Google Shows Off Android

May 30th, 2008 | by Anil |

Google Inc. showed off its nearly completed mobile software system Android, to about 3,000 computer programmers Wednesday, during its annual developer conference in San Francisco, touting the platform’s mobile web services, mobile gaming prowess and map features by means of an iPhone-like touchscreen device, including touch-screen and accelerometer tools that mimic Apple’s iPhone.

Google for the first time unveiled what could be a nearly completed version of its Android operating system, which includes a touch screen and tools that look a lot like Apple’s iPhone. Android home screen user interface has icons that look similar to the iPhone, including finger swipes used for interacting with applications. The Android applications were running on a prototype WCDMA device from an unknown vendor operating over an HSDPA broadband connection.

The applications and features demonstrated included Google Maps street map view that included an interactive compass that responded to the phones movements for navigation; the ability to make shortcuts to Web sites on the home screen; a home-screen status bar for managing emails, appointments and phone calls; a zoom-in tool for viewing Web content and a Pac-Man type of video game.