|
In this series, we explore the role--and future--of Java in digital consumer devices
August 12, 2006
URL:http://www.drdobbs.com/jvm/the-future-of-java-part-1/191902112
Eric Bruno is a Java consultant, author of Java Messaging, and Java blogger for Dr. Dobb's. He can be contacted at [email protected].
As part of a series of articles regarding the future of Java, I recently spoke with Mark Herring, the director of Java brand marketing at Sun, and as Vicki Freitas, Sun's Java brand manager. Our conversation centered on Java's use by consumers, or those that are exposed to Java because they use applications or play games written in Java. It should come as no surprise that these applications and games are mainly targeted for cell phones, and in many cases, younger audiences.
According to Mark, about three years ago Sun conducted a study and discovered that Java was experiencing considerable consumer growth. Again, most of the growth was with kids who were interested in Java-based games to play on their cell phones. As a result, Java's growth on cell phones, hand-held devices (such as PDAs and the like), and even embedded devices, has grown.
The result is that there are over 3 billion Java-enabled cell phones in the world today. In fact, based on polls that Sun has taken, most consumers favor buying cell phones that have Java on it, even amongst those who don't know what Java is. This makes sense because Java is Sun's most popular brand, with about 85 percent of non-developer, non-technical, consumers reporting that they identify Java with something "generally good," even if they don't know exactly what it is.
Java's consumer success goes beyond cell phones, however, as seen by the excitement it has generated for Blu-ray high-definition DVD players that are being introduced to the consumer market. Electronics manufacturers, such as Samsung, will soon offer Blu-ray DVD players with Java built in to offer rich interactive services not available on today's DVD players. What's really interesting is that many of these vendors chose to include the Java brand on their products to gain a competitive edge. for a press release on the product.
On the business side of the consumer market, Ricoh recently launched a series of office printers with Java embedded. The Java-powered printers let corporations build custom applications, or integrate their existing applications, to create more efficient business processes easily and quickly. One such application involves the use of a Java card, requiring the person who sends a print job to swipe his card at the printer before anything is actually printed out. The intent is to avoid having sensitive information get into the wrong hands if the person who sent the print job does not get to the printer in time, or simply forgets which printer the job was sent to. Swiping the Java card ensures that the print job is held up (yet still queued) until the person arrives to physically grab it.
Java enabled this application with unique, and very useful, functionality. The broad range of technologies offered by the Java platform, such as the Java card, makes it possible to integrate devices with new and existing applications in an environment that is already familiar to most developers.
Shortly after Sun discovered Java's popularity amongst consumers three years ago, it launched the Java.com web site (see Figure 1). The site regularly sees around 15 million unique visitors a month. Although the site is clearly aimed at a younger audience (18 to 35-year-olds) and game enthusiasts, the site does see visitors with a complete cross-section of interests in a broad age range.
Over 80 percent of the visitors to Java.com do so to download the latest Java runtime environment (JRE) to their desktops. Additionally, a good number of people repeatedly visit the site to download the latest applications and games for their desktop and/or mobile device. An emulator is also available at the site that allows you to run mobile games on your desktop, as well as on a mobile device.
On Java.com, you'll find links to fun, yet useful, information, such as Duke's Zone, which is based on the colorful Java mascot. Here you'll find Duke's blog, which contains information on fun stuff happening in the Java world. Presented in a light and airy fashion, visitors are treated to a gentle introduction to the world of Java software development.
Overall, the Java.com site focuses on Java-powered applications, with links to developer tools as well. Sun has taken a neutral view on the site; it doesn't sell anything directly. It's simply a showcase for cool and unique applications written in Java, with pointers to information and vendors who do sell the applications.
Many people are aware of Google Maps for mobile devices which is a mobile Java application that runs on any Java-powered cell phone. However, Java is increasingly showing up in all sorts of consumer devices, beyond cell phones. Take WowWee toys, for instance. WowWee offers a series of robotic toys, such as Robosapien (see Figure 2), Roboraptor, and Robopet, which are all Java-powered and branded. This is definitely an example of the power, and the entertaining side, of embedded Java.
Another example of embedded Java is the use of Java within the latest BMW cars to offer location services, interactive services, and multimedia functionality. The Java software is called "iDrive," which lets drivers control the car's audio and navigations systems, as well as the climate within the car's cabin. What's more, Java helped cut BMW's development costs significantly, and has provided them with a dynamic platform that can be updated with new services and features even after the car leaves the dealership.
Sports fans all around will love what Java allowed ESPN to do with its Mobile ESPN cell phone service. This mobile service and Java-based application that runs on the cell phone allows users to get the latest sports news and scores, view real-time score boards, watch video highlights, ask sports questions, and receive alerts for sports-related news, events, and game results, as in Figure 3.
If you're interested in learning more about Java-powered consumer devices, or other unique applications based on Java, see this list of interesting consumer applications and devices that are based on Java.
As a closing note, in looking towards the future, Sun envisions a world where Java will be used by consumers to program and control the environment around them. This might be accomplished with a home full of Java-powered devices, or through tools that can control other devices. Either way, there's a good chance that Java will be at the center of the consumer world.
Terms of Service | Privacy Statement | Copyright © 2024 UBM Tech, All rights reserved.