Dr. Dobb's Journal - July 2008 - (Page 50)

State of the Art by Eric J. Bruno Java & the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet Eric is a Dr. Dobb’s contributing editor and software consultant. He can be contacted at eric@ericbruno.com. A mobile device with multiple wireless connection options If you follow my Dr. Dobb’s Java blog (www.ddj.com/java), you know that I’m both a fan of Apple products and disappointed with Apple, mainly because Apple doesn’t support Java on the iPhone. This led me on a search for a device that could run Java, connect wirelessly to the Internet from anywhere, and let me make voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone calls without a cell phone carrier. I haven’t exactly found this device yet, but I’ve come close—real close—with the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet. While Nokia considers the N810 as a phone, it really isn’t a phone. It’s a Linux-based Internet tablet device with wireless connection options, including 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, and WiMax. And with the help of some readily available software, you can run Java applications and make VoIP-based calls on the device, among many other things. time with directions to where you want to go. With an available software upgrade, it becomes a complete turn-by-turn navigation system. In terms of communication, you can install Gizmo, GoogleTalk, and Skype. There’s also IMAP4/ SMTP/POP3 support for web-based e-mail systems such as GoogleMail and Yahoo!, with software that provides alerts as new messages arrive. Of course, being Linux-based, there are all kinds of software add-ons available (free and for fee) to add more media, entertainment, and productivity features to the N810. The Coolest Linux Device With its 800×480 display and Mozilla-based Ajaxcapable browser, the N810 delivers full desktop-quality web browsing (Figure 1) similar to the iPhone, but not a scaled down mobile version like with other cell phones. The N810 comes with software to record/playback video streams, play music and movies with stereo output, and do everything you can do from a desktop Linux system in terms of multimedia. It also comes with map software and data, integrated with the device’s GPS receiver, to show your location in real50 Dr. Dobb’s Journal l www.ddj.com l July 2008 Adding Phone Support Skype is a service that lets you make voice-over IP (VoIP) phone calls via the Internet from a computer with Skype software installed. It also comes with an instant messenger interface, letting you text or call the people on your contact list. Skype offers client software for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and mobile devices http://www.ddj.com/java http://www.ddj.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Dr. Dobb's Journal - July 2008

Dr. Dobb's Journal - July 2008 Contents Friday Night Fish Fry Alia Vox Developer Diaries Developer’s Notebook Engineers Without Borders Conversations Patricia Tries Event-Based Architectures Graphs Versus Objects Lock-Free Queues Dr. Dobb’s Architecture & Design World Java and the Nokia N10 Internet Tablet Effective Concurrency The Agile Edge Swaine’s Flames

Dr. Dobb's Journal - July 2008

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