• Hair-thin bio-sensors could open up some very interesting possibilities http://t.co/I8vBXdL via @DiscoverMag #
• The key to harnessing feedback loops as discussed in @wired http://t.co/jkfaqe8 is cheap sensors #SensorsFTW #
• Nice @lifehacker device and software roundup: "How I Got in Shape with the Help of Technology" http://t.co/9gNiRht #RunKeeper #
• A healthier, more connected world with @runkeeper and the @HealthGraphAPI http://t.co/rKnXL17 via @programmableweb #

PayPal X Platform

• Easily exploitable Square card reader vulnerabilities http://bit.ly/qrTrSK #
• "Bitcoin: Money without Governments" http://bit.ly/n9qlRk is my latest @PayPalX article (includes @Magento Payment Gateway Plugin info) #
• Google rocks Android by buying Motorola http://bit.ly/mRqh7T including partner reactions and what might be next for developers #

Wireless and mobility

• Whoa! Google is buying Motorola Mobility http://t.co/v37QAai (press release http://t.co/cBv55yI ) #
• Will hardware makers trust #Google after #Motorola buy? http://t.co/y02N2oe (somehow the partner quotes seem flat http://t.co/5psWstC ) #
• More on Google discontinuing @AppInv http://t.co/1pNIjX5 particularly interesting given their big bet on #Android with their #Motorola buy #
• TC's @parislemon picked up on the same Googerola partner nonsense http://t.co/6zC559H that I wrote about http://t.co/yZzsu16 for @PayPalX #
• How Google *really* stuck it to Apple and Microsoft with the Nortel patent bidding, then Motorola purchase http://t.co/kabD2UM via @sai #

APIs and development

• API adoption tip: You need at least one simple, open method http://t.co/g9j8NBh via @apigee (very well said!) #
• Elegant single file backup before you edit http://t.co/hAr97c7 via @commandlinefu #

Personal things

• How to reach influencers using @exportly and @gist http://t.co/IdctheA #
• Thank you, Warren Buffett, for saying what needs to be said (and done): "Stop Coddling the Super-Rich" http://t.co/13rc9D6 via @nytimes #

Running

• Preparing for a trip by reading up on running the Esplanade in "Boston: A Runner's Guide" http://t.co/QaHrL1f via @runnersworld #
• Charles River running map http://t.co/DQrtUcF #
• 5k EZ after yesterday's long run. http://t.co/Kqc69sa #RunKeeper http://t.co/fMkfYvJ #
• Easy 5k, neg splits 10:30, 10:04, 9:36, final 0.1mi at 8:22 pace. http://t.co/HL19v3i #RunKeeper http://t.co/jO0sGZu #
• 8mi in mid-90s heat, ugh. http://t.co/hAJBzLt #RunKeeper http://t.co/UPSOUgY #
• 5.00mi gravel roads, first run with Camelbak Octane. http://t.co/TRATo0Y #RunKeeper http://t.co/UVFmc9R #

Google went out of their way in the announcement to note:

This acquisition will not change our commitment to run Android as an open platform. Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. We will run Motorola as a separate business. Many hardware partners have contributed to Android’s success and we look forward to continuing to work with all of them to deliver outstanding user experiences.

If you were Samsung, HTC, or another of Googerola’s Android hardware partners, would that make you feel any better about trusting Google’s Android intentions?  Sure there were the usual quotes trotted out from said partners, but don’t they sound a bit like each partner simply echoing back the official “line”?  To wit:

“We welcome today’s news, which demonstrates Google’s deep commitment to defending Android, its partners, and the ecosystem.”  – J.K. Shin, President, Samsung, Mobile Communications Division

“I welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.” – Bert Nordberg, President & CEO, Sony Ericsson

“We welcome the news of today‘s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.” – Peter Chou, CEO, HTC Corp.

Click here to read all the quotes provided by Google.

Most importantly for X.com community members, what will this purchase mean for Android app development?  It’s a bit early to say, although I would speculate that we’ll see skinless Moto devices as follow-ons to the Nexus series of phones coming at some point.  I have a guess what next year’s big Google I/O giveaway may be…

Click here to read the complete post on the PayPal X Developer Network including links to additional coverage and information on Google’s Motorola acquisition.

Java ME Application and Tool Repositories

Java ME Emulators and SDKs

Specifications:

• Mobile Information Device Profile
  (MIDP 2.0 Spec, 2.0 Reference Impl, and FAQ; 1.0 Spec and OTA Recommended Practice) — application runtime environment for wireless devices; requires CLDC
• Connected, Limited Device Configuration (CLDC 1.1 Spec, 1.1 Reference Impl, FAQ; 1.0 Spec) — base Java support for mobile phone, pager, PDA class devices
• Mobile Media API (MMA 1.0 Spec, 1.0 Reference Impl) — API for access and control of audio and video; targeted at CLDC and MIDP devices, but does not exclude support by CDC implementations
• Wireless Messaging API (WMA 2.0 Spec, 1.1 Spec, 1.1 Reference Impl) — APIs provides standard access to SMS and CBS messaging; WMA 2.0 will extend WMA to support multimedia messaging via MMS
• Java Technology for the Wireless Industry (JTWI 1.0 Spec, FAQ) — clarifies how MIDP, CLDC, WMA, and MMA technologies interoperate in real world end-to-end solution deployments
• Java APIs for Bluetooth (Java APIs for Bluetooth 1.0 Spec) — enables devices to integrate into Bluetooth environments
• J2ME Web Services (J2ME Web Services Specification 1.0 Spec) — optional package providing standard access to Web Services from Java ME

• Not find the Java ME specification you were looking for? Try searching through: All Java ME related Java Specification Requests (JSRs)
• Still not finding it? Try expanding your search to: All Java Specification Requests (JSRs)
• Related specifications: XHTML and HTML | HTTP 1.1 | TLS (based upon SSL) | HTTP over TLS | Compact HTML | Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) | Bluetooth | IEEE 802.11 standards

Books:

I’ve listed all of the Java ME development related books of which I am aware below, plus a few related wireless titles thrown in at the bottom for good measure. If you are considering buying one or more of these books, be sure you read the reader reviews on each page.

Additional books may be available by clicking here to search for Java ME titles in Amazon.com. You can also visit the kvm-interest archives for authors’ descriptions of their books and reviews from other Java ME developers.

• Riggs, Taivalsaari, and VandenBrink: Programming Wireless Devices with the Java(tm) 2 Platform, Micro Edition (The Java Series)
• John W. Muchow: Core J2ME Technology and MIDP (Sun Microsystems Press)
• Cynthia Block and Annette Wagner: MIDP 2.0 Style Guide for the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (The Java Series)
• Jonathan Knudsen: Wireless Java: Developing with J2ME, 2nd ed (APress)
• Kim Topley: J2ME in a Nutshell (O’Reilly)
• Michael Yuan: Enterprise J2ME: Developing Mobile Java Applications (Prentice Hall)
• Qusay Mahmoud: Learning Wireless Java (O’Reilly)
• David Fox and Roman Verhovsek: Micro Java(TM) Game Development (Addison-Wesley)
• James Keogh: J2ME: The Complete Reference (McGraw-Hill)
• Daryl Wilding-McBride: Java Development on PDAs: Building Applications for Pocket PC and Palm Devices (Addison-Wesley)
• Yu Feng and Jun Zhu: Wireless Java Programming with J2ME (Sams)
• Michael Morrison: Teach Yourself Wireless Java with J2ME in 21 Days (Sams)
• Eric Giguere: Java 2 Micro Edition: Professional Developers Guide (Wiley)
• Enrique Ortiz and Eric Giguere: Mobile Information Device Profile for Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME): Professional Developer’s Guide (Wiley)
• Bill Ray et al: Professional Java Mobile Programming (Wrox)
• Michael Kroll and Stefan Haustein: Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) Application Development (Sams)
• Imtiyaz Haque and Brian O’Connor: J2ME Enterprise Development (John Wiley & Sons)
• Dan Harkey et al: Wireless Java Programming for Enterprise Applications: Mobile Devices Go Corporate (John Wiley & Sons)
• James White and David Hemphill: Java 2 Micro Edition (Manning)
• Vartan Piroumian: Wireless J2ME Platform Programming (Prentice Hall)
• Mikko Kontio: Professional Mobile Java with J2ME (IT Press)
• Paul Tremblett: Instant Wireless Java with J2ME (McGraw Hill)
• Dreamtech Software Team: Wireless Programming with J2ME: Cracking the Code (Hungry Minds)
• Hinkmond Wong: Developing Jini(TM) Applications Using J2ME(TM) Technology (Addison-Wesley)
• Mark Beaulieu: Wireless Internet Applications and Architecture (Addison Wesley)
• Martyn Mallick: Mobile and Wireless Design Essentials (John Wiley & Sons)
• Matthew S. Gast: 802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide (O’Reilly)
• Bob O’Hara and Al Petrick: The IEEE 802.11 Handbook: A Designer’s Companion

Related Sites:

Java Platform, Micro Edition homepage
KVM-interest mailing list archives (all things Java ME discussed here)
Bill Day’s blog

Discussions: Java.net Mobile & Embedded Community |Nokia Developer Boards | Keitai-L list | Siemens list

FAQs: Sun Mobility FAQs, Glossary | Wireless Telecom Glossary

Portals: Sun Mobility site | Forum Nokia | WirelessDevNet

Devices: Nokia device specs | RIM BlackBerry devices

US Carrier Developer Sites: AT&T | Sprint

802.11 Networks and WUGs: Community WiFi Cafes | Wi-Fi Hotspot List | Wi-Fi Zone Finder | NodeDB.com | 802.11b Community Network List

Bill Day’s technical presentations (Java ME and other topics)
Spotless research VM
Zev Blut’s Basic guide to developing iAppli programs (Java for imode)
O’Reilly Network 802.11 articles
Google Mobile

Events: java.net Event Calendar | JavaOne

News: Engadget | Wireless Week

John C. Dvorak disagrees with me on the potential of iPhone.

Dvorak makes a good point about the pace of innovation in the mobile industry which Apple would be very wise to note:

These phones go in an out of style so fast that unless Apple has half a dozen variants in the pipeline, its phone, even if immediately successful, will be passé within 3 months.

Surely someone in Cupertino must be saying “iWhat? Doesn’t he think we thought of that?”. At least, I hope they are.

Dvorak continues:

What Apple risks here is its reputation as a hot company that can do no wrong.

That is exactly right. iPhone is a big bet. But that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a bad bet.

Risk and opportunity, two sides of the same coin. If Apple’s right, the world is at their doorstep. If not, NOK may be looking better in a few months…

What happened? In a word, Razr. In a few words: Too much Razr, too little else.

SeekingAlpha also notes:

Zander said that the second quarter would also be “difficult.” The company cited several issues in its mobile device business, including too few 3G phones in Europe; aggressive pricing in emerging markets by rivals; and an unwillingness to match some price cuts in those markets, resulting in the loss of share.

Meanwhile, Nokia and Apple have been trading up of late. The three month comparison is not favorable for Motorola.

June should be very interesting.

The 61st installment of the Carnival is out. Jan Kuczynski has posted number 61 on Wireless World Japan, complete with a Matsuri theme.

My “Two horse race, soon to be three” post on the mobile handset market made the cut. Thanks Jan!

Last July I wondered in writing about Q2 2006 NOK and MOT numbers:

Is mobile handset design and marketing now a two horse race?

As reported in this Chicago Tribune story on Q4 2006 results, the answer appears to be a big “Yes”. According to the Strategy Analytics numbers quoted by the Tribune:

1. Nokia increased Q4 share to 35.2% worldwide, versus 34.1% Q4 2005
2. Motorola rose to 21.9%, from 18.2% in the final quarter of 2005
3. Samsung lost share, down to 10.7% from 11.1% in the same quarter last year
4. Sony Ericsson is up to 8.7% from 6.6% last year
5. Closing out the top five, LG Electronics sank to 5.7% share from 6.6% in Q4 2005

Although Sony Ericsson increased its share a bit year-over-year, it appears to be more at the expense of Samsung and LG than of Nokia or Motorola. And even with S.E.’s rise, Nokia and Motorola still managed to pull slightly further ahead of the pack.

I wonder how things will stack up at this time next year, after iPhone has had a few months on the market? For Steve to hit his target of 1% share by 2008, Apple wouldn’t need to take very much from the major players.

Getting to the next order of magnitude, however, will be quite a bit more challenging. 10% share would position Apple in the top three mobile makers, assuming they grab share more at the expense of Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and LG than Nokia or Motorola. And as you can see from this quarter’s numbers, 10% iPhone market share won’t be easy to come by. But given the key bit of my quote from mid-2006, that this is a race based upon “design and marketing”, I’d say Apple has a better chance than anyone else at getting there from here. Assuming they listen to feedback and understand the shape of the mobile market, of course.

A Cingular sales rep named Danny Orange posted to The Boy Genius Report yesterday about what he’s hearing from customers on the iPhone.

This launch will be huge. I am a cingular sales rep and all we heard all day today were customers coming in and asking questions about the iphone. Many of the customers are you average joe user, so i think apple is going for a broader demographic then just “apple users” or “ipod users”. I think the launch will be huge, but i hope cingular will embrace this device as part of its rebranding.

I’d suspected iPhone could cut a wide swath. Early customer buzz seems to agree. And Danny’s speculation that Cingular might use the iPhone launch as part of its re-branding as AT&T (argh) seems dead on.

And for existing Cingular customers under contract: According to Engadget, “Both existing and new customers will be able to purchase the iPhone”. Presumably that means one can purchase it at launch time for the 2 year contract price, assuming you’re willing to extend any existing contract out 2 more years(?). No waiting for the usual upgrade window of two months til end of contract? Please, Cingular, please!

If Cingular and Apple play things right, this could be a very interesting launch come June!

What do you think? Has Apple beaten NOK, MOT, and the others at their own game? Talk it up.

• During the first six months of 2006, PDA+smartphone shipments grew 57% versus first half of 2005
• Shipments totaled 42.1 million units
• 34.7 million of those units were smartphones, versus approximately 7.4 million PDAs

That’s right, 82.4% of all “mobile computer” devices sold from January through June of this year where phones, not PDAs. Not surprisingly, the article goes on to note:

The last stronghold for PDAs is North America, which is the only region where they outsold smartphones. In fact, North America accounted for 45 percent of worldwide PDA shipments during the first half of 2006. On the flip side, Japan prefers smartphones more than any other region, accounting for 33 percent of shipments for the first half of the year.

And my favorite bit as a former employee and current NOK shareholder:

Nokia owns half of the smartphone market and was responsible for 42 percent of PDA and smartphone shipments during the first part of 2006.

If I worked for Palm I’d really be praying that the Treo 680 gains some mass market traction RSN.