Tips for Getting Your MIDP Application JavaVerified
August 28, 2006
Passing JavaVerified testing is not difficult, but the testing process is thorough. This article lists some tips I picked up while sending several builds through the JavaVerified process.
JavaVerified is not for everyone. It will not make your mobile application run on every handset out there, and it can be tedious and very expensive if you have many builds to certify, or if your builds are updated frequently. See my earlier post on JavaVerified to determine if testing is right for your application, and to see the steps in the testing process.
Test Categories
- Application Stability
- Application Launch
- User Interface
- Localization
- Functionality
- Connectivity
- Personal Information Management
- Security
Signs are Mounting
August 11, 2006
Everyone has been pointing out the web 2.0 bubble recently. Not that I agree that there can even be such a thing as a web 2.0 bubble. But I was amused to find an invitation in my work e-mail box to a cutting edge seminar.
You have to realize that I work in an old company — not only have we been around for a long time, but in any reduction in force, only the young talent gets cut, leaving the organization very top heavy. It’s like a technologist’s convalescent home. There is mandatory nap time after lunch in all branches.
So to get an invitation from one of our internal groups with this as the headline: “You’re Invited: Web 2.0 - The Internet Becomes Disruptive Again,” well, it just got me all a titter. “A new world is emerging,” it continues.
It reminds me of something one of my former employers used to say: “Say, you heard that Bob Prince died?” Bob Prince passed away well before my time, which was his point exactly.
Project OMEGA Update
August 8, 2006
Project OMEGA, also know as TWUIK, appears to be one step closer to beta release in August, and it looks great. I’m eager to see how easily this can be integrated into an existing application. Mika, at Mutant’s Musings, posted recently about some more attention the folks at Tricast Media are getting for TWUIK.
So we’ve got the killer carousel navigation concept, tabbed panes, form controls, a popup framework — this is looking really good. TWUIK will be available for a licensing fee of some sort. I can’t tell what the terms might be, but I’ll reiterate my interest in this slick toolkit.
Check out all of Tricast’s Omega posts
Bluepulse Picking Up Momentum
August 7, 2006
I’ve been periodically checking in with the folks at Bluepulse, to keep tabs on latest developments, and things have really picked up in the enthusiast community recently. Luke Watson, the Marketing / Community / Developer Relations specialist at Bluepulse, e-mailed me regarding some of the new widgets, so I headed over to the control panel to check them out. They have been busy!
Some of the notable new widgets include:
- Blogger widgets
- MSN Spaces widget
- Flickr widget
- Several more webcam widgets, including Snow Cams Aus and UK Traffic Cams
- Stock Market widget
- A handy Todo list widget
- World of Warcarft widget
If you have been holding off on trying Bluepulse, now looks like a good time to dive in. It’s easy to download and easy to use. And with all of these new widgets, community ratings and comments will be even more important, so make sure you post your experiences using these widgets on www.bpwidgets.com.
Amazon-OnTheGo: Screengrabs & Introduction
August 4, 2006
Amazon-OnTheGo is the result of a vanity project I undertook to port a Bluepulse widget to a full-blown Java ME application. With it, you can experience all of the best things about Amazon.com, on your phone:
- Search for products by keyword, ISBN number, or UPC code
- Access product details, used and new prices, images, user ratings, editorial reviews
- Maintain a shopping cart, and submit it to Amazon for purchase
- Find and review friends’ wishlists
- Get suggestions on similar items to view
Say you’re at the video store trying to determine what to rent. Fire up OTG, type in the UPC code, and check out the online editorial review. Maybe you’re at the local book store, and you can’t decide between two books. Type in their ISBN numbers to view ratings and comments. While you’re at, find out what the cheapest used price is.
Learn more about it and check out a video walk-through at the OnTheGo web site: www.mywebonthego.com (yes, most on-the-go and similar domains were snapped up long ago!). Go to the “Download” section to get it on your phone in any of three ways, or open http://m.mywebonthego.com with your phone’s WAP browser to download it directly.
More screenshots:
Similar products: Scanbuy Shopper, featured on Lifehacker (coincidentally, right at the time OTG was released), except that it offers more search options
MIDP Project: Amazon-OnTheGo
August 3, 2006
Where has this post been lurking? It is incredibly past due, but better late than never.
By way of background, in May, I began a short project to convert a Bluepulse widget into a full-blown MIDP application. Read the project details here. The goals were to exercise the J2ME Polish 1.3 beta, get an application through the Verified process, and port Amazon-OnTheGo.
The project was mostly successful:
- I learned a lot about the 1.3 beta release of Polish, and posted a few experiences I had with some of the new features. Splash Screen | Screen Info | Framed Form
- I ported the Bluepulse widget to Java ME, and built out support for a reasonable number of devices.
- I signed the application for a good number of models, and wrote about application signing and Java Verified signing. Java Verified | MIDP Signing 2
- I built a web site and simple provisioning system around the application.
But I’m still in the midst of the Java Verified process, which takes longer than I anticipated. I’ll continue to post updates if I run across any discoveries during the remainder of this process.
And during this project, J2ME Polish went and released a new beta preview: J2ME Polish 2.0! Polish 2.0 adds Java 5.0 support, floating point support for CLDC 1.0 devices, and better IDE integration. It also adds some utility classes to assist with object serialization and RMS use. Considering some of the unresolved bugs from the 1.3 beta release, I have some doubts about the robustness of 2.0, but I’ll be testing it out in the coming weeks.
Within the next day, I’ll post a description of the Amazon-OnTheGo MIDP application, and instructions on how you can get it on your phone.
LEGO Digital Designer
August 3, 2006
Tell me LEGO doesn’t know their customers. LEGO’s Digitial Designer software allows you to build a 3D model of your dream creation, and then order the parts needed to make it a reality. Once built, submit your creation to their product gallery. If you’ve ever had a fantasy of creating an Oop!-like LEGO sculpture, this looks like the best way to do it.
I wonder how the revenues of the simple Lego starter kits compare to some of their advanced sets. I’ve always assumed that the sheer quantity of those starter sets are heavily favored in the revenue mix, even if their margins aren’t as high as some of the advanced sets. But LEGO most definitely does not ignore the loyal hobbyists.
This software just made it to the top of my spare time to-do list.
Recent Comments