Google has released an upgraded version of Android Jelly Bean, Android 4.2, less than a day after its planned unveiling in New York was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy.
According to Google’s press release, a key feature of the upgrade will be the ability for multiple users to log on to a tablet at the same time, although this feature will not be available in smartphones.
The upgrade also allows users to share anything on the display of their Android device to a nearby HDMI TV with a Wi-Fi adaptor, with the display of their device “mirrored” on the TV screen.
NFC-enabled android devices will be able to transfer photos, videos, contacts, directions, web pages, apps and other content by being touched back-to-back through a feature called Android Beam.
Android’s camera has also received an update, with the new release adding a panorama camera feature called Photo Sphere, allowing users to take 360 degree photos.
Google has also overhauled the on-screen keyboard in the new release, adding a new swipe-like keyboard option called gesture typing.
Other features of the new version include Daydream, which displays information when a device is idle, expandable notifications, improvements to widgets, upgrades to Google Search, the Google Now information service and improved accessibility for visually impaired users.
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
