Related to some of my previous presentations which included sections on Java ME’s Mobile 3D Graphics (M3G) and Java SE’s Java 3D API:
IBM devWorks is publishing a series of articles by Claus Höfele on “3D graphics for Java mobile devices“. Part 1 is on M3G’s immediate mode (you provide instructions to the graphics engine and they are carried out and the results rendered immediately). If you’re interested in a standard API for fast 3D graphics on a wide range of mobile phones and handhelds, check out Claus’ article.
Expect a future installment on M3G’s retained mode (enables you to use scene graphs to build up content, carry out transformations, etc. before rendering at a later time).
National Geographic News published an interesting tidbit on the use of miniscule radio tags to track dragonflies.
As they note in the story:
The transmitters—which weigh 0.01 ounce (0.3 gram) and are about 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) long—are glued to the insects’ undersides. A single wire antenna runs the length of the abdomen, and a tiny battery powers the device for up to a week.
That’s one tiny tag! I’m going to have to Google this and see if I can turn up more about the tech being used. It makes me wonder how far we are from tiny dragonfly migration tracking video cams…
Sure, we all knew it was coming. But it still rocks, no?
Watch the announcement, tour the features and read the specs, then sit back and imagine what will happen if iPod and iTunes do for video distribution what they did for music.
Gentlepeople, start your encoders!
The love child of Nokia’s cozying up to Eclipse and its purchase of Metrowerks’ Symbian tools and team has been born:
Nokia has introduced a new family of Symbian C++ development tools christened “Carbide.c++”.
It interesting to note that Carbide.c++ tools support not only Nokia’s Series 60 and Series 80, but also UIQ favored by Sony Ericsson in devices such as its new P990 smartphone. Time and hands-on experience with Carbide will tell how useful Nokia’s tools really are for targeting SE devices!
Details on each of the three members of the Carbide.c++ family (Express, Developer, and Professional) are available from Forum Nokia’s Carbide homepage. Specifics on the free Express product are available from the Carbide.c++ Express datasheet.
Given the number of click-throughs I’m seeing in my Google AdSense reports, context specific ads seem to be useful for many site visitors.
To that end, I’ve decided to also offer Google link units at the bottom of each blog post including the first post on my homepage. These link units allow you to pull up a list of ads for one of several topics related to the content of the particular blog entry.
I’m watching to see if link units are also the subjects of click-through love and will decide whether to keep them after a few weeks have elapsed.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, let me know what you think.
Following up on my post “Symbian Signed for open source apps” yesterday:
Forum Nokia has posted “Freeware Opportunities for Series 60 and Series 80 Developers” detailing how to request free Symbian Signed testing.
Which software qualifies? The document notes:
The only requirement is that the application submitted conform to the program’s definition of freeware as “software that is distributed at no charge to the user, and from which the developer derives no form of direct revenue for the software being used.” The program allows honorware (“if you like this, feel free to contribute”) as long as there is no restriction on users should they choose not to contribute. The program explicitly excludes applications that provide a limited feature set of a commercial product (crippleware) and applications that provide revenue to the developer through the delivery of messages to users (adware).
Seems reasonable to me. The document also clarifies that the program will be administered by Symbian and paid for by Symbian and its licensees, including Nokia (the report from yesterday only mentioned Nokia picking up the tab).
Learn more by downloading and reading the PDF here.
All About Symbian reports that Nokia is going to pay for all Series 60 and 80 freeware developers to have their apps Symbian Signed. If true this will finally allow open source to play nicely with newer Symbian-based phones.
Lack of a free path to get open source Symbian Signed has been a major stumbling block for potential Symbian developers, IMO. There are enough obstacles for future Symbian success without developers tripping up over this one. Good on ya Nokia for trouncing this problem before it got out of hand.
Watch BillDay.com for an update with details once they’re posted to Forum Nokia.
A not-so-secret secret about theoretical SMS and network security has surfaced lately and demands a response.
As Bruce Schneier reports, several researchers have published a paper showing that one can theorectically deny cellular voice service over a network using a relatively small scale SMS-based DoS attack. The researchers estimate 165 SMS messages per second could disrupt voice service on a targeted network throughout Manhattan. In theory, this throughput level is something one broadband connected computer might accomplish.
The problem with the theory, however, is that it doesn’t take into account the realities of the GSM network side of the equation.
In practice, carrier infrastructure and policies actually render this theoretical attack just that, theoretical.
Nice try, guys, but no dice.
1UP just reported on the first known trojan targeting the Sony PSP.
Symantec’s Security Response center lists Trojan.PSPBrick as a low threat because PSP users have to deliberately download the trojan for it to do its thing. Nonetheless if they do, PSPBrick deletes system files, rendering the PSP a non-booting hunk-a-gunk (hence the catchy name, get it?).
PSPers beware: Make sure you know the source and full story behind a mod (whether you’re downgrading or upgrading) before you download it. Nuff said.
To the new style blockquotes I’ve been trying out since I upgraded WP:
You haven’t grown on me. I’m switching back. See ya.
PC Magazine and others have picked up Nokia’s “Top photographers spearhead Nokia Nseries See New Competition” press release.
The gist: You can submit up to five cellcam pics that you’ve taken using a megapixel+ camera phone to the contest. Judges include five widely known photographers who will help pick the best snaps of the lot.
Get picked, and you can win a Nokia N90 or other cool handset, time on a photo shoot with one of the pros, and have your pic featured in various media including future Nokia handset wallpaper the world over.
Yes, this is all obviously a blatant marketing maneuver to sell more Nseries phones, but who cares if you win, right? I’m going to enter some photos right now. (I guess there’s another perk from my job change last fall…)
On a recent troll through Google for all things “J2ME Archive”, I came across some blatant thievery of my site.
Why not just link to my “J2ME Archive“, blogger_guy, instead of ripping most of the interesting bits while making sure not to include the copyright statement and other clearly identifying portions of my page? I smell a crook.
I’ve emailed India Times’ blog support group to ask that they remove the copyrighted bits as follows:
To whom it may concern:
I found this page in Google:
http://o3.indiatimes.com/j2me
It clearly copies my copyrighted “J2ME Archive” page: http://billday.com/j2me
No one ask or was given permission to copy my material and post it on your O3 blog site.
Please remove this page immediately and instead link to the original, copyrighted “J2ME Archive” at: http://billday.com/j2me
Thank you,
Bill Day
Founder, Day Web Development
http://billday.com
I don’t believe anyone at India Times overseeing their blogs knew about this infringement, but I do hope to see them rectify the situation immediately. The lesson here is: Cheat, and Google’s gonna find you!
About a year ago I wrote of troubles I’d been having with my site host, NTT Verio.
Unfortunately, the troubles have continued. My site’s been attacked because of holes in their security and been taken down because of NTT Verio making changes without informing me. Worst of all, they haven’t dropped their price any while other, more Wordpress-compatible services have gotten cheaper and cheaper while offering more and more bandwidth, disk space, and software features.
It was time to move, so I have. BillDay.com is now proudly brought to you by yours truly with a little help from Dreamhost.
The basic “Crazy Domain Insane!” Dreamhost plan rocks with the following capabilities at signup:
- 4800 MB disk storage (increases 40 MB/week after that)
- 120 GB monthly bandwidth (increases 1 GB/week after that)
- unlimited number of MySQL databases
- secure shell access (ssh/scp/sftp)
- free domain registration and hundreds of email addresses for the life of your account
- easy installs for a bunch of goodies including Wordpress, Jabber IM, phpBB, MediaWiki, and more
- $9.95/month ($7.95/month with two year prepayment)
And that’s just their entry level plan.
There may be a little bit of dust here as I settle into the new digs, but once it’s cleared, there are some new features I plan to roll out sometime soon. Watch for more, and if you’re shopping for a new host yourself, give Dreamhost a look to see if they meet your needs as well as they’ve met mine.
