The latest release of Android, the Google-backed open source mobile operating system, is Android 1.5 which adds a lot more than just a couple of bugfixes to the OS. Instead it adds a host of new features that sees Android improving in leaps and bounds. We look at some of the major changes in Android 1.5.<\/p>\n
The most obvious change in Android 1.5 – also known as “Cupcake” – is the inclusion of a software keyboard. Unlike the iPhone, the HTC phones already have a hardware keyboard and now with this release they also have a software keyboard. In previous generations the only way to enter text was to use the keyboard which entails sliding out the QWERTY keyboard. Now with the software keyboard text can be entered directly without having to switch the phone’s orientation.<\/p>\n
The software keyboard is very much like the iPhone’s one and includes keys to switch the keyboard between numbers and symbols and an emoticon key. Pressing the emoticon key offers a selection of emoticons, and the bottom line of “keys” also includes comma and fullstop (period) keys without having to switch between screens.<\/p>\n
To ease typing on the on-screen keyboard, Android 1.5 also includes predictive text input which makes it a little easier to get the right word typed out quickly.<\/p>\n
Video<\/strong><\/p>\n The other big change is video capture which is tightly integrated into the phone although only with basic functions. Android’s main menu includes a camcorder button which makes it a one-button operation to get the video function running. On the downside the video controls are basic, only the quality of video can be adjusted. There are no settings for colour effects, focus and so on.<\/p>\n Although basic in function the video capture feature does include a “share” option which is more useful. The captured video can be attached to emails and MMS messages or even uploaded directly to YouTube. The YouTube uploader includes a range of options including the ability to add a title, description and tags to the video.<\/p>\n On the other side the YouTube viewer included in Android 1.5 has also been given a bit of a boost and makes it easy to quickly find links to new videos. The search tool also makes it easier to search for videos posted on YouTube and, using the menu key, view details of the video. Although not entirely new to both the Android and iPhone platforms the voice search function on Android 1.5 works well. Google translates voice-based queries into text and then returns search results.<\/p>\n Boosting its profile as a multimedia device, Cupcake also includes A2DP, the advanced audio distribution profile, for the Bluetooth radio. This means that audio streams can be broadcast in stereo to Bluetooth-enabled headphones.<\/p>\n Most of the other changes included in Android 1.5 are under the hood and most fix problems that plagued the previous release of the OS. Among the bugfixes are email fixes, audio improvements, and an updated WebKit core for the browser.<\/p>\n Android 1.5 Cupcake includes many much-needed improvements that make Google’s OS a significant player in the market. As the first real update to Android since its initial release, Cupcake is a good indicator of where Google is going with its platform.<\/p>\n
Search and audio<\/strong><\/p>\n