Nexus update brings multi-touch

ANDROID POSTER DEVICE the Google branded HTC Nexus One smartphone has been issued an update that will officially bring multi-touch capabilities to the handset.

Google announced the first update to the Android 2.1 phone will also include Google Goggles as standard and an updated version of Google Maps along with improvements to 3G connectivity in the wake of complaints from T-Mobile users in the US.

Multitouch capability in the form of pinch-to-zoom will now be enabled in the browser, gallery and map applications. The inclusion of multi-touch might put Google and the Nexus One smartphone on a collision course with Apple's legal department, which in the past has been somewhat touchy on the subject.

Google Goggles allows you to search for images based on snaps that have been captured through your phone's camera. The technology works fairly well, especially with logos, however complex recognition tasks such as faces are hit and miss although unrecognised pictures can be tagged to help with future searches. Previously available through the Android Market for free, the inclusion of Goggles looks to bolster the firm's image search capability, which has been facing stiff competition from Microsoft's Bing in the past year.

Updates to the Google Maps application will see greater synchronisation between the phone and your computer for favourites and the inclusion of a night mode.

The update is to be rolled out over-the-air with notifications being sent out throughout the week. We'll wait to see what Jobs' Mob sends Google afterwards. µ