Hot at Google IO: Android
How can you tell what’s hot at a conference? Come to the party and check out the size of the crowds around the tables.
Answer: Android. Android is Google’s open source cell phone operating system and range of cell phones.
Look at TechMeme. The demos are awesome. Go watch them on the Android Community website. They were filmed by this guy who tells me what his favorite demo was.
It’s becoming clear I was wrong about Android (when it first came out I was skeptical). They have one huge hurdle to execute on, though: getting devices into stores so normal people will be interested.
But look at the tables. Android has the attention of developers. That’s key.
Steve Gillmor recorded the press conference with his Qik camera along with the keynote.
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May 29th, 2008 at 2:59 am
Have u see Pac-Man on Android? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q3gGNtbxhQ :P
May 29th, 2008 at 4:05 am
Success of Android as mobile OS can alter the course of history. If it is stable enough it can pave the way for google to become a free operating system provider for desktop users. They already lined up most widely used office applications and photo editing tools.
This is one thing microsoft need to watch out carefully
May 29th, 2008 at 5:27 am
[...] More stuff about Android and how it rocks - I told you so [...]
May 29th, 2008 at 6:21 am
I still see nothing in android that warrants all the exicitement Robert.
The only benefit is more choice though typical of Google,any thing outside of search for them is lackluster.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:28 am
[...] Android news: Scobleizer — Tech geek blogger Blog Archive Hot at Google IO: Android Android: Much Coolness, But 3 Big Problems - GigaOM First LIVE images and videos of FULLSCREEN [...]
May 29th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Android still needs to be put on a phone that works on a cell network. Most of the cell providers don’t seem to like open systems. Is that some how going to change?
May 29th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Of course developers like Android - Android welcomes developers.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:15 am
> Is that some how going to change?
At some point, a cell network may decide that they’d rather make money off of moving bits around than applications. Or, they’ll decide that they hate paying application developers who never seem to develop killer aps when there are folks who will happily take all the risk of app development and increasing cell phone use and the cell phone folks still get all the money for moving bits.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:32 am
i need someone to explain to me how android will effect me, the average cell/smartphone user.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:56 am
While these definately make for great demos, they are eons away from becoming commercialized. Robert, you would be right in maintaining your skepticism. OEM’s want almost complete control on what gets put on their devices, and the MO’s want control of what goes on on their networks. So while developers can build all the cool stuff they want, it’s the OEMs and MOs they have to convince.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Phillip Miller, You probably shouldn’t be using a smartphone if someone has to explain things to you :)
(assuming the user of a smartphone is supposed to be smart and not the phone).
If this catches on Microsoft will be in the same soup IBM were when Microsoft decided to have a more open OS.
MS will probably adopt Android, put up a cute interface and name it after some animal.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Andoid is not a mobile OS. It’s a standard interchange and manipulation mechanism for information stored within the mobile, like contacts, calendar, etc.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Beg to differ on this Robert. I don’t know about the tables, but the sessions I atended on Google Gears were standing room only.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Why doesn’t Google release good quality videos of the Google I/O keynotes, Android demonstrations, press conferences and more? Why do we have to be satisfied for now only with the blurry videos AndroidCommunity, Scobleizer and Steve Gillmore put online?
I guess Google is slow at releasing the direct feed from their cameras and microphone, I just wonder why they let those lower quality videos be the only ones out there for several days after the event.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Wow.. Gilmore is the man!!
May 29th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
[...] watched the Android demos that Scoble linked to on his blog. You can sure see the iPhone’s influence here–and they’re using WebKit for their [...]
May 29th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Robert, I counted 19 people at the Android table (I may have miscounted, but it looked about that to me from your Qik video). Is that supposed to be a big number? I don’t think it is.
There are definitely some strong positives to take away from these latest Android demos though - it’s looking a *lot* better than it has previously.
However, I don’t think it’s all good news. Trying to copy iPhone is, I suspect a mistake. More on my blog:
http://www.psynixis.com/blog/2008/05/29/is-google-android-copying-apple-iphone/
May 30th, 2008 at 12:09 am
I remember reading back in January that MIT students (you know, that place from where TMRC (the model railroad club) originated that was immortalized in Steve Levy’s book Hackers) were given a test/challenge/etc. to design code/applications on the Android.
The results were announced a month or so ago at http://tinyurl.com/5qywtb .
I’m keeping watch…..
Barbara
May 30th, 2008 at 2:59 am
[...] Google Web Toolkit, Google Data APIs, Gears, OpenSocial Application, Android, etc. As Robert of Scolbleizer.com put, “How can you tell what’s hot at a conference?” Come to the party and check out the size [...]
May 30th, 2008 at 11:09 am
It will go nowhere. Telcomms don’t need it, average user isn’t going to care, programmers will feel its incredible limits, there is no excitement from the wider mobile community, and Google has never had any success outside of its search core, and, most importantly, you are hyping it up, always the short-sell signal right there.
May 30th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
A cellphone anyone can hack? This will absolutely sell. If Google lets the average programmer hack & resell phones, this will be huge. What if there was a Gizmodo android phone or a engadget cell phone with free michaelar ringtones?
May 31st, 2008 at 5:33 pm
[...] Anyhow, Android has been the big item this week at Google I/O. Everyone likes it, but where is the slick phone to go with it? read Android Is Out For iPhone Blood, and see what Scoble has to say about the buzz around. [...]
June 4th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Pretty much every awesome developer I know is focused exclusively on iPhone development right now. Android may or may not be successful - the iPhone already is successful, and the apps undoubtedly will be as well.
Let’s face it, Google really hasn’t had any huge successes in the development sphere in a while. Even Google gears, the ‘revolutionary’ component they introduced a long time ago isn’t even close to become widely adopted — they hardly even use it in their own products. I think Gears solves a problem that isn’t a problem for most people.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:29 am
@Duane
Well, MySpace is adopting Gears for searching e-mail, Google Reader and Google Docs already implement it, and I would really like to see it in GMail soon. If Google did it for Docs, they can do it for any other product that deserves it.