The Google Android cell phone platform is being transformed from an internal project into an open source effort and some important Android enhancements are being made along the way. Some of the latest changes to the platform, although coded in a private development effort, are being revealed in the code which Google shares with the outside world, known as the Cupcake code. According to the Android project plan, it will also be merged into the greater body of Android open source code.

Some of the privately written code is made up of bug-fixes to Android features such as conversation scrolling, phone alarms, and email. Other parts of the code comprise new features to the platform. One example is the addition of the ability to save MMS attachments. The private development group will continue to function as such for now, and the new fixes and enhancements should be completely merged into the Android public code by January, according to a CNET news article.

The WebKit browser core has been enhanced to include newer code, and support for the new SquirrelFish JavaScript engine has been added. The Linux kernel, upon which the Android platform is based, has been upgraded to version 2.6.27, and what is termed “basic x86 support” has been included. The browser will now support cutting and pasting, something many customers demanded, and will also include a find function.

The group is adding support for virtual keyboards. As a part of this enhancement, third-part developers will be provided with application programming interfaces so that they can build their own input capabilities. At the same time, a new API for speech recognition will be provided to developers. It appears that the Android camera code will also get support for video captures, another popular customer request. Download code will also become more sophisticated, with pause and resume functions added.

Not only will the new release include functionality that users have requested, but that functionality will apparently be placed into open source. That is good new for not only Android users, but for the Open Source community that will continue to benefit from and be involved in the Android project.

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Entry was posted on Friday, December 19th, 2008 at 7:17 pm under Google, Open source.

Read more entries by Michael W. Jones.
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