Android EcoSystem — This Week in Android

Welcome to our newest Monday feature — Android Ecosystem!

We’ve provided a lot of coverage of the HTC Sense interface on Android phones, as it is very well done; what we’ve been wondering is how the next version of Sense will look, since HTC is going to update it to work with Android 2.x. Well, a video of the new version has appeared, and it looks pretty slick. The program icons now have a translucent background, and it has an updated look overall. I’m not sure I like that new unlock screen, as it doesn’t seem to indicate which home screen is active, but that may just be me.

T-Mobile G1 owners may be chowing down on some tasty Eclair next year, if this rumor pans out. It is reported that Android 2.x, aka Eclair, will be doled out to the G1 early next year. It wasn’t clear if the older G1 could handle the next version of Android, but apparently it can. Android 2.x brings a lot of new features, such as multiple email account support. It is also compatible with all the features of Google Maps Navigation.

HTC Sense is a distinctive interface, largely due to the attractive widgets that HTC employs. Copying may be the sincerest form of flattery, but HTC is having none of it. The company has issued a cease-and-desist order to LevelUp Studio, a developer that produces the Beautiful Widgets for Android. LevelUp has taken the offending widgets off the market.

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