Ice Cream Sandwich was just released lately with some features that gamers will no doubt enjoy. The makers of the Xperia play, on the other hand, will not be so happy. This updated version allows people to play games like the big boys if they have something to plug into the USB port.
Now that google has released their latest version of Android, they are looking to put in some every day features that other operating systems have. One is the ability to hook up a gaming rig through a USB port. The technical way to say that is “USB peripheral compatibility”. For those who are keeping up with Android, this version makes it possible to hook up a smartphone that has Android 4.0 on it and play a video game directly to a television. Sony playstation smartphone owners will be green with envy.
Ice Cream Sandwich has had somewhat of a makeover. It is very different from the earlier versions that came out during 2009. This version has some cool things going for it that give iOS a challenge. The much lauded “Siri” voice assistant on the new iPhone 4S has a small competitor in the new voice recorder in Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The voice recorder in version 4.0 is faster now and can type out a message as soon as someone dictates it. It does not have the ability to make appointments like the Siri assistant, but maybe someone will go ahead and put that app on the Android market soon.
The Ice Cream Sandwich version can also take screen shots of whatever you want. This feature can take a photo of an app, another photo, a web page or whatever is on the screen. Earlier versions were lacking this feature. The photo goes automatically to the smartphone’s photo gallery.
Words are easier to read with the Android Ice Cream Sandwich version. A new font has been installed to make it easier to read, especially for smartphones that have a large pixel count in their display. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be able to take advantage of this. The typeface is called ( What else ? ) “Roboto”. It is a part of the newer Android apps and it gives them that “magazine” feel, with large text over graphics.
The USB feature in Ice Cream Sandwich allows a user to play a Xbox 360, PS3, or any other USB controlled device. All that is needed is the right USB to MicroUSB adapter. Game controller compatibility is taken from the older Honeycomb version that was created for tablets. Do you want to hook up an external gamepad? No problem. Gamers are going to flock to this setup. There is an HDMI connector on some smartphones powered with Android as well, so high definiton gaming is definitely a consideration. The Samsung Galaxy S 2 has what is termed a MHL port. An adapter can be used with that as well to go to an HDMI connector. Samsung sells them.
As cool as that may be, smartphones already have DLNA, which connects to a monitor or television without the need for a cable connector. It sends a multimedia signal over to the screen using a DLNA radio. A DLNA setup will send a signal across a large room, preventing the need to stand by the screen of the monitor. It is much more convenient. Enterprise users will appreciate this if they want to do presentations for their work. Not every Android infused smartphone will have DLNA. The HTC Sensation, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus are equipped with this feature.
No Comments