses an i-Appli Java application and the IR port of DoCoMo's 504i series handsets. Users enter their credit card details into the i-Appli application and can then use the handset to transmit payment via IR to specially-equipped retail terminals.
Vodafone, Orange invest in wireless Java OS
Two of Europe's largest mobile phone operators have quietly invested in a U.S. software startup developing a new operating system based on Java technology. The investments highlight the growing interest of mobile operators not only to differentiate themselves through customized software but also to decrease their dependence on any one operating system, such as Nokia Corp.'s Series 60 or Microsoft Corp.'s Smartphone.
Orange, Voda invest in Java phone OS
Orange and Vodafone have spent $3m on a useful bargaining chip, by investing in Java phone company SavaJe. SavaJe is writing a MIDP Java-based platform and says devices will be on the market by the end of the year. The UI reference specifies 220x176 screen devices with no touch screen, an alternative to Nokia's Series 60.
Position-Locating Services to Take Off Thanks to Java, BREW Phones
Up to now, commercial services based on position-location technology have failed to become widespread. However, according to US-based SiRF Technology Inc, a developer of GPS chips, things are about to change. The reason is that Java-compatible phones and other portable devices are becoming more common. At CTIA Wireless 2003, SiRF's Ashu Pande outlined GPS-based LBS services, saying that until now there have been many different GPS devices designed for specific applications -- such as car navigation systems, golf carts, and hikers -- but that the Java-equipped mobile phones that have been appearing one after another over the past year will create a common platform for all types of services and applications.
Multiplayer game trial using GPRS connection
The Java Games developer, Macrospace is running a free global trial of its new CannonsME wireless Java game. The game allows up to 4 players to play an arcade classic against each other over today's GPRS networks. The game is designed to create mobile gaming communities and recurring data revenue for mobile operators. To take part in the free trial, users can point their Java compatible phone to http://games.macrospace.com/cannonsme/wap/ and download the relevant version of the game for their handsets. The top players, the summary of games played, and news related to the trial are also available at http://games.macrospace.com/cannonsme/
Java, Brew Get The Nod For Wireless Platforms, But Jury Still Out
It's still too early to pick the winners, but wireless application development platforms based on Java and Qualcomm Inc.'s Brew are the leading technologies, a high-tech research firm said Monday. The two Internet-based platforms are the "best options" for building applications that can be downloaded to a cellular phone or personal digital assistants, the Yankee Group said.
Java ME (J2ME)'s battle to meet the standard
Java is on course to be the standard of choice to support downloadable games and other apps to the handset. Right now, though, it's a developer's nightmare Right now, some 80 different Java ME (J2ME) terminals are available from 15 device manufacturers. Yet all is not well in the Java applet orchard. The very key promise of Java ME (J2ME) - of being able to port to any other device - is its biggest weakness. Because it just doesn't happen. Developers complain of having to reformat content for different handsets with different operating software, different screen sizes and different memory capabilities. At the end of the day, maybe it's not going to matter. Java is on course to succeed in wireless. Unlike the full-strength Java standard edition - the subject of a long-running court battle between Sun and Microsoft - Java ME (J2ME) has no natural predators.
National Hockey League launches a Java Game
Tira Wireless has launched what it says is the first North American major sports league branded Java Game, the National Hockey League (NHL) PowerShot Hockey. The game carries the NHL brand as part of a licensing agreement signed between Tira Wireless and the NHL. NHL PowerShot Hockey will be made available to mobile subscribers through mobile operators in North America and across Europe. "While the market for the Java ME (J2ME) platform continues to grow, it is applications such as NHL PowerShot Hockey that will set a new benchmark for quality Java ME (J2ME) development," said Greg Wolff, group marketing manager, Consumer and Mobile Systems at Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Sun Chief Advocates Java Cards For Cell Phones
His favourite topic is now the emerging Java-enabled mobile phones. Describing the java-enabled web phone as a virtual ATM, which could well replace a wallet, Mr McNealy said that this would usher an era of ‘web tones’. There are 283 million java cards around the world, he said, and the mode of communication is undergoing a shift from the dial tone towards the web tone. The next generation of Java phones according to him would be the more powerful, enabling streaming video over wireless network. Smart chips, which function as microprocessors, would be the next buzzword in the technological space. These chips, can be pasted on wallets, cell phones or cars, would transmit radio signals at 128 kilo bytes per second.
Java ME (J2ME) and the wireless are made for each other
Sun emerges clear leader in the wireless world, as competitors like BREW and Microsoft bite the dust. Will the new Java ME (J2ME) MIDP 2.0 spell panacea for all wireless Java problems? 65 million handsets all over the Java-enabled. Qualcomm’s BREW and Windows CE are lurking in the sidelines but Sun does not see them as big threats. A 100 million handsets will be Java enabled within a year, believes Sun. However, wireless Java has not been without its share of problems. A limiting user interface, an unfulfilled WORA promise have been the road blocks in Sun’s juggernaut in the wireless world. Java ME (J2ME)’s new MIDP 2.0 addresses the earlier problems that developers face but introduces newer ones. One of the new problems with MIDP 2.0 is the increase in memory footprint. The new MIDP 2.0 uses an extra 100 K of memory.
Motorola Rings up MontaVista for Linux-Java Phone
When Motorola launches its A760 handset later this year, it won't be running the company's usual Symbian operating system.
The Schaumburg, Ill.-based wireless giant Wednesday confirmed that instead it would be using Sunnyvale, Calif.-based MontaVista Software's consumer version of Linux to power its new PDA-phone. But the move to Linux could spell trouble for other proprietary smartphone players like Microsoft (Windows Smartphone, CE and .NET) and QUALCOMM (BREW) as more and more companies are exploring Linux as a low-cost non-proprietary alternative for their handsets and PDAs. Choosing Linux and Java to power its A760 handset may also point to a rift between Symbian and Motorola.
Tira Wireless uveils JUMP platform
Tira Wireless, which publishes wireless Java applications for mobile phones, unveiled its Java Universal Mobile Porting (JUMP) platform. The JUMP platform address the Java ME (J2ME) challenge of device variation and lack of compatibility. Using JUMP, developers create a single version of an application and submit it to tira for processing through theJUMP platform. The application then is used as the reference for new customized versions, which are automatically created for a selection of Java-based mobile phones, said the company.
SavaJe lands $17.5 million to build Java OS for mobiles
Startup Java OS supplier SavaJe Technology received a vote of confidence from the investment community this week when it announced at the CTIA Wireless 2003 conference here that it raised an additional $17.5 million in a series B funding that included Vodafone Ventures and Orange Ventures, the investment arms of two of the largest European operators. While others in the sector are striving to make Java an embedded solution that links in with existing operating systems, SavaJe is working on a Java OS that will replace Symbian, Windows and others in mobile designs.
Sun's accidental asset - Java, the consumer brand
Millions of mobile phone users are now familiar with the word Java and know it's nothing to do with the island or coffee. Java is a programming language. Consumers don't care about programming languages. So why are they starting to become aware of Java, while remaining blissfully unaware of C++, Visual Basic and so on? It's because through Java ME (J2ME) (Java 2 Micro Edition), increasing numbers of people are starting to come across the word 'Java' on the screens of their mobile phones. And they're starting to build some positive associations with the word 'Java'. On Vodafone Live! phones, for example, the games list is divided into two. One is labelled 'Games', the other is labelled 'Java games'. The Java games are the ones with fancier graphics, 3D effects and animations. So users are seeing 'Java', and they're finding that it means, in this context, 'cooler'. They have no idea that it's the name of a programming language. And a good thing too.
XScale Sharp Zaurus SL-5600 officially announced
Sharp has officially released its long-awaited latest member of the Zaurus handheld family, the Sharp Zaurus SL-5600. Like its predecessor the SL-5500, the SL-5600 runs on the GNU/Linux operating system, specifically the Embedix distribution bundle from Lineo, with support for Java applications. In addition to a respectable package of PIM applications and other utilities, the SL-5600 includes the Jeode Java Virtual Machine for running PersonalJava 1.2 applications. It also includes a POP3/IMAP/SMTP capable e-mail client and media player.
Aradiom Announces Launch of World's First Wireless Banking Client Based On Sun's Secure Java Microedition Platform at CeBIT 2003
Aradiom announced the release of its secure Java ME (J2ME) (Java(TM) 2 Microedition) banking client. The Java(TM) client will allow banks to provide not only request based information over Aradiom's AMP(TM) platform, but to also provide a secure transaction environment, providing a level of security for actions such as bill payments and money transfers equal to that of their online banking portals.
New appliance converts multimedia content files for wireless distribution
HelloNetwork, a Java-based wireless streaming media technology company, has repackaged its HelloMobile software in a small appliance that enables content owners to integrate wireless streaming media applications into to their existing editing and production environment.
The wireless giant stoops to conquer and licenses Sun Microsystems' competing Java ME (J2ME) platform
HIn a show of cooper-tition, QUALCOMM Thursday said it inked a deal to begin licensing Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME (J2ME)) for some of its chipsets. The partnership is significant considering Java ME (J2ME) and QUALCOMM's Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) are often seen as competing technologies. The San Diego-based wireless giant said Java ME (J2ME) technologies will be compatible with select QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies Mobile Station Modem (MSM) chipsets beginning with its 6000 series. The compatibility will also extend to BREWapi and system software for wireless devices.
Telematics Takes Spotlight at CeBIT
Bringing Web services to the world of mobility, Sun Microsystems Inc. and Jentro A.G. at CeBIT this week showcased Java-based Web services for the automotive industry. To demonstrate that mobile Web services have moved from theory to reality, the joint Sun/Jentro Telematics Competence Center in Germany built a test vehicle scooter called "Kickjet," equipped for navigation via mobile phone, remote diagnostics and servicing and manufacturer CRM, among other things. The system applies Web services from the in-vehicle devices back to the computer center.
Qualcomm Embraces Java
Qualcomm appears to be making good on the old adage -- if you can't beat'em, then why not join'em. The company today announced it has inked a deal with Sun Microsystems to develop and distribute Java 2 Platform Micro Edition virtual machine technologies. These Java ME (J2ME) technologies will be compatible with Qualcomm's CDMA mobile station modem chip sets and the Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless application programming interface.
Qualcomm licenses Sun's Java
San Diego-based Qualcomm on Thursday announced that some cell phone chips in its MSM 6000 family now support programs developed using Sun's version of Java for cell phones. Phones built from the chips will download programs using both Qualcomm's Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) and Java programs, Qualcomm said. Both Sun and Qualcomm sell software applications that enable wireless devices to download and run small programs for playing games and sending messages, among other features. But until now, Sun's Java and Qualcomm's BREW have been completely incompatible. Java, the more popular of the two applications, is used by about 34 carriers worldwide, while BREW has about eight carrier customers. "Qualcomm is listening to their customers, and their customers are saying they want Java," said Sun product manager Nicolas Lorain.
Qualcomm eats hat in mobile Java deal
IN WHAT MIGHT BE SEEN as the ultimate affirmation, Qualcomm announced today that it will be providing Java ME (J2ME) (or mobile Java) capabilities on its CDMA chips. The announcement is significant because in some quarters Qualcomm's BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) execution environment has been seen as a competing technology to Sun Microsystems's Java ME (J2ME). This is despite the fact that Java ME (J2ME) has been deployed onto 75 million handsets to date and is deployed by 34 carriers versus the 2.5 million BREW-enabled sold (as of November last year) and six carrier customers (all operating CDMA networks) for BREW.
Nextel launches Inciscent software
Nextel Communications Inc. launched Inciscent Inc.’s Java-based Command & Control network and systems management software for the Blackberry 6510 device. Inciscent said the software will enable information technology professionals to securely manage, configure and troubleshoot enterprise information systems and data networks from virtually any location on Nextel’s wireless network.
Java Phone-readable Tube map offered by London Underground
Java powers map of London Underground. "Do you have a Nokia 7650 or 3650 or similar phone? If so you can download this brand new full colour Java mobile Tube map, free of charge. No more hunting for stations - let your phone find them for you." "This application runs without a connection to the internet (after the initial installation), but there's also a live service update feature you can use when above ground." website: http://www.thetube.com/mobilemap/
Sony debuts Java service for mMode
The Sony Music Mobile Products Group reported the debut of Java-based Sony Music Mobile on AT&T Wireless Services’ mMode service offering. Sony said the service will provide customers with access to ring tones, graphics and breaking news about Sony Music Entertainment artists from their wireless phones. Customers will also be able to purchase ring tones and display graphics and make CD purchases through links to Amazon.com’s one-click service from their handsets.
Nokia Intros Terminals Targeting Enterprise Applications
Nokia has introduced two new handheld terminals for enterprise applications that include Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), imaging and Java functionalities, together with support for Bluetooth and EDGE connectivity. In addition, the company has announced a new GSM terminal that has been designed to function as the interface between corporate phones and private branch exchanges.
MAXON Launches Its Leading GPRS Java Handset with Adoption of iaSolution's Java Technology
MAXON, the leading handset manufacturer in South Korea, has demonstrated its first GPRS Java-enabled handsets in CeBIT 2003, model MX-C12 and MX-A30. The handsets with elegance design and trendy functions are expected to attract tremendous attention in Hannover from all over the world. To bring the Java function alive, MAXON adopts iaSolution's leading Java ME (J2ME) solution and jointly develop the premium high-end handset for the emerging data-service market.
Fancy Java with your GBA?
The novel addition of Java games on your Game Boy Advance could well be on its way soon thanks to JAMiD, from aJile Systems. The JAMiD is a cartridge that plugs into your GBA and allows you to download Java-based software from your PC. The cartridge also allows you to run mobile phone-style games and MIDP games downloaded off the Internet, and even listen to MP3 music. The JAMiD includes aJile's aJ-100 Java microprocessor and all of the necessary memory and interface hardware to download and run MIDP-compatible games and MP3 audio. Annoyingly, the JAMiD is only available as a development kit from April for $199, but aJile is in talks with companies around the world to bring out a standalone Java cartridge console for GBA.
Java MIDP Game Developers Can Start Playing With Nintendo Game Boys
aJile Systems Inc. (http://www.ajile.com/), a company founded by the developers of the first direct execution Java(TM) microprocessor, has created the world's first game development kit to bring Java MIDP technology to millions of Nintendo(R)'s Game Boy(R) Advance players. aJile's JAMiD(TM) game development kit is also the first platform to use Sun's latest MIDP 2.0 technology, which offers advanced audio and graphics features to Java mobile game developers. Hundreds of Java-based MIDP game titles are already available for tens of millions of Java-enabled mobile phones sold worldwide by leading handset vendors. With aJile's new JAMiD game development kit, hundreds of thousands of Java software developers can now create multimedia mobile games that will also play on millions of Game Boy(R) Advance and Game Boy(R) SP players worldwide.
Nextel launches Aether PocketBlue wireless data solution on handsets
Nextel Communications Inc. launched Aether Systems Inc.’s PocketBlue wireless data solution for public safety on Nextel's i95cl Java-enabled handsets and iM1100 modem. Aether said the PocketBlue solution enables law enforcement officers and other authorized personnel to query local, state and federal criminal information and motor vehicle databases, record data from field interviews and interact with 911 dispatcher personnel.
Moto and Linux
Motorola, the world's number two cell phone manufacturer after Nokia, recently announced that all of its basic and mid-range phones will be based on the Linux operating system, with Java applications running on top. Mike Bordelon, an executive in Motorola's planning and software division, said Linux/Java was chosen for the freedom the two systems offered, and the ease of developing new phones and mobile applications quickly and cheaply. Bordelon said both Linux and Java enjoy big developer communities, especially in Asia, where Motorola is a market leader. Motorola is looking to the big growth markets -- China and India - where mobile phone penetration is likely to be high because of the poor landline infrastructure. On the software side, the community of Java developers is not only big, it has proven to be quick and efficient at developing new and innovative applications, Bordelon said.
Digital Bridges launches Java games catalogue
Digital Bridges, the mobile entertainment group, has created dbi distribution, to provide a route to the global market for the world's Java games developers. The company will first perform assessments on wireless games submitted by developers to ensure that quality and compatibility requirements are met, before adding them to the dbi distribution platform - with "the Digital Bridges seal of approval".
Oracle(R) and Sprint Accelerate Java Development on Mobile Devices by Offering New Integrated Development Kit
Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL), the world's largest enterprise software company, and Sprint (NYSE: FON, PCS), which operates the largest next generation nationwide PCS network, today announced integration between their Java 2 Micro Edition (Java ME (J2ME)) environments that will make it easier and faster for Java developers to build mobile applications for the enterprise that can be deployed on PCS Vision devices.
Vodafone live! service to feature WAP and Java games from Digital Bridges Digital Bridges will let subscribers to the Vodafone live! service download games such as Wireless Pets, Steve Jackson's Sorcery, Star Trek: First Duty, Denki Blocks!, EA SPORTS' Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Golf and XS Snowboarding. Digital Bridges will also enable users of the Sharp GX10 handset to download the WAP and Java games.
Java rival comes to Asian phones Qualcomm is trying to loosen Sun's stranglehold on the market for software that wireless carriers use to sell downloadable ring tones or more complicated applications. A cell phone-size version of Sun's Java programming language, known as Java ME (J2ME), dominates the market for now, being used by about 20 carriers worldwide. But BREW is quietly picking up steam, mainly on the strength of existing relationships Qualcomm has with many Asian carriers that choose to use the company's Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) software to run cell phones and networks. Earlier this week, South Korean carrier KDDI launched a download service using BREW. Sun Microsystems' mobile products marketing manager, Eric Chu, doesn't see Qualcomm's recent in-roads as a threat. "We think it's great that Qualcomm is validating the wireless data market," Chu said. Most of the cell phone service providers using Sun's wireless download system are in Asia, Chu said.
Java ME (J2ME) Issues in the Real Wireless World Java ME (J2ME) seems to be a platform of choice and is a Win-Win for wireless operators, developers, end users and mobile device manufactures. However, in reality things are not this black and white. There are a number of issues, which are not obvious. These issues need to be addressed before Java ME (J2ME) applications can reach their full potential.
SRI: Mobile device sector just can't live without its Java. SRIC-BI's latest study, titled 'Programmable Mobile Phones: The Battle over Platform Software,' suggests that many manufacturers and developers are shifting their platform choices away from leading mobile platforms like Microsoft , Palm , Blackberry , Qualcomm , and Symbian, and are instead favoring Java. According to Gold, Java phones don't require as much memory and processor power, which enables longer battery life. And because Java licensing terms are less expensive, manufacturers can more cheaply market a Java device. An estimated 50 million Java handsets are currently on the market and shipments of Java handsets exceeded PDA shipments in 2002, said Gold, adding that one out of ever ten cell phones in the world will be Java phones by the end of the year. "The answer is increasingly just Java," Gold told internetnews.com . According to Gold, the industry lean toward Java operating systems could lead to what he refers to as the "erosion" of the vertical mobile industry structure.
SRI: Developers most likely to target Java mobile platform Research firm SRI Consulting Business Intelligence said Java technology in the mobile handset market has largely overshadowed the nascent battle over high-end operating systems, with developers likely to target Java rather than software from Microsoft, Palm or Symbian.
A Shift in Platform Choices Favors Java Apparently, the mobile device sector just can't live without its Java. A new study by SRI Consulting Business Intelligence (SRIC-BI) says there are several key issues currently facing handset manufacturers and developers of content and applications. SRIC-BI's latest study, titled 'Programmable Mobile Phones: The Battle over Platform Software,' suggests that many manufacturers and developers are shifting their platform choices away from leading mobile platforms like Microsoft, Palm , Blackberry , Qualcomm , and Symbian, and are instead favoring Java. According to the study's author, Michael Gold, a senior engineer in the Digital Futures Program at SRIC-BI, this recent trend is due in part to licensing terms, which for Java are more favorable and cheaper than Microsoft, Palm, Symbian, and others.
The battle over mobile platform software - Java is the platform to target Handset manufacturers, mobile services, and developers of content and applications face a critical decision: Which handheld software platforms will they support? Some of the choices include recognizable brands -- Microsoft and Palm -- as well as influential names like Blackberry, Java, Qualcomm, and Symbian. Stakes of the decision can be high. So-called network effects of technology and economics tend to support the idea of only a few winners or even a winner-take-all outcome. So making a bad decision can resemble betting on the wrong horse. "The center of gravity for software developers who want to reach users of handheld devices has shifted," says Michael Gold, senior engineer in the Digital Futures Program at SRI Consulting Business Intelligence. "In the past, software developers were asking, 'should we target Microsoft, Palm, or Symbian?' Now they are increasingly focusing on Java rather than the other three platforms. With 50 million Java handsets now in circulation worldwide, 2002 Java handset shipments exceeded PDA shipments of the past several years. By end 2003, the size of the market that one can address with Java will still be larger than that of all PDAs and smartphones (such as Nokia Communicator and the Ericsson or Samsung equivalents) together -- even if PDAs and smartphones grow by 100% in units this year (probably an unrealistically high assumption). Java has definitely surpassed the PDA operating systems as the platform to target for the largest mobile audience."
Fast-growing Asian mobile-network operators could lead future developments in Java-based programs for Internet-ready wireless services. South China Morning Post via NewsEdge Corporation : Fast-growing Asian mobile-network operators could lead future developments in Java-based programs for Internet-ready wireless services. Nicolas Lorain, Sun Microsys teams senior product manager for wireless Java technologies, said Asia-Pacific developers were showing strong support for new guidelines.
Java SIM cards with instant messaging? Gemplus said it will partner with messaging company MessageVine to develop an instant messaging and presence service for Gemplus’ subscriber identity module cards.
Star Trek goes mobile STAR TREK FANS have a new game to keep them glued to their screens only this time it's on a mobile phone. Activision has made an alliance with Mforma to deliver a Star Trek Nemesis game to Java enabled mobiles and one for SMS phones. The Java version is a 3D shoot-em-up which sees you take control of the Enterprise, blasting attackers to defend the Earth. The SMS game is a simple multiplayer game that allows you to fight against other mobile phone users.
New Motorola cell phones ring up Linux, Java Motorola Inc. will release its first Linux- and Java-equipped cell phone and personal digital assistant (PDA) later this year, helping usher in a new generation of phones based on the open-source operating system. By using Linux and Java, Motorola said, the new line of phones will provide "mobile developers with an increased freedom to create new Java applications, from games to productivity tools, for smart devices like the A760."
Products: kCommand ultra-lightweight generic command architecture (2003-2-18) Developnet's kCommand product is an ultra-lightweight generic command architecture that provides a simple and effective mechanism for Java ME (J2ME) clients to execute remote commands on JEE servers over HTTP. kCommand is specifically targeted at Java ME (J2ME) MIDP/CLDC clients. With the client kCommand JAR file weighing in at around 10 kilobytes, it can be utilised on "memory poor" Java-enabled mobile devices, including all the major first generation Java-enabled mobile phones. On the JEE server, the servlet kCommand JAR file provides a robust and flexible framework for developing command handlers and command targets, allowing execution of remote commands and subsequent returning of results to Java ME (J2ME) clients. The kCommand product has been released into the development community as an open source project under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL). To download the whitepaper and view more information, visit the kcommand site.
Java Technology for the Wireless Industry (JTWI) (2003-2-16) The Java Technology for the Wireless Industry (JTWI) specification, JSR 185, defines the industry standard platform for the next generation of Java technology-enabled mobile phones. We believe this series of road maps for future development is important reading for Java developers because it will give them some idea about what functionality to expect in future devices that are JTWI-compliant. It is a series of road maps hinting at the evolution of java on mobile phones. Read the stirring open letter of the JSR 185 group to java developers. The group includes Motorola, Nokia, Research In Motion (RIM), Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Sun Microsystems, Symbian, T-Mobile, Vodafone, and 4thPass, among others. Read the Road Map! (in PDF format)
Developing NTTDoCoMo i-Appli programs (2002-8-14) NTTDoCoMO's java for i-mode has attracted its share of interest from carriers and developers in other countries. Although the platform is built on the CLDC, there are enough differences between it and the standard MIDP to warrant a closer look. First, Zev Blut gives a step by step guide to developing i-appli programs, including comments on using Http Connections and Graphics. Then Henry Minsky shares his notes on developing a tiny
combined browser and stripped down "servlet engine"
which runs as an
IAppli, in less than 7500 bytes of code!
Lurker's Guide to Running PersonalJava on WinCE (2002-7-26) I have been programming in Java for over a year, so when I got a brand new iPAQ I was thrilled. For once I could see if Java lived up to its "Write Once, Run Anywhere" motto. I immediately installed Insignia's Java Runtime Library called Jeode that came on the iPAQ CD.
Developer Rant: MIDP's different strokes (2002-7-15) Just when I think I've come to terms with the known problems of MIDP, another one rears its ugly head. A while back Siemens released an allegedly MIDP-compatible phone, which turned out to be completely useless because it was so buggy. In order for Java ME (J2ME) games to work on that phone, they had to be exclusively written and compiled for it.
The Lurker's Guide to Optimizing MIDP apps (2002-7-7) The Java ME (J2ME) environment will probably comes as a shock to many developers who come from JEE backgrounds. Instead of hundreds of megabytes of RAM and gobs of program memory, in the MIDP/CLDC (to take an example) you can be limited to as few as 160 kb of TOTAL memory! At this point, a feeling of hopelessness about the situation may engulf you, and you might have the urge to jump back to the relative safety of your beloved 1.2 GHz servers. But don't fret, intrepid java developer, we'll go over some of the things you can do to optimize your code for MIDP apps, and before you know it, you'll never want to touch your lumbering Websphere app server again (well, maybe not).
The Lurker's Guide to Running Midlets on POSE (Palm OS Emulator) (2002-6-24) If you have an actual Palm OS device, then it is a simple matter to generate the necessary .prc file using the Java ME (J2ME) Wireless Toolkit then install it on your handheld. Believe me, it is WAY cool to see your own apps running on a Palm AND a java-enabled phone (in my case, a Motorola i50sx). It gives new meaning to the term WORA... However, in order to run your Midlets on the Palm Emulator (POSE) from the Java ME (J2ME) Wireless Toolkit, you will need to do a series of somewhat convoluted steps.
Developer Rant: Restrictive policies strain developer patience (2002-6-17) Regarding Java ME (J2ME) on devices like cellular phones, I think there are a couple reasons that we are not seeing a bunch of Java ME (J2ME) apps. I started on the Nextel Developer Program (http://developer.nextel.com) and the Motorola i85s Java ME (J2ME) phone. The hoops I had to go through to even load a midlet onto the phone was enormous. You have to buy a $29 cable from Motorola, download an app to load the midlet, and even then you got no network connectivity, so how you build a network aware app, I don't know.
Tit for Tat: Sun goes for Qualcomm's jugular (2002-6-4) Qualcomm has been strongly pushing BREW as the platform of choice for cell phone development. I have seen their ads literally all over the place, from websites to even java magazines like JDJ (where a one page ad faced off with an article on Java ME (J2ME)). In addition, news stories about BREW started to appear regularly on news.com and other sites. Although Sun has taken the high road and so far has not flooded the airwaves with Java ME (J2ME) ads, it must have finally had enough and on today's news.com, the blaring headline announced: Is Qualcomm's BREW flat?
The quiet revolution: Java smart cards in SIMs (2002-5-24) James Gosling once marveled that the total number of java developers coding for a specific java technology seemed to be directly proportional to the physical complexity/size of the application type that they are coding. Well, ok, maybe he didn't say that, but I'm paraphrasing. However, he did note that once, in a java conference, a speaker had asked all the audience members who coded JEE to stand up, and the vast majority of the audience stood up. He then asked for wireless developers, and maybe a handful jumped to their feet. Finally, he asked for smart card and other similar developers, and this one guy stood up uncertainly...then asked where the restroom was.
Java ME (J2ME): Beyond the Hype (2002-5-21) A short take on the the good and bad about current Java ME (J2ME) usage in the US, as well as some possible solutions to maintain Java ME (J2ME) momentum. Personally, I have yet to meet anyone who has not been surprised and amazed when I showed them java apps running on my Nextel phone. In fact, me and my wife have taken to downloading (OTA) and playing games whenever there is some lagtime (e.g. in dental office, or when repairing car). The future ability of java apps to make use of new technology such as Bluetooth or location-aware devices on the phone definitely points to an intersting future for Java ME (J2ME).
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