Android 1.5 SDK: What's new, Cupcake?
Google's showing its sweet tooth with previews of yummy new features expected in Android 1.5 Cupcake, the next generation of its open-source mobile OS
The highlight of Crave's week is Cake Thursday, when we all get hopped up on chocolate frosting and Victoria Sponge. The Friday comedown ain't pretty. Google is getting in on the cakey goodness with the software developer kit (SDK) for its mobile phone operating system, Android 1.5: codename Cupcake.
As Android is an open-source operating system, developers can use the tools and notes in the kit to build applications. You can download these apps from the Android Market to run on your Android phone, such as the forthcoming HTC Magic.
The SDK also includes a sneak peek at the new features that will be available to users in Android 1.5. Naming it Cupcake is ever so on-trend right now. Also tasty.
The features to expect include the option to save MMS attachments, and pause and resume downloads. There are some tweaks to the phone interface so it's harder to accidentally do something you didn't want to do, and Bluetooth support for in-car kits has been fixed. Stereo Bluetooth has also been added.
Other features include a find function and YouTube-compatible video recording. There's also mention of support for a soft keyboard, which means apps can include a much-needed onscreen Qwerty keyboard. You'll also be able to copy and paste by holding the shift key and either touching the text or using the trackball.
The SDK can be downloaded from the Android Developers Web site. Cupcake will be on new and current devices -- for free -- in May.