Run Tracker is a simple Java ME app that allows to track and record various parameters of running activities, including route, distance, duration and speed of each run.

The complete source code is available, and shows how to use some of the Java ME Location API features to integrate Ovi Maps mapping and positioning features in a MIDlet.

Check it out, and let me know your thoughts about it.

When displaying a map in a Java ME application, it can be useful to be able to intercept events generated by the interaction of the user with the map itself, and the MapComponent and EventListener interfaces give complete support for keyboard and touch-based events.

Check out the full article, showing how touch events can be used to add markers to a map, and let me know your comments: Handling map events with Java ME Location API.

The MapProvider and MapUrlProvider abstract classes are used to provide the data needed to display custom map tiles, that can be used to replace the default map tiles, or displayed above those one, so creating overlay map levels.

When using the MapUrlProvider class, the only needed information that the class must provide is the URL of each tile, that will be used by the class itself to retrieve and create the associated Image object.

The article published on the Nokia Developer Wiki, with both client and server code, shows a possible usage of the MapUrlProvider class to create an overlay level over a map: Implementing a custom MapUrlProvider overlay with Java ME Location API.

PositioningManager, together with the PositionListener interface, allow to get asynchronous and periodical updates about the user’s position, and so allowing to build location-based services in a simple and effective way.

The new article published on Nokia Developer Wiki explores the main features of PositioningManager, and shows how to build a simple service that detect and draw the user’s movements on Ovi Maps: Using the PositioningManager from Java ME Location API.

While the previous two articles focused on the MapCanvas object, showing how it can be used to show a map on a classical LCDUI Canvas screen, today’s article shows how to build a custom map Form Item, extending the CustomItem class, so allowing to show and interact with a map on a classical LCDUI Form screen.

The article, with complete source code and downloadable MIDlet, is available here: Creating a custom Map Item with Java ME Location API.

I’ve recently started to publish a set of articles on Nokia Developer Wiki that show the various features of the API in action. You can read the first one here: Geocoding an address with Java ME Location API.

Check it out and let me know your comments.

You can see a video of the CoverFlow component in action on a Nokia N8 device below.

The full source code is available here: Building a CoverFlow component with QML.

The first project is for a widget that allows the user to perform searches through the Bing search engine.

Its code shows how many widgets’ common features can be implemented, including:

• integrate a public REST API
• retrieve and show dynamic data from network
• detect and adapt to different screen resolutions
• handle touch and key-based user interaction
• show tabbed views
• download dynamic code updates and new versions of the widget

The second widget is a configurable RSS reader supporting multiple RSS feeds at once. The widget is easily adaptable to different needs, where retrieval and displaying of remote XML feeds is needed.

The last project is a client for Google’s Buzz social network: the current functionalities include searching by keyword, and retrieving of Buzzes of a single user. Many more features are under development: feel free to take a look and integrate yours

As these are open source projects, everyone is invited to dig into the code and to contribute to the them: just join the project, and start experimenting! To start, visit Forum Nokia Projects.

Changes in this last release include:

• Samples and packaging information for Platform Services 2.0
• Guidelines and how-to’s for home-screen widgets
• Optimization of performances and battery life

If you’re a mobile Web developer, check it out!

The document focuses on three kind of applications: websites, web apps, and stand-alone Adobe Flash applications, covering all topics involved in design and development of a RIA, from development tools to user experience design and evaluation, from testing to going to market.

Mobile offers significant opportunities for RIAs. The ability to access data and information anywhere there is a suitable network connection is of significant appeal to mobile users. The knowledge that their data is also securely stored on a remote server, regardless of what happens to the mobile device, is a significant attraction as well.
With many hundreds of millions of Nokia devices already in the market place that can run RIAs now, there has never been a better time to go mobile with your RIA.

Check it out!