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RIM gives date for BlackBerry Java SDK 7.0 beta

BlackBerry has announced that the beta version of its software development kit, designed to help develop and optimise apps for devices running the BlackBerry 7 operating system, will arrive before the end of May.The BlackBerry Java SDK 7.
Written by Ben Woods, Contributor

BlackBerry has announced that the beta version of its software development kit, designed to help develop and optimise apps for devices running the BlackBerry 7 operating system, will arrive before the end of May.

The BlackBerry Java SDK 7.0 will include a number of new APIs that can utilise features introduced with the new operating system. The BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse and BlackBerry Java Development Environment will both also be updated to support the new OS, the company wrote on its developer blog on Thursday.

The tools will support updated hardware features through new APIs which include OpenGL ES 2.0, near-field communication, compass and video capture APIs with support for HD video capture.

The wealth of new APIs also includes support non-hardware dependent features and functions, such as 'Send Menu', which allows apps to share content with contacts in the same way as native apps. Other new and updated APIs include unified search, barcode, multimedia and extended 'Options' APIs.

The company said it had also updated the BlackBerry Maps API to add support for geofencing and to simplify the way in which data is overlaid.

BlackBerry said the Java SDK 7.0 will be available in beta form in "late May".

The first devices to run the new BlackBerry 7 operating system will be the Bold 9900 series which is due to launch this summer, according to RIM.

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