BUT, with handsets morphing into full blown computing devices, carriers will be forced to back off and come up with a smarter way of making money.

I have come across several companies claiming to have an IDE that will allow one to “develop once and deploy everywhere” (“over 400 phones supported”). We have just begun to research these IDEs in greater detail and are weary of vapor, guess we’ll see.

Here is a startup (maufait mobile- url http://www.maufait.com) that has made a smart move : combine J2ME midlet with wap. This startup has basically created a launcher for their wap site. The launcher saves the customer profile and send the info to the server everytime the user launches the app. Users can in one click experience a customized wap page.

Benefits for maufait: no worry about compatability issue, less development cost, faster turnaround of new feature. Wider audience base. Can automatically add new service and feature and offer it to users withought the user having to download everytime for minor enhancements.

Benefits for users: A productivity app that takes less memory space, fast to launch, takes very less battery power. One download and get it all. No repeat downloads for each enhancement. No new learning curve when you change devices.

This startup offers free 411 search, weather (local and international), Movie showtime, Flight Tracker, Driving directions, Stock Quotes.
I use maufait mobile in my blackberry. Works pretty cool.

Most importantly i wanted to share the approach this company has taken to stay away from compatability problems.

Now, Flash Lite on the other hand…that’s a different ballgame. API’s are standardized – as well as a way to check for a phones support of the particular API call. BUT…my hypothesis is the Flash app’s are going to be ran from a URL rather than a downloaded thick client. You’ll have an icon that you click on for an application, but other than running that app from a specific directory on the phone – that app will be initiated from a URL (version checking, et al built in).

Same hypothesis with Silverlight. Unless a Mozilla + Google really step up the mobile browser-as-a-platform game.

SaaS is going to really drive mobile applications. Not because there’s cost benefit, not because it’s easier – but because it’s the only choice.

And let us not forget, Verizon makes up ~40% of the wireless customers – that’s a HUGE percentage.

Handsets manufacturers have been shaken to the core this year on crippling applications and limiting functionality. Wait and see all the functionality the mobile browsers will bring this year.

Some carriers are finally starting to get it, they can make more revenue if they stick to their core competency: Good service and a good network.

Content and app developers have to move away from the “Black Widow” addiction they have for repurposing web content for mobile and that java apps are they way forward.

Downloading apps on mobile is so 1999 thinking. I agree 100% with Johnny Fry’s comments. They are doomed……..

I think I said Flash Lite looks promising. And I simply stated that Nokia introduced widgets. In addition I mentioned two J2ME sites and two successful J2ME applications in the beginning of my post.

I am a J2ME developer and support the platform. But J2ME is not without problems. From simple issues like softkey codes with different values across devices to questionable RTSP and support and implementations, not to mention media types and PDA serialization formats. What about the inconsistent and sometimes appalling look and feel of the high level UI components?

We could also talk about fragmented API support. Things that you would expect to be universally supported on phones, like accessing the phonebook, are optional APIs. You cannot write a Java ME application that, lets say synchronizes your phone calendar with your Google calendar, and guarantee it will run on all 2.x/1.x devices let alone 1.x/1.x devices.

These are not carrier issues. Device manufacturers bear some responsibility. I would like the ability to fully utilize the hardware. Can I build a screen saver in J2ME, access themes, change my ringtone, access my recent dialed or missed calls, intercept ALL sms messages, adjust to camera brightness (sans JSR234), switch from general to silent mode, change the system clock, select an AP,…And these things must be solved in a standardized way to prevent more fragmentation.

I will fault the carries for not providing services to access call data (full call history like seen on the carrier website), dynamic voice mail, GPS/AGPS, plain sockets, poor application signing and delivery processes, etc.

How about smart/proactive headless connected applications? I am on 101, driving to SFO trying to catch a flight. My phone, via my synchronized calendar, knows the time of my flight also knows there is a high probability that I will miss my flight based upon my location (GPS) and the location of the airport (GPS). It proactively searches my phonebook for records tagged as airlines, uses a webservice to find alternate flights on those airlines. The application could also adjust my meeting status, letting other participants know that I am running late.

How about an application that tells me, as soon as I pick up a product in a store, its rating and reviews or if I can find it cheaper in X distance from my location.

I am a J2ME advocate and I share your enthusiasm. But even if the carriers were to become completely open tomorrow, someone still needs to build an application compelling enough for a casual consumer to pay 3.50 a month+data.

The problem is the carriers!!!

We have the platform already…

Can you hear us MVNOs?

Although HostJ2ME is more of a developer tool than application download site, most of its traffic comes from outside of the US. Here is a partial list of user-agent vs count from HostJ2ME.com.

http://www.hostj2me.com/useragents.htm

Of course downloading is different than installing and running. Fragmentation is a problem. But things are much better today than they were just a few years ago.

Keep in mind mobiles have different platforms. Desktop applications are the same way. You would not expect to download a Mac or Linux version of a game to your Windows PC and start playing. You would not even expect some Vista programs to function correctly on XP machines. I am not saying this is a good thing or excusing it.

I am not sure about monetization. It would be interesting to see some numbers from Handango and Cellmania.

I think the lack of a killer app is part of the problem. Hopefully the carriers and oems will really open up and allow developers to fully utilize the hardware and networks. It is unlikely however, control is a hard thing to cede (or share).

I think Flash Lite looks promising. And Nokia recently introduced the idea of mobile widgets.

J2ME has come a long way over the years and I think phone compatibility is not the issue. It is the carriers. They cause same problem for many “hardwired” features, such as WiFi.

I downloaded my first mobile application in 3 years ago….it was a SW-based mp3 player.

The only programs I use at the moment are Opera and The Filter, which is a cool playlist making program from http://www.thefilter.com

Check out my blog whenever you guys get a chance

http://blog.eyebag.ca

Cheers

The EYEBAG Guy