April 15, 2009 by James Oliver
This morning, Google have released an early version of the software development kit (SDK) for the new edition of the Android operating system. As I type, hundreds of developers are downloading it with a view to building mobile applications for the new OS when it is officially released.
The downloadable version includes application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for a number of features, most notably, speech recognition, home screen widgets, soft keyboards and live folders. These however, are far from the whole story. The SDK also includes a raft of new cosmetic/ease of use features like animated window transitions, accelerometer app rotation, home screen widgets, tabbed browsing and a revamped web browser.
The progress made by Google on this front is impressive. The release of this SDK is essentially an announcement that work on the new Android is well underway, less than nine months after the release of the first Android operated system, the T-Mobile G1. However, Google are keen to state that this is merely a first look, a final version is anticipated by the end of the month.
Related posts:
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- Google Chrome leaves beta behind for more stable version
- Safari 5 web browser released by Apple
- Google introduces new ‘kill switch’ for Android apps
- Opera release alpha version of 10.60 browser
- Google’s Android operating system targeted by malicious programme
