Okay, I’m in love. I was still playing with the new HTC Magic that I received at Google I/O (aka Google I/O Device, or Ion) when I discovered this video of the upcoming HTC Hero.
(Music is Universal Traveler by Air)
The video shows a custom UI that HTC has added to Android that makes very nice use of the new app widgets available in Android 1.5. Remember that HTC created the TouchFLO 3D UI for Windows Mobile on the Diamond.
This is just the type of appeal that will make Android devices popular, which in turn will help developers sell applications, which in turn will sell more devices. Google added app widgets to help Android compete with iPhone. Evidently the video comes from Haykuro in Japan, who somehow obtained the firmware for the HTC Hero.
If you’re interested in creating app widgets for your Android applications, Google provides instructions. Once a user downloads your application to the device, she can choose to display the widget on the home screen along with other available widgets.
Remember to code widgets for good battery usage – see the video of Jeff Sharkey’s presentation at Google I/O for tips.
[To Learn More About SiliconAngle Blog]
