Google has released a test version of its Android SDK, a toolbox that allows developers to write software for the company’s phone platform. Ten million dollars has been offered for useful or original programs.
The Download weighs between 55 and 59 megabytes and is suitable for Windows, Linux and MacOS X. An Eclipse development environment plugin is available for those who like to work in a graphical environment, but it is not a requirement.
The sdk comes with an emulator on which you can get a ‘Hello, World!’ application up and running in no time. However, to proceed further, it is still recommended to tutorial and other documentation, though the sample code may be enough for real cowboys.
To encourage hobbyists to get started with Android, Google has offered a total of ten million dollars in prize money to developers who come up with ‘great’ software for the platform. That can be anything from a game to an innovative interface. After March 3, the makers of the fifty best entries will receive $25,000, after which they may continue to compete for ten prizes of $100,000 and ten prizes of $275,000.
What will happen to the remaining $5 million is not yet clear, but it may not be forgiven until the Android Developer Challenge II, which will start at the end of next year when the first hardware is available.