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diff --git a/docs/html/sdk/android-3.1-highlights.jd b/docs/html/sdk/android-3.1-highlights.jd new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3d132a3 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/html/sdk/android-3.1-highlights.jd @@ -0,0 +1,380 @@ +page.title=Android 3.1 Platform Highlights + +@jd:body + + +<style type="text/css"> +#jd-content { + max-width:1200px; +} +#jd-content div.screenshot { + float:left; + clear:left; + padding:15px 30px 15px 0; +} +#jd-content div.video { + float:right; + padding:0 60px 40px; + margin-top:-15px; +} +#jd-content table.columns { + margin:0 0 1em 0; +} +#jd-content table.columns td { + padding:0; +} +#jd-content table.columns td+td { + padding:0 2em; +} +#jd-content table.columns td img { + margin:0; +} +#jd-content table.columns td+td>*:first-child { + margin-top:-2em; +} +.green { + color:#8db529; + font-weight:bold; +} +</style> + +<p>Welcome to Android 3.1!</p> + +<p>Android 3.1 is an incremental platform release that refines many of the +features introduced in Android 3.0. It builds on the same tablet-optimized UI +and features offered in Android 3.0 and adds several new capabilities for +users and developers. This document provides an overview of the new features and +technologies introduced in Android 3.1. For a more detailed look at new +developer APIs, see the <a href="{@docRoot}sdk/android-3.1.html">API +Overview</a> document.</p> + +<p>For a high-level introduction to Android 3.0, please see the <a +href="{@docRoot}sdk/android-3.0-highlights.html">Android 3.0 Platform +Highlights</a>.</p> + +<ul> + <li><a href="#UserFeatures">New User Features</a></li> + <li><a href="#DeveloperApis">New Developer Features</a></li> +</ul> + +<h2 id="UserFeatures" style="clear:right">New User Features</h2> + +<div style="padding-top:0em;"> +<div style="margin-right:1em;margin-left:1em;float:right;padding-top:2em;"><a href="images/3.1/home_full.png" target="_android"><img src="images/3.1/home.png" alt="" height="280" /></a> +<div style="padding-left:1.25em;padding-bottom:1.25em;width:450px;font-size:.9em"><strong>Figure 1.</strong> An Android 3.1 Home screen.</div> +</div> + +<h3>UI refinements</h3> + +<p>The Android 3.1 platform adds a variety of refinements to make the user +interface more intuitive and more efficient to use.</p> + +<p>UI transitions are improved throughout the system and across the standard +apps. The Launcher animation is optimized for faster, smoother transition to and +from the Apps list. Adjustments in color, positioning, and text make UI elements +easier to see, understand, and use. Accessibility is improved with consistent +audible feedback throughout the UI and a new setting to let users customize the +touch-hold interval to meet their needs.</p> + +<p>Navigation to and from the five home screens is now easier — touching +the Home button in the system bar now takes you to the home screen most recently +used. Settings offers an improved view of internal storage, +showing the storage used by a larger set of file types. </p> + +<h3 id="accessories">Connectivity for USB accessories</h3> + +<p>Android 3.1 adds broad platform support for a variety of USB-connected +peripherals and accessories. Users can attach many types of input devices +(keyboards, mice, game controllers) and digital cameras. Applications can build +on the platform’s USB support to extend connectivity to almost any type of USB +device.</p> + +<p>The platform also adds new support for USB accessories — external +hardware devices designed to attach to Android-powered devices as USB hosts. When an +accessory is attached, the framework will look for a corresponding application +and offer to launch it for the user. The accessory can also present a URL +to the user, for downloading an appropriate application if one is not already +installed. Users can interact with the application to control powered accessories such +as robotics controllers; docking stations; diagnostic and musical equipment; +kiosks; card readers; and much more.</p> + +<p>The platform’s USB capabilities rely on components in device hardware, so +support for USB on specific devices may vary and is determined by device +manufacturers.</p> + +<div style="padding-top:0em;"> +<div style="margin-right:.8em;float:left;width:200px;"><img src="{@docRoot}sdk/images/3.1/tasks.png" alt="" /> +<div style="padding-left:1em;padding-bottom:1em;xwidth:auto;font-size:.9em"><strong>Figure 2.</strong> The Recent Apps menu is now expandable and scrollable.</div> +</div> + +<h3 id="recentapps">Expanded Recent Apps list</h3> + +<p>For improved multitasking and instant visual access to a much larger number +of apps, the Recent Apps list is now expandable. Users can now scroll the list +of recent apps vertically to see thumbnail images all of the tasks in progress +and recently used apps, then touch a thumbnail to jump back into that task.</p> + +<h3 id="resizewidgets">Resizeable Home screen widgets</h3> + +<p>For more flexible Home screen customization, users can now resize their Home +screen widgets using drag bars provided by the system. Users can expand widgets +both horizontally and/or vertically to include more content, where supported by +each widget.</p> + + +<h3 id="keyboards">Support for external keyboards +and pointing devices</h3> + +<p>Users can now attach almost any type of external keyboard or mouse to their +Android-powered devices, to create a familiar environment and work more +efficiently. One or more input devices can be attached to the system simultaneously +over USB and/or Bluetooth HID, in any combination. No special configuration or +driver is needed, in most cases. When multiple devices are connected, users can +conveniently manage the active keyboard and IME using the keyboard settings that +are available from the System bar.</p> + +<p>For pointing devices, the platform supports most types of mouse with a single +button and optionally a scroll wheel, as well as similar devices such as +trackballs. When these are connected, users can interact with the UI using +point, select, drag, scroll, hover, and other standard actions.</p> + +<h3 id="joysticks">Support for joysticks and gamepads</h3> + +<p>To make the platform even better for gaming, Android 3.1 adds support for +most PC joysticks and gamepads that are connected over USB or Bluetooth HID.</p> + +<p>For example, users can connect Sony Playstation™ 3 and XBox 360™ game +controllers over USB (but not Bluetooth), Logitech Dual Action™ gamepads and +flight sticks, or a car racing controller. Game controllers that use proprietary +networking or pairing are not supported by default, but in general, the platform +supports most PC-connectible joysticks and gamepads.</p> + +<h3 id="wifi">Robust Wi-Fi networking</h3> + +<p>Android 3.1 adds robust Wi-Fi features, to make sure that users and their +apps can take full advantage of higher-speed Wi-Fi access at home, at work, and +while away.</p> + +<p>A new high-performance Wi-Fi lock lets applications maintain +high-performance Wi-Fi connections even when the device screen is off. Users can +take advantage of this to play continuous streamed music, video, and voice +services for long periods, even when the device is otherwise idle and the screen +is off. </p> + +<p>Users can now configure an HTTP proxy for each individual Wi-Fi access +point, by touch-hold of the access point in Settings. The browser uses the HTTP +proxy when communicating with the network over the access point and other apps +may also choose to do so. The platform also provides backup and restore of the +user-defined IP and proxy settings.</p> +<p>The platform adds support for Preferred Network Offload (PNO), a background +scanning capability that conserves battery power savings in cases where Wi-Fi +needs to be available continuously for long periods of time.</p> + +<h3 id="apps">Updated set of standard apps</h3> + +<p>The Android 3.1 platform includes an updated set of standard applications +that are optimized for use on larger screen devices. The sections below +highlight some of the new features.</p> + +<div style="padding-top:0em;"> +<div style="margin-right:1em;float:right;margin-left:1em;margin-top:1.5em;margin-bottom:0;padding-bottom:0;"><img src="{@docRoot}sdk/images/3.1/controls.png" alt="" height="280px" /> +<div style="padding-left:1.25em;padding-bottom:1.25em;margin-top:0;padding-top:0;font-size:.9em"><strong>Figure 3.</strong> Quick Controls menu in the Browser.</div> +</div> +</div> + +<p><strong>Browser</strong></p> + +<p>The Browser app includes a variety of new features and UI improvements that +make viewing web content simpler, faster, and more convenient.</p> + +<p>The Quick Controls UI, accessible from Browser Settings, is extended and +redesigned. Users can now use the controls to view thumbnails of open tabs and +close the active tab, as well as access the overflow menu for instant access to +Settings and other controls.</p> + +<p>To ensure a consistent viewing experience, the Browser extends it's support +for popular web standards such as CSS 3D, animations, and CSS fixed +positioning to all sites, mobile or desktop. It also adds support for embedded +playback of HTML5 video content. To make it easier to manage favorite +content, users can now save a web page locally for offline viewing, including +all styling and images. For convenience when visiting Google sites, an improved +auto-login UI lets users sign in quickly and manage access when multiple users +are sharing a device.</p> + +<p>For best performance, the Browser adds support for plugins that use hardware +accelerated rendering. Page zoom performance is also dramatically improved, +making it faster to navigate and view web pages.</p> + +<p><strong>Gallery</strong></p> + +<p>The Gallery app now supports Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP), so that users +can connect their cameras over USB and import their pictures to Gallery with a +single touch. The app also copies the pictures to local storage and provides an +indicator to let users see how much space is available.</p> + +<div style="padding-top:0em;"> +<div style="margin-right:1em;float:left;margin-left:0em;"><img src="{@docRoot}sdk/images/3.1/resizeable.png" alt="" width="170" target="_android" style="margin-bottom:0;" /> +<div style="padding-left:1.4em;padding-bottom:1em;width:180px;font-size:.9em"><strong>Figure +4.</strong> Home screen widgets can now be resized.</div></div> + +<p><strong>Calendar</strong></p> + +<p>Calendar grids are larger, for better readability and more accurate +touch-targeting. Additionally, users can create a larger viewing area for grids +by hiding the calendar list controls. Controls in the date picker are +redesigned, making them easier to see and use.</li> +</ul> + +<p><strong>Contacts</strong></p> + +<p>The Contacts app now lets you locate contacts more easily using full text +search. Search returns matching results from all fields that are stored for a +contact. +</p> + +<p><strong>Email</strong></p> + +<p>When replying or forwarding an HTML message, The Email app now sends both +plain text and HTML bodies as a multi-part mime message. This ensures that the +message will be formatted properly for all recipients. Folder prefixes for IMAP +accounts are now easier to define and manage. To conserve battery power and +minimize cell data usage, the application now prefetches email from the server +only when the device is connected to a Wi-Fi access point. </p> + +<p>An updated Home screen widget give users quick access to more email. Users +can touch Email icon at the top of the widget to cycle through labels such as +Inbox, Unread, and Starred. The widget itself is now resizable, both +horizontally and vertically.</p> + +<h3 id="enterprise">Enterprise support</h3> + +<p>Users can now configure an HTTP proxy for each connected Wi-Fi access point. +This lets administrators work with users to set a proxy hostname, port, and any +bypass subdomains. This proxy configuration is automatically used by the Browser +when the Wi-Fi access point is connected, and may optionally be used by other +apps. The proxy and IP configuration is now backed up and restored across system +updates and resets.</p> + +<p>To meet the needs of tablet users, the platform now allows a "encrypted +storage card" device policy to be accepted on devices with emulated storage +cards and encrypted primary storage.</p> + + +<h2 id="DeveloperApis" style="clear:both">New Developer Features</h2> + +<p>The Android 3.1 platform adds refinements and new capabilities that +developers can build on, to create powerful and engaging application experiences +on tablets and other large-screen devices. </p> + +<h3 id="accessory">Open Accessory API for rich interaction with +peripherals</h3> + +<p>Android 3.1 introduces a new API for integrating hardware accessories with +applications running on the platform. The API provides a way to interact across +a wide range of peripherals, from robotics controllers to musical equipment, +exercise bicycles, and more.</p> + +<p>The API is based on a new USB (Universal Serial Bus) stack and services +that are built into the platform. The platform provides services for discovering +and identifying connected hardware, as well as for notifying interested +applications that the hardware is available.</p> + +<p>When a user plugs in a USB accessory, the platform receives +identifying information such as product name, accessory type, manufacturer, and +version. The platform sets up communication with the accessory and uses its +information to notify and launch a targeted app, if one is available. Optionally, +an accessory can provide a URL that lets users find and download an +app that works with the accessory. These discovery features make +first-time setup easier for the user and ensure that an appropriate application +is available for interacting with the connected hardware. </p> + +<p>For application developers and accessory manufacturers, accessory mode offers +many new ways to engage users and build powerful interaction experiences with +connected hardware.</p> + +<p>To learn more about how to develop applications that interact with +accessories, see the <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/usb/accessory.html">USB +Accessory</a> documentation.</p> + +<h3 id="host">USB host API</h3> + +<p>Android 3.1 provides built-in platform support for USB host mode and exposes +an API that lets applications manage connected peripherals. On devices that +support host mode, applications can use the API to identify and communicate with +connected devices such as audio devices. input devices, communications devices, +hubs, cameras, and more.</p> + +<p>To learn more about how to develop applications that interact with +USB devices, see the <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/usb/host.html">USB +Host</a> documentation.</p> + +<h3 id="inputdevices">Input from mice, joysticks, and gamepads</h3> + +<p>Android 3.1 extends the input event system to support a variety of new input +sources and motion events, across all views and windows. Developers can build on +these capabilities to let users interact with their applications using mice, +trackballs, joysticks, gamepads, and other devices, in addition to keyboards and +touchscreens.</p> + +<p>For mouse and trackball input, the platform supports two new motion event +actions: scroll (horizontal or vertical) such as from a scrollwheel; and hover, +which reports the location of the mouse when no buttons are pressed. +Applications can handle these events in any way needed.</p> + +<p>For joysticks and gamepads, the platform provides a large number of motion +axes that applications can use from a given input source, such as X, Y, Hat X, +Hat Y, rotation, throttle, pressure, size, touch, tool, orientation, and others. +Developers can also define custom axes if needed, to capture motion in +additional ways. The platform provides motion events to applications as a batch, +and applications can query the details of the movements included in the batch, +for more efficient and precise handling of events.</p> + +<p>Applications can query for the list of connected input devices and the motion +ranges (axes) supported by each device. Applications can also handle multiple +input and motion events from a single input device. For example, an application +can use mouse and joystick and mouse event sources from a single input +device.</p> + +<h3 id="resizewidgetsapp">Resizable Home screen widgets</h3> + +<p>Developers can now create Home screen widgets that users can resize +horizontally, vertically, or both. By simply adding an attribute to the +declaration of a widget, the widget becomes resizable horizontally, vertically, +or both. This lets users customize the display of the widget content and display +more of it on their Home screens.</p> + +<h3 id="mtp">MTP API for integrating with external cameras</h3> + +<p>In Android 3.1, a new MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) API lets developers write +apps that interact directly with connected cameras and other PTP devices. The +new API makes it easy for applications to receive notifications when devices are +attached and removed, manage files and storage on those devices, and transfer +files and metadata to and from them. The MTP API implements the PTP (Picture +Transfer Protocol) subset of the MTP specification.</p> + +<h3 id="rtp">RTP API, for control over audio streaming sessions</h3> + +<p>Android 3.1 exposes an API to its built-in RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) +stack, which applications can use to directly manage on-demand or interactive +data streaming. In particular, apps that provide VOIP, push-to-talk, +conferencing, and audio streaming can use the API to initiate sessions and +transmit or receive data streams over any available network.</p> + +<h3 id="performance">Performance optimizations</h3> + +<p>Android 3.1 includes a variety of performance optimizations that help make +applications faster and more responsive. Some of the optimizations include:</p> + +<ul> +<li>A new LRU cache class lets applications benefit from efficient caching. +Applications can use the class to reduce the time spent computing or downloading +data from the network, while maintaining a sensible memory footprint for the +cached data.</li> +<li>The UI framework now supports partial invalidates in hardware-accelerated +Views, which makes drawing operations in those Views more efficient.</li> +<li>A new graphics method, {@link android.graphics.Bitmap#setHasAlpha(boolean) +setHasAlpha()}, allows apps to hint that a given bitmap is opaque. This provides +an extra performance boost for some types of blits and is especially useful for +applications that use ARGB_8888 bitmaps.</li> +</ul> + |