Tag Archives: AndroidSdk

Google makes its essential Android modding tools easier to get

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Android users have a long history of unlocking their phones, sideloading apps and installing custom OS builds -- but getting the tools to do all that has always been kind of a pain in the ass. Users who wanted to play around with their phone's backen...

Motorola posts Android bootloader unlock page, lets just one device pass muster

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Motorola posts Android bootloader unlock page, lets just one device pass muster

Motorola drew fresh respect after it vowed that its Android device customers could unlock their bootloaders, starting with the Photon Q LTE. Nearly everything about that process was kept in the dark, but it's now been blown wide open: the company has posted a full page dedicated to the process. Getting started will demand the Android SDK, fastboot, new USB drivers and a slightly scary warranty release, but it otherwise goes through a very HTC-like process that provides an unlock key. Verizon subscribers who were hoping for a surprise Droid RAZR MAXX unlock won't be happy, mind you; the Photon Q LTE is the only device on the list so far that isn't already unchained as a matter of course. Motorola did characterize the unlock option as a forward-thinking option, which leaves us not so secretly wishing that high-profile future releases expand the list of unlockable devices a bit further.

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Motorola posts Android bootloader unlock page, lets just one device pass muster originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Aug 2012 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pebble smartwatch outs SDK preview at Google I/O, gives developers a kickstart on apps

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If you invested in the Pebble e-paper smartwatch -- and who didn't? -- you'll be happy to hear that the firm has unleashed a preview of the Kickstarter darling's SDK at Google I/O this week. That'll give developers a head start on creating apps for the ARM-powered e-paper device, allowing them to learn exactly how it receives data from Mountain View's robot OS. The company said the new kit supports multiple program languages to boot, allowing developers of all skill levels to create Pebble-enabled apps. The document is still a work in progress, of course, but advances like this should help keep it from getting trampled by the cavalcade of smart wrist devices now coming out. Check the source link if you want to grab it.

Pebble smartwatch outs SDK preview at Google I/O, gives developers a kickstart on apps originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recon goggles gain Facebook integration and augmented reality at Google I/O (hands-on video)

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Recon goggles gain Facebook integration and augmented reality at Google I/O (hands-on video)

Remember that Android SDK Recon Instruments finally unveiled for its heads-up display goggles? Well the company was showing off the fruits of its labor here at Google I/O 2012 with two demos -- specifically two-way Facebook integration and augmented reality using a Contour camera. In the first demo, the goggles are paired over Bluetooth with an app running on an Android phone. Each time you jump while snowboarding or skying, the accelerometer data from the goggles is sent to the handset which posts a graphic to Facebook showing the distance, height and duration of your flight. Any comments made to the post are then immediately relayed back to the heads-up display. The second demo uses a Contour camera attached to the goggles and paired via Bluetooth. As you look around, the output from the camera appears on the heads-up display augmented with labels showing the location and distance of the nearby train stations based on the compass and GPS data from the goggles. Pretty cool, eh? Check out the gallery below and hit the break for our two hands-on videos.

Gallery: Recon Instruments at Google I/O 2012

Continue reading Recon goggles gain Facebook integration and augmented reality at Google I/O (hands-on video)

Recon goggles gain Facebook integration and augmented reality at Google I/O (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recon Instruments defrosts its Android SDK at Google I/O (video)

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Recon Instruments defrosts its Android SDK at Google IO video

Ski season (in the northern hemisphere at least) was in full swing when Recon Instruments announced that it'd be providing developers with an Android SDK for its HUD alpine goggles. Now, most of that snow may have melted, but the SDK is finally a cold, hard reality. Made available to the developing masses at Google I/O this week, frosty-fingered devs can use the tool to hook-in to Recon's visual display tools, including its MOD Live series. Given that this opens up the goggles' altimeter, barometer, accelerometer, gyro and magnetometer and temperature reader, that's a lot of detail to tuck into. Itching to get that downhill leaderboard app going? Slide on over to the source for the details.

Continue reading Recon Instruments defrosts its Android SDK at Google I/O (video)

Recon Instruments defrosts its Android SDK at Google I/O (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android 4.1 SDK hands-on

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Android 41 SDK in photo and video

Too lazy to download and install the brand new Android SDK yourself and don't feel like tweaking an AVD for optimal operation? Don't know what an AVD is? We don't blame you, and that's why we're here. We fired up Jelly Bean in the Android emulator and started poking around a bit. Sadly, most of the most exciting new features -- offline speech recognition, Google Now -- don't work. And we couldn't really delve deep into the new notifications system thanks to some limitations on the SDK. We could, however, play with the new version of Maps and demo the new widget placement tweaks. Most of the UI should look familiar. In fact, the only obvious changes we noticed were the new search widget and a few tweaked buttons, like notification clearing option. You'll also notice a new layout for the clock and date in the notification pull down. Mostly, from a aesthetic point of view, the refinements are minor, but welcome. Everything feels a little more spacious, less cramped, without becoming overly simple. Want to see it for yourself? Check out the gallery below and the video after the break.

Gallery: Android 4.1 SDK hands-on

Continue reading Android 4.1 SDK hands-on

Android 4.1 SDK hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 beta ready for download: better portrait mode and Android app support

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BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 beta ready for download, has plenty worth testing

That Michael Clewely is a man of his word. Not only has the PlayBook OS 2.1 beta version arrived just when he promised, but it also brings some handy additions that nudge the tablet a little closer to the land of fulfilled potential. There's portrait support for the Email, Calendar and Contacts apps, along with full device encryption and some smaller tweaks like .png screenshots and improved email folder support. The Android runtime has also been bolstered to allow multiple apps to run in separate windows, access the camera module and support in-app payments via the BlackBerry Payment SDK. There'll be more stuff in this update, according to RIM, but we'll have to wait (there's that word again) until the commercial release. You'll find the beta registration link below.

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 beta ready for download: better portrait mode and Android app support originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 06:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel posts x86-friendly Android 4.0 image, lets you feel the need for speed

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Android developers are all too familiar with not-so-hot emulator performance, so it's a relief that there's now an system image in a native x86 for testing. While you'll still likely want to test on ARM, the x86 image will both help ferret out bugs specific to Intel's architecture as well as provide a much faster experience debugging apps now that the ARM-to-Intel translation isn't needed on top of running a whole second operating system. It's not perfectly up to date, running on Android 4.0.3, but it's close enough that the environment will mimic much of what users see -- and a big help if you're jumping into writing specifically for Intel devices. If speed is of the essence, or you're not keen on importing a Lava Xolo X900, you just need to update the SDK Manager to start testing with an Intel-flavored green robot.

Intel posts x86-friendly Android 4.0 image, lets you feel the need for speed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 17:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Central  |  sourceRomain Guy (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments

Google’s Android emulator gets updated with GPU support, better CPU performance

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Google brought some improvements to its Android emulator when it updated the SDK last month, but it's now back with an even bigger update that's sure to please developers. The latest version finally adds built-in GPU support, which Google says will help the emulator better keep pace with current smartphones that rely so heavily on GPUs themselves. Along with that, Google is also promising better performance across the board (including improved CPU performance), as well as emulation of more hardware features, including the ability to tap into the sensors and multitouch input of a tethered Android device (Bluetooth and NFC support are apparently next in line). Head on past the break for a quick video showing off some of the improvements, and hit the source link below for the full rundown on all the updates.

Continue reading Google's Android emulator gets updated with GPU support, better CPU performance

Google's Android emulator gets updated with GPU support, better CPU performance originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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