Appletell

Funnily enough, I was just waiting for Apple to release this. Since I just installed Woopra, a new statistics tracking software, on my website - and it requires Java SE6 on the Mac. Unfortunately, the latest Java SDK doesn’t run on 32-bit Macs - which means my Core Duo MacBook won’t be able to run it. However, all of Apple’s newest products are Core 2 Duo, and are 64-bit (if running Leopard). The update is available for download from Apple’s website or Software Update if you have a compatible Mac.

This latest update adds support for Java SE 6 version 1.6.0_05. This update does not replace your current install of Java on your Mac, it just adds support for SE 6. It requires a 64-bit Intel Mac with Mac OS X 10.5.2

Via [TUAW]

It is fairly well known that Apple has not been very enthused about having Java on the iPhone, most likely due to battery drainage.  However, DigitalArts is now reporting that Sun is still trying to find a way for this to happen.

“We’ve expressed our intent to do this and our desire, really, to work with Apple to build a JVM (Java Virtual Machine) for the iPhone and we’re sort of moving forward with that,” said Eric Klein, Sun vice president of Java marketing, this week.

While this goes on, Sun has started working with Innaworks on a product named alcheMo.  This is currently in beta release and would be used to convert the Java ME code that developers use into a code that would be allowed on the iPhone via the SDK.  Right now, this is more targeted towards game developers and would contain an optimization translator.  However, Sun still wants to get their actual platform on the machine via their JVM, and Klein says that they are currently “in discussions” with Apple.

What do you think, is it going to happen this time or is Apple still going to say no?

A recent patent application filed by Apple sheds light on a new application possibly coming soon for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  Although at first glance the application looks almost exactly the same as the current Short Messaging Service (SMS) application for the iPhone, it is actually quite different.  Some of the main differences would include an Internet-based chat service (as opposed to a cellular phone texting service), a dedicated text input area, suggested words shown, and a slightly tweaked UI.  Some of the patent text also detailed the possibility of Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), much like today’s iChat Theater.  Hopefully this patent will turn into an actual product, as Instant Messaging has shown up regularly as one of the most requested features on the iPhone.  Should this not become reality, the only alternative for IM would be the rumored AOL Instant Messaging Application, but that would be slightly limited by possibility of Apple blocking apps such as Firefox, Java, and other background apps.

Via [AppleInsider]

Sun Microsystems announced that they are developing a Java virtual machine for iPhone.

The virtual machine will be based on the Java Micro Edition (ME). Apple showed no interest in putting Java on the iPhone, and so Sun said that after the SDK announcement, they would do it themselves. VP of Java Marketing at Sun, Eric Klein, told InfoWorld that the JVM would be free on Apple’s App Store alongside all other developer apps.

“We’re going to make sure that the JVM offers the Java applications as much access to the native functionality of the iPhone as possible,” Klein told InfoWorld.

Read [InfoWorld]