RIM takes BlackBerry 7 Java SDK into beta phase
Research In Motion has opened up the Java software development kit for the BlackBerry 7 OS to beta testers.
RIM announced the beta phase for the BlackBerry Java SDK v7.0 on Tuesday. The SDK includes simulators for the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone series. According to RIM, this will allow developers to have their apps ready for the handsets' launch.
The SDK comes with updated versions of the BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse and the BlackBerry Java Development Environment, including new APIs for features such as OpenGL ES 2.0, compass and high-definition video capture.
Another major feature of the BlackBerry 7 OS is support for near-field communication (NFC), the contactless payment and authorisation system that is making its way into many new handsets, allowing what operators and banks call a "mobile wallet".