Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon SDK for Android at Uplinq Developers Conference
SDK Designed to Give Developers Access to Powerful Features Found in Snapdragon-powered Devices
SAN DIEGO, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced the Snapdragon™ SDK for Android at the Uplinq® 2012 developers conference, giving developers and device makers the ability to differentiate their applications on devices by exposing a new set of value-added features. A preview release of the SDK is now available on Qualcomm's developer site and the full SDK will be available to device manufacturers and developers in the coming months.
The Snapdragon SDK for Android enables mobile developers to access next-generation technology and features of Snapdragon processors via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) not otherwise available. Initially, the SDK will support devices with the Snapdragon S4 8960 processor, and it is anticipated that the SDK will support future Snapdragon processors across multiple tiers over time.
"The most powerful applications in mobile are those that are tightly integrated with the underlying hardware," said Rob Chandhok, president of Qualcomm Internet Services and the company's senior vice president for software strategy. "Qualcomm is always striving to enable developers and device makers to differentiate their offerings via the unique capabilities found in its industry-leading Snapdragon mobile processors. With the Snapdragon SDK for Android, developers and manufactures can now more easily utilize these features as they work to set their products apart in a crowded ecosystem."
The Snapdragon SDK for Android is designed to allow developers to harness the additional capabilities of devices with Snapdragon processors while retaining compatibility across multiple Android devices. Together with the latest hardware development devices, including the Snapdragon S4 MDP smartphone and the Snapdragon S4 MDP tablet, developers will be able to develop on-target with a suite of Snapdragon SDK capabilities, allowing for testing and debugging in advance of commercial handset releases.
Some of the new features and benefits of the Snapdragon APIs in the preview release of the SDK include:
facial processing, such as blink and smile detection, which makes it easier to take better pictures of people in groups;
burst capture, which leverages zero shutter lag to photograph a stream of images at once to select the best shot;
surround sound recording for better audio capture;
hardware echo cancellation for better real-time audio experiences;
sensor gestures (tap-left/tap-right, push/pull, face-up/face-down, tilt) that enable developers and device makers to push the envelope on new, differentiated user interfaces;
low power always on geofencing capabilities; and
indoor location that enables apps to continue providing accurate location information even when the user is indoors.
Developers can learn more about the Snapdragon SDK for Android at the Qualcomm Developer Network website or by following @Qualcomm_Dev on Twitter for the latest information and news with the SDK.
So, what do you think about this?! Discuss ;D
Source
as far as i know that SDK is for S4, we have S3
Maybe in the future they will support S3 too
lordoftheriffs said:
Maybe in the future they will support S3 too
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They abosutely should after some time. This is just the beginning, and opening for opensource development and developer assistance from Qualcom.
I absolutely love this! I could not be more happy about what they are about to do!
that seems pretty cool they are supporting devs, and the awesome work they do! are there any indications they will go back and release the S3 SDK?
and if they do, what kind of things might we expect, what new features/performance enhancements etc could this allow for? simply put, i am no developer, so a lot of this is over my head :silly:
To be honest, this SDK is complete, utter marketing bull****. What it really is is a bunch of proprietary libraries that implement features that are NOT exclusive for Qcom in a way that makes them exclusive to Qcom, not because they can't run on other devices, but because they are MADE NOT TO EXPLICITLY. This won't help porting, kernel development or anything, and in my opinion only exists to show off ' support ' they give us when in fact they give none.
K900 said:
To be honest, this SDK is complete, utter marketing bull****. What it really is is a bunch of proprietary libraries that implement features that are NOT exclusive for Qcom in a way that makes them exclusive to Qcom, not because they can't run on other devices, but because they are MADE NOT TO EXPLICITLY. This won't help porting, kernel development or anything, and in my opinion only exists to show off ' support ' they give us when in fact they give none.
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Well said, my friend.
I was about to say that the qcom SDK is at best a pile of proprietary trash and an effort of qcom to try and pretend they support us.
Related
Just thought this was sad....
http://developer.nvidia.com/tegra/forum/honeycomb-harmony
Probably the wrong forum for this, but I think the G-Tab will be my 1st and only android device.
From day 1 till now I have had a bad taste in my mouth between Viewsonic's dropping the ball, Google's Honeycomb decisions, and finally Nvidia's dropping the platform not even 1 year in. This is a mess.
Thanks to XDA as they have been the only group in this mess who actually cared about the end users, and they were unpaid enthusiasts. That's a huge strike against android as a viable platform.
Virtual Pariah said:
Probably the wrong forum for this, but I think the G-Tab will be my 1st and only android device.
From day 1 till now I have had a bad taste in my mouth between Viewsonic's dropping the ball, Google's Honeycomb decisions, and finally Nvidia's dropping the platform not even 1 year in. This is a mess.
Thanks to XDA as they have been the only group in this mess who actually cared about the end users, and they were unpaid enthusiasts. That's a huge strike against android as a viable platform.
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What's the difference as long as the need is being taken care of?
For many this platform and tab have been taken from a mere consumption device to a learning tool. Who else, is offering such opportunity to better learn a mobile platform in and out?
Sometime we look right past the obvious. I would much more so want to learn than sit and play games or consume. To each his own.
Wow! Out of all the companies, nvidia was the last company I thought would do this. Reputation of driver support is just about the most important thing a chip company can have.
edirector said:
What's the difference as long as the need is being taken care of?
For many this platform and tab have been taken from a mere consumption device to a learning tool. Who else, is offering such opportunity to better learn a mobile platform in and out?
Sometime we look right past the obvious. I would much more so want to learn than sit and play games or consume. To each his own.
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I see where you are going, but, without official support most of the enthusiast devs will migrate to another platform.
To me, the loss of the manufacturer's input would be the death knell for the device.
Most people who have paid for this tablet did so for the media consumption capabilities. At least in the general population.
I'm a tad confused that anyone would be considering withdrawal of official support a good thing...
Moved to Q&A.
Just saw an update from a nvidia rep...
UPDATE 12 APRIL 2011:
Sorry folks looks like I caused a bit of confusion. Since this is a developer forum my comments were targeted at Tegra Honeycomb developers and for this we’d like to focus on Ventana. For shipping or production products, customers should contact the device makers directly for OS support plans. They are responsible for the OS shipping on their device.
In relation to our linux kernel git repository, NVIDIA will continue to provide full open-source support for all of our kernel components and will push more of that upstream over time.
Andrew Edelsten
Tegra Developer Relations
NVIDIA Corporation
Can someone give me the plain english version?
Between this and the recent google 3.0 annoincement they must be dancing in the streets in Cupertino
thevaristy said:
Just saw an update from a nvidia rep...
UPDATE 12 APRIL 2011:
Sorry folks looks like I caused a bit of confusion. Since this is a developer forum my comments were targeted at Tegra Honeycomb developers and for this we’d like to focus on Ventana. For shipping or production products, customers should contact the device makers directly for OS support plans. They are responsible for the OS shipping on their device.
In relation to our linux kernel git repository, NVIDIA will continue to provide full open-source support for all of our kernel components and will push more of that upstream over time.
Andrew Edelsten
Tegra Developer Relations
NVIDIA Corporation
Can someone give me the plain english version?
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Does this mean that they are supporting Gtablet Nvidia drivers. ???
Let us all hope Nvida will change there minds after a bunch of emails to support harmony on gingerbread and honeycomb
A good news from Nvidia ???
The newest update from Nvidia looks good (see below).
They will support the gtablet as long as viewsonic supports it. Nvidia is listening.
Now we have to keep the pressure on viewsonic for the support.
UPDATE 13 APRIL 2011
A lot has been read into a very short post about a Tegra development kit. I'd like to clear up a few points.
First, nothing changes in what we’re delivering to the open source community or customers. NVIDIA will continue to post the Tegra kernel to kernel.org and publish our Android code to our public git servers. Additionally, we will continue to make our BSP (codecs, GPU driver etc) available to all our hardware partners. We will continue to do this and nothing about these processes has changed.
For our partners' Android devices, NVIDIA provides support until the hardware partner chooses to no longer support the device. So, for instance, NVIDIA will support the Xoom on all versions of Android Motorola requests until Motorola ceases to support the Xoom. The same goes for ViewSonic with the G-Tablet, Notion Ink with the Adam, Acer with the Iconia, LG with the Optimus 2X and so on.
In relation to my original reply, that was a response to a specific question about a Tegra 250 Development Kit. Given the confusion, we will work with owners of Tegra 250 Development Kits individually to determine their needs. The term "Harmony" is an internal codename for the Tegra 250 Development Kit. It is not a tablet reference design. Each shipping tablet is a custom design with varying hardware components and requires a custom OS image from the OEM who made the tablet.
Finally, while we cannot support or give out third party peripheral drivers or provide the Android 3.0 source before Google does, we do want to explore whether we can assist the open source ROM makers. We will be reaching out to them today.
Andrew Edelsten
Tegra Developer Relations
NVIDIA Corporation
Its official:
http://phandroid.com/2011/04/12/nvidia-sadly-wont-provide-honeycomb-drivers-and-support-for-harmony-tegra-2-devices/
was just reading the same forum on Nvidia..... http://developer.nvidia.com/tegra/forum/honeycomb-harmony
Unbelievable !
If this is true - will not buy a single nvidia product anymore. Lousy bastards they are !
ibila said:
Its official:
http://phandroid.com/2011/04/12/nvidia-sadly-wont-provide-honeycomb-drivers-and-support-for-harmony-tegra-2-devices/
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They are getting whipped for that
I dont get it though ? Are not all drivers for the platform opensource ?
How hard is it to move a driver btwn minor Linux versions ?
Our Folio will not get Honeycomb from Toshiba anyway, and the harmony machines out does not fit Googles requirments for Honeycomb.
As long as the drivers can be recompiled for the Honeycomb kernel there are many groups out there that can do a community port.
(Still waiting for Honeycomb Android source though...)
I agree, Nvidia will feel the consequences of this decision.
I was all for Tegra and was determined that my next tablet would also be a Tegra, but now there will not be a next time for me.
Whoever decided this at Nvidia should have their head examined, talk about bad reputation and bad business...
Nvidia has responded to the massive critic they got.
Here's the response from Nvidia:
"A lot has been read into a very short post about a Tegra development kit. I'd like to clear up a few points.
First, nothing changes in what we’re delivering to the open source community or customers. NVIDIA will continue to post the Tegra kernel to kernel.org and publish our Android code to our public git servers. Additionally, we will continue to make our BSP (codecs, GPU driver etc) available to all our hardware partners. We will continue to do this and nothing about these processes has changed.
For our partners' Android devices, NVIDIA provides support until the hardware partner chooses to no longer support the device. So, for instance, NVIDIA will support the Xoom on all versions of Android Motorola requests until Motorola ceases to support the Xoom. The same goes for ViewSonic with the G-Tablet, Notion Ink with the Adam, Acer with the Iconia, LG with the Optimus 2X and so on.
In relation to my original reply, that was a response to a specific question about a Tegra 250 Development Kit. Given the confusion, we will work with owners of Tegra 250 Development Kits individually to determine their needs. The term "Harmony" is an internal codename for the Tegra 250 Development Kit. It is not a tablet reference design. Each shipping tablet is a custom design with varying hardware components and requires a custom OS image from the OEM who made the tablet.
Finally, while we cannot support or give out third party peripheral drivers or provide the Android 3.0 source before Google does, we do want to explore whether we can assist the open source ROM makers. We will be reaching out to them today."
I like the last sentence "We will be reaching out to them today"...
http://mobilesyrup.com/2012/02/09/windows-on-arm-woa-detailed-wont-support-x86-apps/
Steven Sinofsky of the Windows 8 team has detailed, in an astounding 8600-word blog post, everything one needs to know about the upcoming Windows On ARM, or WOA, release. A developer preview is expected to be released with the x86 Consumer Preview on February 29th, and he shared some important details about the release.
Windows on ARM is going to be compatible with current ARM infrastructures (Cortex A9, A15, etc), such as chips used in iOS and Android tablets. As a result, much of the codebase is not reusable and existing Windows apps will not work, period.
The final release is to come pre-installed with a selected number of first-party applications such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote, all developed specifically for touch interfaces. All other apps will be downloaded from the upcoming Windows Store, and must be compiled to work explicitly with ARM. Think of this as the end to the “If it worked on Windows XP, it will work on Windows 8″ era.
Developers can create and release apps both for branches of Windows 8 — x86 and ARM — but they must meet the compiling requirements for both independently. Windows on ARM will also not be distributed through retail channels, nor will images be available for purchase; they will be distributed as firmware images built for specific hardware, much like different versions of Android are incompatible with one another. Sinofsky writers, “With WOA you can look forward to integrated, end-to-end products—hardware, firmware and WOA software, all built from the ground up. Over the useful lifetime of the PC, the provided software will be serviced and improved.” This means that any upgrades will be a collaboration between Microsoft and the OEM, much like we see in Android today. This has both its advantages and disadvantages, since software tailored to specific hardware tends to work better, but upgrades also take longer to be released.
A curious change, and one that will likely be embraced by existing smartphone users, will be a lack of an explicit “sleep mode.” Instead, Sinofsky explains, when the screen is off the hardware will enable a “Connected Standby” state, which lasts for weeks.
Finally, how does he defend his decision to proscribe existing Windows apps from being ported to WOA?
“If we enabled the broad porting of existing code we would fail to deliver on our commitment to longer battery life, predictable performance, and especially a reliable experience over time. The conventions used by today’s Windows apps do not necessarily provide this, whether it is background processes, polling loops, timers, system hooks, startup programs, registry changes, kernel mode code, admin rights, unsigned drivers, add-ins, or a host of other common techniques.”
This will be a smart decision in the long run, but in the short term it will mean a dearth of apps available to download or purchase. Let’s hope Windows developers see the financial potential in porting their apps to ARM; Apple has found success with its Mac App Store, and that caters to a fraction of the same market. Whether WOA will catch on in the age of the iPad is a question everyone is waiting for an answer to.
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Sources and references : This list, by Charles Hudson, was a part of a talk he gave this week at an event put on by Yetizen. Betable reposted it on their blog and we couldn’t resist re-re-posting it.
1. Fragmentation
Problem: Unlike the iPhone, there are many types of Android devices, which leads to OS fragmentation, varying screen size and resolutions, and types of hardware. This means that the user experience can vastly differ from user to user. Also, developers can drown themselves in work trying to make their game compatible with everything.
Solution: Charles suggests that you test your game on multiple devices to make sure the user experience can consistent across a sea of devices. He said that he bought old, “well loved” Android phones from resellers to cheaply test his game on each type of hardware. As for OS, if you need to draw a line in the sand and not supporting older OS versions to provide a consistent experience, then do so. According to Ngmoco, which spoke later in the evening, 94% of Android gamers are on 2.1 or above, so you won’t miss many customers by cutting out the troublesome 1.6 and 1.7 versions.
2. Development & Testing
Problem: Because it is so easy to launch new applications and versions on Android – you are essentially just one button away from pushing new versions – developers can sometimes get trigger happy. This can overwhelm users and stop them from updating your game.
Solution: Android users typically don’t update their apps as often as iOS users, so Charles recommended a minimum period of one week between app updates, excepting urgent bug fixes of course. And as we mentioned before, you should test your game on each major type of phone and supported OS version before an update goes live. This can prevent unforseen hiccups and help you avoid those urgent bug fixes.
3. Metrics
Problem: Developers are typically flying totally blind when it comes to the way that users are interacting with their app, especially on Android.
Solution: Look into integrating with an analytics platform that fits your budget. Google Analytics is free, but can be a trickier integration as it isn’t built for mobile. If you are looking for an easier and more mobile-friendly solution, there are mobile game analytics platforms that are free to try such as Flurry and Localytics.
4. Platform Wars
Problem: 23% of all smartphone customers are on iOS devices, and conventional wisdom states that iOS users are more likely to pay for apps and complete in-app purchases than their Android counterparts.
Solution: To paraphrase Charles Hudson, “it is better to build a great game on one platform instead of a mediocre game on two platforms.” Each platform has different capabilities, so focus your resources in building an awesome game on one platform before you worry about iOS. Bionic Panda is an Android only game studio, so Charles clearly practices what he preaches.
Huawei just finished introducing HarmonyOS and everything looks promising. From HMS core to the updated AppGallery, everything falls into place as Huawei officially unveiled and welcomed everyone to their highly anticipated in-house operating system.
Highlights and Features
HarmonyOS has a lot of new features that makes their system worth checking out.
Combination of Apps and Widgets
HarmonyOS expands the overall functionality of simple app icons and widgets by combining them and creating icons that you can tap/swipe up and see the background activity and convert into widgets if you need to.
One OS for All Devices
As existing Huawei smartphones prepare for their turn on switching to HarmonyOS. Software fragmentation is one of the leading concerns of operating systems in general. This means that some software cannot be easily implemented on other devices because of their difference in terms of hardware and software configurations. An example would be a certain GAME that can be played on DEVICE A which also shares almost the same hardware configuration with DEVICE B .. BUT .. device B is from a different brand. There are scenarios where you can play it on device A but cannot on device B due to this premise.
Harmony OS makes this possible across brands and models and configurations.
Control Everything From Your Huawei Smartphone
As Huawei envisioned HarmonyOS, the smartphone is at the center of almost everything. You can change the temperature on your air conditioning unit, monitor and adjust the air purifier. You can switch in between devices and rooms and control almost every appliance and light bulb in the house. What better way to have a unified and centralized controller other than your smartphone.With this technology, you can even lock/unlock or even start your car.
Smart devices are becoming a main part of the household. Smart coffee machines, toasters, induction cookers, vacuums, bulbs, washing machines, cars and ovens. As technology moves forward, so will smart devices.
Keeping Things "Open" For Everyone
Huawei's goal of keeping HarmonyOS open to all makes things more interesting and more versatile. This allows for more development as well as faster progress and updates not only for HarmonyOS but also for the applications, software and hardware that manufacturers and brands will produce.
Having an open system gives us a bigger ecosystem of devices as well.
Home appliances - Personal equipment - Vehicles - Machines
Everything can be possible. Can't wait to see what HarmonyOS can do more and can't wait to get my hands on it when the update arrives.