I may have been slow to pick up on this video on Google’s new Android platform, but it certainly makes for interesting viewing. Not only is the new mobile phone software available as open source, Google are actively encouraging developers to create new applications for the fledgling environment. That’s right, they are setting aside $10 million for those developers who create unique, never before seen applications.
Who says open source doesn’t pay?
Saw this yesterday; great stuff. OpenMoko.org is another platform that has much potential. There’s no reason for phone companies to control firmware. The upside is that with increased applications, the life cycles of phones can extend, which will make them more sustainable and resulting in less ewaste down the road.