Java for the Gameboy Advance
heavy writes "For everyone who is wondering what else they can do with their newly purchased Gameboy Advance SP comes JAMiD - Java Action Media Interactive Device. What is it? "The aJile Systems JAMiD JAM-ID100C cartridge will turn your Nintendo® Game Boy Advance or Game Boy Advance SP system into a jammin' Java interactive gaming machine capable of playing those free Java games popping up all over the Internet. Based on Sun Microsystem's J2ME Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP), the JAMiD accelerated Java platform will run MIDP 1.0/2.0 games and other multimedia MIDlets." It can also play MP3s...a developer version available now and a consumer version is coming soon. Way cool."
I'm sure this won't just be for games. It might even turn out to be possible to add cheap PDA functionality to a GBA too.
still cool though.
Now, I just heard this from an EB manager, but he said the plans are for the next Gameboys to have bluetooth in them to allow multiplayer without any cords. This would make it like calculators where you can just 'beam' (non-cartridge)games/apps to other people.
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
Note that this almost certainly has its own internal CPU for this as the gba's internal CPU is not up to task - especially with the bitmapped (framebuffer) modes that a java interpreter would demand. Still, a very neat application.
As close to java as you can get on the gba? There are some waba VM's out there... here is one:
http://www.badpint.org/jaysos/
what id really like to see is the ability to download video onto a gba cartridge and play it back.
It would be great to be able to take an anime episode or two somewhere with me. It seems to me that the GBA screen, especially the SP's lit one would be great for playing back anime.