By Anu Passary | Nov 18, 2012 09:39 AM EST
On Friday, Nov. 16, Samsung took to its developer blog to announce the update to its stylus, S Pen, for the Galaxy Note 2 phablet. The SDK 2.2.5 update, a 0.0.5 bump over the previous update, is now available for download.
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The S Pen update brings in tow new features and some bug fixes from the previous SDK 2.2 update. The highlight of the SDK 2.2.5 update is undoubtedly the Multi Window feature and its related application program interfaces (APIs),that were added to improve the "usability of apps that utilize the S Pen" on the Note 2.
"We are pleased to confirm that the latest version of the S Pen SDK for the Samsung GALAXY Note is now available to download, bringing the Multi-Window feature for the GALAXY Note II. Multiple apps can be loaded in multiple windows, providing more flexibility for the end user and true PC-like multi-tasking wherever it's needed," noted the Samsung Developers blog post.
The Multi Window feature adds split-screen functionality (vertically or horizontally) within apps that use the S Pen, and enables users to multi-task by letting them run two apps on the same screen simultaneously, negating the need to switch screens. The addition of the feature in the new SDK would encourage developers to make their apps more Multi Window friendly for those who use the S Pen.
The feature also supports "data transaction using the clipboard, as well as drag & drop to allow easy sharing of data between apps that use Multi Window." Additionally, the update deprecates "unnecessary and duplicate APIs" and the names of some APIs have also been altered. The SDK 2.2.5 update also fixes some errors that were present in the previous SDK 2.2 release.
The SDK 2.2.5 update also includes 20 sample applications, which one can use in their own apps and in turn understand easily "how to make the most of each available method." Those interested can find the samples here.
Additionally "there is some extension for developers using Unity Engine, a popular 3D game engine. You can integrate the S Pen SDK library into their apps. To make integrating the S Pen and Unity easier, the S Pen SDK Unity Extension is available as a simple "package file" that is easily consumed in Unity as a Unity Plug-in." The Unity Extension can be downloaded here.
The SDK 2.2.5 is now available for download at http://developer.samsung.com/s-pen-sdk. However, the blog disclaims, Galaxy Note 2 devices for some carriers (or in some regions) may require upgrading to the latest firmware to use the Multi Window feature.
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