Qualcomm's BREW Gets GCC Support

bigjocker writes "Now you can use GCC to build BREW applications. Very good news for us BREW developers who use linux and have to install MS VC++ just for compiling the apps."

Brew is still problematic

[Jahf]

Brew is still a very closed system as far as having to have the application signed to get it to run, and I haven't seen any good "do it yourself" methods. I would still much rather have a J2ME (Java) phone.

Not saying this is bad, getting GCC support is great for anything like this (I wish that GCC could compile targets for my Neuros), just weighing in on Brew in general.

What the h*ll is this "BREW"?

[ArmorFiend]

QUALCOMM's BREWâ solution is a complete, open product and business system for the development and over-the-air deployment of data services on wireless devices. The BREW solution provides the necessary tools and value-added services to developers, device manufacturers and wireless operators for application development and distribution, device configuration, and billing and payment. Through its BREW solution, QUALCOMM delivers the following products and services:

Only a little better ..

[szyzyg]

WE stil need to get apps signed to run on my hone right? So even if I wanted to write all those apps I'd not be able to distribute them easily right?

BREW costs bucks

[klui]

It's nice to be able to use gcc to build BREW applications, but you still need to fork over serious bucks (I hear around at least US$2K) in order to acquire the correct keys to sign and upload your apps to a BREW device. Currently, all cellphones that are BREW enabled like Motorola's T720, LG's VX4400 are all BREW 1.x and lacks a lot of the cool features of BREW 2.0, like the ability to run Java apps. To run Java apps, you'll need to use a PDA instead. Even though I have an BREW 1.x cellphone, I would much rather prefer Symbian-enabled devices. I would like to check out something like Tailgunner or Xevious, that's already out on Java. I can see why they want to tighten requirements for uploading these apps due to security, but there is only one way through which you can upload your apps--Qualcomm-sanctioned channels like Get It Now on Verizon's network.

Review of phone APIs

[ArmorFiend]

For a long time I've been wondering how to hack my cellphone. This BREW thing looks a little...cough...heavy. Is programability only a feature of high end phones?

I work for a bike courier company. I want to overlay the text message functionality with my own menus and logic. Basically we get runs as text messages, then I want to hit 1 key to reply with "run recieved", then another for "pick up complete", then another for "drop off complete". I also want to load in the metrics of our (grid shaped) city and have it run the travelling salesman problem for me. (ya ya, its NP-complete, but still EZ for n=3 runs)

Re: Review of phone APIs

[Omniscient Ferret]

I love that idea.

I just got a phone for free (after rebate), which does Java to some extent. I haven't played with that part of it yet - I probably will have to connect it directly to a computer, & I lacked a specific goal, & I just got it.

Forget BREW

[spludge]

Brew is far too tightly locked down by qualcomm. It makes releasing an application for the phones impossible for smaller developers and it will kill the market.

J2ME phones all the way, there are much better apps available.