Android 1.5 gets official SDK for native development

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Java-based development within a specialized, optimized virtual
machine is one of the founding principles of the platform that
makes Android
what it is -- but sometimes, you need a little more oomph and
you've got to bend the rules to make that happen. Google's totally
cool with that, it turns out, and today they've released the
Android 1.5 Native Development Kit (NDK) that allows developers to
generate C and C++ libraries that run directly on the platform
rather than being routed through Dalvik. The android team pulls no
punches that devs should be careful when going native, saying "your
application will be more complicated, have reduced compatibility,
have no access to framework APIs, and be harder to debug" -- but as
they note, there'll be times when the improved performance and
deeper access to hardware will be a boon. As with
HTC's Sense, it'll be interesting to see how this affects the
platform going forward.


[ Via: Engadgetmobile ]

• HTC Hero approved by Global Certification Forum, rocking GSM and HSPA

HTC Hero approved by Global Certification Forum, rocking GSM and HSPA

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We're unfortunately light on details here, but The Unwired
is reporting that HTC's Hero has
been approved by the Global Certification Forum, listed here as
"HERO100," with support for quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dualband
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA at 1800/2100 MHz. With the company's touted London
event just around the corner --
this Wednesday, to be exact -- we wouldn't be surprised to see
the phone and its oft-rumored "Rosie" Android
UI take center stage, in
possibly two variations. Other than frequency bands and the
associative name, the GCF isn't giving us anything else to work
with, so for now just sit back and hope this uncertainty is cleared
up sooner rather than later.


[ Via: Engadgetmobile ]

Google updates Maps through the Android Market

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Google has updated its Maps app for Android
-- perhaps the most vital, central app in the platform outside of
the dialer itself -- and fortunately for G1, Dream, and Magic users
around the world, they've made the update available through the
Android Market. That's a really big deal and a major departure from
basically every other mobile platform, because it means that folks
won't be waiting for carriers and manufacturers to get off their
rumps and release firmware updates -- instead, integrated
components of the operating system can be pushed out through the
Market just like any other app you'd install. The new version's a
doozy, too, featuring voice search, more comprehensive support for
Latitude,
detailed business information, and pedestrian / mass transit
navigation, arguably making the Android version of Maps the most
robust on any phone. Seeing how Android is Google's own, seems
fitting, doesn't it?



[Thanks, href="http://www.myspace.com/justinhub2003">Justin]


[ Via: Engadgetmobile ]

Vodafone suggests future Android phones could have less Google

Android and Google may seem inseparable to some, but Vodafone is apparently suggesting that some of its future Android-based phones could possibly pack a little less Google and a little more Vodafone. While the carrier unsurprisingly isn't offering much in the way of specifics just yet, it did tell TechRadar that future Android phones could ditch some of the familiar Google services in favor of a more "basic package" that would let Vodafone (or other carriers following the same route) offer their own client software instead -- a winning idea if there ever was one. And it seems that there will indeed be more Android phones in the offing from Vodafone sooner rather than later, with Vodafone's Rachel William's telling TechRadar that the carrier is "looking at other Android devices," and that "by joining the Open Handset Alliance it shows our commitment."



[ Via: Talk Android ]

Acer already working on "several Android devices," smartphone included

Okay, now we get it -- the flood of Android phones we were expecting at MWC and CTIA this year are actually arriving a month or two late. Nice. Anywho, with Samsung just recently dishing out official dirt on its Google-fied I7500 and HTC pushing out its Magic overseas, Acer is making darn sure it's not left out as the bandwagon cruises by. During the firm's Q1 investor's conference today, Gianfranco Lanci (President and CEO) noted that "the entire industry is looking at Android," and that his company "is testing Android on a lot of different solutions." Specifically, he stated that it was "working on an Android solution for the smartphone, but it's too early to say if [Acer] is going to [put the OS] on a netbook in the near future." 'Course, he could be spitting out positive vibes to just make sure we don't forget about 'em, but here's hoping Mr. Lanci takes him own quotes seriously. We'll be watching -- like Rockwell, minus the catchy chorus.


[ Via: Engadgetmobile ]

Mobile web traffic reports show Symbian, OS X on top

Ready for the latest dose of facts and figures to chat over at the nerd water cooler? Here goes! The latest AdMob report, which tracks mobile web traffic from a variety of handset models and operating systems, has found some rather interesting -- if not completely unsurprising -- results. For starters, we're told that the biggest web surfing phone on each US carrier is a touchscreen model, and breaking that down, we find that the iPhone, Nokia N70 and BlackBerry 8300 take the top three spots (in order of mention) globally. As for OS, Symbian is still leading the pack from a worldwide perspective with 43 percent of requests, though the iPhone ain't far behind at 33 percent; oh, and in case you were wondering, Apple's darling generated 50 percent of all US mobile web traffic in February. More numbers in the links below, should you be inclined to visit.


[ Via: mocoNews ]

• Bell Mobility gearing up to launch Motorola Hint QA30

GSM Association sets 2012 target date for universal cellphone charger

Well, this is certainly interesting. Just a couple of days after a top European Union commissioner mused about the need for a universal cellphone charger, the GSM Association has now come out and announced that it and 17 of its partner companies are indeed working on such a solution, and that they plan to have a common format in place by 2012. That rather ambitious date will be a bit easier to meet considering the group's choice of connector, micro-USB, which has already gained quite a bit of acceptance as a common format. The use of micro-USB apparently won't be firm requirement by 2012, however, with the GSMA simply saying that the "majority" of new phones sold by then will support what they're describing as the universal charging solution (or UCS), which itself will have to meet a number of strict requirements in order to be broadly compatible. Of course, while everyone including the likes of Nokia, Motorola, LG, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson have signed on with the GSMA, there are a few big names absent, not the least of which, unsurprisingly, is Apple, so there's certainly still quite a ways to go before we have a truly universal standard.



[ Via: BBC News ]

• samsung : at least three Android phones and a LiMo handset in 2009