Google seems determined to offer the users of its Android operating system more and more reasons to rejoices, since it already started work on the upcoming version of the platform, Android 2.0. Although Android 1.5 Cupcake has been around for only a short period of time, the next iteration, codenamed Donut, is expected to become available in three to six months from now.
In case the development process of the Android 2.0 is on schedule, we might be able to see the Donut available on the market before the end of the ongoing year, which also means that the update will come to users faster than Cupcake did. And given the large number of mobile phones that are expected to come this year running under Android, the fact that Google moves forth with the development of the platform sounds like a great thing.
Some of the features that Android 2.0 is expected to come around with have already been unveiled to the world, and we can count here stuff like universal search, new speech-to-text API's, and handwriting gesture capabilities. According to some voices over the Web, some more features should be included in the firmware update, yet there are not too many details on this at the moment.
For what it's worth, one thing that Android should include before the end of 2009 comes from Adobe in the form of Flash, which the company says that will be ported both to this operating system and to other mobile platforms as well. Adobe's move seems to have been determined by the fact that the smartphone area has gained more and more ground on the market lately, taking in both feature phones and personal computers.
According to the news over the Internet, Adobe is “reengineering its software so that Flash-based games and videos can run on different handsets without being modified.” In addition, the company is also reported to have made new deals with chip designers and phone makers, and it offers “millions of dollars to developers willing to write programs for mobile devices that use its software.”
We should sit back and wait quietly for true Flash to make it into the world of mobile phones, but, in case Adobe is really determined to offer users a leveraged experience, things might turn out pretty well in the end.
Some of the features that Android 2.0 is expected to come around with have already been unveiled to the world, and we can count here stuff like universal search, new speech-to-text API's, and handwriting gesture capabilities. According to some voices over the Web, some more features should be included in the firmware update, yet there are not too many details on this at the moment.
For what it's worth, one thing that Android should include before the end of 2009 comes from Adobe in the form of Flash, which the company says that will be ported both to this operating system and to other mobile platforms as well. Adobe's move seems to have been determined by the fact that the smartphone area has gained more and more ground on the market lately, taking in both feature phones and personal computers.
According to the news over the Internet, Adobe is “reengineering its software so that Flash-based games and videos can run on different handsets without being modified.” In addition, the company is also reported to have made new deals with chip designers and phone makers, and it offers “millions of dollars to developers willing to write programs for mobile devices that use its software.”
We should sit back and wait quietly for true Flash to make it into the world of mobile phones, but, in case Adobe is really determined to offer users a leveraged experience, things might turn out pretty well in the end.
SVOX speech tools coming to Android
Last week, Zurich, Switzerland-based SVOX announced that it has joined the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), and will provide technology that would enable speech user interfaces on Android. Although it was not explicitly stated, the SVOX technology (see diagram below) appears to be related to the "Donut" text-to-speech API.
SVOX architecture
SVOX is contributing its "speech output solution," called the SVOX Pico TTS engine, to OHA. The Android version of SVOX Pico is said to include six language packages, including U.S. and U.K. English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. The product also includes tools that can be used to create new languages and voices, says the company.
Stated SVOX CEO Martin Reber, "SVOX is committed to bringing high quality speech to the mobile market, with first-class support and integration services. This is the first step in our mission to bring natural-language technology to the Android community."
Last week, Zurich, Switzerland-based SVOX announced that it has joined the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), and will provide technology that would enable speech user interfaces on Android. Although it was not explicitly stated, the SVOX technology (see diagram below) appears to be related to the "Donut" text-to-speech API.
SVOX architecture
SVOX is contributing its "speech output solution," called the SVOX Pico TTS engine, to OHA. The Android version of SVOX Pico is said to include six language packages, including U.S. and U.K. English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian. The product also includes tools that can be used to create new languages and voices, says the company.
Stated SVOX CEO Martin Reber, "SVOX is committed to bringing high quality speech to the mobile market, with first-class support and integration services. This is the first step in our mission to bring natural-language technology to the Android community."
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