Updates from February, 2009 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • pit 3:44 pm on February 16, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , ,   

    Gcal version 0.3: touch support, local events, and a bunch of fixes! 

    Version 0.3 of Gcal, the J2ME Google Calendar client, is finally out!

    Most of the work was done to improve device compatibility and fix bugs on specific handsets (e.g.: BlackBerry devices, Nokia E61, and many more).

    Release details

    New cool features are introduced:

    • Touch-screen support: if you have a device supporting touch, now you can easily interact with Gcal with stylus/fingers!
      Touch gestures are also implemented: go from a day to another simply swiping!
    • Event saving on local calendar: you can now save an event on your local calendar. If you’re creating a new event, just check the “Save on local calendar” option. Instead, if you’re viewing a saved event, choose “Actions” -> “Save locally” from the options menu.

    New settings are also available:

    • Font size: introduced to improve readability, and to allow users with touch-screen to have larger touchable areas
    • Alternative soft-keys: devices without hardware soft-keys can now use ‘*’ and ‘#keys to substitute them, and so use Gcal without any more problems
    • Show only calendars with events: this will allow users with a lot of calendars to show only the ones actually selected in the “Filter calendars” screen, greatly improving events readability

    Among the fixed bugs:

    • Calendar loading errors on various handsets
    • Filters scrolling and selection in calendar filtering screen
    • Screen size/orientation changes are now better handled

    Give your feedback

    A lot of new features are still under development, and surely a lot are the missing features that you would like to see into your Gcal. Just leave your comment here, and your feedback will be surely considered for the next Gcal releases!

     
    • Cindy Christensen 7:44 pm on January 18, 2010 Permalink

      I have a Samsung Highlight(SGH-T749). When trying to login, I get a “Exception: java.lang.SecurityException: application not authorized to access the restricted API” message. Is there anything I can do?

      Thanks!

    • Guy 10:33 am on July 22, 2010 Permalink

      hi installed the latest version, logged into my google calendar but I see no calnders. why is that?

    • David Bilek 11:31 pm on November 18, 2010 Permalink

      Hi, I have installed application (emgeton enzo) and got certificate error when I try login. Could anyone help me.

  • pit 5:36 pm on February 13, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , ,   

    New Gcal version almost ready: last call for new features! 

    I’ve been working hard on the new Gcal version, that will be hopefully released in the very next days.

    Since there is still some available time, if you would like to see some new features in the next version, this is your chance to say it!

    Meanwhile, let me thank you all for your precious feedbacks and suggestions, that helped me a lot in debugging and improving Gcal! Yet a lot needs to be done, so keep it up :)

     
  • pit 3:47 pm on February 12, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , javafx   

    JavaFX has gone mobile! 

    JavaFX Mobile has finally been released, and this is a great news for all Java ME developers out there!!

    JavaFX is an expressive rich client platform for creating and delivering rich Internet experiences across all screens of your life. [...] With JavaFX Mobile, Sun is bringing expressiveness to the most powerful and pervasive mobile platform. On mobile devices, JavaFX runs directly on Java ME to take advantage of its ubiquity, security, and highly capable feature-set.

    To get an idea of what you can do with JavaFX, you can look at the samples posted on JavaFX website, shipped with the source code used to achieve these results. They’re just impressive!

    Can’t wait anymore? Then download JavaFX and start learning!

     
  • pit 12:46 pm on January 26, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: facebook, ,   

    Like Gcal? Became a fan! :) 

    As you know, Gcal is a free Google Calendar client for (quite) all Java enabled mobile phones. If you like it and want to give your support, now you can join the Gcal fan crew on Facebook!

    Becoming a fan, you’ll automatically receive all future Gcal updates and, and can share your thoughts and feedback with other Gcal users.

    And, above all, you’ll make my coding nights happier :D

     
  • pit 1:04 pm on January 25, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , image reflection, , , ,   

    J2ME Images: how to create a reflection effect 

    It’s surely time for some new J2ME tutorial, so this article will explain how to create a nice reflection effect starting from a simple Image.

    You can see the final effect, as usual, on the emulator page: J2ME Image reflection in action.

    Source code

    1. Method declaration

    Let’s start by our method declaration:

    public static Image createReflectedImage(Image image, int bgColor, int reflectionHeight)
    {
    }

    We have 3 arguments:

    • the original image that we want to reflect
    • the background color (used for transparent images)
    • the height of the reflection effect

    2. The mutable Image

    Now, let’s create the mutable Image that will hold the resulting effect:

    int w = image.getWidth();
     
    int h = image.getHeight();
     
    Image reflectedImage = Image.createImage(w, h + reflectionHeight);

    We store the original image width and height into 2 int variables, and then create the mutable image with the same width, but with an height equal to h (the original image) plus the specified reflection height.

    3. Copy the original Image

    Now, first drawing steps are:

    1. Getting the Graphics object of our mutable image
    2. Filling the image with the background color
    3. Drawing the original image on the upper part of the mutable one
    Graphics g = reflectedImage.getGraphics();
     
    g.setColor(bgColor);
     
    g.fillRect(0, 0, w, h + reflectionHeight);
     
    g.drawImage(image, 0, 0, Graphics.TOP | Graphics.LEFT);

    4. Create the reflection effect

    Now, let’s get to the important part of this tutorial, that is the reflection effect itself:

    • for each horizontal line of the reflected image part, take the corresponding vertical coordinate of the original image
    • get the RGBA data of the corresponding horizontal line of the original image
    • calculate the alpha to be applied to this line, and apply it to each element of the RGB data array
    • draw the RGB data into the reflected image, by using its Graphics object

    And here is the source code:

    int[] rgba = new int[w];
    int currentY = -1;
     
    for(int i = 0; i < reflectionHeight; i++)
    {
    	int y = (h - 1) - (i * h / reflectionHeight);
     
    	if(y != currentY)
    		image.getRGB(rgba, 0, w, 0, y, w, 1);
     
    	int alpha = 0xff - (i * 0xff / reflectionHeight);
     
    	for(int j = 0; j < w; j++)
    	{
    		int origAlpha = (rgba[j] >> 24);
    		int newAlpha = (alpha & origAlpha) * alpha / 0xff;
     
    		rgba[j] = (rgba[j] & 0x00ffffff);
    		rgba[j] = (rgba[j] | (newAlpha << 24));
    	}
     
    	g.drawRGB(rgba, 0, w, 0, h + i, w, 1, true);
    }

    as you can see, the rgba[] int array holds the current pixel row data, and will be refreshed only when necessary (so, when the y coordinate of the original image changes).

    Sample usage

    Using the above method is really simple, since it’s only necessary to:

    1. Create the original Image
    2. Call createReflectedImage() method by passing the original Image as argument, together with the background color and the reflection effect height
    Image originalImage = Image.createImage("/cap_man1.png");
     
    Image reflectedImage = ReflectedImage.create(originalImage, bgColor, 64);

    Downloads

    You can download the complete source code of this article here:

    Vote this article!

    If you liked this tutorial, feel free to vote it on Forum Nokia Wiki: How to create an image reflection effect in Java ME

     
  • pit 10:53 am on January 11, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , gcal update, , , ,   

    Gcal update: version 0.2 released! 

    NEW: check out the new Gcal 0.3 version!

    Holidays are gone, but gifts are not! So, here’s a big update to Gcal, the J2ME Google Calendar client: version 0.2 is available for download!

    Thanks to your precious support and feedback a lot of improvements and bug fixes have been done: thank you all (and please don’t stop :) )!

    New features of this version include:

    • Check for updates and auto-update features: you can now manually check for updates, or switch on auto-updates (from Settings screen) to always get the latest Gcal releases!
    • More control over events: delete, duplicate and copy an event from a calendar to another in a snap!
    • Comments: It’s now possible to add and view comments for an event
    • More event details: event visibility (private/public) and available/busy status now available when creating an event
    • Map viewing: different types of maps have been added, so you can now switch among satellite/terrain and other views
    • Sending an event, with his details, via SMS

    Important bugs fixed in this release:

    • Character encoding: terrible lack of first versions, character encoding should now correctly work
    • Wrong time when creating/showing events, with some timezones
    • Events order sometimes scrambled
    • Wrong login error messages: now, different types of errors are correctly handled
    • Calendars filter sometimes resetted without changing the account
    • Different types of errors and Exceptions when receiving events (e.g.: on Nokia S40 devices)

    Many other minor fixes have been done, so it’s highly recommended to upgrade your Gcal to 0.2 version. As always, for any kind of feedbacks or bug report, please leave a comment here :)

     
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