This afternoon RIM has released a beta version of their developer toolset for BlackBerry OS 7, the new software running on the Bold 9900. Developer APIs include new access to the magnetic compass, UI overlay, near-field communications, and video capture, as well as the 3D rendering power of OpenGL ES 2.0. APIs for BlackBerry Maps, streaming video, universal search, and the “Send to…” menu option have all been updated too.
BlackBerry OS 7 has a lot of new goodies stored inside, including organization options for home screen panes, augmented reality app support, and a new Liquid Graphics rendering engine that, when combined with the 1 GHz processors RIM is starting to use in their devices, should help the smartphone experience move along like butter.
For now the developer tools are just for the upcoming Bold 9900, but all future BlackBerry devices will be running the OS, including the Torch 2 9810, the Monaco/Monza/Volt touchscreen slate, and the Curve Apollo 9360. There’s also that Bold 9790 coming soon which we just learned about today and is running OS 7. The new tools are built around their Java plug-in for Eclipse and dedicated JDE, either of which you can download for free over here. Just remember, these are beta, so you may experience some less-than-ideal inconsistencies.
[via Inside BlackBerry]