Google Android upgrade offers improvements in UI and rich multimedia

Google is unveiling on Monday an upgrade to its platform, Android 2.3, which features refinements to the UI as then as capabilities for rich multimedia, mobile payments, and faster text input.

Version 2.3 as well is known as the Gingerbread release of the platform. The UI, the Android developers blog said, is "easier to learn, faster to use, and more power efficient." A visual theme of colors against black enables more vividness and contrast to the notification bar, menus, and other parts of the UI. Menu and setting changes make it easier to control features of the system and device.

Version 2.3 boosts its multimedia environment for games and other applications by supporting the VP8 and WebM video formats along with AAC and AMR-wideband encoding. "The platform as well provides new audio effects, just as reverb, equalization, headphone virtualization, and bass boost," according to a blog post by Xavier Ducrohet, Android SDK lead.

New media framework replaces OpenCore

A new media framework replaces OpenCore, maintaining previous codec/container support for editing and decoding. As well, support has been added for communications via front-facing camera, SIP/VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), and nearly field communications, which can be used for making mobile payments. The Android software keyboard, in the meantime, has been redesigned for faster text input and editing. "The keys themselves are reshaped and repositioned for improved targeting, making them easier to see and press accurately, even at high speeds," the Android developers blog said. Users of the new keyboard can correct entered words from suggestions in a dictionary.