Eclipse plug-in for Android And ADT 11 Brings New Features And Enhancements To Android Developers.

If you attended Google I/O last month you would have heard about the next version of Android Development Tool, ADT will be ready soon for the interested developers.
Keeping true to the word, Google Android Team has released the version 11 of the ADT, Android SDK Tech Lead, Xavier Ducrohet tells us.
ADT 11 brings with it, a several new visual refactoring operations providing smoother editing environment. The visual layout editor now fragments, palette configurations as well as supporting custom views.
If you are interested in all the features that ADT 11 brings (There is a long list of features and enhancements.), you can visit ADT Page.
The video bellow is from Google I/O 2011, presenting Android Development Tools.


Android Developers Blog: New Editing Features in Eclipse plug-in for Android

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Eyes-Free API, In Android 1.6 SDK Test And Learn WithTalkBack: An Open Source Screenreader For Android

When Android announced the Eyes-Free project, I was thrilled because I could put it to use, in many a places, like hands free driving. Real hands free, not pretending to be so.
But there were other people who were interested in the feature users and developers alike.
I am glad that T.V Raman and his team thought about it. The project they started is a part of the Android 1.6 and the Android 1.6 SDK. The Android team has developed TalkBack, which produces a voice feedback (Spoken words) during the user interaction and the SoundBack produces non spoken sound feedback. But that is not all, there is haptic feedback, also known as KickBack to complete the picture.
So those developers looking to make their application more widely used across all sort of people, could use the talkback, Soundback and kickback to make their applications usable when the user is not looking at the device screen.
The Eyes-Free team, (T. V. Raman, Charles L Chen, and Svetoslav Ganov) has announced that they will be working on the project and improve the Eyes-Free Api and the tools. They are also looking forward to see your questions and the feedback, written ones, at the Android Developers Group.
There are more stuff that happens with the Android 1.6 (Donut) release and the Official Google Blog is also carrying a releated post on the subject on More accessibility features in Android 1.6 post.

TalkBack: An Open Source Screenreader For Android

Android Donut Is Not Android 2.0 And Seems No MultiTouch Support.

Android Donut,
Even though there were multiple reports about newest Android code having system-wide multitouch, universal search, text-to-speech, automated backups, a new Android camera app and the possibility of Android Donut being the fore runner to Android 2.0. We were bis skeptical about the information as we did not look at the code nor any reliable sources could be reached.
Today Gizmodo published that it does not have multitouch support, and Android Donut is not Android 2.0.
There are a few discussions going on but we just down loaded latest build from andappstore to try it on an Android Emulator as I do not want to flash my phone with the new code.
The site mentiones that the build includes around 8 weeks of extra code from the Google internal repository which was made available in the open source repository on the 24th of July.
Gizmodo
Andappstore Android SDK Build.

Tags: Android 2.0, Android SDK, Android Donut, Android Multitouch, universal search, text-to-speech, automated backups, new Android camera app

Android 1.5, Are You Ready? Cupcake Is Baked, Almost!

Android 1.5
Android 1.5, based on the Android cupcake, that we spoke about the cupcake upgrade, wrote and captured early cupcake screens, has been released for developers to take a taste. The new Android version introduces APIs for features such as soft keyboards, home screen widgets, live folders, and speech recognition.
You can download the download the developer early adaption Android 1.5 SDK, from the developer site.
There are also information on upgrading current development platform and introduction to what's new, also ready anyone interested.
As far as User interface is concerned there are many additions and improvments like system wide refinement of all core UI elements, animated window transitions which are off by default and provisions for accelerometer-based application rotations are prominent.

The System also get s a new Linux kernel, 2.6.27 and general system performance impovments like faster GPS aquisition and speedier camera setup and image capture which is also related to Video recording and playback features.
But the most interesting part is for developers, to whom this release is intended for. The Android developer tools and the structure of the SDK, themselves have under gone changes but for better. To quote Android Blog, (Find the link below) "Future Android SDK releases will include multiple versions of the Android platform. For example, this early-look includes Android platform versions 1.1 and 1.5. One benefit of this change is that developers can target different Android platform versions from within a single SDK installation. Another is that it enables developers to install Android SDK add-ons to access extended functionality that might be provided by OEMs, carriers, or other providers. We at Google are using this feature ourselves: this early-look SDK includes an add-on for the Google APIs. This add-on provides support for the Google Maps API, which was previously embedded in the "core" SDK."
While all developers are encouraged to use, test and get familier with the new early look, it is reminded that Android 1.5 APIs have not been finalised.
Hope all will become happy Androids, and creative developers!


Android Developers Blog: Getting ready for Android 1.5

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Tags: Android Cupcake, Android Developers, Android SDK, Android 1.5