Samsung's firmware upgrade for the Instinct "Firms Up" some of the phones features that were not quite show ready. I am a little disappointed that Samsung's rush to compete with the Iphone didn't garner a little better quality control. Samsung Instinct owners can manually update their cell phones over the air by going to Menu, Settings, General, and choosing Update Phone. The new firmware will fix some minor battery glitches, allow you to set a saved image as a wallpaper, stabilize the phones signal indicator, increase volume and stability of bluetooth connections, web browser enhancements, and allow for recurring appointments in the calendar. The update will also make small modifications to the phones base code, and make the availability to add Java Apps despite the device being not quite ready for a Java App release. Java allows for the application to be written by the developer one time, and work on any compatible phone. Touch screen devices present the problem of lacking physical buttons and profile coding expected by the "Java Mobile Information Device Profile". Sprint added a proprietary extension to the profile that is known as "Instinct Widget Profile" to allow for such actions as text entry. The Apps made for the Instinct, however, will not work on any other device. The good news is that unlike the Iphone the Apps do not have to be certified by Sprint. LCDUI is the developer extension of choice for Java Apps, but the Instinct while technically Java Compliant, does not have teh LCDUI turned on inside the coding in the device. This is slated to be fixed by a future maintenance software release for this device. From a developer point of view the instinct has a lot to offer, but the success of this device is going to hinge on either Sprint fixing the issue with Java, or creating a mobile apps development unit for this device to specifically address the issues with the programming of the apps. I envision something similar Apples app store. The other question is are the best developers willing to redesign their working cookie-cutter applications to make use of this device, or will they pass this over like just another copy-cat. The instinct has almost everything going for it to compete with the iphone, but the one thing Apple does better than anyone else. User Interface. The UI needs to be updated to be flashier, with a little bit more "Geek Appeal" while maintaining simplicity for non-technically gifted users. For more information about Java Application development visit Sun Microsystems. Java has many distinct advantages as a programming language, one of them being that the Software Development Kit required to get started can be downloaded free of charge.
Sun Microsystems
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