The 2010 Consumer Electronics Show may be the show the high-tech world looks
back on and proclaims as the event that ushered in the second coming of
Android.
A torrent of product releases from the show in Las
Vegas this past week made it clear that Google's
operating system is not just a trendy open-source platform, but a movement
articulated with cutting-edge smartphones, tablet PCs and other devices.
The first coming of Android was Google and T-Mobile's launch of the G1, the first Android smartphone, in September 2008.
This was followed by the T-Mobile myTouch 3G in August 2009.
Over the next several months, Motorola unveiled the Cliq social networking phone, Sprint unveiled its HTC Hero device,
and Samsung launched the Behold 2 and Moment. Verizon Wireless introduced the Motorola Droid, the first to include Android 2.0
and Google Maps Navigation turn-by-turn GPS
functionality.
Finally, Google Jan. 5 launched its Nexus One smartphone, selling it online unlocked or from T-Mobile with a two-year
contract.
Then came CES, a stomping ground for TV and camera makers, with
announcements from Apple, Microsoft, HP and others dabbling or dominating
consumer electronics. For the first time ever, Android stood shoulder to shoulder
with Windows and other platforms.
Perhaps no company's demonstration of allegiance to Android was greater than
that of MIPS Technologies, which builds
processors and architectures for home entertainment, media and communications
devices.
MIPS, along with DTV system maker Western
Mediabridge and chip maker Sigma Designs, showed off an
Android-based set-top box that boasts video-on-demand, ThinkFree Office viewer
software, a Web browser, remote control/keyboard interface and 1080p video
quality.
MIPS also demonstrated the Lemote
YeeLoong8089 netbook computer running Android, and ConnecTV, a new software
solution that maker Home Jinni claims is "the world's first social media
center for Android-based embedded platforms."
ConnecTV enables consumers to search, manage and watch online media content
directly from a TV, and lets users communicate via social networks from their
living room.
So MIPS clearly paid homage to Android at
CES 2010. What did other companies do? Motorola unveiled the Backflip smartphone; Lenovo announced LePhone (coming to China later this year); and Dell
showed off a tablet prototype based on Android.
Perhaps no Android-oriented news was bigger than AT&T's revelation at CES 2010 that it finally pledged to make Android
phones after keeping mum on its plans for the platform for the last three years
while selling Apple's iPhone.
AT&T pledged to launch five new Android devices from Dell, HTC
and Motorola in the first half of 2010. This should give Android prominent
placement alongside the world-beating iPhone, which has sold more than 50
million units.
In short, CES 2010 presaged the second coming of Android, setting the stage
for the platform to have a big year. This bodes well for Google's mobile
advertising designs.
Mobile ad network AdMob, which Google is trying to buy, found
the Droid boosted calls to the AdMob network by nearly 300 million requests,
with worldwide requests from Android devices increasing 97 percent from October
to December.
AdMob received over 1 billion ad requests from Android devices in December,
showing Android phones are viable ad distribution vehicles.
Enterprise Mobility News & Reviews 
