7. Recent Android 4 developments

The latest version of Android, currently 4.0.3, offers some interesting new features through new APIs (level 15). A few examples of these new features will give you a clearer idea.

The creation of user interfaces for smartphones, tablets and other devices is facilitated by a unified development framework.

Provided the phones are equipped with an NFC (Near Field Communication) sensor, Android Beam lets you exchange information between devices simply by bringing them within a few centimetres of each other. The NFC connection is established, and a simple tap on a data item is all that's needed to proceed with the exchange.

Android offers a new form of Internet-free connectivity or hotspot. With this possibility of secure direct connection via Wi-Fi, new applications can take advantage of the possibility of sharing between...