Just two days after we played with the latest build, the new Android SDK is out with improvements to the overall OS. Like last time, you can download it and play with it, but in the mean time, here are the updates, which include superior file support (OGG, for one), superior animations, and a superior UI. We’ll update this post as we try the included emulator first hand. UPDATE: Screenshots included and the UI looks a lot better than the original, complete with screen animations.

* New user interface - As I mentioned when we introduced the m3 version of the Android SDK, we’re continuing to refine the UI that’s available for Android. m5-rc14 replaces the previous placeholder with a new UI, but as before, work on it is still in-progress. * Layout animations - Developers can now create layout animations for their applications using the capabilities introduced in the android.view.animation package. Check out the LayoutAnimation*.java files in the APIDemos sample code for examples of how this works. * Geo-coding - android.location.Geocoder enables developers to forward and reverse geo-code (i.e. translate an address into a coordinate and vice-versa), and also search for businesses. * New media codecs - The MediaPlayer class has added support for the OGG Vorbis, MIDI, XMF, iMelody, RTTL/RTX, and OTA audio file formats. * Updated Eclipse plug-in - A new version of ADT is available and provides improvements to the Android developer experience. In particular, check out the new Android Manifest editor.

Via [Gizmodo]

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Hello. I’m still in Spain. Between jetlag, posting madness, and some insane hotel reservations, I ended up getting an hour of sleep each of the last two nights, which led to all sorts of vomiting and paranoia in between the blogging.

Since we posted very quickly on the two biggest stories of the show, the Xperia and Android hands ons, you’d figure we were organized. No. We booked hotels late, and apparently, Barcelona doesn’t have too many of these accommodations relative to the size of Mobile World Congress. Rooms were going for 1000 Euros by the time we went hunting, so we ended up with a room in a place about 45 minutes outside of the city. At least in theory.

Our cabbie just wouldn’t shut up. Later, Jesús told me he wouldn’t stop bitching about his wife divorcing him. But while we were driving, all I could notice was that he was speaking a lot more than he should have been, especially venturing outside of the city without a GPS or map. He overshot our exit by 30 minutes. And because it was getting late and he was sleepy, he insisted on turning the A/C off. It was freezing, and winding through the mountain roads, in the fog, fatigued and cold, I got motion sick or food poisoning set in. I puked a river at some random junction.

When we got to the hotel, turns out it was a quaint tiny monastery. To my American eyes, used to strip malls and 100 year buildings at the oldest, the place just looked incredibly similar to the scenery in Resident Evil 4. (The best zombie games of all time. Fact.)

At this point, I was so sick and exhausted that I swore I kept seeing things moving in the dark corner of the room and got an hour of sleep. It sucked.

In other news, Nigel from Red Ferret hit 10k posts. And Adam Frucci is Geek Sugar’s “Geek we love”. Fine accomplishments on both their parts.

See you Stateside, hopefully with some Airtight package of Spanish Ham smuggled into my suitcase. Shhh!

Via [Gizmodo]

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Did you dudes see that Apple Television 2.0 Review I did? Go check it out! I stayed up until 2 AM writing it up, so I’m pretty fatigued now. I think you’ll enjoy it. Or at the very least, not hate it. Yay!

Via [Gizmodo]

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I could actually use a Power Bracelet right about now. Fear and Loathing in Hyrule: Gonzo vs. Zelda [BoingBoing] ShareThis

I could actually use a Power Bracelet right about now.

Fear and Loathing in Hyrule: Gonzo vs. Zelda [BoingBoing]

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Via [crunchgear]

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That’s right, ladies, he’s single. And guys, go for it. He’s from Seattle after all. That being said, right now he’s in India, so he can’t enjoy the praise. This makes two of our guys members of Geek Sugar’s “Geeks We Love” club in the last six months or so (they snagged Peter a couple […]

That’s right, ladies, he’s single. And guys, go for it. He’s from Seattle after all. That being stated, right now he’s in India, so he can’t enjoy the praise.

This makes two of our guys members of Geek Sugar’s “Geeks We Love” club in the last six months or so (they snagged Peter a couple months ago). I can only assume I’m next in the queue, since Doug’s married and Nicholas is far to hot to include.

Geeks We Love: Devin Coldewey of CrunchGear [Geek Sugar]

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Via [crunchgear]

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