Google showed off Android, its mobile operating system, during its annual developer conference in San Francisco. The event was reported by FierceMarkets, an online news aggregator. Running on an iPhone-like touchscreen, the system showed off mobile web services, mobile gaming prowess, and map features.
According to the firm's vice president of engineering, Vic Gundotra, Android tries to extend the browser to handheld devices. "We believe over time, the browser on mobile devices will be the entry point for many, many applications.
Google showed Android versions of its Google Maps Street View service, which is assisted by an internal compass and accelerometer, as well as a snippet of a classic arcade game, plus a mobile web content magnifying tool.
According to the company, Android-based devices remain on track to hit retail markets in the second half of 2008. There's a YouTube video of the presentation here.
