Goggle Android Operating System and Platform

The Android platform is an Open Handset Alliance Project. Android is software for mobile devices that includes key applications, an operating system, and middle ware. The Android Software Development Kit (SDK) provides the necessary tools and APIs that allow developers to create applications that run on Android mobile devices.

Android is a complete software program that can be modified to work on several different hardware configurations. If you have an idea for a new project or feature, you can easily add it. As an open source project, anyone can contribute to Android and you could influence the future of mobile devices. Google is challenging developers to use Android to lead the way in mobile application development and they want your help to do it.

The Android software platform and operating system that was created for mobile devices was originally based on the Linux kernel that was first developed by Google and later by the Open handset Alliance. Developers are able to write managed code in the Java language and are able to control the device by the Google Java libraries.

The announcement of the Android platform coincided with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance. This was a group of 48 software, hardware and telecom companies that decided to advance the open standards for mobile devices. A majority of the Android code that Google released was under the free and open source Apache license.

The Android Software Development Kit (SDK) has a complete set of development tools that include a handset emulator, libraries, debugger, sample code, documentation, and tutorials. During 2008, there were several Android SDK releases, Android versions 0.9 beta and Android 1.0 SDK.

During March 2009, Google released version 1.1 for the Android dev phone. There were several important update that include support for "search by voice, priced apps, alarm clock fixes, sending gmail freeze fix, fixes mail notifications and refreshing intervals, and now the maps show business reviews". An additional update is that Dev phones can now access paid apps and developers can see them on the Android Market.