A glimpse of Android 2.0 aka Donut at the Google I/O

Android 2.0 aka the “Donut” was showcased at the Google I/O today. The audiences eagerly waiting for a glimpse of the yet unreleased version of the Android OS, had a treat when the Donut was demoed.

The Donut includes many new features like the “Search” feature which lets the user search the net as well as on the device itself.

One of the most exciting features for a mobile phone is the text-to-search API that would let Google include Google Voice Search into the Android 2.0.

It also includes handwriting recognizer. Using this feature, the user just needs to “write” whatever needs to be searched. For example, to search the names beginning with “e”, the user just needs to write “e” on the screen, when the contacts is open.

[via talkandroid]

Android Developer Challebge 2 announced

Google recently announced the Android Developer Challenge 2. It mainly focuses on the applications that can run smoothly on the Cupcake. There are 10 categories in which the developers can submit their entries, like Education/Reference, Lifestyle, Travel, Media, etc to name a few.

The ADC 2 will debut in the month of August, and that’s when the developers can submit their apps for the challenge. The winners will be chosen by the users. These users can download, run and test the submitted apps, using a special ADC 2 software. The first prize winner gets a whopping $150,000.

So, all you Android apps developers out there, get ready for some Android action.

[via androidcentral]

Another Android phone in the making : the General Mobile DSTL1. Also includes a video

General Mobile is planning to sell its DSTL1, powered by Android 1.5 aka cupcake, in the US and Turkey by the end of June. The DSTL1 is a dual-sim phone which also sports a 624MHz processor, a 5MP camera with flash(made by Sony), FM Radio, bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi. It also comes with a 4GB inbuilt memory. And, an extra battery and  a desktop charger is also said to be included in the box.

There is no confirmed news about its price but it is expected to sell for about US$550 to $750.

If this report is to be believed, then the DSTl1 would be the first non-HTC Android device in the market.

Here’s a video showing the DSTL1, running Android.

[via androidauthority]

Android apps ported to Ubuntu

Had you ever imagined applications meant for the Android OS running on your notebook loaded with Ubuntu OS ? If not, then you can and you should imagine it now. Because, developers at Cannonical successfully ported some Android apps onto Ubuntu. This was unveiled at the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Barcelona on Tuesday.

Here’s a pic of a desktop PC running some Android apps :

android_ubuntu

Google’s Android is based on Linux platform. But, its built on Google’s custom Java runtime. So, that makes it more convenient for use in mobile phones and tablet PCs and not in desktops.

But, this development would surely pave the way for future development of Android to make it more user-friendly and to be used in deskptop PCs. Even in the past, we have had news about Android notebooks and netbooks in the making (by companies like Skytone, HP and T-Mobile).

So, lets hope that Android soon makes its way into the notebook arena and we get a taste of the Open-Source environment in our notebooks.

[via androidarena]

A video of Samsung i7500

Samsung i7500, probably the first Android device, is out on a video now. Sometime back, we had reported that the Samsung i7500 awaits a June release in the European market. And, as per the report, it had quite impressive features.

So, how about a video of one of the most awaited phone of the year which gives you an overall feel of the device ? If that’s what you have been waiting for, then you have landed at the right place.

Here’s a video of the phone :

[via androidcentral]