Android’s CameraX library gets dual camera functionality boost

A person wearing two cameras to illustrate Google updating the CameraX library for Android mobile developers with improved dual camera functionality.

Android developers are set to benefit from an update to the CameraX library that improves its Dual Concurrent Camera feature. The enhancement, introduced in the 1.5.0-alpha01 release, simplifies the implementation of simultaneous streaming from two different cameras.

Donovan McMurray, Developer Relations Engineer at Google, wrote in a blog post: "CameraX will now handle the composition of the two camera streams as well."

This expanded functionality builds upon the...

18 October 2024 | Android

Safe Coding: Google’s strategy reduces memory safety vulnerabilities

Google logo illustrating its Safe Coding strategy to reduce memory safety vulnerabilities to improve security.

Google has unveiled compelling data highlighting the efficacy of its "Safe Coding" approach in reducing memory safety vulnerabilities.

The tech giant's strategy, which prioritises the use of memory-safe programming languages for new code development, has yielded impressive results. Most notably, Android has seen a sharp decline in memory safety vulnerabilities, plummeting from 76% of all vulnerabilities in 2019 to just 24% in 2024.

This reduction is particularly...

26 September 2024 | Android

Android 15: Developer productivity and UX take centre stage

Google has announced the release of Android 15, making the source code readily available through the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

Supported Pixel devices are set to receive the update in the coming weeks, with a wider rollout to devices from manufacturers like Samsung, Honor, and OnePlus planned for the coming months.

“Android 15 continues our mission of building a private and secure platform that helps improve your productivity while giving you new capabilities...

4 September 2024 | Android

CMA shelves app store probes to leverage digital market powers

Signalling its intent to leverage new powers granted by the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Act (DMCCA), the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has closed its investigations into Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store.

The investigations – launched over concerns that both tech giants were unfairly leveraging their dominant market positions, to the detriment of UK app developers and consumers – focused primarily on rules mandating the use of proprietary...

21 August 2024 | Android

Mandrake spyware variant evades Google Play security for two years

Kaspersky researchers have uncovered a new version of the notorious Mandrake spyware, revealing advanced obfuscation techniques that allowed it to bypass Google Play's security checks and remain undetected for two years.

First identified in 2020, Mandrake has been an active Android espionage platform since at least 2016. The latest variant, detected in April 2024, showcases enhanced functionality and evasion capabilities that have raised concerns among cybersecurity...

31 July 2024 | Android

Google: Third-party stores in Play Store would cost over $61M

In the wake of Epic Games' victory against Google last December, where a jury ruled that the Google Play app store and Google Play Billing constitute illegal monopolies, the tech giant has revealed the potential costs of implementing court-ordered changes to Android.

Google estimates that integrating third-party app stores within its Play Store would cost between $61.3 million and $137 million, according to documents submitted to the court. This comes in response to Judge James...

25 June 2024 | Android

Dave Burke retires as VP of Android engineering

After 14 years of steering Android's engineering efforts, Dave Burke has announced his retirement from his vice president role.

In a post on X, Burke said, "it's time for a change," signalling the end of his tenure that saw Android grow from a fledgling platform to a global powerhouse.

https://twitter.com/davey_burke/status/1801044329097818137

Burke joined Google in 2007 and became VP of Engineering for Android in 2014. On LinkedIn, he elaborated on his decision to...

13 June 2024 | Android

Google continues AI push with new Gemini tools for developers

Google kicked off its annual I/O developer conference with a clear emphasis on AI, unveiling a suite of new Gemini-powered solutions to empower developers.

At the forefront is an expansion of Google's Gemini language model, including the public preview of 1.5 Flash which is designed for high-frequency tasks. Developers can join a waitlist to preview a groundbreaking two million context window for 1.5 Pro.

"Streamline workflows and optimise AI-powered applications with...

15 May 2024 | Android

Microsoft to launch web-based mobile app store in July

At the Bloomberg Technology Summit, Microsoft’s President of Xbox, Sarah Bond, declared that the company is set to launch its new mobile store this July. This long-discussed move aims to establish an alternative to dominant marketplaces like the App Store and Play Store.

Unlike traditional approaches, Microsoft plans to roll out its mobile game store via the web, rather than as a native application. This strategy allows the company to circumvent restrictive app store policies...

10 May 2024 | Android

Google blocked 2M malicious apps from the Play Store in 2023

Google blocked 2.28 million policy-violating apps from being published on the Play Store in 2023, thanks to improved security measures and tighter developer vetting processes. The company rejected or had developers remediate almost 200,000 app submissions to prevent abuse of sensitive permissions like location tracking and SMS access.  

The company says providing a safe and trusted Play Store experience is its top priority, underpinned by principles to "safeguard users",...

30 April 2024 | Android