Java Kecil 2x

There seems to be a renaissance in Java jobs as the requests for Java programmers continue to outpace requests for any other platform or language in discussion groups and mailing lists.

I did a quick check on dice.com and found more than 15,000 Java jobs, which compares very nicely against about 13,000 overall Dotnet (and this includes all the cheap asp.net and perhaps “.net” that’s not related to dotnet at all), only about 5000 C# listings (what happened to all the C# is THE java-killer talk out there? LOL), about 1000 listings for PHP, and only 200 or so listings for Ruby (haha!!!).

I’ve also noticed how many Windows and other developers are being introduced to Java because of the success of Java ME’s MIDP, and I tell ya that just warms my heart!

So? You guys can gripe all you want about how heavy-weight EJBs are (I do and I use Spring, but so what? In this world there are niches for almost everything, so being heavyweight per se is NOT a bad thing), or how Java is so 1990s (duh! Guess they haven’t checked all the language popularity rankings recently, eh?), but just looking at all the stats, it looks like Java is THE platform for the 21st century!

And if anyone tells you otherwise, just tell them asj would like a little word with them - in private

Some VERY cool apps that have created, or are creating, quite a buzz not only in the Java world but in the larger populace. I’ve used most of the apps below, although I have yet to try a few.

Just for the few who might get confused, no, these are NOT desktop apps. Java SE does have its share of killer desktop apps (Azureus perhaps?), but Java ME (MIDP) is simply in another world entirely when it comes to possibilities. And btw, I am posting this using the KABLOG MIDP app on my Nokia 9300.

1. Opera Mini
   Opera Mini is a fast and tiny Web browser, that allows you to access the full Internet on your phone. I use this app ALL the darn time. It’s indispensable. My smartphone also has a full-fledged color browser, but I barely use it, if at all because it’s slow in comparison. Opera Mini is simply, DA BOMB. Enuff said.
2. Google Maps Mobile
   Combining directions, maps, and satellite imagery, Google Maps is a free download that lets you find local hangouts and businesses across town or across the country. Another app that I use all the time, whether to aid me in finding the nearest restaurant, or to view some satellite imagery of some far-off tropical beach (like Puerto Vallarta, where my wife and I went 2 years ago), or just to give me turn by turn directions. Now if only someone connected this app to a GPS…

   Wow! Well whaddaya know, some independent developers have started on this! Check out J2MEMap, which seems to be able to connect to GPS devices attached to or around the Java-enabled handset! VEDY VEDY cool indeed!

3. FlurryMail
   Enables you to receive all of your personal email on your cell phone. It even sends SMS messages when a new message comes into your box (although I switched that off fast since I was not sure whether incoming text messages are charged on my plan). You might wonder why I’m not using Opera Mini to do this, but the ease of use and interface in FlurryMail just beats using a mini-browser for doing this task hands down. Just another example of why “Thicker” non-browser-based clients are sometimes preferable to thinner browser-based ones.
4. Skype Mobile with Eqo
   I’ve never tried this, but many people think the world of Skype, so this might be just their thing. Hinkmond over at Sun also notes down this competitor that approaches the problem of long-distance phone service from a difference perspective.
5. Karaokini: Mobile Karaoke
   For the times when you just need to let it all out. Haven’t tried it, but I’m sure it’s a blast

   Cocoasoft also has a Karaoke app, and this was one app that was featured in Java.com, but honestly, a company that still has (c) 2004 on its website needs to get with it.

   And if you just want the lyrics, LyricTracker from Corpris might be just what you need. It claims to offer 1 million available lyrics!

6. GCalSync
   Carry your Google Calendar in your pocket! GCalSync will allow two-way synchronization between Google Calendar and your phone’s built-in calendar. Download events to your phone, or add an event on your phone and upload it to Google Calendar. This is a very new app that probably has some bugs, but I’m eager to start trying it.
7. MobyExplorer FTP Client
   Moby Explorer is a powerful File Manager and FTP Client for Java ME enabled mobile phones. It has support for military strength file encryption, a built in text editor which is also integrated with the encryption engine so you can write completely secure notes, and support for file compression using the GZip protocol. The Text Editor can also be used to edit files or web pages remotely on a FTP server. This app still has some kinks on it, but I’ve tried it on my servers and it is so cool to be editing HTML files on my Nokia 9300!
8. KABLOG
   A tool for mobile phones and PDAs that allows you to post photos and blog entries to blog servers and services such as TypePad, Movable Type, Blogger, WordPress, B2, Blog-City, UserLand (Radio), Roller, SnipSnap, and other blog servers that support either the simple blogger xmlrpc interface or the extended metaWeblog interface. It works really well for my WordPress blog, although it keeps adding some weird marks (like question marks) once in a while….Very cool anyways!
9. FIFA Mobile Matchcast
   Mobile Matchcast brings all the action of the 2006 FIFA World Cup straight from the pitch to your mobile! It offers everything you need to keep track of all the action, including match schedules, live match commentary, team standings, photos and much more. Futbol!!!!!!
10. The various Java ME telnet/ssh clients, as well as remote desktop clients like this and this. These are all pretty cool aps that allow me to do my work no matter where I am!

If you think your killer app could be just around the corner, you might want to visit some Java ME download sites (like this) to take a gander at the Java apps growing quietly in the most mundane of places.

Don’t you just love it when Microsoft is forced to use Java? I can just imagine the bitter taste in their mouth when circumstances conspire to give them no options but to throw in the towel and embrace one of their most bitter “rivals”. Shouldn’t this be in “Compact .NET Framework”?

Wanted at Microsoft: Some Java ME developers. Ugh!

Source: CNN.com

A new report from Gartner Dataquest shows Sun regaining the leadership in Unix-based servers and gaining revenue and market share in the overall market over the most recent quarter. Sun’s renewed Unix-based leadership, earning the company a 31.4 percent share, comes in a segment that is flat, due to continued weakening at the high end, a trend toward server consolidation, and the continued progress of those pesky lower-end Linux-based systems.

Yet Sun has reported that it had the highest growth among the top five vendors in the Linux-based space in terms of shipments and revenues. And Sun did emerge, according to the report, with an overall sales growth of 7.6 percent over a year ago, and now trails Dell by a scant 0.1 percentage point in the overall market.

Just think what Sun could have done if it had embraced Linux earlier!

Anyways, good news for the Java heads and Java nuts.

Source: Sun Gains Server Market Share; Linux Continues to Grow

Football (soccer) is by far the most-watched sporting event in the world today, and what better way to keep track of all the live events than by using the power of Java?

For the first time in the history of the World Cup, football fans will be able to follow the World Cup on their mobile devices through a rich graphical interface. Using a Java ME app downloaded from the official FIFA World Cup site, users will be able to follow every match with real time play-by-play information, live commentary, up to the second scores, and football news.

The Yahoo Mobile Matchcast was developed by EveryPoint and will be available soon.

In the meantime, you might want to download Mobilo’s World Cup 2006 Mobile scoreboard, another Java ME app.

I have to honestly say I was flabbergasted by this report. Obviously, I have no problems asserting that Java is #1 in the enterprise (JEE) or in the mobile space (JME), and I do know it’s made some very good strides on the desktop, with popular apps like Azureus, Limewire, QNext and others leading the way and garnering accolades from the open source community as well.

But never in a million years did I imagine this. Swing? I thought SWT actually would beat Swing handily!

Evans Data Corporation has reported that Swing is the dominant GUI Toolkit for Northern American developers. “Java Swing with 47% use, has surpassed WinForms as the dominant GUI development toolkit, an increase of 27% since fall 2004….Java GUI development is clearly experiencing substantial growth”

Source: Official: Swing is the Dominant GUI Toolkit

Nevertheless, although it was from late last year, I think this report shows that Java on the desktop has made some incredible strides indeed!

The Groovy RFID project will use Groovy scripting with the Sun Java System RFID middleware to intelligently manage sensors, RFID, strobes, alarms and Java motes. Cool, huh?

Want to get started?

Some tips to the attendees this year from the Hani of two years past. Learn, Enjoy, and make Merry!

My top ten JavaOne 2004 tips

If you’re going to JavaOne, or even if you aren’t, check out the JavaOne 2006 Mobile Conference Companion from Kallisto, a neat little app that features all the schedules for the greatest IT event, including the all-important After Dark timeline. The Nokia 3650 and Razr jars stall on my Nokia 9300 (they had not optimized it for the phone, but I had to try anyways), but worked great for my wife’s Razr v3 and my old Nokia 3650.

Note to Kallisto: Instead of a standalone app, one feature to add in future might be a way for people to upload new, shall we say, “informal” get-togethers into a server, which the Java ME app can query. Anyways, great job guys!

I mean, just LOOK at the REALLY COOL stuff going on just for Java ME!

Java ME Schedule

Wahhhh!!!!!!Wahhhh!!!!!! Is my mouth actually salivating???!!!!!