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Google makes its essential Android modding tools easier to get
Android users have a long history of unlocking their phones, sideloading apps and installing custom OS builds -- but getting the tools to do all that has always been kind of a pain in the ass. Users who wanted to play around with their phone's backend had to download the entire Android SDK just to get access to two specific tools. Not anymore. Google has quietly released its ADB and Fastboot tools as lightweight, independent packages.
Motorola posts Android bootloader unlock page, lets just one device pass muster
Motorola drew fresh respect after it vowed that its Android device customers could unlock their bootloaders, starting with the Photon Q LTE. Nearly everything about that process was kept in the dark, but it's now been blown wide open: the company has posted a full page dedicated to the process. Getting started will demand the Android SDK, fastboot, new USB drivers and a slightly scary warranty release, but it otherwise goes through a very HTC-like process that provides an unlock key. Verizon subscribers who were hoping for a surprise Droid RAZR MAXX unlock won't be happy, mind you; the Photon Q LTE is the only device on the list so far that isn't already unchained as a matter of course. Motorola did characterize the unlock option as a forward-thinking option, which leaves us not so secretly wishing that high-profile future releases expand the list of unlockable devices a bit further.
Google rolls out final Jelly Bean SDK for download
Developers have been able to play with Android SDK 4.1 since it was unleashed at Google I/O, but it's now finalized and ready for prime time. New system images and platform components give devs access to the finished Jelly Bean APIs, while bugs in the Android SDK Tools revision 20.0.1, Eclipse plugin and NDK have been stomped. Follow the source link below to download the confectionary-themed OS development tools.
Pebble smartwatch outs SDK preview at Google I/O, gives developers a kickstart on apps
If you invested in the Pebble e-paper smartwatch -- and who didn't? -- you'll be happy to hear that the firm has unleashed a preview of the Kickstarter darling's SDK at Google I/O this week. That'll give developers a head start on creating apps for the ARM-powered e-paper device, allowing them to learn exactly how it receives data from Mountain View's robot OS. The company said the new kit supports multiple program languages to boot, allowing developers of all skill levels to create Pebble-enabled apps. The document is still a work in progress, of course, but advances like this should help keep it from getting trampled by the cavalcade of smart wrist devices now coming out. Check the source link if you want to grab it.
Recon goggles gain Facebook integration and augmented reality at Google I/O (hands-on video)
Remember that Android SDK Recon Instruments finally unveiled for its heads-up display goggles? Well the company was showing off the fruits of its labor here at Google I/O 2012 with two demos -- specifically two-way Facebook integration and augmented reality using a Contour camera. In the first demo, the goggles are paired over Bluetooth with an app running on an Android phone. Each time you jump while snowboarding or skying, the accelerometer data from the goggles is sent to the handset which posts a graphic to Facebook showing the distance, height and duration of your flight. Any comments made to the post are then immediately relayed back to the heads-up display. The second demo uses a Contour camera attached to the goggles and paired via Bluetooth. As you look around, the output from the camera appears on the heads-up display augmented with labels showing the location and distance of the nearby train stations based on the compass and GPS data from the goggles. Pretty cool, eh? Check out the gallery below and hit the break for our two hands-on videos.%Gallery-159495%
Recon Instruments defrosts its Android SDK at Google I/O (video)
Ski season (in the northern hemisphere at least) was in full swing when Recon Instruments announced that it'd be providing developers with an Android SDK for its HUD alpine goggles. Now, most of that snow may have melted, but the SDK is finally a cold, hard reality. Made available to the developing masses at Google I/O this week, frosty-fingered devs can use the tool to hook-in to Recon's visual display tools, including its MOD Live series. Given that this opens up the goggles' altimeter, barometer, accelerometer, gyro and magnetometer and temperature reader, that's a lot of detail to tuck into. Itching to get that downhill leaderboard app going? Slide on over to the source for the details.
Android 4.1 SDK hands-on
Too lazy to download and install the brand new Android SDK yourself and don't feel like tweaking an AVD for optimal operation? Don't know what an AVD is? We don't blame you, and that's why we're here. We fired up Jelly Bean in the Android emulator and started poking around a bit. Sadly, most of the most exciting new features -- offline speech recognition, Google Now -- don't work. And we couldn't really delve deep into the new notifications system thanks to some limitations on the SDK. We could, however, play with the new version of Maps and demo the new widget placement tweaks. Most of the UI should look familiar. In fact, the only obvious changes we noticed were the new search widget and a few tweaked buttons, like notification clearing option. You'll also notice a new layout for the clock and date in the notification pull down. Mostly, from a aesthetic point of view, the refinements are minor, but welcome. Everything feels a little more spacious, less cramped, without becoming overly simple. Want to see it for yourself? Check out the gallery below and the video after the break. %Gallery-159332%
BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 beta ready for download: better portrait mode and Android app support
That Michael Clewely is a man of his word. Not only has the PlayBook OS 2.1 beta version arrived just when he promised, but it also brings some handy additions that nudge the tablet a little closer to the land of fulfilled potential. There's portrait support for the Email, Calendar and Contacts apps, along with full device encryption and some smaller tweaks like .png screenshots and improved email folder support. The Android runtime has also been bolstered to allow multiple apps to run in separate windows, access the camera module and support in-app payments via the BlackBerry Payment SDK. There'll be more stuff in this update, according to RIM, but we'll have to wait (there's that word again) until the commercial release. You'll find the beta registration link below.
Intel posts x86-friendly Android 4.0 image, lets you feel the need for speed
Android developers are all too familiar with not-so-hot emulator performance, so it's a relief that there's now an system image in a native x86 for testing. While you'll still likely want to test on ARM, the x86 image will both help ferret out bugs specific to Intel's architecture as well as provide a much faster experience debugging apps now that the ARM-to-Intel translation isn't needed on top of running a whole second operating system. It's not perfectly up to date, running on Android 4.0.3, but it's close enough that the environment will mimic much of what users see -- and a big help if you're jumping into writing specifically for Intel devices. If speed is of the essence, or you're not keen on importing a Lava Xolo X900, you just need to update the SDK Manager to start testing with an Intel-flavored green robot.
Google's Android emulator gets updated with GPU support, better CPU performance
Google brought some improvements to its Android emulator when it updated the SDK last month, but it's now back with an even bigger update that's sure to please developers. The latest version finally adds built-in GPU support, which Google says will help the emulator better keep pace with current smartphones that rely so heavily on GPUs themselves. Along with that, Google is also promising better performance across the board (including improved CPU performance), as well as emulation of more hardware features, including the ability to tap into the sensors and multitouch input of a tethered Android device (Bluetooth and NFC support are apparently next in line). Head on past the break for a quick video showing off some of the improvements, and hit the source link below for the full rundown on all the updates.
Android SDK updated with big improvements to emulator and build system
We're not sure what anniversary the 17th is but, if we had to guess, we'd say its the x86 anniversary. Google has just released Revision 17 of the Android SDK and ADT and its packing an array of improvements, most notably to the Lint build system and the emulator. While the new build rules, which check performance and guard against errors, are certainly welcome, it's the emulator that's got the headline grabbing changes. First off is the ability to run x86 system images in a virtualized environment (on Windows and OS X), and at near native speeds no less. There is also added support for webcams and sensors, as well as the experimental ability to control the emulator through a tethered android device. For more details, and to download it yourself, hit up the source link.
Hisense Series XT710 TV helps you exercise your La-Z-Boy sans remote
You might feel like the king of the couch, but let's face it -- picking up the remote can be exhausting. Hisense is hoping to lighten your load with the launch of its new Android-based Smart TV with hands-free eyeSight gesture recognition technology -- the Series XT710. Slated to launch in China, the TV features a 2D sensor, designed to understand your hand movements and interpret your every channel changing whim. Besides flipping between reruns of Law and Order and Jersey Shore, couch potatoes will also be able to play games and access Android applications through the intelligent tube. Now, if it could only help us pop our popcorn. Jump past the break to check out the full PR.
Nexus One takes a bite out of Ice Cream Sandwich, chews slowly
The Nexus One, grandaddy of Android's latest pure-bred wonder, appears to have some fight left in it. Developer drl33tmd has managed to coax the old man into running an early port of Ice Cream Sandwich, although it's not perfect. The somewhat unstable build is a bit sluggish, and suffers from media playback issues and a distinct lack of WiFi. Check out the demo after the break to see the original Google smartphone struggle up some increasingly steep software stairs.
Ice Cream Sandwich already unofficially ported, Nexus S 4G gets first dibs
Well, that was fast. Just two days (barely) after the Android 4.0 SDK was released, a resourceful dev claims to already have the code up and running on a handset that isn't the Galaxy Nexus. Android Central forum user Breezy is working on delivering a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich to the Nexus S 4G. It's already pretty clear that particular handset will be getting the upgrade at some point, but we know how impatient you can be. Breezy hasn't released his ROM just yet, because there's still some bugs to work out -- like the non-functioning WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular data and the wonky touchscreen. So, while you wait for him to get the kinks ironed out, enjoy the additional photo after the break, which sports the same alternate orange theme.
Android Ice Cream Sandwich: What will it look like on a tablet? (video)
Is there such a thing as too much Ice Cream Sandwich? We didn't think so either, and booted up Google's own Android Emulator to play around with version four-point-oh -- in tablet proportions. We don't know whether manufacturers will end up slathering their own interpretation of Ice Cream Sandwich on top of the vanilla original, but this is probably very close to what we'll be dealing with when it arrives on tablets sometime this quarter. Scrollable, resizeable widgets are here, as is a tabbed, synchronizing web browser. There are some minor niggles; we hope they'll make some adjustments to the comically over-sized native keyboard, but the main thing we took away from this stuttering simulation is that the UI is nigh-on identical to what we were using on the Galaxy Nexus. Android looks like it has any future convergence issues in order -- this version will feel at home on both your phone and tablet. Android Beam has never sounded better. If you can forgive the low-performance emulation, check out the video after the break for more Ice Cream Sandwich, king-size.
Google TV 2.0: app developers get final add-on for Android SDK
If you hadn't heard, Google TV is (over)due to get a major boost with Honeycomb and access to the Android Market. We've seen a few compatible apps leak out thanks to Google's early efforts to woo developers, but it's only now that we're getting the final add-on for the Android SDK. It brings a couple of revisions, like better placement options for the action and navigation bars, but more importantly it delivers the message that two-point-oh is almost two-point-here.
Amazon adds Kindle Fire-specific details to Developer Portal, A's your FAQ
The Kindle Fire may not be hitting the market until November, but Amazon has already updated its Developer Portal FAQ page with an entire section devoted to its forthcoming Android tablet. On the new page, you'll find largely standard information on things like the application process and how to set up an Android SDK emulator, though there are a few more salient tidbits, as well. For instance, Amazon says it will review every app in its Appstore for Fire compatibility, as part of an automated process. Rejected apps, Amazon informs us, will include those that rely on a gyroscope, camera, WAN module, Bluetooth, microphone, GPS, or micro SD. Apps are also forbidden from using Google's Mobile Services (and in-app billing), which, if included, will have to be "gracefully" removed. In terms of actual content, Amazon has outlawed all apps that change the tablet's UI in any way (including theme- or wallpaper-based tools), as well as any that demand root access (it remains to be seen how the company will treat the root-dependent apps already in its store). Interested devs can find more information at the source link, below.
Galaxy S II for Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile hands-on (video)
If you've been wondering just when you'll be able to get Europe's hottest smartphone from last year, wonder no more: tonight the Samsung Galaxy S II was formally (and finally) announced for US release. Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T all will be receiving variants, with the first two getting a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, the AT&T unit being stuck with the same 4.3-inch display as the earlier GS II. In fact, the AT&T model looks indistinguishable from the European version that we compared it against, while the other two look a bit different. Sprint's model, aka the Epic 4G Touch, has that larger 4.5-inch screen, plus a slightly more rounded profile than the AT&T model. The T-Mobile version, meanwhile, is the most rounded of the three, but otherwise we were hard-pressed to find any differences between 'em, as you can see in the video below. All are powered by 1.2GHz dual-core processors, 16GB of storage, eight megapixel webcams on the back, batteries that are said to be at least 10 percent larger than the previous version, and "4G" wireless -- either in the form of HSPA+ or WiMAX. Only Sprint has announced formal pricing and availability, September 16th for $199, while the others will be available in the always ambiguous "soon." Update: We got curious about those battery sizes and popped the backs off the two phones that we could get our hands on. The AT&T model has the exact same battery size as the European Galaxy S II (6.11Wh), while the Sprint version is indeed about 10 percent larger (6.66Wh). We presume the T-Mob one is bigger too, but that's locked up. In a box. %Gallery-132078% %Gallery-132076% %Gallery-132075%
Android 2.3 Gingerbread in pictures
You may not be able to get Android 2.3 loaded in any official capacity on your Nexus One yet -- or any other phone, for that matter -- but Google's 2.3 SDK is now available, which means there's an emulator attached, too. As with most development emulators, this one's a stripped-down subset of the apps and settings you'd see on an actual retail device; basically, all that's left is the bare minimum Google figures its developers are going to need to code apps. Be that as it may, we noticed a few things that stuck out: Overall, the UI changes are extremely subtle, and generally for the better. We prefer the new looks for the status bar, keyboard, and menus over their Froyo equivalents. We couldn't get a sense of the performance improvements -- the emulator is slow as molasses for us and really has zero bearing on how it'll perform on devices. When you reach the end of a scrolled list, the side of the list that has reached the end glows orange briefly, presumably to make it even more obvious that you're at the end. Even the browser does this -- it's an interesting effect that we kind of liked. The miserable default camera UI is exactly the same. Expect manufacturers to continue to replace this with wild abandon. The Gmail app isn't included in the emulator, so fear not when you're looking at the screen shot of the unthreaded messages -- that's the "standard" email app. The fingertip-sized markers for highlighting text work quite well, including in the browser. They seem to consistently disappear after a few seconds and automatically highlight and / or copy the text in between the markers; we're not sold on whether we like that behavior. Clearly, the jury's out until we've got a Nexus S firmly planted in our hands -- but in the meanwhile, check out a bunch of shots of Gingerbread doing its thing in the gallery below. %Gallery-109386%
Android 2.2 SDK goes live, developers likely unable to crash Google's download server
Giving devs access to freshly-announced versions of mobile operating systems on the very same day that they're announced is pretty much the way things work nowadays -- the first version of Windows Phone 7 understandably excepted -- so we're pleased to see that Google's kit for Android 2.2 Froyo is now up and running. You start out by downloading a modest 18-odd megabyte package that just contains tools with no target platforms, then you open a separate app to pull and install only the platforms you want (you can go all the way back to version 1.5, if you're so inclined). So kick off that download now while you grab lunch -- we hear the lobster bisque they're serving in the cafeteria today is pretty good. [Thanks, Justin B.]
