Google announced this week that it is extending invitations to it’s App Inventor tool to the general public. App Inventor, which can be considered an Integrated Deveploment Environment (IDE) for Android applications, was previously only available as part of a test program that Google was managing in schools.
The tool is certainly geared towards those new to programming in general, and the idea behind it is to get more people comfortable building and deploying Android apps.
The brief video below shows how easy it is to build a quick Android app using App Inventor. There’s a more complete video here.
Ready to start building your Android App? You’ll still have to apply by filling out this form.
Have you built an Android App using a different tool? Let us know how your experience was by commenting below!
Google is set to announce the Nexus One smartphone today, the first ever phone designed by the company. The Nexus One will run on Google’s Android platform, and is said to be the first real threat to the iPhone.
According to rumors, the phone will be available from T-Mobile for $180 (with a 2-year plan), or $530 unlocked.
Judging from their 404 pages, look for more information at google.com/nexusone after the announcement.
Google open sourced their Android mobile platform yesterday, and despite the stock market tanking yet again today, the mobile world is abuzz over Android. So, if you haven’t gotten around to writing that mobile multi-player action game for the Android platform just yet, get your feet wet first by checking out Google’s Android resources we’ve collected below.
(Did you notice how many different Android sites Google itself is hosting? Would you believe it’s 100??)
Well, it’s not quite 100 – yet. But here are the first several they have started:
Android SDK Site
This Google site provides educational information about the mobile operating system, including plenty of videos, and links to FAQs, documentation, and of course, the SDK itself.
There are two important sections within this site to point out. First, this Android overview is a great starting place to understand the platform. The second section of note is the one covering the Android emulator. A solid, working emulator is critical to Android application development and testing.
Android Market
Just Open today! With roughly 50 Android applications currently available, that number is expected to skyrocket next week when Google starts allowing developers to upload their applications. There will be a one-time charge of $25 per person, which will provide clear ownership regarding of the submitted applications. Once that fee is paid, those individuals can upload as many applications as they want.
Android – The Open Source Project
Download the source code, read the docs, subscribe to mailing lists, contribute code, participate, and chug the Android Kool Aid.
In case you missed it, Google announced the final results of their first Android Developer Challenge last week. Out of 50 team finalists, ten teams won $275,000 each, and another ten won $100,000.
To get a glimpse of the types of apps we’ll be seeing on the Android phones later this year, go take a look at their gallery of finalists. And if you’ve been thinking about creating an app yourself, this will be sure to get your creative juices flowing. There’s a 95% chance you will only think about it and never carry it through, so be that other 5% this time and write one – even a simple one. The first one won’t be your best anyway, and you’ll be way ahead of the curve.
We will no doubt be covering these creative and exciting apps in more detail here on MobileMammoth, so stay tuned.
As anticipated, the FCC has officially approved the first mobile phone to run on the Google Android platform. As we anticipated back in March, the Dream from Korean handset manufacturer HTC was just recently approved, and could be released by November 10, or possibly earlier. Wireless carrier T-Mobile will be the carrier for the phone in the U.S.
It will be very interesting to see how much momentum this first Android phone builds. There will be a good surge of early adopters for the holiday season, but it will take a bit of time before more Android apps become available and the platform is more stable. At that point though, watch out iPhone.
The Big G released its first ever mobile application for the iPhone and iPod Touch last week. Dubbed the Google Mobile App, the application lets you search the web or your iPhone contacts, and includes many features you’d find within Google desktop search products (one of my favorites is Google Suggest).
The Google team released this video highlighting the Google Mobile App features:
It’s interesting to see Google’s investment in the iPhone platform, considering the Google Android phones are just a few months away from reality. Still, even Google knows it will take quite a while for the Android phones to knock the iPhone off it’s perch.
Google is making it just a bit easier to avoid the $4+ gas prices these days. Google Maps for Mobile now provides local transit directions. Find out how in the video below:
What do Yahoo! Finance, Scottrade, eTrade, and most other finance portals have in common? Their free stock quotes are all delayed by at least 10 minutes (Yahoo! Finance does offer a free trial for their service, but you must sign up for it).
Google Finance made a big leap forward today by announcing their quotes are now displayed in real-time. That’s impressive.
So what does this have to do with mobile, one might ask? You may be aware that Google offers a free SMS service, which includes providing stock quote information. Simply text message the ticker symbol to GOOGL (46645), and you will receive the current, real-time quote in a return message. I did multiple tests today, and each time I received a response within 18 seconds or less. That’s much better than the 20 minute market delay you’ll find at Scottrade or eTrade — and those are on their regular website.
