Major Android update due in January

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 19 Dec 2008 at 17:46

Google has announced that a significant batch of new features will hit its Android mobile operating system in January.

The changes come via the "Cupcake" development branch, which is continuing to develop new features privately while Google works to open-source Android.

Cupcake will bring a raft of new features to the operating system, not least of which is support for the new SquirrelFish JavaScript engine, which promises to speed up website rendering.

Cupcake will also add support for cutting and pasting within the browser, as well as a find function and the ability to pause and resume downloads.

The camera will also be given a boost with the introduction of video capture.

Third-party developers will also be offered a series of APIs allowing them to tailor their own input methods, including virtual keyboards.

Alongside the new features, the Linux Kernel powering Android has been upgraded to version 2.6.27, bringing a host of bug fixes and some "basic x86 support".