Software For Developing Pluggable Mobile Java Games

SNAP Mobile has informed about the release of a new library for software developers (SDK 2.0) for mobile games.

The new SDK, having a simpler API, thanks to more effective emulation and testing tools, provide mobile application development specialists all the possibilities for creating plug-in mobile games for a wide range of Nokia telephones and smartphones as well as smartphones from other producers which correspond to the Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) 2.0 and Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) 1.1. standards.

SDK includes SNAP Mobile Client API libraries, environment emulation application, the tool for testing the compatibility of the telephone with the network as well as the examples of applications and documentation, the access to which is carried out from any built-in Java (IDE) development environment.

The latest development SNAP is a significant step for Nokia in terms of developing the new object-oriented API and improving the user interface structure, which simplifies the work of java developers.

Moreover, SDK simplifies the programming itself since it requires fewer API enquiries to the server, especially in case of error recovery and the duration of testing on compatibility is reduced from two to one hour.

Mobile game developers will be able to check their games in terms of conformity to certain requirements, offered by local communication operators and telephones themselves.

Top 10 Most Welcomed IT Professions 2012

Despite the doubts in stability of the American economy in 2012, the research has showed that American companies are going to expand their IT staff. Analytics have found out what IT professions will be called for. The results of the annual research organized by Computerworld showed that 29% out of 353 IT-executive managers are planning to increase the number of their departments by the summer 2012.

‘The demand for IT-specialists in companies of all types and sizes is constantly growing’, says Mike McBrierty, the executive director of one of the biggest recruiting agencies the Eliassen Group. Moreover, according to his own words, the companies are planning to update the infrastructure and restart the realization of the projects postponed for the last 3 years.

As Computerworld claims, in 2012 the directors of IT departments have set teeth for implementing innovations and that’s why the most relevant for future employees will be the following nine main skills.

•    web and mobile application development skills
•    project management skills
•    technical support and maintenance skills
•    network technologies skills
•    business analysis skills
•    Web 2.0 technologies skills – more and more companies are planning to implement these technologies and the demand for php/java/.net software developers won’t decrease in 2012. Also there will be a big demand for Ajax GWT professional web developers as well as the specialists in .Net, PHP, HTML, XML, CSS, Flash and Javascript.

Find Friends in Real World With Smartphone Application

Mobile application development is conquering new heights – the range of Android, iPhone and Windows Mobile applications is so wide that now practically any app for your needs can be developed by a software company.

The eShadow application based on the interaction with wireless technologies allows searching for buddies or foreigners with similar interests that are nearby. Of course, finding virtual friends is possible without leaving the computer thanks to thousands of various social networks. But Dong Xuan and his colleagues from the Ohio State University (USA) decided to move such technology into reality.

In practice it looks as follows: eShadow installed in your smartphone analyses the data of the nearest wireless networks or communication technologies used by other smartphones and shows the direction where you can find already existing friends or potential candidates to friends. The user can select filters according to this or that feature cutting off unwanted candidates.

The researchers tested their development in practice at the distance of 20-45 m with the participation of 2-7 people. In all cases the process of searching took about half a minute. But so far the application works only with Windows Mobile OS but in future it will become cross platform.

Finding a friend or a like-minded person in the crowd is not simple enough, but at the specialized social events your chances doubled. For example, at the conference on distributed computer systems (ICDCS 2011) where eShadow was first presented.

What do you think about this and similar applications? Are they necessary? I’d like to hear your opinion.

Samsung Developers: New Application Development Center

Samsung has announced the launch of the new site intended for simplifying the process of mobile application development. The development of applications for Samsung phones, smartphones and communicators has become a popular project for individual users as well as for large software development companies.  

Finding applications for various platforms and devices at one big and rapidly growing resource is very convenient. It has changed the conventional views on the online application support all over the world. Millions of users taking part in software development have made the company think over more exciting and advanced opportunities in future.

Samsung Developers has announced about the new site for mobile developers working with Samsung devices where everyone can get the latest news and updates, rich content and the forum for obtaining the technical support and it doesn’t matter at all whether you develop for Windows Mobile, Java platform or just simple widgets. Samsung Developers combines all the platforms into one unified resource with the latest SDK versions, training videos, hardware and software updates.

Electronic mobile wallets: from myth to reality

The idea to transform mobile devices into electronic personal wallets is being actively put into practice. Mobile app development companies take advantage of NFC capabilities to give mobile users the chance to use their gadgets as a payment means. The NFC technology has already been used in Japan, South Korea and Malaysia to carry out money transactions, while it is only on its way to be widely adopted by the USA, the UK and other European countries.
The coming upgrades of Apple’s products iPhone5 and iPad2 will support the NFC technology, while Android-powered Nexus S devices already come bundled with NFC capabilities. The ever growing popularity of iPhones, iPads and Androids provides a foundation to promote and introduce mobile wallet technology into everyday use. Though, at the moment for this technology to become ubiquitous retailers should be willing to install hardware that will scan mobile wallets and carry out money transactions.
The UK mobile carrier Orange is about to introduce a new service, allowing its customers to use their mobiles as wallets. Mobile wallets will save many people from extra headache connected with carrying cash and credit cards – people will get everything in their handhelds.
If mobile money payment system will catch on it will outline for software development companies a new trend in mobile app development services.

Anonymous web surfing with Google Android

Web development Team from Digital Technology Group (DTG, University of Cambridge) has released an application for Android, which allows anonymous users to travel across the Network with the help of TOR (The Onion Router). This program for anonymous web surfing can be downloaded and used free of charge. It works on the basis of peer2peer technology; it means that this new mobile app uses connection via distributed network of servers, supported by enthusiasts from around the world, in this way it prevents user’s location definition.

This mobile application for the Google Android is the result of a summer project and consists of 2 parts: TorProxy and Shadow (both of them released under the GPLv2). More details about them, including download links and installation information, are available at DTG.

Jacob Appelbaum, one of the TOR Project active participants, said that new Android app is “not ready for full use”, but nevertheless it’s a “nice demo”. So, we believe that such software products will initiate new projects and will present new ideas for mobile programming.