Google announces Android 1.5 with video recording and widgets

Google has announced version 1.5 of Android. The new version, which should be released within a month, supports widgets and video recording. Furthermore, the operating system can now be operated with an onscreen keyboard.

Android 1.5, which has been known under the code name Cupcake for some time, is official on Monday night announced. Developers can already download an sdk of the new OS, which includes an API for creating widgets. Until now, only shortcuts, an analog clock, and a Google search bar could be found on the Android desktop.

Google has warned that some things may change in the final release and it is also unclear when the new operating system will be released. However, Android 1.5 is expected to appear within a month. The Vodafone Magic will be launched in May, and this Android device does not have a physical keyboard. That necessitates the use of the new onscreen keyboard.

Also new is the ability to record video. Android 1.5 is also based on version 2.6.27 of the Linux kernel, and bluetooth is now fully supported. In addition, there are several larger and smaller ones amendmentssuch as better GPS reception and layout changes in almost all standard applications, such as the browser, the e-mail client and the SMS software.