New for Google's Android: StreetView, GlobalTime, Notifications

By Jacqueline Emigh | Published May 30, 2008, 11:00 AM

Members of Google's Android team leveraged Google's I/O conference this week as a launch platform for demos of new Android features, ranging from an application launcher called Notifications to a compass-based StreetView application.

The Android mobile development will probably become available in the second half of this year, said members of Google's Android team at the company's I/O conference in San Francisco this week, who gave a first-time demo of an Android prototype device.

Although Google is under NDA with the name of the device's OEM, it's a UMTS handset based on a Qualcomm processor. The handset comes with a Synaptics capacitive touchscreen, 128 MB of RAM, and 256 MB of flash memory, team members said during a Q&A session. Android software will work with trackball and D-pad mobile devices, in addition to touchscreens.

Android is Google's open source development environment for building applications that can run unchanged across multiple OEMs' hardware. When the first Android-enabled mobile handsets ships, Android will also be released as downloadable open source software, the show attendees were told.

The new Notifications application launcher shown at the I/O conference also lets you put shortcuts on the screen and get a spatial representation of workflow. The compass in the new Street View application allows for location-based panning. And a new Unlock application -- which uses gestures to unlock the device for security and sleep purposes -- is geared to touchscreen models.

Also at this week's I/O conference, Google demo'd an Android-based Pac-man application, along with a new 3D world clock application dubbed AndroidGlobalTime.

Last March, some of Google's partners had delivered demos of other Android features at the MWC show in Barcelona, Spain.

Comments

gdavidle

May 30, 2008 - 3:26 PM edited

Google's Android dev team should add more functionality to the clock for example after a person calls and icon representing that contact should be displayed so you can drag it to a specific time on the clock so to instantly add a scheduled appointment at the allotted time. Also there should be an option if you want to add more information. Also with services and tasks ..you should be able to drag the web browser icon for ex. to the clock and specify google news sci tech to open 12:30 pm and if you want there should be an option to set frequency during the day and week. Of course these should all be accessible in the notification queue. The point is to keep it seem less and easy to use at front..but there should be options if needed for more granular control. Also the GUI and interaction with android should be like a game within itself. The GUI needs to be animated and colorful and fun to click around and navigate through the OS and when opening apps. This is to build a bond with the user and you'll know when you have it right when the user just plays with the GUI and opening different windows just for fun. I could get into more features, functions, services and even how the GUI should look and interact..contrary those services will cost. you know how to contact me. l0l0l0l0l

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