Ice Cream Sandwich Source Code Released

[dlevere]

Google has released the source code for Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich. Now handset manufacturers can start to customize the operating system to suit their products and programmers can start to play with the code.

[Helder]

What version is the Android OS on now?

[dlevere]

Android has seen a number of updates since its original release, each fixing bugs and adding new features. Each version is named, in alphabetical order, after a dessert.

Recent releases

* 2.3 Gingerbread refined the user interface, improved the soft keyboard and copy/paste features, improved gaming performance, added SIP support (VoIP calls), and added support for Near Field Communication.

* 3.0 Honeycomb was a tablet-orientated release which supports larger screen devices and introduces many new user interface features, and supports multi-core processors and hardware acceleration for graphics. The first device featuring this version, the Motorola Xoom tablet, went on sale in February 2011.

* 3.1 Honeycomb, released in May 2011, added support for extra input devices, USB host mode for transferring information directly from cameras and other devices, and the Google Movies and Books apps.

* 3.2 Honeycomb, released in July 2011, added optimization for a broader range of screen sizes, new "zoom-to-fill" screen compatibility mode, loading media files directly from SD card, and an extended screen support API. Huawei MediaPad is the first 7 inch tablet to use this version.

* 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, announced on October 19, 2011, brought Honeycomb features to smartphones and added new features including facial recognition unlock, network data usage monitoring and control, unified social networking contacts, photography enhancements, offline email searching, and information sharing using NFC. Android 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich is the latest Android version that is available to phones. The source code of "ICS" was released on November 14, 2011.

[dlevere]

.NET for Ice Cream Sandwich

Xamarin has released Mono for Android 4.0, enabling C# developers to target Android tablet devices such as Kindle Fire, Motorola Xoom and Samsung GALAXY Tab.

.NET for Ice Cream Sandwich

[dlevere]

Holo Theme Required for Ice Cream Sandwich

Google has announced that the Holo theme family is required for devices running Android 4.0, although manufacturers will also be able to build custom themes.

[dlevere]

No Ice Cream Sandwich for the Xperia Play

By Chris Birchall

Sony Mobile has confirmed that the Xperia Play will not be receiving an update to Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich as it’s more commonly known. The upgrade which was originally planned for May/June of this year has been canceled due to stability issues, stating that ”after extensive in house testing with our developer teams and working with our partners, we have concluded that a consistent and stable experience, particularly with gaming, cannot be guaranteed for this smartphone on Ice Cream Sandwich – therefore, we will not make the Android 4.0 upgrade available for Xperia PLAY.”

As annoying as this may be for those affected I imagine that the drop in performance must be pretty severe for them to pull the upgrade completely. So maybe it’s for the best. The full post can be found here.