In the meantime, developers are pushing to build richer and more interesting applications, both from a functional as well as a user interface perspective. New use cases in mCommerce, social networking, location-based services, mobile cloud features, and access to functionality on the operator network are catalysts to create and deliver new compelling applications to the largest mobile user base.

To that end, Oracle is revving the mobile Java platform with Oracle Java Wireless Client 3.1 (OJWC). OJWC is an industry-leading Java ME implementation geared towards device manufacturers, operators, and OEMs who want to get to market quickly with a full-featured, high-performance mobile Java runtime.

This latest 3.1 release provides the following new functionality:

• SIM Extensions—Enable remote content management on mobile handsets through SIM-based services
• Oracle Mobile Developer APIs—Allow new use cases for Java ME applications on feature phones
• Improved Content Management APIs—Facilitate content discovery and deployment
• Network APIs—Leverage data from operator’s network for running smarter Java ME applications on resource-constrained devices
• Other Enhancements—Aid integration with the device platforms

Oracle Java Wireless Client 3.1 will become available on devices over time as it is rolled out in markets around the world.

For developers, the new features such as the Oracle Mobile Developer APIs and the Network APIs are of particular interest. You will be able to start building applications for OJWC 3.1 with the upcoming next release of the Java ME SDK – stay tuned for this.

Find out all the details about OWJC here.

Cheers,

– Terrence

JTHarness is a general-purpose, fully-features, flexible, and configurable test harness well suited for many types of unit testing. The JTHarness team has been continually maintaining and improving the code for several years now and the 4.4.1 Milestone Release 1 (MR1) went live on December 21.

Release 4.4.1 is a maintenance release which fixes bugs and includes the following notable changes:

• Makes the “Report Converter” tool easier to use
• Improves the speed of loading the ResultCache file
• Shortens harness start-up time
• Allows known test execution ordering
• Adds new “Save view filter” settings
• Improves COF functionality

JTHarness 4.4.1 is compatible with JTHarness 4.4. See the release notes for further details.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Ingmar just released the new RS232 communication plugin for NetBeans, called nbplugin-avr. This plugin features sending, receiving, displaying, and logging of serial data from within the NetBeans IDE as well as setting configuration parameters and some handy UI features. The plugin also offers a public API which allows other NetBeans modules to leverage RS232 communications.

Next, Ingmar will be working on adding support for AVR/Ardunio microcontrollers in the NetBeans IDE. Great stuff – this brings a new class of development targets and better integration to NetBeans!

Cheers,

– Terrence

At this point, a total of 48 sessions are now publicly available on Parleys.com, and have been viewed around 75,000 times already.

You can find all the content in the Java > JavaOne 2011 space on Parleys.com.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Taking a quick break from the break to wish everyone Happy Holidays And A Great 2012!

For some extra ‘Holiday Spirit’ from Java developers around the world, tune into The Java Spotlight Podcast Holiday Episode #62. 96 voices, 12 languages, 16 countries. Entertaining and inspiring.

All the Best,

– Terrence

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a video shoot summarizing the key announcements at JavaOne 2011 in San Francisco.

The two videos are now available and feature Gaye Hudson, Steve Walker, Andy Gilbert, and myself. 20 minutes each, they give you a compact wrap-up in terms of JavaOne excitement, community updates, Oracle leadership, and progress in Java SE, JavaFX, Java EE, Java ME, and Java Cloud.

Go to this page and select the JavaOne Key Announcements Tab on the top right.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Just back from Brazil and no time to catch my breath … so much happening:

• JavaOne Latin America was a blast – so much enthusiasm in the developer community! Check out some of the videos and podcasts, including the JavaOne Community Keynote, OTN interviews with a variety of Java luminaries, as well as the Java Spotlight Podcast #60: JavaOne Latin America: Videos and Podcasts
• Java 7u2 has been released, featuring an updated VM, support for Oracle Solaris 11, support for Firefox 5 and later, and security fixes. Also, JavaFX 2.0.2 is now included with Java SE to make developing and running JavaFX applications even easier: Java SE 7u2 Release Notes, JavaFX 2.0.2 Release Notes
• Aligning with mainline JDK development, Java SE Embedded 7u2 has been released as well. This release includes new ports to Linux on PPC and performance improvements on ARM systems by 20-40%. Also, Oracle intends to port JavaFX to Linux on ARM in order to support a broad range of platforms from mid-range embedded all the way to desktops: Henrik’s blog on the Java SE Embedded 7u2 release.
• Lots of activity around JavaFX as well – interest is really taking off. Point in case: A new project, eFX, has been started on java.net aiming to create a generic application framework for JavaFX 2.0 based on the NetBeans platform: Geertjan’s blog on eFX
• Finally, OTN put together a list of their “Most Popular Tech Articles of 2011″. Java topics, from Java SE 7 and 8 features, Java EE 6, JSF, and JavaFX dominate the list. Have a look: Our Most Popular Tech Articles of 2011

Cheers,

– Terrence

Despite its minor number increment (from 3.0 to 3.0.5) there are substantial changes and improvements in the new Java ME SDK version, including:

• Netbeans integration: All Java ME tools are now implemented as NetBeans plugins
• LWUIT 1.5 support, including the new GUI Builder
• Ability to use the NetBeans CPU profiling for Java ME applications and even VM classes
• Network Monitor supports monitoring connections such as SIP, Bluetooth, and OBEX, and more
• New tracing functionality for monitor events, method invocation, garbage collection, and more
• Support for multiple Device Managers
• WURFL device database updated with more than 1000 new devices
• New or updated JSR support for a number of APIs

Definitely worth checking out. Find out more and download directly at the Java ME SDK OTN page.

Cheers,

– Terrence

• MPLAB wins Elektra Electronic Industry Award 2011

People are doing amazing things with the NetBeans RCP (Rich Client) Platform. Geertjan Wielenga just pointed me to two more cool uses, this time for embedded development.

First, Microchip Technology Inc. has built an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for their PIC MCU series, called MPLAB. It’s a feature-rich, fully integrated, end-to-end development environment for developing and testing applications for their range of 8, 16, and 32-bit microcontrollers.

It is built on NetBeans RCP and features a number of advanced functions such as building, deploying, and running/debugging MCU code with a single click, visualizing call graphs to understand complex code, seamless support for different MCU types, project and tool configurations, change tracking, code templates, and much more.

Read this interview with the lead developer, Vince Sheard, on all the features and why they chose NetBeans RCP as the base to build MPLAB on.

Second, coming more from a hobbyist angle, there are several options to program Atmel MCUs (basis of the extremely popular Arduino platform), including the Java-based Arduino IDE.

However, developer Ingmar Hendriks prefers using the NetBeans IDE with its C/C++ support to program Atmel MCUs directly. As Ingmar points out in this interview there are already several options to do that – but it would be great to leverage the flexible NetBeans plugin architecture and create a dedicated plugin which integrates the Atmel MCU tool chain into the NetBeans IDE. This would give developers a one-stop, integrated IDE experience for programming Arduino platforms.

Check out Ingmar’s proposal for creating such a plugin. Sounds like a great idea to me!

Cheers,

– Terrence

For the next 10 days Java will be all over Brazil … and I don’t mean the black, hot kind

JavaOne Latin America

First, JavaOne Latin America is in Sao Paulo from the 6th to the 8th. Choose from dozens of technical sessions, keynotes, and hands-on labs, explore the booths and DEMOGrounds in the Exhibition Area, and take advantage of the opportunities to speak first-hand with the experts and mingle with your fellow developers.

JavaOne Latin America is organized in four tracks

• Client Side Technologies and Rich User Experiences
• Core Java Platform
• Java EE, Web Profile, Platform Technologies, Web Services, and the Cloud
• Java ME, Mobile, Embedded, and Devices

so there’s bound to be something of interest for everyone. Have a look at the schedule for more information. A full list of sessions can be found here.

JavaOne Latin America is also supported by a number of Java User Groups, so I’m particularly looking forward to the Community Keynote with our well-known Java community members Bruno Souza, Fabiane Nardon, and Vinicus Senger. Should be fun!

Also, there is a Portuguese version of the JavaOne website.

More Java Events

Next, there are a number of additional Java-related events planned, from the SOUJava Geek Bike Ride to a string of JUG events where I and several of my Java Evangelism colleagues will be speaking across Brazil on topics such as Java 7, The Future of Java, Java EE, JavaFX 2.0, and more:

• Dec 4, SOUJava Geek Bike Ride 2011, Sao Paulo
• Dec 9, UAIJUG, Uberlandia (event information)
• Dec 9, CEJUG, Fortaleza/CE
• Dec 10, ALJUG, Maceio/AL (event information to be posted here)
• Dec 11, Javaneiros, Campo Grande/MS
• Dec 12, GOJAVA, Goiania/GO
• Dec 12, GUJAVA, Florianopolis (event information)
• Dec 13, RioJUG, Rio de Janeiro (event information to be posted here)

Be sure to check with your local JUG for specific event information.

Hope to see you in person over the next few days at one of the events!

Cheers,

– Terrence

Update: Also see Juggy Says: “Welcome to JavaOne Latin America 2011!”

Just a quick note:

I will be speaking at the German Oracle User Group (DOAG) at the Conference Center East in Nuremberg today.

Talk: “Oracle’s Strategy for Mobile & Embedded Java”

Time: 12:00 noon

See you there!

Cheers,

– Terrence

I am using a Mac Mini with Snow Leopard (10.6.8) as a home media center and it has worked great in the past, playing back music and videos from multiple sources (web, quicktime, VLC, EyeTV). A few weeks ago the video playback from all my sources started to become choppy, to stutter, and often the picture would hang for seconds at a time. Totally unusable. Drove me nuts for two weeks.

After much research and trial-and-error it turns out the problem was an outdated Flash Player which seems to have messed up the video pipeline for the entire system. The short is, I updated the Flash Player to version 11 directly from the Adobe web site, rebooted the Mac Mini, and all is well again!

Judging from the various posts across the web, video playback appears to be a fairly widespread problem for Mac users and I hope this helps some of you out there! And I can’t wait to get rid of Flash altogether – I can’t remember the times it has crashed my browser, hung my system, and screwed up things. Thanks Adobe ;-(

Cheers,

– Terrence

To that effect, Oracle yesterday proposed to the OpenJDK mailing list the creation of the OpenJFX Project as the home not only for the JavaFX source code, but also for current and future development of the JavaFX toolkit in an open development model.

This is a significant step for the JavaFX technology and the OpenJDK project and demonstrates quite clearly Oracle’s commitment to open source, transparency, community building, and the success of JavaFX.

Some info on the planned OpenJFX contribution:

• Over 6000+ public API members (methods/constructors/etc.)
• Over 11,500 unit tests
• Core libraries such as observable collections and binding
• Scene graph, effects, graphics
• CSS support for JavaFX
• Media
• WebView
• Prism (hardware accelerated graphics, including openGL and D3D and java2D implementations)
• Glass (windowing system, base porting layer, including mac, linux, and windows implementations)
• UI Controls and Charts

More background information can also be found on the FX EXPERIENCE blog.

Cheers,

– Terrence

In case you missed it among the host of announcements at JavaOne (JavaOne 2011: First Wrap-Up):

Java FX 2.0 is now available for Mac OS X as a Developer Preview (download). Also, the NetBeans 7.1 Beta release (download), which includes full support for JavaFX 2.0 as well Java 7, is also available for OS X.

Questions about JavaFX 2.0? Here you can find the ‘short and sweet’ JavaFX 2.0 FAQ page.

Finally, getting started with JavaFX 2.0 is easy: Follow this excellent JavaFX 2.0 Tutorial and learn about Getting Started, Creating a User Interface, Effects, Animation, and Media, Application Logic, API Reference and Deployment.

JavaFX is back!

Cheers,

– Terrence

Actually, that’s old news – we hit that milestone several weeks ago

The Java Spotlight Podcast has taken off in an astonishing way in less than a year since it was launched – thanks in large part to my tireless partner in crime, Roger Brinkley, who doesn’t waste any chance to snag an interview anytime, anywhere. Beware if you ever happen to find yourself in reach of his microphone

One of my recent personal favorites is episode 51 “Live at JavaOne – Java Platform Timelines and Duke’s Choice Award Winners”. A live audience, a fun mood, and some very cool technologies. Check it out.

While you’re there, browse the list of wide-ranging topics of some of our other episodes, from Java EE, to JavaFX, Java performance, Java ME, cool stuff, and much more.

Cheers,

– Terrence

I will be speaking at the goto: conference, in Prague in the Czech Republic, on Nov 22 and 23 – doing two talks:

• The keynote “The Future of Java”
• A session on “Embedded Java: Smart, Connected, Pervasive”

I hope to see you in Prague. If you haven’t registered yet, you can use the promotion code “oracle” and get a €100 price break.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Cheers,

– Terrence

This HOL is a great tutorial and is now available, like most other JavaOne content, in the JavaOne Content Catalog.

Search for session 24682 and click on the little PDF symbol next to the session. You can download both the entire HOL workbook as well as the slides of the LWUIT 1.5 session.

Cheers,

– Terrence

This cool video was the opener for the JavaOne keynote. If you haven’t seen it yet … don’t miss.

Cheers,

– Terrence

If you couldn’t join us in San Francisco last week or you need to catch up with stuff you might have missed (yep, it was a very dense couple of days) … here are some pointers you will appreciate:

• Keynotes: All JavaOne keynotes are available, both in a condensed highlight format as well as the full length versions. Go to the JavaOne Video on Demand page, and click on the video snapshot for the highlights or on the link below the snapshot for the full-length version.
• Parleys: Parleys.com has teamed up with JavaOne to provide JavaOne content on Parleys’ next-gen. eLearning platform. Around 40% of the JavaOne sessions were recorded this way and will, over the next couple of weeks, be made available. The first batches are up and ready for viewing. Check out the JavaOne 2011 Space at parleys.com, or go directly here.
• Content Slides: The slides for most sessions and a number of HOLs and BOFs – including those not recorded for Parleys – are now available via the JavaOne Content Catalog. Find the session, then look for the little PDF symbol to download the slides.

Finally, here is a nice summary of the blogosphere around JavaOne.

Update:

I forgot to add that Tori Wieldt from OTN did a bunch of short (2-5 minutes) live interviews at JavaOne on various topics such as the Duke Choice Award Winners, Mark Reinhold (Chief Architect Java), the Exhibition Hall and Demo Grounds, Java User Groups, Glassfish and Java EE, and much more. It’s a great way to soak up information and get a feel for the vibe of the conference.

Enjoy! Cheers,

– Terrence

Just a quick reminder: The Call for Papers for JavaOne Latin America (Brazil) is still open until October 17.

Looking forward to seeing you in Brazil!

Cheers,

– Terrence

Finally, I get a chance to catch my breath. JavaOne has been extremely busy and while there are still a few hours of good talks to go here is a quick summary so far:

General observations:

The vibe is very positive. Attendance is significantly up over previous years and the show is well organized. Feedback from attendees has been very excouraging – lots of good buzz on #javaone and other social channels. Many sessions are sold out or standing-room only.

Announcements:

This year’s JavaOne left no doubt Java is moving again, and picking up steam. Throughout the conference and in the various keynotes there was a host of announcements, strategic initiatives, roadmaps, product releases and updates.

I’ll try to summarize, focusing on the Java Platform, Java SE, and Java ME technologies:

Java SE and the Java Platform:

• Oracle announces plans for advancing the Java SE Platform, including a vision beyond JDK 8
• A JDK 7 for Mac OS X Developer Preview is now available, with full developer and consumer releases planned for 2012
• NetBeans 7.1 Beta is now available, featuring full Java SE 7 support
• Oracle details plans for JDK 8, proposed features, and a revised roadmap with extended scope, now scheduled for availability in summer 2013
• Oracle is continuing its work to merge the HotSpot and JRockit JVMs, with the first converged features available in JDK 7
• IBM announces availability of Java SE 7 across its products lines, the faster ever adoption of a new Java SE release by IBM
• Oracle recently announced availability of Java SE 7 for Embedded on ARM and x86 platforms

OpenJDK:

• OpenJDK hosts the development of JDK 7 for Mac OS X, JDK 8, and becomes the reference implementation for Java SE 8 and beyond
• Twitter joins OpenJDK

JavaFX and Rich Client UI Technology:

• The JavaFX 2.0 GA for Windows is now available
• A JavaFX 2.0 for Mac OS X Developer Preview is now available, with GA releases planned starting 2012
• NetBeans 7.1 Beta is now available, with JavaFX 2.0 support
• Oracle details JavaFX roadmap to 2013, including cross-platform support for Mac OS X and Linux
• Oracle announces plans to open source the JavaFX platform in the OpenJDK project
• A private Beta for JavaFX Scene Builder is now available, with public Beta planned in early 2012
• Oracle announces Project ‘Avatar’: A complete solution for Dynamic Rich Clients, including HTML5 support and back-end integration

Java ME:

• Oracle increases investment in Java ME
• Oracle Java Wireless Client (OJWC) 3.1 is now available
• Oracle announces plans to evolve the Java ME Platform and align Java ME with Java SE 7 through:
• • Submission of new JSRs over the coming months
  • Updates of the CLDC Platform VM and library specifications to enable better alignment with Java SE 7 features
  • Creation of a “CDC Profile” in Java SE 8, which allows deployment of Java SE 8 implementations in resource-constrained environments
• JavaFX to become the graphics framework of choice for mid-range and high-end embedded platforms
• Oracle announces intent for full coverage of embedded vertical markets
• Oracle plans increased and deeper integration of Java ME with content services (“Mobile Services Integration”)

For more information and details, please see the related press releases:

• Oracle Continues to Move Java Forward and Details Java SE 8 Roadmap
• Oracle Highlights Java EE Momentum at JavaOne Conference
• Oracle Releases JavaFX 2.0
• Oracle Increases Investment in Java ME
• Oracle Announces Winners of the 2011 Duke’s Choice Awards
• Oracle Previews NetBeans IDE 7.1: Delivers Support for JavaFX 2.0

Summary

After speaking to many developers over the past days it’s clear JavaOne has brought renewed excitement and energy to the Java community. I personally am particularly excited about Java FX 2.0, the Mac OS X support for JDK 7 and JavaFX, and bringing Java ME back to the mainstream platform again.

Two more related links:

• JavaOne celebrates the success of enterprise Java (InfoWorld)
• Oracle shows JavaFX on iOS and Android (MacWorld)

Cheers,

– Terrence

Top 10 Free Tools and Libraries for Building Better Java ME Applications

I’m working on finalizing my list, but if you have a favorite library or tool that you want to share with your fellow developers please send the info my way (as a comment, my email, or twitter) and I’ll be happy to incorporate it. After all, isn’t that what a developer community is all about?

Cheers and (maybe?) see you at JavaOne,

– Terrence

Updates:

• Be sure to check here regularly for updates to the show guide.

Yesterday’s part 1 was about the overall JavaOne focus and organization, the high-level schedule, infrastructure, as well as content tracks and the content catalog.

Today’s part 2 is my (subjective) list of content and noteworthy stuff I’d like bring to your attention (and attend myself, if I get a chance among all the other things that are going on that week …

First, I’m the author and speaker of these two sessions:

• Getting Started with Embedded Java: Sense, Control, Store, Connect (24605) (Mon, 5:00 pm, HOL)

In this Hands-On-Lab we’ll be building a simple but complete embedded Java solution called EnviroTracker. We’ll walk through all the steps from hooking up the hardware, installing the necessary software, interfacing with I/O, to creating, deploying, and testing our application. I know the space for this lab is filling up fast, so be sure to sign up soon.

• Top 10 Free Tools and Libraries for Building Better Java ME Applications (24860) (Tue, 4:30 pm, BOF)

This is based on the idea that there are a number of free tools and libraries floating around that can help you build Java ME apps better and faster, but many developers aren’t familiar with them. So let’s list some of the ones we’ve been using and I’m sure you’ll be able to add some of your own favorites.

Ok, now for the other content from the Content Catalog.

I’ve selected these based on personal interest, focused on mobile and embedded, but with some additional topics thrown in for good measure. I’ve categorized by area but the otherwise not sorted in any particular order:

Platform and Miscellaneous:

• Meet the Java Language Team (25121)
• Productively Fun Web Development with Apache Wicket and Java EE 6 (23000)
• OpenJDK Port for Mac OS X (22681)

Mobile:

• Getting the Most Out of the Series 40 Java Platform (24326)
• Develop Mobile Apps with Java and Oracle ADF Mobile Client for iOS, Android, and More (25089)
• Rapid Java ME Development with the Open Source Tantalum Java ME Library (24440)
• Small Screens Playing a Big Boys’ Game: A Playbook for Java ME in Emerging Markets (24101)
• CLDC Mobile Platform Evolution (23223)
• Open Discussion on Emerging Markets (22721)
• Oracle Java Wireless Client: A Java ME Optimized Stack for Low-End Platforms (22741)
• WAC Widgets: New Direction for Java ME Phones (23361) Where Do the Killer Java Applications Preloaded on Your Phone Come From? (24310)
• Why Operators and Manufacturers Are Passionate About Application Quality (25021)

Embedded and Consumer:

• ARM: Over 6 Billion Served—”Want That Java Superoptimized? (24242)
• Use Your Body to Interact with the JVM: Or How to Use Kinect on the JVM (22040)
  
• Embedding Java VM in Smart Devices (25061)
  
• Java Powering Smart Grid Devices (24355)
  
• Building a Home Security System with Java (25172)
  
• Get Physical! An Arduino Introduction for Java Developers (25281)
  
• Java and OSGi Enable Many Applications on Many End Devices (25802)
  
• Oracle Java Micro Edition Embedded Client (25063)
  
• An Embedded Service Platform for Uninterruptible Processing (24567)
  
• DVB GEM: Java TV Goes Over the Top—Hybrid and 3-D (23364) Ginga, Lightweight User Interface Toolkit, Java DTV, and You 2.0 (26280)
  
• Java Card Platform: Embracing M2M and Other New Markets (23453)
  
• Java-Powered Home Gateway: Basis of the Next-Generation Smart Home (24328)
  
• Service-Oriented Architecture with Java SE for Embedded Devices: A Smart Meter Use Case (24925)
  
• Telemetry and Synchronization with Embedded Java and Berkeley DB (25143)
  

JCP and Standards:

• JCP Executive Committee Meet and Greet (33961 and 32561)
• JCP and the Developer Community (23647)
• Meet the Executive Committee Candidates (23641)

Rich Client and UI:

• HTLM5 and Java: The Facts and the Myths (24821)
• Deploying Web Applications with JavaFX (24980)
• Graphics Designer Secrets for Compelling Mobile User Interfaces (20340)
• How My Life Would Have Been So Much Better If We Had Used the NetBeans Platform (24120)
• Interfacing with the Interface: JavaFX 2.0, Wiimote, Kinect, and More (25011)
• Introduction to JavaFX 2.0 (23720) Introduction to the JavaFX Visual Tool (24943)
• JavaFX 2.0 with Alternative Languages (17960)
• JavaFX Architecture and Programming Model (25781)
• The Return of Rich-Client Java (22523)
• What’s New in LWUIT? (24026)

Hands-On-Labs (HOL):

• Java SE for Embedded Devices for Connected Smart Grid (24642)
• Java ME and Ginga-J TV Applications (25363)
• Java ME LWUIT 1.5 (24682)

Ok, that’s it for now. Watch this space for updates and late-breaking news.

Hope to see you at the show!

Cheers,

– Terrence

Update 9/27:

• Java DemoGrounds: New and expanded, there will be around 30 booths brimming with demos across the whole Java spectrum: Enterprise, Services Integration, Java Platform, Tools, Mobile Technologies and Services, TV/Entertainment, and Embedded Solutions

Update 9/21:

• Sunday, Oct 2: Glassfish Community Event and Party (RSVP, please!)
• Twitter tags: #javaone, #javaone11, #jdk, #openjdk, #javafx4u, #javaee, #javame, #glassfish, #weblogic, #netbeans. Facebook: “I Love Java”

Less than two weeks to JavaOne 2011 in San Francisco … High time for my annual and (admittedly quite subjective) “Mobile & Embedded Show Guide”.

Here it goes, part 1 (of 2):

First off, JavaOne 2011 will see a number of changes to address some of the feedback we got last year. JavaOne will be more community focused again in many ways: A standalone conference with dedicated adjacent venues, bigger keynote and exhibition halls, “The Zone” – bigger and improved, numerous networking opportunities and parties, and better layout and signage. That’s all goodness.

From a content perspective, this year will see more than 400 keynotes, technical sessions, BOFs, and Hands-On-Labs (HOLs) – including three Oracle keynotes and three partner keynotes, and around 50 exhibitors. More than enough to keep anyone busy!

As for the overall schedule (see here) – these are the high-order bits:

Sunday, Oct 2:

• 8:00 am – 5:00 pm: Java University (Hilton, separate registration required)
• 9:00 am – 5:00 pm: Oracle User Group Forums (Moscone West)
• 9:00 am – 11:00 am: Java Special Interest Group (Moscone South, Oracle PartnerNetwork invitation only)
• 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm: JavaOne Open House (Mason Street Cafe)

Monday, Oct 3:

• 7:00 am – 10:00 pm: Mason Street Cafe
• 8:30 am – 10:30 am: JavaOne Technical Keynote and Intel Keynote (Hilton)
• 10:30 am – 6:00 pm: Java Exhibition Hall and Java DemoGrounds (Hilton)
• 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm: OTN Night Party (Yerba Buena Gardens)

Tuesday, Oct 4 :

• 7:00 am – 10:00 pm: Mason Street Cafe
• 8:30 am – 10:00 am: JavaOne Strategy Keynote and Juniper Networks Keynote (Hilton)
• 10:30 am – 6:00 pm: Java Exhibition Hall and Java DemoGrounds (Hilton)

Wednesday, Oct 5:

• 7:00 am – 6:00 pm: Mason Street Cafe
• 9:30 am – 5:00 pm: Java Exhibition Hall  and Java DemoGrounds (Hilton)
• 7:30 pm – 1:00 am: Oracle Appreciation Event, Sponsored by NetApp and CSC (Featuring Sting and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Treasure Island)

Thursday, Oct 6:

• 7:00 am – 4:30 pm: Mason Street Cafe
• 8:45 am – 10:30 am: JavaOne Community Keynote and IBM Keynote (Hilton)
• 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: It’s a Wrap! (Yerba Buena Gardens)

“The Zone” is the area encompassing Hilton San Francisco, Hotel Nikko San Francisco, Parc 55 Wyndham, and the surrounding areas. It houses all JavaOne sessions and activities within easy walking distance. Here you’ll also find The Mason Street Cafe, The Buzz House, Candy Bar, Community Hub, Animation Station, Game Zone, Hang Spaces, The Powerplay Lounge, and The Store@The Zone. Check out the details here.

Content-wise, there will be seven (7) tracks this year (click on each track for a description):

• Core Java Platform
• Emerging Languages, Tools, and Techniques
• Enterprise Service Architectures and the Cloud
• Java EE Web Profile and Platform Technologies
• Java ME, Mobile, Embedded, and Devices
• Java SE, Client Side Technologies, and Rich User Experiences
• The Java Frontier

The Content Catalog is your one-stop shop: Search by track, type, day, venue, time, experience level, and more. Be sure to reserve your space right there – many of the sessions will be popular and fill up quickly!

Finally, keeping abreast with JavaOne and what’s happening is easy through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Oracle Mix, and Oracle blogs:

That’s it today for part 1. Tomorrow, I’ll post part 2 of the guide with content tips and highlights, focusing (but not exclusively) on mobile and embedded.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Some quick updates and links that have accumulated over the past days:

• The Expert Group on Project Lamba (“Closures for Java”) decides on the syntax. Check out Brian Goetz’ posting to the EG mailing list.
• Apple posts a new developer preview of “Java for Mac OS X 10.7 Update 1” and “Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 6″. See the post to the OpenJDK mailing list by Mike Swingler from Apple.
• Scott Kovatch announces starting at Oracle and his return as Technical Lead on the Mac OS X port of OpenJDK. Read his blog post “An old new beginning”.
• Josh Marinacci writes about client-side improvements in Java 6 and 7, including Swing, graphics, AWT, look and feel, installation and start-up, and more. Read the full OTN article

Cheers,

– Terrence

The JUG in Toulouse, France is hosting me for a Java 7 Event:

Java 7: The Platform Evolves
Wednesday, Sep 14, 18:30
@ Epitech
Toulouse, France

More information on the Toulouse JUG home page.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
– terrence

You need a small, wireless compute platform to embed into your smart devices? Powered by Java – making it secure, robust, and easy to program?

Cinterion, based in Germany, has been shipping Java-powered wireless modules since 2003 into key M2M (machine-to-machine) markets such as mHealth, even winning a Duke’s Choice Award in 2010 for its innovative technologies.

These modules are amazing little compute platforms, complete with a CLDC/IMP Java runtime, IP-based cellular data connectivity, various I/O, and even GPS and other options. Software development is easy – use Eclipse or NetBeans, apply your existing Java skills, and you’ll be developing applications in no time.

In the latest Cinterion-Oracle customer success story, the Philips Respironics System One sleep therapy platform uses the Cinterion TC65i Java module and the GSM/GPRS network to allow doctors to remotely analyze patients breathing data and make changes to the air pressure administered by the device.

To learn more about Cinterion and other embedded Java technologies and solutions, register for the Embedded Java Resource Kit, which includes the following material and information:

• On Demand Webcast: Learn How Java Can Power Devices and Infrastructures For The Smart Grid
• White Paper: Making the Smart Grid Smarter With Embedded Java
• Customer Success Story: Cinterion and Oracle
• Embedded Java and Healthcare: Learn How Java Can Power Medical Devices and Healthcare Systems
• Data Sheets
• • Java ME Embedded Client Datasheet
  • Java SE Embedded Datasheet
  • Oracle Java Wireless Client 3.0 Datasheet

Cheers,

– Terrence

These two posts hit the airwaves just recently, wanted to make sure you are aware of them:

• Henrik Ståhl: Java 7 Questions & Answers
• Dalibor Topic: A Bugs Life

Cheers,

– Terrence

Version 1.5 of the Lightweight UI Toolkit (LWUIT) is out!

This is the culmination of more than a year of diligent work by the LWUIT team and valuable input and feedback from the LWUIT developer community.

The result is a major revamp of the GUI Builder, and a significantly improved LWUIT toolkit with new functionality, changes, and enhancements to in many areas:

• GUI Builder with major revamp of the Resource Editor tool
• LWUIT4IO a tightly integrated Storage, Networking & Filesystem framework with ports to multiple platforms
• Far deeper theming including, theme constants, declarative style inheritance, disabled styles etc.
• New JavaSE & CDC ports allowing easier debugging/testing/profiling on the desktop as well as easier demos by deploying LWUIT applications as applets
• New Components:
  • ContainerList allows variable row size list & complex list layouts
  • Tabs supersedes the TabbedPane providing swipe gestures, elaborate theming and much more
  • Slider provides progress indication and gauge control
• New recommended project structure for demos allowing for easier porting to RIM/Desktop/CDC
• PeerComponent allowing the embedding of native components within a LWUIT UI (applicable on some platforms)
• Improved & simplified animations for layout effects
• Multi-Images and improved SVG support
• HTML 4 tag support and public parser API for HTML/XML
• Virtual Keyboard is now built into LWUIT with deep support for native VKB input and toggling between multiple VKB’s
• Focus rewritten from scratch to be more intuitive
• Performance/RAM improvements
• Drag & Drop API, copy and paste API and much more

For more information, see the LWUIT blog and listen to the interview with Chen Fishbein, one of the core LWUIT developers, on The Java Spotlight Podcast episode #42.

While you’re here, you should also check out the “Beyond Smartphones” open source project. While not using all of the latest LWUIT 1.5 features just yet it is a cool, social networking app that showcases the ease of building engaging applications using LWUIT. Released under BSD you can use it as a starting point for your own LWUIT application.

Do it with LWUIT!

Cheers,

– Terrence

Some quick updates and links that have accumulated over the past days:

• Adam Messinger Talks to InfoQ About Java 7 and 8
• A Fresh Look at Embedded with Greg Bollella, Chief Architect, Embedded Java
• Moving Java Forward: New Java Training!

Cheers,

– Terrence

With the release of JDK 7 people have been asking “Where is JDK 7 for Mac OS X?”.

Apple and Oracle engineers are currently actively working on integrating the OS X Java code base into OpenJDK. This initial integration takes time and we can’t yet give you a specific date on the completion.

However, the integration is coming along well. You can check out the details of the Mac OS X Port Project within OpenJDK, see the status on the project wiki, and follow the mailing list. There are also regular (but unofficial) builds available for download.

Stay tuned.

Cheers,

– Terrence

PS: Of course, you can still always get the official Apple OS X JDK 6 implementation through the OS X “Software Update” mechanism.

Beyond the numerous new features of NetBeans IDE 7.0, version 7.0.1 adds full JDK 7 support, integration of recent patches, and performance improvements. Find all the info and download here.

Also, listen in to our recent Java Spotlight Podcast episode 41, which features Geertjan Wielenga, Principal Product Manager for NetNeans.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Yes, I know, I’m a bit late (I was on vacation for a week) – OSCON is already over. I didn’t attend myself but I heard there was a lot of good content at OSCON Java – some of which is already published on YouTube.

Here are just a few of the ones I found interesting (and I’m sure there’s more):

• Patrick Curran: “Who needs Standards?”
• Jim Weaver: “JavaFX in the Real World”
• Bob Lee: “On the Cusp of a Java Renaissance”
• Josh Bloch: “Java: The Good, Bad, and Ugly Parts”
• Steven G. Harris: “Open Source, Java, and Oracle – Cracking the Code”

Enjoy!

Cheers,

– Terrence

Get your free copy by subscribing here.

Cheers,

– Terrence

After ups and downs, planning and replanning, years of hard work, and lots of input from the community Java SE 7 has been made generally available TODAY.

Check out the following links:

• Press release: Oracle Announces Availability of Java SE 7
• The Java 7 Release Webcast
• The Java Source blog
• Java SE Documentation: APIs, Tutorials, Technical Articles, License Terms
• The open source repositories: OpenJDK
• Follow Twitter @java and use #java7 or check out the Facebook page
• Catch up with The Java Spotlight Podcast

And finally: Download it!

Cheers,

– Terrence

Winners get a Duke statue, a free JavaOne full conference pass, and – most importantly – their winning implementation will be showcased at JavaOne 2011. The only criteria: Innovation.

The deadline is closing – Submit your nomination today!

Cheers,

– Terrence

The content catalog for JavaOne 2011 in San Francisco has been published.

434 sessions titles, abstracts, and speakers (including BOFs and HOLs) are online now. The schedule is currently being put together and will be published when available..

Cheers,

– Terrence

Since then, the U.S. government has been accessing private records of banks, insurances, telecom companies, health care providers, and many more, mining vast amounts of sensitive data from potentially hundreds of millions of people in America in the process – with little or no democratic oversight or checks and balances.

Yeah, OK, that’s in America – not here, right? Think again.

First, it’s becoming increasingly clear that there is a secret version of the PATRIOT Act – the way the U.S. Department of Justice is interpreting the law, which appears significantly more invasive and far-reaching than many lawmakers and the public have been lead to believe. And, because it’s classified, there is no public discussion over the true extent of the law or abuses.

Second, it turns out – as Microsoft just recently admitted (and this is true for the entire IT industry) – there is no way for U.S. companies to stop the U.S. authorities from applying the PATRIOT Act to all subsidiaries of U.S. companies worldwide. This means, essentially, that the U.S. is riding rough shot over the sovereign data and privacy protection laws of foreign countries.

Pretty much any data that is stored or processed by a subsidiary of a U.S. company and falls within the PATRIOT Act, anywhere in the world, can be demanded and collected by U.S. authorities at any time and without your knowledge, in direct violation of the laws of your own country. Mind you, this does not only apply to U.S. citizens. It applies to everyone.

Hard to believe? Yes. But the more you dig into it, the worse it gets.

Cheers,

– Terrence

The title of my session is: Java SE 7: The Platform Evolves. I’ll be talking about how the Java platform is changing and adapting, what’s new in JDK 7 (Project Coin, NIO2, Fork-Join Framework, The DaVinci Machine, and more), doing some demos – and hopefully we have time for a good Q&A session (and some beer

I’m looking forward to it. If you’re in the area, please stop by. See the event page for more information.

Cheers,

– Terrence

We’ve been busy covering a broad spectrum of topics, from the Java 7 Launch, Glassfish 3.1, JVM Performance and Quality, Java Mobile Platform development, all the way to bringing Java to Nintento DS with phoneME:

• Episode 38: Adam Messinger, Vice President of Development Fusion Middleware at Oracle, on the JDK 7 release and more
• Episode 37: Michelle Kovak, Java Brand Manager, on the Java 7 Launch
• Episode 36: Anil Gaur, Vice President of Java Platform Enterprise Edition, on Glassfish 3.1
• Episode 35: Vladimir Ivanov, Ivan Krylov, Sergey Kuksenko on JDK 7 VM performance and quality
• Episode 34: Chuk Munn Lee on using phoneME on Ninendo DS
• Episode 33: Sreekumar Pillai, CTO of Experion, on Java Mobile Platform development

Don’t forget that each episode also comes with a written transcript as well as show notes with a host of URLs, pointing to more details, events, and other information.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Attendees and viewers signed up in large numbers, good tweets rolled in, and we’ve heard very positive feedback from developers and partners around the world.

To quote from the main session, Trent Gray-Donald, Technical Lead for the Java 7 work at IBM, says:

“There is a major surge of energy in Java”

If you missed the live event: The Oracle media team worked hard to make the recordings available as soon as possible. All videos are now posted, including the main webcast, 4 technical breakout sessions, and the Q&A/panel discussion:

• Main session, with Adam Messinger (VP of Development Fusion Middleware at Oracle), along with a number of industry and community leaders live from the U.S., Brazil, and the U.K.
• Making Heads and Tails of Project Coin, Small Language Changes in JDK 7, with Joe Darcy
• Divide and Conquer Parallelism with the Fork/Join Framework, with Mark Reinhold
• The New File System API in JDK 7, Staffan Friberg
• A Renaissance VM: One Platform, Many Languages, John Rose
• Meet the Experts: Q&A and Panel Discussion, moderated by Henrik Ståhl

In particular, be sure to watch the “Meet the Experts” session, which covers a number of topics above and beyond the technical breakout sessions.

All videos are available at the Java 7 launch event page.

For a shorter summary webcast on Java 7 you can also check out the OTN video discussion with Adam Messinger, Mark Reinhold, John Rose, and Joe Darcy.

Getting started with Java 7:

The Java 7 Final Release will be available at the end of this month. To get started with the (near-final) Preview Release, check out the Java SE Documentation Home Page (with links downloads and many other resources).

Cheers,

– Terrence

To learn about this new release, please join us for the Java 7 Launch Event, held simultaneously in California, Brazil, and the U.K.:

• Redwood Shores, CA, USA (Thursday, 9:00 am PT)
• Sao Paulo, Brazil (Thursday, 1:00 pm BRT)
• London, UK (Thursday, 5:00 pm BST)

or attend one of the many Java 7 events around the world, organized by local Java User Groups (JUGs).  Find your local JUG here. For a list of JUG events see The Java Spotlight Podcast episode #37 (planned for publication tomorrow, July 5th).

If you can’t attend an event in person you can view the webcast by registering:

Cheers,

– Terrence

While I am still busy working on the screen cast I announced in the previous blog post, in the meantime you can view the on-demand webcast now available:

“Introducing Oracle Java ME Embedded Client”
with Kevin J. Lee, Principal Product Manager, Java Development Group

You need to register first to view the webcast. Slides are also available.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Back from vacation, catching up with open source news:

• Open Office has moved to the Apache Incubator. Check out Christian Grobmeier’s blog for more information.
• JTHarness is an open source, general-purpose, full-features, flexible, and configurable test harness. Version 4.4 was released a few days ago and adds a few new features as well as a number of bug fixes. See the JTHarness project page for more information.

Cheers,

– Terrence

In the meantime, I would like to point your attention to another embedded Java product: Java SE for Embedded. Unlike the Oracle Java ME Embedded Client, which is a Java ME (CDC)-based runtime, the Java SE for Embedded product is a full-blown Java SE 6 runtime, optimized for embedded use in a number of important ways (footprint, memory, power, platform support, and more).

My colleague, Jim Conners, has created an excellent webcast called “Java SE Embedded Development Made Easy”. It consists of two 15-minute video with slides and demos covering all the basics of embedded Java SE development:

• Embedded Microprocessor Trends, covering ARM, Intel, and Freescale
• Getting Started with the SheevaPlug
• The Java SE Embedded Runtime Environment: Downloading and Installing
• Running Apache Tomcat on the SheevaPlug
• Installing and Setting Up NetBeans for Embedded Java Development
• Running the ScoreBoard Application locally and on the SheevaPlug
• Live, Remote Debugging of the ScoreBoard Application
• Monitoring the Remote ScoreBoard Application using JMX and JConsole

Once you’re on Jim’s blog you should also check out his entry “The Unofficial Java SE Embedded SDK”, which talks about using your favorite desktop Java IDE for embedded Java development.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Osvaldo Pinali Doederlein has written about his first impressions with the JavaFX 2.0 Beta. Very detailed analysis, definitely worth reading.

Finally, as you may have noticed, the JavaFX 2.0 Beta currently is windows-only. That has some developers wondering whether JavaFX 2.0 will be cross-platform. Richard Bair says: Absolutely.

Cheers,

– Terrence

Cheers,

– Terrence

Embedded Java is in billions of places most people don’t every realize. E-Book readers, VOIP phones, printers/copiers, Blu-ray players, TVs and set-top boxes, embedded servers, network equipment, smart meters, kiosks … and, of course, mobile devices and smart cards.

Oracle is building on the success of embedded Java with new binary products targeting popular embedded platforms and operating systems – enabling developers to create embedded Java solutions even quicker and at lower cost.

Two days ago, Oracle released the first version of a new product called the Oracle Java ME Embedded Client. The Oracle Java ME Embedded Client is a full-featured, highly optimized, binary Java runtime (as well as an emulation environment) that builds on Oracle’s industry-leading CDC (Connected Device Configuration) stack which has been successfully deployed in millions of devices across the globe – but now, in as easy-to-use binary product.

A short list of high-level features includes:

• High-performance, reliable, low-footprint Java CDC VM and runtime
• Implements CDC, FP, PBP, RMI, JDBC, and Web Services
• Supports a number of runtime features, optimizations, and tuning and deployment options
• Aligned with global standards such as GEM MHP, BD-J, tru2way, OSGi, and Ginga-J
• Available for Linux on ARMv5, ARMv6/7, MIPS, and PPC (all headless)
• SDK desktop emulation environment for Linux-x86 and Windows-x86
• Ready-to-run binaries for popular platforms such as the BeagleBoard (I can also confirm it runs fine on the GuruPlug)

For more information, see system requirements and FAQ, the documentation set (install guide, release notes, config guide), and download the binaries here.

Getting started with the Oracle Java ME Embedded Client in extremely easy. Check out these links:

• Installing Linux on an ARM-based BeagleBoard
• Getting Started with the Oracle Java ME Embedded Client
• Running a Small Server with the Oracle Java ME Embedded Client

I am also currently working on brand-bew webinar titled “Building a real-world embedded Java sensor/control solution in 60 minutes” – so watch this space.

Happy experimenting! Cheers,

– Terrence

Due to the large number of requests from the Java community, the JavaOne 2011 Call for Papers will remain open until Thursday, May 26 11:59pm PDT. Click here to submit.

Cheers,

– Terrence