android 2.3 gingerbread

[complacent]

android developer posting

it looks like they're finally making some good improvements to text input and manipulation... finally.

still looks like music and media management isn't a high priority/concern.

New Platform Technologies
Media Framework

* New media framework fully replaces OpenCore, maintaining all previous codec/container support for encoding and decoding.
* Integrated support for the VP8 open video compression format and the WebM open container format
* Adds AAC encoding and AMR wideband encoding

Linux Kernel

* Upgraded to 2.6.35

Networking

* SIP stack, configurable by device manufacturer
* Support for Near Field Communications (NFC), configurable by device manufacturer
* Updated BlueZ stack

Dalvik runtime

* Dalvik VM:
o Concurrent garbage collector (target sub-3ms pauses)
o Adds further JIT (code-generation) optimizations
o Improved code verification
o StrictMode debugging, for identifying performance and memory issues
* Core libraries:
o Expanded I18N support (full worldwide encodings, more locales)
o Faster Formatter and number formatting. For example, float formatting is 2.5x faster.
o HTTP responses are gzipped by default. XML and JSON API response sizes may be reduced by 60% or more.
o New collections and utilities APIs
o Improved network APIs
o Improved file read and write controls
o Updated JDBC
* Updates from upstream projects:
o OpenSSL 1.0.0a
o BouncyCastle 1.45
o ICU 4.4
o zlib 1.2.5

I'm interested to see how well it performs, as well as how long it will take the application devs to catch up.

[Raven]

Can't wait for the next CM ROM for my phone.

[Sabre]

Looks like a decent number of updates. I hope this makes you all happier, I know you have been talking about them needing to update a lot of things that are addressed in the update.

[complacent]

Looks like a decent number of updates. I hope this makes you all happier, I know you have been talking about them needing to update a lot of things that are addressed in the update.

yea, here's hoping!

[Raven]

You still stuck with a ghetto Droid 1 like me or did you upgrade?

[complacent]

You still stuck with a ghetto Droid 1 like me or did you upgrade?

still on a droid 1. going to wait it out. cm6.x has made the device much more usable (+overclocking really helps out).

plus i'm a year in. would hate to sign up for another two years right before all these multi-core chips start shipping.

ahh, the dance of the obsolescent.

[Raven]

I'm only signing 1 yr contracts from this point on. Mobile phones are the new personal computer, going two years with the same one is kinda painful. Plus there's some logic here. By signing for 2 yrs I saved $400, but I want a upgrade now after only one year and if I want a new phone I have to shell out $600. However, if I'd gotten a 1 yr contract I'd have only save $300, but I could have saved another $300 on an upgrade now, so $600 saved in a 2 year period.

[Mr Kleen]

Mobile phones are the new personal computer, going two years with the same one is kinda painful.

I'm not an addict, I can quit any time I want...

[complacent]

well, i went and installed one of the Cyanogenmod CM7 nightlies and am now running a gingerbread rom built from the aosp. i have to say, i'm impressed so far.

it's really starting to feel like android is growing up.

if you're curious, i'd say give it a shot.

[Sabre]

I'd love to hear more after you've used it a week! If they have made it that much better, then I might be convinced to switch sides, provided I can find a phone with a great screen!

[schvin]

sweet, dude!

[Raven]

Give a shout when it hits RC.

[Raven]

So CyanogenMod 7 (gingerbread) went stable today. Been running the RCs for the passed month or so and I'm very impressed. Android has matured to the point where I think I'll be comfortable with this version for a while and not lusting after the next version as much as I have in the past.

[complacent]

i'm glad to see the advances that the community provides for the platform. i'd just like to see it a little more unified. the performance and reliability of rc's and finals still vary wildly between manufacturers and even between devices from the same vendor!

outside of that, gingerbread is pretty cool.

[Raven]

I solve that problem by choosing my device based on the support it has. That's why i went with the HTC incredible, which aside from the power sucking screen has been pretty much the best android device I could ask for.