Mobile Gaming News – Android Ice Cream Sandwich + Honeycomb 3.1 Shine
Google I/O News
The Google I/O conference in San Francisco was packed tight this Tuesday with many eager enthusiasts only able to squeeze in through the back door.
On Tuesday May 10, during the first day of the San Francisco Google I/O conference, Google released the 3.1 upgrade to its Android 3.0 Honeycomb Mobile OS.
The I/O conference showcased some really exciting stuff and gave a good indication of the direction that Google plans to follow. That direction, is great news for those of us who enjoy a bit of real cash Android blackjack, Android slots or Android casino poker.
The 3.0 version of Android OS, released exclusively for mobile tablets, was in effect a pre-release, intended for the Motorola Xoom tablet to unveil on schedule. Google gambled and won by releasing the 3.0 earlier with limited features. In blackjack we call that a smart strategies, since the pre-release cut down the potential growth rate of Apple iPod2.
The real eye-popping functionality, which will impress mobile gamers and religious scholars alike, are part of the 3.1 upgrade. The upgrade is available for download right now and is definitely well worth it.
The first major improvement in 3.1 is the USB host controller, which allows any mobile Android 3.1 tablet to accept multiple USB devices just like a regular PC.
Mobile gamers can plug in a portable keyboard and a wireless mouse or game controller and chat, tweet or perhaps even play World of Warcraft while on a camping trip or even fishing. This USB brings the online and mobile casino games one step closer to becoming the same market.
A proper QWERTY keyboard will also open up the industry to online casino gamblers who were sitting on the fence and unwilling to chat using a mobile keypad or even a touch screen. Those of us with large fingers, poor typing skills or bad vision can finally begin moving towards the mobile platform.
The USB will allow photos and videos to be uploaded to the Android 3.1tablet directly from cameras, edited, and emailed from any location. This convenient ability will improve the quality of CNN, FOX and mobile gambling news ‘on the scene’ reports which are often pixilated and blurry.
The Android 3.1 will also have a movie rental service with thousands of titles and many other adjustments and upgrades.
Another nifty ability of Android 3.1 gives mobile programmers the ability to make one Android app that will simultaneously work on all Android Honeycomb 3.1 devices, regardless of screen size.
This will save a tremendous amount of time for mobile casino software developers, which adds up to a larger variety of mobile games with more frequent new releases.
Google announced that all the functionality of the Android 3.1 Honeycomb will be released for mobile phones during the fourth quarter of this year.
The smartphone version of the Honeycomb should be out in late November 2011 under the name ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’. The name may be corny, but having this amazing functionality on your mobile in 6 months is pretty darn elite.