There has been considerable criticism of Oracle since it acquired Sun Microsystems, and with it, the Java technology.
In particular, the database giant has been accused, by Google and others, of failing to provide clear direction and leadership for the mobile version of the open source software, which underpins a huge percentage of low-end and midrange handsets, as well as media players and other devices, and many mobile apps and content delivery systems.
Oracle went some way to address its critics at the JavaOne conference, promising hardware accelerated graphics and web integration for mobile Java. Its plans are particularly interesting in the light of the firm's quarrels – including Android-related patent litigation – with Google, which uses its own Java virtual machine, Dalvik, on its OS.
Java's mobile iteration, ME, is now to be brought firmly into the world of modern web apps and development, and will be able to render the key web standards – HTML, CSS and Javascript – by default.
Java ME will also gain engines for Javascript and for WebKit browsers, and a Java-to-JavaScript Bridge. This will allow Java ME handsets to access web services and apps outside the browser and without the current performance issues in this area.
Oracle also promised a Java rendering engine to enhance 2D and 3G graphics, available next year.
This will plug into the virtual machine and into Java FX, one of the most important technology layers Sun added to open source Java, supporting the creation of rich graphics and user interfaces.
Related content
- Android takes smartphone lead in SEA
- SOHO smartphones to increase over 44% from 2010 to 2015, says In-Stat
- Webwire: HP drops WebOS hardware; Asiacell adopts per-second billing
- Webwire: News Corp sells MySpace; Oracle wants $2.3b from Android
- Webwire: Oracle seeks billions from Google; MS gets nod for Skype buy