Digital Rights Management
Email
Print
Another new feature is built in DRM (digital rights management) and
the ability to access DRM data from an application. In the past, DRM
was a touchy issue, because people didn't like the idea of having
limited rights (including copying) of the data on their computers.
However, with mobile devices, DRM has become the norm, especially with
mobile music. Still, corporations have a need for DRM, too, especially
when devices might be carrying sensitive, private corporate data.
At press time, the information on what is available in terms of DRM
for the new API is limited, so I'm limited on what I can report here.
The API documentation says: "Applications can now install certificates
on DRM protected content." The API includes an interface called
DRMRightsInstallCallback, a class called DRMManager, and an exception
called DRMException. Hopefully we'll find out more about this soon
enough.
GPS
Although not everybody is aware of it, many mobile phones today have
GPS devices built into them. However, most phones that have GPS don't
allow software applications to access data from the GPS. The BlackBerry
Storm is an exception. A user can access the data from the GPS right
from within the application.
The ability to access the GPS isn't new with the latest version of
the SDK. However, RIM has enhanced the access just a bit. Previously
users could access the GPS information using a Location API. Now they
can get information about the GPS hardware itself (such as whether the
GPS detects if a satellite is in view, and even-believe it or not-if
the GPS hardware is permanently dead).
More Updates
The API documentation lists a whole set of interfaces and classes
that have changed since the previous version. The documentation also
lists in its overview several interesting changes. The overview
mentions a nice change where an application can register itself as a
"Send To" recipient that will appear in the popup menu when the user
snaps a photo with the built-in camera. If a developer is creating an
application that processes camera images, that can come in handy.
The API reference also includes updates to some of the GUI elements
(such as TextBox and GameCanvas), allowing greater integration with the
new touchscreen. The latter, GameCanvas, is updated through the new
BlackBerryGameCanvas class, allowing developers to create games that
can be controlled through the touchscreen, something that people who
like games will likely appreciate.
Summary
This update is a minor version update, coming after version 4.6.0.
As such, it's not a huge update. Instead, it adds programmatic access
to the new features that are available in the newer devices. These
features focus primarily on the touchscreen and the accelerometer. To
see the full list of changes to the API, click here.
Senior Editor Jeff Cogswell can be reached at jeffrey.cogswell@ZiffDavisEnterprise.com.
