Robert Eckstein writes:
The latest beta version of the Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 6.0 version (Mustang) now lets you access the system tray in Java with the help of two separate classes in the java.awt package: SystemTray and TrayIcon. These classes give you the ability to add graphics, popup menus, and floating tip functionality to the system tray. If approved by the JSR 270 Expert Group through the Java Community Process, you can expect to find this feature in the final version of Mustang.
Article here I’ve also recently tried the built-in splash screen API that Mustang will ship with. Pretty nifty.