Google has released Android 1.5 SDK on schedule. The new development kit offers developers to write programs for the Android update soon in the first quarter of May in some locations. It brings in the ability to run Android Virtual Devices inside an emulator for better modeling of real devices and other improvements for performance issues to make development easier.

New Android 1.5 is the first version of the SDK that will support add-ons, which let the Android SDK to give you access to the external Android libraries. Among the actual changes to Android in 1.5 that end users will see later are an on-screen soft keyboard, widgets in the home screen for a music player, search and other features, stereo Bluetooth support; and video recording and playback.

Some of the features of new released SDK are:-

• Multiple versions of the Android platform are included (Android 1.1, Android 1.5). The tools are updated to let you deploy your application on any platform in the SDK, which helps you ensure forward-compatibility and, if applicable, backward-compatibility.

• Introduces Android Virtual Devices — (AVD) configurations of options that you run in the emulator to better model actual devices. Each AVD gets its own dedicated storage area, making it much easier to work with multiple emulators that are running concurrently.

• Support for SDK add-ons, which extend the Android SDK to give you access to one or more external Android libraries and/or a customized (but compliant) system image that can run in the emulator.

• The new Eclipse ADT plugin (version 0.9.0) offers new Wizards to let you create projects targeted for specific Android configurations, generate XML resources (such as layouts, animations, and menus), generate alternate layouts, and export and sign your application for publishing.

• Improved JUnit support in ADT

• Easier profiling of performance

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By Richard Sarno. Email Richard for any questions on Mobile Apps Development; Be it iPhone, Android or any other smartphone!.  

When heading out to an event, one usually pack enough of his business cards to carry with . But if you want to avoid the trouble of carrying printing business cards, then SnapDat is a better option. SnapDat allows an individual to carry his digital business card in his iPhone.

SnapDat is a free “business card application” for the iPhone and iPod Touch, which provide users the ability to exchange contact data in the form of virtual business cards. Its the only mobile contact sharing application offering the common look and form of an actual business card.

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From now YouTube will showcase full-length movies and mainstream TV episodes on its Web site. And Google, which owns YouTube has announced its partnership with premium movie studios like Sony, CBS, MGM, Lionsgate, Starz, and the BBC. YouTube had signed deals with Hollywood studios to showcase thousands of TV episodes as well as hundreds of movies on its video-sharing Web site.

For expanding its library of movies ,TV programs and launching a new advertising service and content partners,it also predicted partnerships with 13 smaller companies such as National Geographic, Discovery Communications Inc. and SnagFilms LLC. Also the movies will be ad-supported, and ad revenue will be shared with the content owners.