Just over a month back, an Alpha version of Qik found its way into the Android Market. As the Alpha tag implies, it was a bit of a rough cut; it lacked a number of features found on other ports, and plenty of bugs were abound. Still, it was an important release. As the first live streaming app to make it to the Android platform, it was bound to get some attention.

And it did! Early this morning, Google pushed Qik into its “Featured” list, a spot which thus far only 33 other applications have earned.

To celebrate the highlight, Qik has pushed out an update. Besides all of the standard bug fixing and performance enhancements, this release carries two notable new features:

• Speed Sharing: Want to tell Auntie Lou to tune into your Qik asap? Plug her e-mail address or phone number into a “Speed Sharing” icon, and its a tap away. You can also click to share to Facebook or Twitter.
• On-device Editing: Sometimes you’ve got a video sitting on your handset that is just almost perfect. Let’s say you’re out on Fisherman’s Warf, watching street performers. Some dude lights a hula hoop on fire, and has his dog backflip through it. Incredible! And you got it on video! Unfortunately, some crazy dude hopped in frame at the tail end and started babbling about his cats. Fear not – just pop into the editor, trim out the fat, and upload away.

It’s good for Google to play this up as a strength of Android, seeing as it’s something sorely missed on the iPhone. Though Qik has long had an iPhone app ready (and available to jailbreakers), Apple’s not letting any live streaming apps into the App Store.