First peeks at Google’s new Android platform
November 16, 2007 by Dario Soltani
Sergey Brin and Steve Horowitz discuss the availability of the SDK, that it will be open source in the future, and demo applications on the Android platform.
I’ve found some more information on Google’s Android. Previously I reported on the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) but now we’re starting to get some real life examples on what this platform can do. Much of the focus seems to be open source development by the community, Google wants us – the users – to develop the software and functionality we want and make it available for everyone. They’ve even put aside $10 000 000 which they’re giving away to the best ideas. This is of course a smart move, allowing their platform to grow both in functionality as well as becoming popular in the developer community – and hopefully with consumers in the end.
Bruce Leak and Timo Bruck from SkyPop demo a couple of their new applications for Android.
Some of you Symbian fans might get alarmed by these news. Well, don’t be. Nokia, Symbian, Sony Ericsson and many other companies in the game have talked about these ‘open source’ projects for at least 5 years, in fact I think it’s more close to 10 years. Looking back we can all agree they’re not there yet, but see Google’s Android as a catalyst in this process. In the same way as Apple’s iPhone now has made Nokia thinking S60 Touch, the Android platform will make Symbian phones better as ‘our platform of choice’ must start focusing on becoming more developer friendly. This is a process which already has begun with Carbide C++ and the S60 SDK. I’ve myself tried Carbide C++ and must confirm they’re not there yet, but they will be. I agree with Nokia when they welcome Google’s android platform and openness, embrace new technology. One thing is certain – the future is our future, together.
Dan Morrill builds a simple application on the Android platform.
Part 1 of 3 in an overview series on the Android platform. In this segment, Mike gives an overview of the system architecture.
Part 2 of 3 in an overview series on the Android platform. In this segment, Mike explains the application and process life cycle as a user navigates through different applications.
Part 3 of 3 in an overview series on the Android platform. In this segment, Mike gives an overview of a few of the API’s available on the platform.
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