Android (operating system)

Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. Google Inc.purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005.Android's mobile operating system is based on the Linux kernel.

Founded in 2003

Android, Inc. was founded in Palo Alto, California, United States in October, 2003 by Andy Rubin (co-founder of Danger), Rich Miner(co-founder of Wildfire Communications, Inc.), Nick Sears (once VP at T-Mobile), and Chris White (headed design and interface development at WebTV) to develop, in Rubin's words "...smarter mobile devices that are more aware of its owner's location and preferences." Despite the obvious past accomplishments of the founders and early employees, Android Inc. operated secretively, revealing only that it was working on software for mobile phones.

Google acquired Android Inc. in August 2005

Version history:

• 2.0 (Eclair) included a new web browser, with a new user interface and support for HTML5 and the W3C Geolocation API. It also included an enhanced camera app with features like digital zoom, flash, color effects, and more.

• 2.1 (Eclair) included support for voice controls throughout the entire OS. It also included a new launcher, with 5 homescreens instead of 3, animated backgrounds, and a button to open the menu (instead of a slider). It also included a new weather app, and improved functionality in the Email and Phonebook apps.

• 2.2 (Froyo) introduced speed improvements with JIT optimization and the Chrome V8 JavaScript engine, and added Wi-Fi hotspot tethering and Adobe Flash support

• 2.3 (Gingerbread) refined the user interface, improved the soft keyboard and copy/paste features, and added support for Near Field Communication

• 3.0 (Honeycomb) was a tablet-oriented release which supports larger screen devices and introduces many new user interface features, and supports multicore processors and hardware acceleration for graphics. The Honeycomb SDK has been released and the first device featuring this version, the Motorola Xoom tablet, went on sale in February 2011.

• 3.1 (Honeycomb) was announced at the 2011 Google I/O on 10 May 2011.
• 3.2 (Honeycomb) is "an incremental release that adds several new capabilities for users and developers." Highlights include optimization for a broader range of screen sizes; new "zoom-to-fill" screen compatibility mode; capability to load media files directly from the SD card; and an extended screen support API, providing developers with more precise control over the UI.

  Below is a list of future releases that have been announced:

  4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is said to be a combination of Gingerbread and Honeycomb into a "cohesive whole. It will be released in Q4 2011.