Bluetooth Everywhere

Ok, most of you know that I’m a proponent for Java ME. I love writing applications for mobile devices, and I’ve been doing it for a LONG time (over 10 years). I like this stuff so much, I even wrote a book about it. Java ME is so popular, it on over a billion mobile phones (remember, there’s a difference between mobile phones and smart phones). One of the major benefits for Java and Java ME is platform independence, but I’m starting to see an alarming trend in the industry. So, as an experiment, I want to you think of the major *touchscreen* smartphones. Here’s the ones that come to mind for me:

1.  iPhone 3G
2. Palm Pre
3. Nokia N97
4. Nokia 5800
5. Blackberry Storm
6.  Samsung Instinct
7. G1 (Google Android)
8. HTC Touch Diamond

Alright, now your list may have +/- a few phones, but your list should be quite similar to mine. Now, back in the day, we were told that Java ME CLDC was the JVM platform for the mass market mobile phones, and Java ME CDC was the JVM platform for high-end smartphones with extra processing power. Now today, touchscreen smartphones are truly high-end, so which of the phones in my list (or your list) come enabled out-of-the-box with Java ME CDC?

Maybe two of them — maybe.

If the device is a Samsung Instinct or HTC Touch Diamond, and if it came from Sprint, then there’s a high probability that it includes Java ME CDC (via Sprint Titan). I’m not too familiar with Sprint’s success with the Titan platform, so I could be wrong. Even Nokia (which has been a huge supporter of Java ME) put Java SE 1.4 on their new flagship device, the N97.

Folks, if you ask me, this is not a good sign. What is the platform independent language for touchscreen smart phones? Did you know that Flash runs on more than 1/2 of those devices. Hmmm…

Ok, so the Sun SPOT is a really cool device. I thought that I’ve blogged about it before, but no, apparently I haven’t. So anyway, it’s a really cool mobile device platform that allows Java ME developers to create applications that run on embedded systems.

This device has an accelerometer, temperature sensor, a bunch of other cool stuff like a 802.15.4 radio. However, it doesn’t have Bluetooth (and that’s a shame). However, Dave Simmons wrote a nice blog posting on how to get your hands dirty and *MAKE* it Bluetooth-enabled. Be warned, however, that if you don’t feel comfortable with a soldering iron, then stay away.     :-)

Ok folks,

I’ve been commissioned by Sun to write the first article on MIDP 3.0 technology. Cool, huh? So, if you missed the MIDP 3.0 sessions this year at JavaOne, or if you have a burning question about the next Java platform that will be on billions of mobile devices in the coming years, then this is your grand opportunity for you to ensure that the article will answer your question. So, if you have a question about MIDP 3.0, then post it below!