By: Mina Samy
Android, Google’s mobile operating system that dominates the world market with 36% share seems to continue its invasion of new territories other than handsets and tablets. Android is going to get in Home automation, automotive industry, mobile payment and even military activities.
Android@Home:
At Google I/O 2011 Google the Android@Home framework which will extend Android to home appliances. Android@Home is a set of protocols for controlling light switches and other home appliances through Android. Google revealed an example : "Project Tungsten," a wireless speaker system that can be synced via Android, as well as wireless light switches and other appliances.
Another aspect of this is the introduction of the Android open Accessory Development Kit (ADK) an API that allows external USB devices including keyboards, mice, and game controllers- based on the open source Arduino electronics platform - to be connected to Android powered devices.
Google demonstrated an exercise bike connected through USB to an Android phone, the phone launched an application that showed heart rate data from the cycle to the phone.
The ADK API currently supports connectivity through USB, but Bluetooth support is planned for the future.
