Welcome to the Mobility Developer Newsletter. Here you'll find links to the latest products, tools, resources, and events relating to development with Java Card technology and the Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME).

See the Subscribe/Unsubscribe note at the end of this newsletter to subscribe to other Sun Developer Network (SDN) newsletters that focus on technologies and products in other Java platforms.

Product and Technology Releases

The following J2ME products and technologies were recently released.

NetBeans IDE 4.1 Beta
Includes the Mobility Pack for developing J2ME applications, an Eclipse Project Import Module, and 14 other new modules for developing J2EE 1.4 applications. This release is built on the breakthrough NetBeans 4.0 technology. Users can develop programs for J2SE, J2ME, and now J2EE EJBs and Web Services.

Developer's Marketplace

Buy Now: Over 50% Savings on Sun Java Studio Developer
Deploy applications faster - from simple web applications and portals to sophisticated mission-critical applications and web services. Get unlimited access to the Sun Developer Network too! Offer ends June 30, 2005.

Join the Java Verified Program Today
Test your mobile Java technology-based application through the Java Verified Program and take advantage of the largest market for mobile content in the world!

Industry News and Announcements

Latest Version of Popular NetBeans IDE Draws Rave Reviews From Developers
NetBeans Mobility Pack 4.0, Enterprise Java support and Apache Ant project support have been cited as key differentiators. NetBeans 4.1 Beta is now available for download.
Download now!

Visit the New java.com
Hot games, cool apps. Experience the power of Java technology.

Resources

Learn more about and get "hands-on" training for J2ME technologies through the following resources:

Technical Articles and Quizzes

• Got Innovation? Looking Ahead in the Mobility Market
  2005 may finally be the year that mobile phone manufacturers and carriers lead or fall based on their ability to innovate and attract increasingly picky consumers.
  
  
• Sharing Data Between MIDlet Suites
  This article provides a code-intensive analysis of and solutions to some difficult synchronization problems found when duplicating data in multiple record stores. A detailed discussion of parameters and a thorough example are included.
  
  
• Handling Varied Content in J2ME Applications
  Learn the ins and outs of handling varied content in J2ME applications in this informative article about the Content Handler API (CHAPI), developed as JSR 211. It includes an enlightening discussion of various operating scenarios, architecture, and contents of the optional package.
  
  
• Learning Path: MIDlet Life Cycle
  Focusing on extensive examples of source code, this learning path shows you the basic life-cycle control elements needed to implement your application's build, source base, and delivery strategies.
  

Chats

• Upcoming Chat: Create a MIDP Application Using Drag 'n' Drop
  March 29, 2005; 9:00 a.m. PST, 6:00 p.m. UTC
  Interested in creating J2ME MIDP applications faster and more easily? Find out how the powerful new Visual Editor in the NetBeans Mobility Pack 4.1 IDE, now in beta, speeds your development time with drag-and-drop functionality. For an inside look at this feature's capabilities, join in a live chat with the engineers who designed and implemented it.
  Register now
  

Whitepapers and Data Sheets

• Java Standards: The Mandate for Interoperability and Compatibility
  The promise of Java technology was neatly encapsulated in the early catch phrase "Write Once, Run Anywhere." This META Group Research White Paper explores the role of the Java Community Process (JCP) and how it delivers platform independence and interoperability to the users of Java technology. (PDF)

Newsletter

• Sun Developer Network Program News
  News and information of value to SDN users: product announcements, user group meetings, early access programs, and more.

Events

• Sun Tech Days
  April 5-6, 2005, at the Hotél Gran Meliá WTC São Paulo, Brazil
  Come to Sun Tech Days, our annual Developer Conference. You'll experience a unique global gathering of industry leaders representing such cutting-edge systems as Java Web Services, J2EE, and the hottest software in between.
  Register now
  
  
• JavaOne Special Offer
  Registration is open! Be one of the first 1000 people to register for the 2005 JavaOne conference by March 31, 2005, and receive a FREE copy of Sun's Java Studio Creator software and book.
  Register now
  
  
• Third Annual Duke's Choice Awards Contest
  Submit your Java-technology based applications and services. Winners are selected by James Gosling, and the Java technology leadership team, and announced at JavaOne. Enter by April 30, 2005.
  
  
• JSR 177: J2ME and Java Card Connected Workshop
  April 18, 2005 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
  This technical workshop will be conducted the day before the annual SIM conference. It will provide an overview of JSR 177, which is designed to enable applications based on J2ME, as well as on Java Card, to communicate with SIM and UICC cards. The workshop will demonstrate the use cases that led to the API's development, and describe the activities to implement and use it in the industry.
  
  
• Contest: Ricoh and the Sun Java Platform Powered by U!
  To challenge young developers, Ricoh and Sun are running a Java platform programming contest among students at universities across Europe, in March and April 2005. Students are challenged to develop innovative Java technology-based applications that will run embedded on Ricoh Aficio(tm) laser printers and multifunctional products (MFPs). Registration deadline is March 31.