14 DAY TRIAL // A new version of the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK is now available for download for developers of applications for smartphones coming from the Canadian handset vendor Research In Motion.
The new BlackBerry WebWorks SDK 2.1 brings forth new APIs, as well as increased application functionality, the development team explains.
“For those following the project on GitHub, this release has also been known as the “Epsilon” release outlined on the BlackBerry WebWorks roadmap,” the team states.
The new release was focused on bringing the features and APIs in the SDK for smartphones closer to those included in the SDK for the new BlackBerry PlayBook.
“The goals for this release are focused on bringing new BlackBerry WebWorks functionality and APIs to the BlackBerry smartphone OS and continue the convergence between the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK on BlackBerry Tablet OS,” RIM notes.
The main enhancements the new BlackBerry WebWorks SDK 2.1 for smartphones comes with includes:
- NTLM & BASIC Authentication support (NTLM support requires a BlackBerry Enterprise Server) - Camera API (take a picture or a video) - Top Banner Indicator API - Enhanced Push APIs - Improved rendering speeds for applications not using loading/transition screens.
With the new Banner Indicator API, developers will be able to place their icon and number in the banner area on the handset's homescreen. Thus, users will be notified when changes occur in the application at times when it is running in the background.
When it comes to the enhanced Push API, RIM explains that it would benefit from the push capabilities that the BlackBerry platform already comes with, and that it is also compatible with the latest flavor of the company's BlackBerry Push service.
The enhanced BlackBerry WebWorks push API also comes with the option to set the application register to be woken up when new push data is being received for the application. Other features were included into the mix as well.
The new BlackBerry WebWorks SDK 2.1 for smartphones is available for download from Softpedia as well, via this link.
