Latest News from Jason R Briggs

Java Games Development - Part 3

Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Part 1 of this series appeared in the August issue of Java Developer's Journal (Vol. 8, issue 8), and Part 2 appeared in the September issue (Vol. 8, issue 9).

Java Games Development - Part 2

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Part 1 of this series appeared in the August issue of Java Developer's Journal (Vol. 8, issue 8). JDJ: I'd just like to pick up on that 85% portability goal Jeff mentioned earlier. I'm just going on assumptions, but I think if you were developing a title for the PS2, GameCube, and XBox you would attempt to make sure that only the graphics and audio functionality were platform-specific and make the rest of the game as portable as possible. Seventy-five to eighty-five percent portability would therefore seem to be an achievable goal in C/C++, in which case Java has just lost one of its advantages, has it not?

Java Games Development - Part 1

Fri, 01 Aug 2003 00:00:00 EDT

I recently had a hankering to play an older (not ancient) PC game that I used to enjoy. Since I've moved my entire desktop over to Linux (for almost a year ago now) that meant stealing my wife's Windows laptop and trying to install the game on that.

P800 by Sony Ericsson

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 EDT

This review has, admittedly, been quite some time coming. Had I been looking at basic phone features, I could have produced something months ago - however, this magazine is not the mobile phone-geek's equivalent of the Trainspotter's Almanac (fortunately), and we have slightly more relevant details to discuss, such as exactly how well the P800 performs when running Java applications - so the review has taken considerably more time than I originally expected.

Spring . . . A Time of Change

Sat, 01 Mar 2003 00:00:00 EST

This will be my last outing as J2ME Editor for JDJ. It's been an interesting 22 issues, with big changes within both the Java and the J2ME spaces. Over the past two years, the number of JSRs related in some way to J2ME has increased (almost exponentially), an assortment of competitors have emerged challenging the dominance of both the Java language and the various editions of the platform, and new technologies have come...and just as quickly gone.

The Phone Smarts

Sat, 01 Feb 2003 00:00:00 EST

Thanks to the nice folks at Metrowerks, I finally have a smart phone to play with. As some of you may well be aware, I was suffering from an affliction of round-the-corner-itis that had prevented me from investing in a Java phone. However, when one is provided for you, this unfortunately common ailment is neatly bypassed. And so, shortly after Christmas, while my stomach was still painfully distended from consuming too many servings of turkey, cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, and Christmas pud, a Sony Ericsson P800 duly arrived on my doorstep.

A United Front

Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 EST

Along with many others, I've believed for quite some time now that there must be a change in the custodianship of Java for the platform to survive these uncertain times. My personal belief is that any future custodian of the Java platform must be an organization of community members (both corporate and individual) working toward definable open-source goals. Take the best from the JCP, the Apache model, the Linux/Kernel semi-dictatorship model, etc., and build something new to lead us forward.

The Latest in Mobility: Something for Everyone

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:00:00 EST

I recently noticed that Qualcomm has licensed the ARM1136J-S microprocessor core. The interesting thing to note about this announcement is one of the letters in that microprocessor version: the 'J'. ARM's 1136J-S is a Jazelle-enabled chip, meaning it's optimized for the Java instruction set; Qualcomm has effectively licensed a processor that will run Java applications more efficiently.

Has Hell Frozen Over?

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST

It's just as well I'm not a gambler. After pessimistically deciding that it would be a clichéd 'cold day in hell' before I saw a Java-enabled phone arrive on these shores, our local Vodafone launched the excellent Nokia 7650.

Don't Believe Everything You Read

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Where do market analysts get their figures? When you get a job as an industry or market analyst, do they give you a complimentary calculator that has a single button with a label marked 'Random' on the front?

The Sky Is Falling

Sun, 01 Sep 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Apparently it hasn't been a good quarter for many PDA makers. Shipments were down from the same period last year so, of course, doom and gloom are predicted by all and sundry. Actually I'm exaggerating; one of the reports I read was fairly evenhanded in its approach another was about as subdued as Chicken Little.

The Computer of Tomorrow

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:00:00 EDT

At times, I wonder just how far short the computer industry has fallen of its promise of a few decades ago. I'm not talking about the lofty ideal of the computer of the future that science fiction authors were predicting we'd be using by now, such as machines capable of holding a proper conversation (or better yet, capable of withering sarcasm in the face of human stupidity), human-computer symbiosis, etc.

Books and Chewing Gum

Mon, 01 Jul 2002 00:00:00 EDT

A recent press release from Palm got me thinking about their PDAs, as well as why Palm (in the UK) never returned my e-mails...but that's another matter (and half a world away now). In any case, according to the release, 5,000 Palms are to be purchased as part of a three-year grant program for several New York State school associations.

The Longer-Life Pen

Sat, 01 Jun 2002 00:00:00 EDT

I've been thinking a PhD student should consider doing a thesis on the life expectancy of a pen after it's purchased. I've come up with an approximate calculation for mine: LE (Life Expectancy) =DWU (Date of Wanting to Use)-1; in other words, a pen will go missing the day before you really need to use it. There's definitely a paper there somewhere waiting to be written.

Reflections

Wed, 01 May 2002 00:00:00 EDT

JavaOne is over, and it's time to sit back and reflect...and to sift through the hundreds of press releases and announcements that ricochet around the Internet like balls around a pinball machine. While I couldn't be there myself, when I checked my e-mails each day, I felt as if I was there in spirit at least.

A Long Way to Go

Mon, 01 Apr 2002 00:00:00 EST

A strange accident occurred on my flight back to New Zealand. Somehow, the plane flew through a rip in space-time and we wound up in a freak alternate dimension. The thing is, it was initially very difficult to tell that we weren't in the right dimension anymore, because everything was pretty much the same.

Leveling the Playing Field

Fri, 01 Mar 2002 00:00:00 EST

You've heard this said before. In fact, If you regularly peruse the pages of JDJ, you've heard it here more than once. In case it hasn'y sunk in, repeat after me: J2ME (especially MIDP) will provide tremendous opportunities for developers

A Star Alternative

Fri, 01 Mar 2002 00:00:00 EST

A few months ago Alan mentioned that he had finally shifted to Star Office. As someone who has been using the software suite since Sun took it over, I applaud his decision to move away from that other office package. However, the shift doesn’t come without a few challenges that can be quite annoying when you first make the move.

Chasing the Sun

Fri, 01 Feb 2002 00:00:00 EST

I've been hearing lately that Bluetooth is making a comeback. Considering that it had hardly gotten started when it was written off in certain quarters, it's amusing to see a comeback prediction so soon. In any case, I can see that short-range wireless protocols, such as Bluetooth, will eventually be enormously useful in the device market.

A Perfect World

Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 EST

I was reading a forum discussion recently that argued that J2ME was a mess. The general consensus (admittedly there weren't that many messages) seemed to be that this conclusion was correct. My automatic response was 'What a complete load of bollocks' (which I think means I've been living in England far too long). However, upon reflection, I still don't entirely agree, but I don't disagree either. I am officially in-betwixt camps. Neutral. Unbiased (yeah, right).

Whiteboard SDK, Bluetooth Edition by Zucotto Wireless Inc.

Sat, 01 Dec 2001 00:00:00 EST

A contagious disease that results in oddly colored teeth? A South Seas pirate with a penchant for eating toxic sea food? Or perhaps a superhero with really unhelpful superpowers? If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you've had your Java blinkers on and haven't been paying attention to the rest of the industry.

Wireless Java: Developing with Java 2 Micro Edition

Sat, 01 Dec 2001 00:00:00 EST

I don't usually buy technical books. Most of the time I manage to find what I'm looking for after a bit of hunting on the Web, virtual elbow-grease, so to speak. However, occasionally a tree-killing madness does come over me and Amazon gets the chance to clear the electronic cobwebs out of my bank account.

A Dodgy Character

Sat, 01 Dec 2001 00:00:00 EST

After what seems like months of waiting (and it probably has been), a color mobile phone (as opposed to a PDA/phone combination) has finally appeared on the British market. With a 101x80 pixel 256-color STN display, an e-mail application, calendar, games, and PC synchronization, it has everything you might want in a mobile...hang on a minute...where's the Java?

Kbrowser

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:00:00 EST

Before we get started, it's worthwhile noting that I'm not a big fan of WAP. Well, not the protocol itself exactly, but WML-based Web sites - the whole idea of browsing the Web on your mobile seems somewhat flawed when your screen real estate is minimal and you probably have only one more color than Henry Ford wanted for his cars. So when 4thpass offered me a look at their KBrowser for MIDP and Palm devices, I wasn't expecting to be that enthused. Sure, it's written in Java - feel free to clock me over the back of the head with a large shoe if I ever turn up my nose at a look at a good Java application - but it's WAP. If you've ever used a WAP phone (or know someone who has) you undoubtedly know the rhyme that goes along with it: WAP is crap. Okay, so maybe you haven't heard it, and I hang out with some really unimaginative people.

The Poor Cousin

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:00:00 EST

A big date in the European gamer's calendar is the European Con- sumer Trade Show (ECTS) in London. It's a time for 16-year old boys to polish up their fake IDs, dust off the letters confirming their internship at a large game publisher (printed earlier in the week on letterhead paper sold at exorbitant rates by some enterprising individual), and steal their older sister's eyeliner to provide the beard-fluff on their faces with a bit of added support - so they can try to sneak into the show. By all reports ECTS is like a poor cousin to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in the U.S., and while that's perhaps being a bit uncharitable, both Sony and Nintendo chose not to attend the show this year - indeed, Nintendo decided to hold its own event at another venue.

Wishful Thinking

Mon, 01 Oct 2001 00:00:00 EDT

I've come to the conclusion that Japan is the place to live. Not that I really want to move to a country that by all reports is an extremely crowded and busy place, but the Japanese always seem to get the best gadgets.

Nokia 9210 Communicator

Mon, 01 Oct 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Convergence. A word loved by PR companies and feared by nontechnical consumers. If you believe industry pundits, we'll all be carrying combination mobile phone-PDA-TV-toasters in the next few years. You'll be able to make a phone call, write a memo, watch the morning news, and cook your breakfast all at the same time while on your way to work. How close reality comes to the dream (or nightmare, depending upon your point of view) is anyone's guess, but the first devices that might fit a definition of 'convergence' are emerging on the market. Nokia's 9210 Communicator is one such combination - a mobile phone and PDA.

A Beginner's Guide to Writing Applications for the MID Profile

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 EDT

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we covered the basic features of the various MIDP APIs. We looked at creating and packaging a MIDlet, creating a user interface, and some basic graphics operations. We also discovered how to store data with the record management system and how to communicate over the network.

Cat Fight

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 EDT

If the computer industry was a cat fight, right now fur would be flying in every direction. Microsoft's recent decision to drop Java from their Windows XP distribution is a prime case in point. Spin merchants pop up left, right, and center to fire a barrage of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) missiles at whomever will listen, and then vanish in a puff of marketing dust. The general media is just as guilty of hyping this mini battle of words - I've lost count of the number of reporters who seem to think that 'Java-on-the-PC-desktop' is equivalent to 'the-whole-of-Java,' and predict doom and gloom for all Java developers if Microsoft doesn't distribute their VM with the operating system.

Out of Nowhere

Wed, 01 Aug 2001 00:00:00 EDT

If you've ever spent time in the Middle East, you'll know that bargaining is a way of life. You haggle over everything, especially if you're a tourist - they automatically triple and quadruple the price if you're a foreigner. So it doesn't seem that unusual to be arguing over the price of a bus fare to the center of Turkey - a reduction, when converted to sterling, works out to around 50 pence. So, in the flush of pride at finally having outwitted the locals and arguing the price down to an 'acceptable' amount (which is still probably 2 quid more than the locals pay), you should not, on the face of it, be that surprised when the coach pulls up on the outskirts of some unknown city, depositing you, your backpack, and some equally bewildered Turks unceremoniously on the side of the road at 4 in the morning.

The Missing Bits

Wed, 01 Aug 2001 00:00:00 EDT

In Part 1 of this article, which can be found in JDJ (Vol. 6, issue 7), we covered the basics of creating a Mobile Information Device Profile application (also called a MIDlet). We covered some of the functionality available in the user interface packages and a slightly more advanced graphics example.

Modern Rituals

Sun, 01 Jul 2001 00:00:00 EDT

It's an odd sensation when you're wandering around and everyone immediately looks at your chest. (No, I don't have a strange growth protruding from my sternum.) I recently visited the Embedded Systems Show (ESS) in London. The offending item, attracting all the attention, was the printed badge visitors were expected to wear when entering the exhibition, displaying in large letters their names and - more important - their companies.

Hello World, A Beginner's Guide To Writing Applications For The MID Profile

Sun, 01 Jul 2001 00:00:00 EDT

The first thing you're likely to see, upon sitting down to learn a new language, is the ubiquitous 'Hello...' application. My father bought me the TRS-80 Basic for Kids book when I was 8-years old, and I'm pretty sure that the first example was either 'Hello World' or 'Hello, my name is....'

The Incredibly Shrinking Platform

Fri, 01 Jun 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Okay. Let's get one thing clear right away. I am not writing (or better yet, dictating) this on a Java-enabled PDA while sitting on the bus on my way to work - a fact that I find somewhat disturbing, and more than a little annoying. Perhaps not as disturbing as my fellow passengers would find it if I was talking into a little box, but disturbing nonetheless. Instead, I'm balancing my notebook on my lap, at a 45-degree angle, while lying on the sofa.

J2ME Editorial

Fri, 01 Jun 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Technology seems at times to proceed at a breakneck pace. The downside to this expectation for a consistently high rate of technological improvement is that at other times, progress comes at a more leisurely pace - analogous to watching paint dry or sloth racing.

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 EST

It's a well-known fact that Web forums seldom stay on topic - and even if they do, there's usually one group of contributors who like to wander off on a tangent. There's nothing particularly wrong with that, in fact, it makes for interesting reading at times.

GruntSpud...Still in Alpha, But It's Definitely Worth a Look

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 EST

Source Control. The bane of software developers; if only because you have to interrupt your thought processes in order to make sure you've safely backed up those preceding thought processes. That fact doesn't change whether you're a J2EE, J2SE, or J2ME developer... or working in any other language, for that matter.