Opera Software’s Java ME browser client

A glimpse into some of the challenges of J2ME (Java ME <sigh>) development, from one of my favorite mobile software products (Opera Mini) and platforms (Sony-Ericsson).

Link: Developer case study: Managing Java fragmentation, Opera Software’s Java ME browser client.

Photography gallery of Petra

These are incredible. Remember Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade? Found this via Digg. Yes, it’s been a slower-than-normal day!

Link: Petra pictures

Wikipedia entry on Petra

Mobile phone users warned of lightning strike risk

I wonder if this is similar to the ridiculous assertion that using a mobile phone while fueling is a fire hazard.

Link: Mobile phone users warned of lightning strike risk - Yahoo! News.

MIDP Application Signing

Part 2 of 2

For details on the background of this project, and details about the overall Java Verified process, see part 1 of this article. This post will exclusively deal with signing MIDP applications, irrespective of whether you’ll also be going through the Java Verified process.

Why sign your MIDP application?

• Some devices might restrict certain functionality to those applications with valid signatures.
• Some security policies reject the installation of any unsigned application.
• Other devices will warn users about an application being “untrusted” if it’s not signed.
• Security pop-ups on phones can get really annoying, and these can be lessened with signed applications.
• Ensures that no one but you can distribute his or her applications or updates to your application under your name.

In short, you want your application signed.

[Read more]

Java Verified: What it is, and how you do it

Part 1 of 2

I’m putting the finishing touches on a little side project (to be announced in a few days) I’ve been working on for the past couple of weeks. The purpose of this project is to exercise the new J2ME Polish 1.3 beta release and get an application listed on mobile.java.com at the same time. To keep things simple, I decided to port a bluepulse widget (Amazon-OnTheGo) for this purpose.

I also promised to post my experiences with the listing process here. And apparently, at least one of you (one of the scant few readers of this blog) is looking forward to the outcome of this project.

The biggest hurdle is really the signing process, and while this is not overly difficult to do, there are such a large number of considerations, that application signing appears more difficult than it is. Of course, signing is one of the prerequisites of getting Java Verified, so I thought I’d break down my experience / research into two posts: one covering Java Verified and one covering signing MIDP applications (Part 2).

Java Verified Process

What is Java Verified?

It essentially boils down to a testing process that results in a widely accepted digital signature. The intent behind this initiative is to eliminate as much redundant J2ME application testing as possible, relying instead on unified testing done for Java Verification. The certification process ensures that applications being distributed via carriers, vendors, and other channels are of a consistent quality.

[Read more]

Photshopping Contest: Merit Badges

These aren’t close to the best Worth1000 entries, but as a former Boy Scout, I found them to be pretty humorous.

Check out all entries via worth1000.com

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia: the fear of the number ‘666.’ Have a groovy day.

J2ME Polish 1.3: FramedForm

What could be an incredibly useful feature is marred by bugs in the beta release of Polish 1.3. The concept behind the FramedForm class is similar to the Border Layout in Java Swing. You can append items to the FramedForm body, and designate other items to be anchored at the frame top, bottom, left, or right.

For example, you can display an anchored query as search results are scrolled. Or you can display an anchored search box while the rest of the screen content is scrolled. Maybe even use a ChoiceGroup to dynamically filter or change the content on the screen.

Using the FramedForm is as easy as building any MIDP form.

FramedForm myForm = new FramedForm(”Search Results”);
StringItem item = new StringItem(”You’d Prefer an Astronaut”, null);
/* more items */
TextField search = new TextField(”", “”, 25, TextField.ANY);
myForm.append(item);
/* repeat */
myForm.append(Graphics.TOP, search);

But the results are less than spectacular on the beta release. Anchoring anything on the bottom frame doesn’t work. Anchoring on the top frame suffers from frame boundaries not being respected, and styles not being properly applied.

Even with these current bugs, I imagine there’s still some utility to be had by using this class, if for nothing else than layout help. For example, you could add an image or icon to the left or right frame of a screen, and use Polish styles to sufficiently pad that edge of the screen, perhaps to be used in an image viewing application or to create a graphical navigation menu of some sort.

I love the concept behind the framed form, so I’m hopeful that future releases of J2ME Polish will address some of these issues. In the meantime, I’ll continue looking for workarounds and ways to use the current functionality.

My overall experience using Polish in this test project has been similar to using this framed form. On paper, it sounds like a major boon to productivity and compatibility, and on the whole, I can’t imagine starting a product without Polish as the build tool, because it largely comes through on its promises. But I have been mildly disappointed with execution. I find myself wishing for fewer features, but features that work smoothly; versus a wealth of features, and finding annoyances in some of them.

BenQ-Siemens Q-fi EF71

BenQ-Siemens will be launching the new Q-fi line of mobile devices in September of 2006 that integrates a music player. No favorites are played, as it supports MP3, WMA, and AAC, and it sports dedicated music keys, a 10-band graphic equalizer, and 3D surround sound. Rounding out the offering are a 2.2″ screen and a 2MP camera.

I wish BenQ were a bigger player in the US market because I love the sleek, sophisticated look of their phones. I gravitate towards phones with large, brilliant screens, but I’d make the move to a more portable phone if it happened to look like the EF71. Just don’t make me say “Q-fi.”

View details via the BenQ-Siemens portal

Mistaken ID stuns crash victims’ families

Imagine caring for your daughter for five weeks while she lay in a coma, only to realize in five weeks, that she is not your daughter. Or, burying your daughter only to realize five weeks later that she’s still alive.

Link: Mistaken ID stuns crash victims’ families - Yahoo! News.