Android Developer Challenge

Google's Open Handset Alliance Project just released the Android software development kit (SDK) on Monday (Android Site). On top of that, the alliance offering $10 million reward to any developers with promising mobile apps built on Android platform (no string attached). If you are wondering what Android is all about, Android is another ambitious project initiated by Google to come out with an open source software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. The mobile suite is expected to power phones in the second half of 2008.

For further information, Android Documentation is the best source of reference. Among some of the technical details and features about Android:

• Android is a platform based on the Linux 2.6 kernel, a set of libraries, multimedia interface and phone applications;
• The platform includes the Dalvik virtual machine;
• Android is based on the Apache v2 open source license.
• Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine
• Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library.
• SQLite for structured data storage
• Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
• GSM Telephony
• Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi
• Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer
• Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE

For any Malaysian developer out there this is your chance to materialized your idea and get recognition on global scale. Any takers?