Java makes getting fat and lazy easier than ever

TASTY JUNK FOOD and scary-clown giant McDonalds has a little-known Java application for mobile phones which makes getting fat and lazy easier than ever down in South America.

South Korea made headlines last September by introducing a system to order your fast food with your mobile, but that works once you're inside the McDonalds premises using a cumbersome method of IR sensors at the table and using RFID, an odd use of technology just to save you walking a few feet from your table to the queue and talking to a McDonalds' clerk. Instead, the South American approach is different: having your meal delivered to your home or workplace.

McDonald's mobile Java application. Here, the "Main Menu". Ordering a burger and chips, here from a Palm Centro with the IBM Java VM installed. Predictably, it's in Spanish.

The firm quietly introduced last year a web site in Argentina - following a successful roll-out in Brazil several years ago- dubbed "McEntrega", Spanish for "McDelivery". It allows users to place orders from their PC, with the comfort of having those orders routed to the users' nearest McDonalds establishment, which then delivers the burgers to your location, just like ordering a pizza.

The web site is nothing out of the ordinary, in fact it's not a true web site in the sense of HTML but a big fat Flash applet. So forget about ordering if you haven't paid tribute to the Adobe Corp. god and installed Flash in your system. But that alone would hardly be news. The news is that McDonalds' Argentine franchise also has a hidden gem: a mobile Java application allowing anyone to order their burgers and chips from anywhere: the tube, the park, the gym [yeah, right, geeks in a gym], without even having to saying the words "por favor".

Installing the Java MIDP 2.0 application from McDonalds on a Palm Centro with the unsupported IBM J9 VM .We created a redirector to avoid ever forgetting this essential install URL :-)

The Java mobile application is technically a MIDP 2.0 midlet, compatible with any "Java 2.0" phone. The free application linked from the McDonalds site is dubbed "Wi-Buy" and presents a Menu with three chain options: McEntrega for McDonalds, a local Music Records store, and an Ice Cream chain. For the purpose of this article, we only tested the McDonalds part.

The non-automated part is registering for the service, which predictably you only have to do once. For that, you have to dial a voice number and register your delivery address, home address and phone number. With this you get your log-in and password, which allows you to place orders both with the regular web site, or the mobile Java application.

Logging in from the mobile phone to the McDonalds' e-store

The options shown on McDonalds' Java application are what you'd expect on any web based purchase. There's "add a product", "change order", and "remove product ", then there is the "shopping cart" to see the order contents and "confirm order". There's also an option for the impatient that displays the status of any pending order(s) waiting to be delivered to the user. There are no pictures of the items on the mobile version, just text descriptions, but that's not much of a problem considering the tiny screens on plenty of mobile phones, it also saves on GPRS charges.

Prices are displayed for each item added, along with a confirmation screen along every step, so you only have yourself to blame if you end up ordering and eating four Big Mac(s) with large fries. Blaming your slippery fingers is going to be difficult. Once the order is placed, you are given an order number and status reports are e-mailed to the users' registered email address. You get two emails, one confirming your order and saying your meal is "being prepared", and another once the delivery guy is out in the street with your order. Sadly, you have to pay cash upon delivery. Although the firm promises you will "soon" be able to pay electronically with credit or debit cards.

Prices are displayed along the way. Here, one Big Mac for £1.91

Depending on neighbourhood and distance from the premises, you can get it delivered by motorbike, a bicycle, or in some instances, the employees just walk, if the order is just a few blocks from the establishment. We made two orders on different days - weekend night and middle-of-week lunch. The first order took about 40 minutes to arrive on a Saturday night and the second less than 20 minutes on a quiet Wednesday. In any case, it beats going there and standing in a queue.

The impatient can select "order status" on the Java app while awaiting delivery. Here: "Your Order is being prepared"

You can also enter the promotional code MCD001 and get a free ice cream with every interweb order. However, when we tried to enter the code, the IBM Java VM consistently crashed and PalmOS restarted. Since the IBM J9 VM is an unsupported configuration on the Palm Centro, we're not sure who's to blame here. If you refrain from entering the promotional code, everything works OK. In fact, those of you with moths in your wallet can try entering the order on PC once and then selecting "repeat order" from the mobile Java app to get your free ice cream, until this bug is fixed. See, the INQUIRER cares not only about your hunger, but your pennies as well.

You can check from your mobile the status of your order. Here, the order received.

When you answer the doorbell you'll see a young McEmployee with red cap carrying a large sports bag with the McDonalds logo and containing your order - sometimes along with several others for the same block. This scribbler doesn't know much about eateries in Blighty but a pianist is not part of the deal in South America.

The fast food? We can't complain about that as, first and foremost, your scribbler enjoys the chain's fast food every once in a while, and second, nobody can claim ignorance any more with regards to "fast" food not being healthy anyway.

The moral of the story is that thanks to Java and Mobile phones, getting fat and lazy has never been easier. µ

L'INQs
South Korea's Mobile IR-RFID McDonalds ordering at the shop
Is this what you call Junk Food?
McLibel: Longest case in English history