Exciting news for Google watchers: the Android developers announced their content distribution system. This means that with the release of the Android we are going to have the opportunity to explore what it can do. As a gateway for programs, free or for purchase, Android users will be able to really open up the functionality of their phones. This is going to change the very nature of how we use our phones.
Developers are going to have a wonderful opportunity to work on their projects for Android. The robust Open Source movement is already a staple for PCs. Sourceforge provides a great deal of support for the movement and allows the smaller developers to acquire the resources needed for projects or distribute their programs to people that would otherwise not stumble upon their projects. For Android users, having a similar content distribution model is going to enhance the versatility and usefulness of the already impressive phone. It's difficult to call the Android something as mundane as a "phone" as more is revealed about it.
I think we are fast approaching a new plateau in communication tools. Though it is highly unlikely we will completely divorce our PCs anytime in the near future, I would suspect they will change dramatically. Some of the programs we might use at home or on our laptops will now be available on Androids. The cross-pollination is likely to bear some fruit, and it is getting easier to feel like we are living in the 21st century. I, for one, am looking forwards to the rise of the Androids.
Garett Kopczynski is an IT professional for the City of Keene, NH and has been involved in the transformation of the IT group as it increasingly explores cloud computing and other next-generation initiatives. His hands-on involvement with Google Apps, and its impact on the IT environment in a municipal government organization, gives him unique insight into other applications of Google within (and beyond) a corporate office environment. In addition to his role as an IT professional, Garett has also been involved in ongoing research efforts for a number of "future impact" technologies such as e-waste and open source vs. licensed software.
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