This is a list of the J2ME applications that I use and like. To make the list they have to be free to use and not have annoying advertising (open source is also a plus).
NOTE:
If I do not list a URL Link, but instead just have a number in parenthesis such as (7223) the number is a "quick download" link at wap.getjar.com.
The LG CU500 Phone is one of Cingular's new non-smart 3G phones, and can be purchased relatively inexpensively with a contract. (Amazon sells them for 0.01 with a 2 year contract, cingular charged $50 the last time I checked.) Although it doesn't have a mini-qwerty keyboard and good email support like the Blackjack, 8525, or Treo 750, it also costs $200-400 less. The LG CU500 is in the same class as the Samsung A707 SYNC and the Motorola RAZR V3xx in that it supports 3G, playing music, and Cingular videos.
I purchased a D-Link DWL-G122 802.11g USB Adapter to use with my Mandriva Linux based router and was pleased to find that it worked out of the box. (I was also pleased to find a desk dock for USB sticks included in the box.) Mandriva installed a wireless Ethernet device named "rausb0" which worked just as well as my standard eth2 (built in mini-pci prism card). I verified that the network connection worked with both an access point (managed) network and an ad-hoc network. Continue reading
GeekMafia is self published by Rick Dakan. Right now, you can buy a paperback for 5 USD or download the PDF for free.
I really enjoyed this e-book (aside from reading it on my laptop, time to get an e-ink reader…). It's not a work of great literature, it's a geek escapist beach book. If they made a movie out of it, it would be Sneakers crossed with Ocean's 11. The book follows a group of underground geeks who use their technical powers to pull off cons.
But isn't this evil you might ask? And there is the basis for most of the plot, as the protagonist attempts to reconcile his overall sense of morals with the lifestyle he has found thrust upon him (while still getting the girl). Did I mention that the girl is pulling a con on him?
It's a great read, and well worth the $5 to hold a physical copy, go buy one.
Literary Quality: 4/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
PaperBackSwap.com is a website for people who want to trade paperback (and other) books. It allows you to post the list of books you have available to send. When somebody sees a book they want, they send you a "credit" to mail it to them. You can then use the credit to order a different book from any other member. (You also get a few free credits when you sign up and post your first nine books.)
I've been using this service for two months and have been quite happy with the process. They make sending books very easy with ready-to-print address labels (that double as book mailers). They will soon be adding the ability to print postage directly on the address labels, which will make sending books even easier.
The Samsung Blackjack is a nice piece of hardware. The screen is beautiful, it is well proportioned and fits well in my hand, the scroll-wheel makes it easy to select from menus, and it's thin enough to be carried in a hip pocket despite the factthat it's wider than most phones. The camera is adequate for a cell phone, and the speaker is plenty loud. The phone actually has two speakers,one in the ear-piece, and one on the back that is used to play audio from everything that isn't a phone call (movies, mp3, speaker-phone). The only downside to this is that people behind your phone get better (and louder) sounds than you do, which may be good for sharing music, but isn't as appreciated when you're watching a movie in public. As with every other 3G device I've played with (namely the LG CU500) a standard Bluetooth headset works for call audio only, and will NOT play mono-only sound from the movie/mp3 player. See my rant on 3G phones and why I hate this.
Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks (USB) is the USB web-cam I use. I like the small size and the clip on mounting system works great with the IBM X31 Thinkpad.
Mandrake 10.1 includes PWC (Philips Web Cam, the chipset that is used) support out of the box, but it only supports QCIF images (176×144, quite small) images. To get support for full size images (up to 640×480) you will need to install the kernel source rpm, and visit this site to download the pwc-10 package. I had no problems installing it from the full source code (as opposed to just the kernel patches). Continue reading
Note! This phone works better than my previous phone but the user interface is somewhat kludgy. Once you work around its misdesigned phonebook and confusing and inconsistent menu system it does work without crashing (as my sony T610 was prone to do whenever using bluetooth). I’m willing to trade some UI uglyness for a phone that doesn’t crash once a day and the extra speed that EDGE provides. Perhaps the newer Sony Erricson (T616, etc) phones work better than the T610 I bought, but I wasn’t willing to gamble after experiancing a year of crashes and other problems with my T610.
Overall, the Motorola v330 feels snappy, with the web browser and menus responding much faster than my older T610. But how does it work as a celular EDGE/GPRS modem?
Testing in Atlanta, GA, USA where I get 5 bars of service (9th floor) using a T-Mobile VPN Internet account ($19.95 a month when bundled with a voice plan, the costs have since gone up), I have seen bursts of 20-23 KB/sec on downloads, with sustained speeds of 12-13 KB/sec. Uploading is significantly slower, with sustained speeds of 4-5KB/sec. {My previous, GPRS only (no EDGE) phone maxed out at 5.6KB/sec downloads, and 1-2KB/sec uploads, so EDGE is definately an improvement. It makes browsing the web a slow process, as opposed to a painfully slow process.}
I received a Motofone F3 from India today. (A website I had read indicated they were tri-band, so I asked a friend to bring me one back from India. Unfortunately, they are dual-band, and they are the two bands NOT used in North America, 900/1800, so it won't work with any US providers.) The F3 is exactly what I would want in a non-data-enabled phone. Feature wise, it makes calls, takes call, and can also send/receive SMS messages in a pinch. Continue reading
The Nokia 9500 Communicator is an extremely powerful and feature rich PDA with a phone on the back cover. When closed, its styling can be generously called Retro or ungenerously "a brick". But when you open the clamshell, it reveals a beautiful color widescreen (640×200)
Photos of the Nokai 9500 Communicator, next to a Motorola V330, Palm T2, dollar bill, and 12oz soda can.
The Nokia 9500, sideview, closed, and open, next to a Motorola V330 and Palm T2. Continue reading