Filed under: OS Updates, Google, Android
US Android users can finally have their Cupcake and eat it too
If you've been waiting for all the goodies in the Android 1.5 release (titled Cupcake), wait no longer. According to the T-Mobile forums, the rollout officially began a few days ago.If you aren't the patient kind, AndroidGuys shows you how you can take a few minutes and do the upgrade yourself without waiting for T-Mobile to initiate it for you.
The most highly anticipated feature in Android 1.5 is the on-screen keyboard. I've been using a hacked pre-release 1.5 version for a few weeks and I can say that on-screen typing is definitely as useful as I always thought it would be.
Other niceties in 1.5 include video recording (bringing G1 users up to spec with iPhone and Curve counterparts) some updates to the camera (blurry photos no more!) and a few simple visual enhancements which make you wonder why they weren't there all along.
Viva la Googlephone!
(Thanks David!)
With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet.
They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lecrackzor said 9:34PM on 5-26-2009
couldnt agree more. been using all of Haykuro's builds for about a month now and its the best thing that's happened to me... well phone wise. i love comparing my phone to my co-workers every time he gets a new version out. lol makes me feel so nerdy
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traicer said 9:04PM on 5-26-2009
the iphone can record video?
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Grant Robertson said 9:39PM on 5-26-2009
Not by default, but it's much more common:
http://www.google.com/search?q=iphone+video+recorder&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
I probably should have made that more clear.
Drew Green said 9:30PM on 5-26-2009
I've got a Treo 700wx and an iPod touch. I love typing on the Treo and can't stand it (at least compared to the Treo) to type on the Touch. Why would you want an onscreen keyboard when you have hardware?
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Grant Robertson said 9:33PM on 5-26-2009
Personally? Flipping out the keyboard to type something quick (under three words or so) is a huge pain. The orientation flips, sometimes that's slow, then it flips back, etc etc.. Now the G1 is the best of both worlds, a hardware keyboard when you want it, a software keyboard when you want it. Try that, iPhone or Curve!
Rocky said 4:39AM on 5-27-2009
sadly the audio output with this release has been nerfed... I can no longer use my htc multi-out adapter after updating.
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David Ron said 2:24PM on 5-27-2009
I'm the "david" that submitted the story. Not only does the audio out work for me, but my Bluetooth stereo headsets work with audio AND VIDEO! The sound is really good.
Rocky said 3:22PM on 5-27-2009
i'm not bashing android but I seriously can not use my htc adapter ( the rectangular one with a 3.5 headphone and two mini usb ports) I've also found a thread on a google developers page about the exact problem i'm having so it's not just me.
Rocky said 3:23PM on 5-27-2009
http://groups.google.com/group/Android-DevPhone-Updating/browse_thread/thread/a68e2c3681f682f0?pli=1
here's the link to the above mentioned thread where the problem is discussed
Todd said 3:59AM on 5-27-2009
Cupcake's video supports = Qik, Ustream, Justin.tv and Seesmic...soon!
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Oskiee said 8:23AM on 5-27-2009
Thanks for the link Grant, installing my cupcake now :OD
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moby said 12:33AM on 5-31-2009
Overall, I'm extremely happy with the update.
Pros:
The UI update is nice especially on message threads.
The fonts are smoother and easier to read.
Includes several new options on sub-menus.
The device seems a tad faster overall.
Program swapping seems a tad easier/faster as well. Especially the browser, it seems to handle larger pages faster now. I don't know if that was a browser or network tweak but I like it.
The built in camera program works a little better. Turning on is faster and it seems to manage focusing right before snapping a pic better.
The phone app has a nice new auto feature of locking the screen (you double tap in the middle) which prevents accidentally hanging up or punching other buttons when the taking a call.
Best of all stereo bluetooth! And, the BT seems to use less power than the actual plug-in headset.
Cons:
The BT update only deals with AD2P, no file sharing.
The built in email client STILL doesn't let you empty your trash folders. A stupid oversight IMHO.
I personally find the onscreen keyboad more of an annoyance. It tends to pop up too often. Luckily you can turn it off.
The screen rotation is a tad wonky but only a minor annoyance.
Ok, thats all I can think of at the moment. :)
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