I’ve spent a lot of time here fretting about Oracle’s control over Java; but there’s actually one way in which Oracle has let the grip slip, just a bit. The Unified Testing Initiative, formerly owned by Oracle, has spun off as an independent organization. The UTI is in charge of the Java Verified program, which really ought to be called the “Java ME Verified” program, because it certifies Java ME apps for deployment to various handsets.One of the first thing the newly independent organization did was make it cheaper for developers to certify simple apps. The Register article I just linked to frames this as a way to compete for developer mindshare with Android and the iPhone, though as far as I know the up-front money needed to develop Android apps is limited to the $25 fee to register for the Android Market. Still, the idea that Java ME needs to be cheaper at the developer end to woo people to create applications isn’t really a good sign; after all, Apple gets away with the many, many shenanigans involved in selling through the App Store with the promises of a healthy profit. Despite the boasts of Java ME installed on billions of phones, can Java boosters say the same?In a way, this just emphasizes the idea that Java ME is for simple apps on cheaper feature phones, another idea I’ve been following. Again, this is fine and will probably make some people some money, including Oracle — but it certainly isn’t a way forward. The world of mobile devices moves incredibly fast; in just a few years, the top-end phones of today will be in the same ecological niche as feature phones are today — and feature phones will be nowhere to be found. Software Development