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Version 1.5 SDK of Android Is Available for Early Developers

Here comes the next version of Android. Google has announced that developers can get an early look at the SDK for version 1.5 of Android, based on the "Cupcake" branch of the open source project. There are quite a few new capabilities that should make upcoming rounds of Android-based devices more flexible, including APIs for soft keyboards, home screen widgets, live folders, and speech recognition. Video features are also coming. Developers can download the early version of the version 1.5 SDK for Windows, the Mac and Linux here. Here's more on what to expect as Android matures.

Google has put highlights to expect in Android 1.5 online here. There are enhancements to accelerometer-based application tools, and many user interface enhancements ranging from animated window transitions to application management features. According to Google, performance improvements in version 1.5 include:

Faster Camera start-up and image capture

Much faster acquisition of GPS location (powered by SUPL AGPS)

Smoother page scrolling in browser

Speedier GMail conversation list scrolling

Many users will also be happy to hear that there are video recording and playback (MPEG-4 and 3GP formats) features under the hood in the next version of Android. Many new widgets will also be bundled with the operating system, including an analog clock, a calendar, a music player, and more. There are also new enhancements for Google applications, including Google Talk, Gmail, and uploaders for YouTube and Picasa (photo storage and sharing).

Android 1.5 will also feature a Web browser with the current WebKit engine, including Squirrelfish technology for faster JavaScript. The browser will support copy-and-paste and fast scrolling.

Many of the enhancements in the new version are ambitious. Google is emphasizing that this is an early look at the SDK for version 1.5. The finalized 1.5 SDK is slated to arrive at the end of April.

• Android
• google
• sdk

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