FotMob: a J2ME (and not only) application for soccer

FotMob is a mobile application with which you can follow your favourite soccer leagues. It is available for J2ME and Windows mobile devices. The iPhone and the Android version are underway.

The main features of the application are:

• LIVE-coverage of Premier League, Championship, Bundesliga, Serie A, Primera Division, SAS ligaen, Tippeligaen, Adeccoligaen, Champions League and FA cup


• Table is updated LIVE


• All fixtures with results and match details


• Match details with goals and red/yellow cards


• Topscorer list


• Dynamically retrieves new season data so no need to upgrade ever!


• RSS news. Add your own feed (Java version only)

Users can have a free trial of 30 days and then choose betewwn two different rates:

• 1.99 per month;


• 4.99 per year.

This is a screenshot taken from the J2ME application:

A first release for Android was released few days ago. It's a free beta version ready to test. This is a screenshot of the Android app:

It is a very nice application for soccer fan. While I'm writing this article I'm following the serie A soccer match Juventus - Genoa and using the application I have seen Juventus is winning 1-0 thanks to a goal of Grygera on 6' of first half. The table is updated in real time and at the moment Juventus is at the top togheter with Inter. Let's see if it will be the same at the end of the match!

Open a connection with the new Android SDK 0.9

It took sometime to me to understand why my connection class wasn't working anymore after the update to the new Android SDK 0.9.

Trying to open a simple socket I got the error "UknownHostException" even if my code wasn't changed.

The solution has been add to the AndroidManifest.xml this line:

<uses-permission xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"></uses-permission>

Magically the problem disappears.

New Android SDK released

After the rumors about the HTC Dream which should be on the market earlier than expected after the supposed delays, Google has released a Beta of the new Android SDK.

The SDK can be downloaded at http://code.google.com/android/download_list.html and for information about upgrading from the previous version you can visit http://code.google.com/android/intro/upgrading.html .

Google wants to move quickly towards the release of the SDK 1.0.

The important changes in this new BETA release are:

• First and most obviously, the new Home screen is included, along with a ton of UI changes for 1.0.


• Some new applications are included: an Alarm Clock, Calculator, Camera, Music player, Picture viewer, and Messaging (for SMS/MMS conversations.)


• Several new development tools were added, such as a graphical preview for XML layouts for users of Eclipse, and a tool for constructing 9-patch images.


• Since we've got a new Home screen application now, we thought the now-obsolete version from the M5 early-look SDK might be helpful to developers, so its source is included as a sample.


• A number of new APIs are fleshed out and improved, and others are now close to their final forms for 1.0.


• Tons of bugs were fixed, of course. (If you had problems with the MediaPlayer, try it now!)

This is how the new main screen of the emulator looks:

Will TMobile make the first Android phone available on 17th ofSeptember?

The unofficial TMobile blog (TNO News) claims TMobile will offer the first Android Phone (called with the (code)name G1) on 17th September for their customers at the price of 150 $, much less than the expected 399 $.

The other customers (not already TMobile) should wait until the beginning/mid October when the national launch will take place.

Expected specifications:

• 3g


• a 5" long by 3" wide touch screen


• a slide out QWERTY keyboard


• 3.0 Megapixel camera


• Three available colors: brown, white and black

Users will be required to have a GMail account to get the phone working.

We have only to wait and see if TMobile will really meet this exiting deadline.

Android: HTC denies GPhone delay

HTC has confirmed that their first Android phone will be on the market on the 4th quarter of 2008 denying the rumors which claimed a possible delay to first quarter of 2009. No more details came from HTC.

A video (not very high quality to be honest) showing the first images of HTC Dream, an Android based phone, has been posted on YouTube:

Build service enabled android application: an useful article

This is an useful article containing three tutorials showing how build an Android applications which performs all the networking I/O operations in a background thread completely decoupled from UI.

That is a good practice not only for the Android platform but also in J2ME development to avoid the lock of UI while the network operation is being processd.

Read the article at http://developerlife.com/theblog/?p=430

Google Android UI shown in SanFrancisco

Google showed off the new Android user interface in San Francisco during a developer conference. The demo has been done using a prototype device provided by an unamed manufacturer.

The interaction between user and device is in IPhone style...everything is drivable with a finger.

Watch the Steve Horowitz (Engineering director) presentation video:

First Android phone

The first Android phone prototype has been shown in the Gizmodo website.The look and file is very close to the emulator of the SDK provided by Google.

Here you are two links (one in Italian and one in English) with two different article and photos about this first Andorid phone:

Punto Informatico (in Italian)

Gizmodo

Mobile Developers in Canada?

Canada is considered one of the best country of the world where living. Landscape, nature, big spaces, nice cities.....

Would you like to work on mobile in Canada? Here you are an opportunity I see in a website:

Mobile Games & Applications Jobs if you have working experience in Java, iPhone, Android & Blackberry smart phones.
Below is a complte of all hot jobs:
http://www.3gwirelessjobs.com/job/employer_jobs/9465/Mobile-Games--Applications.html

Good luck for who will try!