Linking J2ME with Flash Lite

Feb 172007
 

First read over Marco Casario BlogMachBlue
Great news from 3GSM, Bluestreak Technology announced the future release of their MachBlue™ Mobile.
From there website:

Technical Highlights

  • Greatly exceeds the graphic capabilities of JAVA, BREW, and other native languages
  • Supports large subset of Flash® 7 and ActionScript 2
  • Developer-friendly platform allows use of industry-standard Flash® authoring tools in tandem with MachBlue Studio
  • Extensible scripting architecture to launch and control external applications and hardware
  • Supports XML for dynamic data loading and OTA content updates
  • Offers two architectures for maximum flexibility: a single-threaded version for low-end device RTOSs and a multi-threaded version for high-end devices
  • Battery-efficient software design with no compromise between form and function
  • Strong compatibility with existing applications and web-based coding practices
  • Networking support (e.g., HTTP, UDP, WAP push, Bluetooth, IR)
  • Modular code architecture enables fast porting to diverse handset profiles
  • Includes Bluestreak’s APIs for mobile phones and mobile TV:

    • o Call-handling features
    o Agenda, contacts, and call log
    o Messaging support
    o Vibration
    o Power usage
    o Audio/video streaming and codecs
    o Program info
    o Video windows

    In short that mean that we could easily link the power of J2ME (Java Mobile Edition) with the power of Flash Lite. It will certainly open a incredible number of possibilities for the developers.
    I’m just wondering what is waiting Adobe to buy them so they could already create a version Flash Lite 3 compatible.

    Ahmet

    Flash Lite 3 Is Coming… Soon!

    Feb 122007
     

    Flash Lite Logo
    2007 is going to be great for developers and service providers using Adobe technologies. The CS3 suite is coming soon and I’ve just read, via actionscript hero ,that Flash Lite 3 is also going to be release in the half of 2007. The big news about Flash Lite 3: video! With Flash Lite 2 the only way to display video was to embed it on a SWF or on a 3GP file format. SWF trouble was the cache memory of the phone and the 3GP wasn’t played by the Flash Lite Player but by the phone embed video player (for Symbian : Real Player). With Flash Lite, FLV will be readable in mobile, web and desktop (just need to change compression). What I say: thanks you Adobe, you just realize my dream;)

    My only question is: what about the market? Will it be like Flash Lite 2, commercialized only for the operators and developers or will it have a web based installers? For a simple developers like me mobile market is unreachable, at least here in Switzerland where operators hardly collaborate with developers, I call a lot of service from Swisscom and no one was able to inform me about video streaming (i.e: what do you mean with streaming? Never heard about it). The only example of working video service I know is the news made by the Swiss TV (TSR) and they collaborate directly with Swisscom (a phone operator here).

    To my understanding penetrating the mobile market is very hard, but there can be some strong commercial interested in Flash Lite,

    Other talks about Flash Lite 3:
    Business Wire
    Zdnet
    JD on EP

    Ahmet

    Get paid for the work you’ve done

    Nov 012006
     

    [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.metah.ch/blog/image/meTimer.swf" height="208" width="180" /]

    Here is a little application I’ve developed, still in beta but Free ;)
    The application name is meTimer, the main goal is to count the time you spend doing some work.
    It need Flash Lite Player 2 installed on your mobile.
    For example, as a freelance you may work on different project and forget how many time you have spend working. MeTimer can be turn off during working time. You only have to tag the start time and the stop time. You can even turn off your mobile but you won’t loose any seconds.
    It’s only a beta by now but is working. There is a payment lock but by now it isn’t activate. Although you must make all the payment process to activate your version.

    Step by step installation :
    1- Download meTimer.swf ( you need Flash Lite 2.0 on your mobile)
    2- Copy it into your Flash folder
    3- Run meTimer.

    Step by step activation :
    -Registration
    4- The first time your run meTimer you’ll be asked to create a new work (enter a name)
    5- Press “save”
    6- You’ll then be on the home.
    7- Press[7] on your mobile keyboard
    8- Click “buy now”
    9- Enter all information, if your (Imei number doesn’t show it’s not that bad)
    10- Click “send”

    -Activation
    11- Press “home”
    12- Create a new work (press 4)
    13- Click “validate”
    14- Enter the same passwords as in step 9

    Voilà, meTimer is fully activate. Please if you use it report bug.

    Ahmet

    From Flash Lite to SIS

    Nov 012006
     

    Flash Lite Logo
    I’ve been lately doing a few research on Flash Lite topic.
    In my point of view, one of the best arguments of Flash Lite was XML capabilities and Shared Object

    Shared Object definition from flash help: Flash Lite shared objects lets you save data persistently to the user’s device. For example, you might use a shared object to save information between application sessions, such as user preferences or game scores. You use the SharedObject class to read and write Flash Lite shared objects.

    I must admit that all work in theory very well. But only in theory (on desktop Flash Player), or I didn’t found yet the good way to make it work on my mobile.
    So here is my problem, if anyone have a clue to solve it … please teach me.
    I build a swf that use a shared object (creating & reading & rewriting).
    Testing the swf saved in the right path works perfectly, but if I test the sis (created by swf2sis, from that same swf) it won’t work at all.
    Well in fact it works well as long as I don’t stop running my application…which mean that it doesn’t save my Shared Object or that he save it but cannot access it again later.
    I’ve send a mail to swf2sis but I had no answer so far.
    I also asked on Flashmobilegroup and receive some information but didn’t found a good solution.
    In fact it can be easily solved by using third technology (like Python or C) that would write a file, but I’m looking for a pure Flash Lite solution.

    Did anyone encounter the same problem? Does it come from swf2sis, Adobe or my mobile exploitation system (S60 2nd edition)?
    Here are the 2 files [sharedobject(zip) - sharedobject(sis)] I used in my test, if you have time to test , it would be great.

    Ahmet

    IMEI and Flash Lite Bug with Bluetooth

    Oct 062006
     

    logo Flash lite
    I recently have noticed a bug in my Flash Lite app, the Imei Number (Identification Number of Mobile Phone) won’t show sometime, first I thought about an error of my part, but the same application would sometimes work and some other time won’t.
    Well it’s seems that when you got a Bluetooth link working, your Imei Number won’t be accessible.
    I tested only on my device (N90) but i was wondering if anyone else did notice this bug or if it’s only related to N90, Symbian8.1a-Series60v2-FP3.
    Anyway if you got this bug don’t look further, the only solution I found by now is to simply link off your Bluetooth and then “sans problème” the Imei will show ;)

    Ahmet

    Flash Lite Device Profile Update

    Sep 182006
     

    logo Flash lite
    Just had the info from the Flash Mobile Group : new device profile update(#4) for Flash Lite Emulator.

    Device Profiles on Adobe.

    Addition of the following new devices that support Flash Lite 1.1:

    * iriver U10
    * Motorola L7
    * Nokia 5500
    * Nokia 6131
    * Nokia 6136
    * Nokia 6233
    * Nokia 6234
    * Nokia E50

    * Nokia N72
    * Nokia N73
    * Nokia N92
    * Nokia N93
    * Sony-Ericsson k610im
    * Sony-Ericsson w710
    * Sony-Ericsson w850

    Minor enhancements for the following existing profiles:

    * DoCoMo Fujitsu F505iGPS
    * Nokia 6125
    * Nokia E60
    * Nokia E61
    * Nokia N80
    * Nokia N90
    * Nokia N91

    Ahmet

    GetMaxSize of a Shared Object (FlashLite 2)

    Sep 012006
     

    logo Flash lite
    Although it sound obvious once known it was quite a surprise for me.

    An example is better than a long sentence :
    [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.metah.ch/blog/image/fp_soClass.swf" height="250" width="430"/]

    Here you can notice that to access the Size() of a SO you need :
    the_so.getSize ();

    but to get access to the MaxSize() of SO you need to do :
    SharedObject.getMaxSize();

    It just mean that you can access the size() of the _so object, but you get the MaxSize() from the SO Class.

    Ahmet

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