Bug Nokia: TimeZone.getTimeZone() returns invalid value for GMT whenusing daylight saving time (summer time)

A bug related to the use of the class Timezone using the Daylight saving time.

Click here to see

Utility application to monitor your j2me application power consumption

On 9 March Nokia released the version 1.2 of Energy profiler a Symbian application you can use to monitor how the power consumption of your phone changes when you try a J2ME application (or other type of software).

As stated in the Nokia website:
"It is an application that enables developers and device users to examine power consumption and several other parameters on S60 devices. The reporting provided by the Nokia Energy Profiler enables developers to identify and improve application functions that consume excessive amounts of power and thus to create higher-quality applications."

The application works on Nokia series60 3rd and 5th edition devices.

The features added in the version 1.2 are:

• Touch UI support.


• Capture of WLAN received signal strength and 3G cellular network T1 and T2 timers.


• New graphing features.


• New CSV output features.

Minor release for Opera Mini J2ME.

The Opera Mini version 4.2.13918 is online ready for the download. This is a minmal release with small changes and bug fixing:

• support for South Africa's English;


• support for Guatemala's Spanish;


• change in bookmark;


• new default search engine for Ukraine (from Google to Yandex);


• minor bugs fixing;

For the download click here

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.