Google Jan. 26 trotted out a key piece of its Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" puzzle in the form of a preview SDK based on the new operating system intended for larger touch-screen tablet computers. Honeycomb offers users a new holographic user interface that focuses on multitasking, notifications, widgets and other features to make devices easy and fun to use. Google Maps in 3D is a big draw for this platform, which Google programmers like to boast has been redesigned from the ground up. To show off the OS, Google is also offering media and analysts a special demonstration at the Googleplex in Mountain View, Calif., Feb. 2. Those attending will see Honeycomb running on plenty of Motorola Xoom tablets and perhaps some others as hardware makers rush to polish their products and get them out the door to compete with Apple's iPad. Google's Android team also offered a sneak peek at what the Honeycomb user interface and other tools will look like on the Android developer Website. The Android developer team offered this platform highlights Web page. Of course, eWEEK gladly poached the screens for readers to peruse for their viewing pleasure.
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Google Touts Android 3.0 'Honeycomb' Holographic UI Redesign for Tablets
by Clint Boulton
Customization
Like any good Android smartphone, Android 3.0 offers five customizable home screens on which users may add and rearrange widgets, app shortcuts and wallpapers. Each Home screen also offers a launcher for apps and a search box to let users find apps, contacts, media files and Web content.
Expanded Widgets
Developers can build widgets that let users flip through collections of content as 3D stacks, grids or lists.
No Place Like Home
Lest we get ahead of ourselves, here's the home page of Honeycomb. See, for example, the new holographic UI design intended to support multitasking, rich notifications and home screen customization.
Multitasking
We mentioned multitasking. Honeycomb tablet users can launch applications and then use the Recent Apps list in the system bar to see the tasks in action and jump from one application to the next. Flit from search to Google Maps 5.0 for Android, which is laced with 3D, among other tasks.
Browser
The browser has also been revamped. Google added multitabbed browsing and incognito mode for anonymous browsing. Moreover, users can sign into Google sites and sync bookmarks with Google Chrome.
Camera
The new camera software is suited for the 10.1-inch screen of the Xoom or Toshiba tablet. The Gallery application lets users view albums and other collections in full-screen mode.
New Keyboard
Google revamped the Android 3.0 keyboard to make it more effective for tablets. For example, when users enter text, they can select a word via press-hold and copy to the clipboard.
More on That, Please
Developers can offer a new multiselect mode that lets users choose multiple items.
Interface Fragments
Developers can break their apps into fragments "to create a true multipane UI, with the user being able to interact with each pane independently," Google explained.
In Case You Missed the CES Demonstration
Google Android developer Mike Cleron showed off Honeycomb on the Motorola Xoom Jan. 6 at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show. He wowed the crowd with this Google Maps 5.0 for Android demo, showing buildings in 3D as he tilted the tablet. Just a taste of what consumers have to look forward to.
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Google Jan. 26 trotted out a key piece of its Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" puzzle in the form of a preview SDK based on the new operating system intended for larger touch-screen tablet computers. Honeycomb offers users a new holographic user interface that focuses on multitasking, notifications, widgets and other features to make devices easy and fun to use. Google Maps in 3D is a big draw for this platform, which Google programmers like to boast has been redesigned from the ground up. To show off the OS, Google is also offering media and analysts a special demonstration at the Googleplex in Mountain View, Calif., Feb. 2. Those attending will see Honeycomb running on plenty of Motorola Xoom tablets and perhaps some others as hardware makers rush to polish their products and get them out the door to compete with Apple's iPad. Google's Android team also offered a sneak peek at what the Honeycomb user interface and other tools will look like on the Android developer Website. The Android developer team offered this platform highlights Web page. Of course, eWEEK gladly poached the screens for readers to peruse for their viewing pleasure.