This story is all over the news today (here’s a link to the New York Times take on it) but I can’t get over how great an idea this is. Google is releasing a software development framework that makes it drop-dead easy to build and publish simple Android apps.
My kids are only 3 and 5, but I’m already thinking of ways to expose them to software development as a fun activity (e.g., Lego Mindstorms, etc.), and I love the idea of a free toolkit that will let them create simple apps for my phone.
I’m already on record as an Android fanboy so this will come as no surprise, but I fully expect Google’s mobile OS to become the global standard for mobile devices within the next few years (with a dominant position in the developing world). The education market has been an Apple stronghold for decades, but Google’s moves here and elsewhere will give Google’s brand a familiar and positive aura among schoolkids worldwide. Nice move, Google.