Google Wants Everyone, Even You, to Write Android Apps with 'App Inventor'

Normally, programming is considered the playground of the nerd elite. Coding applications, particularly complex ones, is so tough that even the pros screw it up pretty regularly. (That's why we have bug fixes.) The geeks at Google want to simplify the process of creating apps, streamlining it so that even a kid could do it. And of course, if fresh-faced kids are gonna learn to write apps, Google would prefer they did it for the Android mobile platform.

That's the purpose of Google's new DIY programming tool, App Inventor. Rather than force users to memorize obscure commands and confusing syntax, App Inventor uses simple "blocks" that allow creators to visualize how an app will behave. App Inventor is simple in execution, but hides powerful capabilities such as the ability to send text messages, interact with a GPS unit, update Twitter and read text aloud. For now, the tool is aimed at the education market and entering a private beta, which you can sign up for here, but we expect App Inventor will soon be available to the general public. Now, when you wish that there was an "app for that" on Android, you can to write it yourself. Check it out in action after the break. [From: Google, via: New York Times and Download Squad]

Tags: android, AndroidOs, AppInventor, apps, coding, DIY, programming, top