Android moving on to mobile Internet tablets, media players
Google is hard at work on a new version of its Linux-based Android mobile platform. The new branch-which is codenamed Cupcake-introduces support for several important features, including an on-screen keyboard. This critical feature, which was missing from Android at launch, will make Android a viable platform for touchscreen tablet devices that don't have hardware keyboards.
Cupcake is still a work in progress, but gadget makers are already getting a head start. The GiiNii Movit, an Android WiFi tablet that was introduced at CES, is one of the first Cupcake-based products to be unveiled. It will offer support for Skype for VoIP and include an integrated video camera. The 4.3-inch model is on track to ship in Q3 and it will followed up by a 7-inch model.
The latest hardware maker to jump on the Android bandwagon is Archos, which is planning an ultra-slim touchscreen media tablet device with 500GB of built-in storage, 3G Internet support, and a powerful OMAP3440 processor. The press release claims that it will deliver 7-hours of HD video playback. With a 5-inch screen, however, it's not quite like your average pocket-friendly smartphone.
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