Google giving away free development tool

Yes, Google is so generous that is giving away development tool called App Inventor. Yes indeed. This is very smart move made by Google itself. Google is launching a new tool on Monday (July 12th,2010) that lets anyone create an app for Android phones.

This app allows anyone to create and develop an Android App. Google App Inventor claims to enable non-coders to develop complete (without having knowlegde of C/C++/Java or other programming languages), working Android apps by connecting a series of “blocks.” Google has been testing App Inventor in schools for a year. At the time of writing, App Inventor is only available to those who apply via a form. Anyone can join.

It’s a smart concept. Not only is the Android Market, an open platform for developers (with no approval process, a la Apple’s App Store), but now we’ll likely see a vast array of specialized apps built by non-developers. This could radically increase the volume of apps in the Market versus the App Store.
I do hope to have some young Lao team to take advantage of this as well. We will be able to develop some good Lao contents and apps for various sectors, especially educational apps, for Android mobile.

Sales of Android surging past iPhone's, Nielsen study says

More smart phone research on Monday indicates the Android operating system has moved past the iPhone platform.

The Nielsen Co. reported that Android now represents 27 percent of new smart phone purchases in the United States, ahead of 23 percent for the iPhone. The numbers are for the second quarter, but it's unclear how much of the iPhone 4 is represented, considering it came right at the end of June.

But the figures, if accurate, show that Android is indeed on a tear, no surprise to anyone watching the smart phone space. With every carrier in the United States now supporting multiple Android phones, it's a simple numbers game, one that Apple can't overcome with its once-a-year new phone strategy. The latest figures back up a similar finding by NPD earlier this year that Android devices have eclipsed the iPhone.

According to the report, Android sales have gone from 6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 to 17 percent in this year's first quarter. Apple's share has dropped from 34 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 to 27 percent in this year's first quarter. Research in Motion is also seeing slowing growth with new sales dropping from 39 percent in the fourth quarter to 33 percent in the second quarter. A year ago in the second quarter, RIM's share in the United States was 45 percent.

Again, in the end this is a numbers game and Android has the advantage of running on devices from a handful of manufacturers. The latest fleet of Galaxy S Android phones from Samsung will only add to the platform's momentum.

This is a significant move since its inception nearly two years ago. In this coming months more and more handset manufactures will spin out more Android based handsets thus will even make Android system more attractive among the existing and new users.