Personal Computer Xpressionz

The success of newer BlackBerry models like the Pearl, Curve, Bold and Storm have allowed RIM (Research in Motion) to penetrate the consumer smartphone market and go head-to-head with the Apple iPhone as an application platform. If you’ve been ignoring the BlackBerry platform because it was too Enterprise-focused for your applications, it might be time to specifically target the BlackBerry. Here’s how you get started.

It’s Java Time

BlackBerry development for all recent models is done exclusively in Java. So if you’re not a strong Java programmer, now’s the time to brush up on your Java programming skills. (C# programmers will find the transition to Java fairly simple, the languages are very close in most respects.) Don’t learn about the newest Java features, however, because the BlackBerry platform is built on top of Java Micro Edition (Java ME), which is itself a derivative of Java version 1.3. So forget all the fancy (but useful) language features introduced in Java 1.5 — generics, enumerations, and so on — you can’t use these in BlackBerry programming. You can’t also use most of the library classes you’re familiar with — they’re just not there. A small subset of the Java Standard Edition (Java SE) classes are supported, as well as a number of BlackBerry-specific classes.

Java Micro Edition?

Once you’ve brushed up on your Java, you need to spend a bit of time understanding the Java ME platform, which was formerly known as Java 2 Micro Edition, or J2ME for short. You need to understand the concepts of configurations and profiles, and in particular the CLDC and MIDP standards. You’ll find lots of information about these in various books and on Sun’s Java development site.

The BlackBerry Platform

After learning about Java ME, it’s time to explore the BlackBerry platform. The BlackBerry platform is based on the CLDC and includes support for MIDP 2.0. However, a large number of BlackBerry-specific classes are also provided. Which brings you to the first question you’ll face: are you going to write a BlackBerry application or a MIDP application? In a MIDP application you’re constrained to only use the APIs exposed by the CLDC and MIDP standards. Your application will run on the BlackBerry and on most cellphones, but it won’t be able to use any of the BlackBerry’s special features. You can use any MIDP-compatible development tool, such as the Sun Java Wireless Toolkit for CLDC (formerly known as the J2ME Wireless Toolkit), to create your applications.

Most application developers opt to build BlackBerry-specific applications. This means learning the BlackBerry-specific APIs — including new user interface classes — and using the BlackBerry Java Development Environment (JDE) to develop your applications. The JDE, which is free to download, works with the standard Java Software Development Kit and provides you with all the tools necessary to create, package, test and debug BlackBerry applications. You don’t even need a BlackBerry handheld, because the JDE includes a full-featured BlackBerry device simulator. A complete set of JavaDocs is provided that describes all the classes and interfaces available to programmers.

After downloading and installing the JDE, you’ll want to read the developer’s guides that come with the JDE and look at the sample applications that are shipped with it. Then start your development by writing a few simple applications to get a feel for the BlackBerry APIs and the tools.

Get A BlackBerry Handheld

Although you can develop and test your applications for free, at some point you’ll need to run the application on an actual BlackBerry handheld. This will cost you money, of course, and so it’s not something you’ll want to do until you’re serious about writing BlackBerry applications. On-device testing is crucial to ensuring that the application works correctly, because the simulator is not a perfect emulation system.

If you’re truly serious about BlackBerry application development, consider also joining one of the BlackBerry developer programs for additional support and early access to new devices and APIs. You should also explore RIM’s other BlackBerry developer resources. There are also third-party forums and books available to help you learn the BlackBerry platform.

Conclusion

BlackBerry programming is not hard if you know some Java and you understand the constraints and limitations of the underlying Java ME platform. You have to learn a new set of APIs and use new development tools, but in the end it’s just another kind of Java programming.

About the Author:
Eric Giguere is a consultant and author who specializes in BlackBerry programming and other wireless development topics.

The HTC HD2 is rated among the most popular of HTC’s mobiles today. The highlight of the HD2 is its huge cinematic display alongside the latest version of Windows Mobile, we take a closer look at what is by far the most advanced touch screen phone from HTC.

Physical Dimensions:

Today appearance is extremely important. The makers of this set have kept that in mind. The set looks extremely elegant and can be conveniently carried in your pockets and purses. It has physical measurements of 120.5X67X11mm and weighs around 157g.

Display is interesting:

One of the most impressive features of this handset is its wide 4.3inches of capacitive touch screen. The resolution count of the screen is 480X800 pixels which along with 65K colours makes the images bright, clear and vibrant to enhance your viewing experience. Various other screen features are also provided. These features include multitouch input method, Sense User Interface, proximity sensor used for automatic turnoff, accelerometer sensor used to auto rotate and ambient light sensor. The phone also comes with a feature called pick to mute a call.

Click Pictures:

The HD2 5MP camera is capable of capturing images having resolution up to 2592 X 1944 pixels. In order to further enhance the image quality the camera is provided with various additional features like auto focus, LED flash and many others. You can also keep your images lively forever by tagging them with their locations using the geo tagging feature.

Music Player:

This HTC set is provided with a music player to offer you the opportunity of listening to music when you are free. The music player of the phone provides support to various audio formats like eAAC+, WMA, Mp3 and others so that you can enjoy music in its original track. FM radio with RDS is also present in the phone so that you can tune into your favourite radio station whenever you want.

Operating System:

This model from the house of HTC has Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional as its OS and has a Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD62 1GHz processor. This upgraded processor has made the functions of the phone extremely fast.

Network and Connectivity Features:

Network and connectivity will not be an issue with this phone as it is provided with good features for the same. The network service for the handset is provided by HSCSD, EDGE, 3G, WLAN and GPRS technology. Its Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and mini USB provided easy connectivity with other compatible devices so that you can share your data.

Memory and Battery Backup:

This handset comes with an internal memory of 512 MB where you can store all your favourite images, videos and musical tracks. If you fall short of memory, it can be increased with the help of microSD card. This phone has Lithium-ion battery of 1230 mAh, which provides great back up. It offers a talk time of around 5 hours and 40 minutes whereas its standby time is of 390 hours. This quality backup allows the user to listen to music continuously for 12hours.

You must love the features of The HD2. Buy it and experience all these features.

About the Author:
The HTC HD2 joins the recently introduced HTC Touch 2 from the manufacturers line-up for 2009, for more information please see our website – Phones Limited.