Google have just announced App Inventor, a new tool in Google Labs that makes it easy for anyone – programmers and non-programmers, professionals and students – to create mobile applications for Android-powered devices.

App inventor will not only make Application development for Android easier, but it will even change the way people use their mobile phones. We have previously mentioned that Google Android is targeting developers, and today we are discovering that it’s trying to make application development easier even for non-programmers.

No other mobile platform will be able to compete with Google on this side. The only negative point for Android remain the differences/incompatibilities between versions, especially that we started already talking about Android 3 – Gingerbread.

From App inventor website :

To use App Inventor, you do not need to be a developer. App Inventor requires NO programming knowledge. This is because instead of writing code, you visually design the way the app looks and use blocks to specify the app’s behavior.

An online development environment will definitely make a revolution for the Android platform, even if you will say that applications will be limited in features compared to advanced programming capabilities.

With App Inventor you can create location-aware applications, for example to help you remember where you parked your car, an app that shows the location of your friends or colleagues at a concert or conference, or your own custom tour app of your school, workplace, or a museum. Or simply apps that use the phone features of an Android phone such texting, camera, sensors, … etc. But if you are more familiar with webservices you will be able even to interact with your favorite websites such Amazon and Twitter… etc.

App Inventor  gallery already include apps such :

DROIDMuni : displays schedules for the San Francisco transit system. After the user selects from one of the transits lines and choosing a direction and particular stop, the application will display the lines next arrival times. Once the user has retrieved the desired arrival times, they are able to set up to four favorites which are saved and stored based on their unique e-mail address. Using the DroidMuni remind feature, the user can set a reminder to be notified when a bus is a specified number of minutes away.

ParkIt : allows users to locate their car on their Android phone. After clicking the “Park It” button, the app stores the users car’s location until the “Find It” Button is clicked. The “Find It” button displays the user’s current location, and the user’s car’s location using latitude and longitude. When the user clicks “Show On Map”, GoogleMaps is activated, and the route to the car is displayed.

Drum Kit : allows the user to hit seven different parts of a full, labeled drum kit and hear each drum’s respective sound. This app allows the user not only to learn more about the drums (i.e. the names and sounds of the drums), but also to have fun and create their own beat.

Super Hero Game : a fantastic Quiz game that tests the users true Super Hero Knowledge. Each screen shows a different character from a superhero world and asks a question pertaining to that picture. The user types in the answer and clicks submit. The program responds with a RIGHT or WRONG and the user is prompted to go on to the next question. The question will change as well as the picture. If the user wants to quit at any time they can GIVE UP and the program closes.

Where’s Speedo : allows a user and a users friends or family find each other. The app detects the user’s location and sends it to the users friends or family using the app. The app allows the user to view the location of another user on a map. It also allows the user to set how often the app sends his/her location.

I think we should expect more amazing apps from this magical inventor ! Behind the app inventor a research work conducted in MIT including the Open Blocks Java library used by the blocks editor, Open Blocks visual programming which is closely related to the Scratch programming language, and Kawa Language Framework and Kawa’s dialect of the Scheme programming language used to translates the visual blocks language for implementation on Android.

App inventor is still invitation only, and you can complete this form to get an invitation when available.

This year, Google employees will receive a version of T-Mobile’s G1 cell phone as Xmas gift Instead of the $1,000 pay cheque bonus. The custom G1 phone will be given to 85 per cent of Google’s 20,123 global staff in the United States, Western and Central Europe, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Japan according to an internal Email sent to Google employees. Small calculations, this save at least $17M for Google !!

An anonymous Googler has passed along a Q&A covering the full details of their oh-so-Dreamy holiday bonus to Gizmodo :

The holiday bonus is a Google tradition. In the past, we have chosen to make this a monetary gift. This year we decided to try something different: on December 19th, we will begin distributing free Dream phones to Googlers worldwide.

A great opportunity to encourage google employees to try the dream phone and dogfood the phones !

UIQ announced this week a partnership with six new partners including ArcSoft, CleNET Technologies, fring™, Google, i-skoot and Mobica. UIQ is an open user interface and application development software platform, makes it possible for mobile phone manufacturers to create different kinds of phones, all based on the same open software platform. Main customers are Sony Ericsson and Motorola. The partnership is about creating Google services on UIQ and doesn’t involve the Android platform.

Carina Dietmann, Head of Corporate Communications UIQ Technology, told OHM “The partnership means that UIQ Technology will support Google in development of mobile applications on UIQ.”

Until Android “invade” the mobile market, Google have to provide their services for current mobile platforms such Symbian, Windows mobile, RIM, iPhone … UIQ is an excellent mobile experience running already on 17 mobile phones. UIQ have a common point with Android, it provides an advanced UI for Symbian OS while Android provide it in a Linux based OS.

Japan is one of the most interesting market for mobile marketing, a market which is expected to grow to over $24 billion worldwide in 2013, jumping from just $1.8 billion in 2007, according to ABI Research. NTT DoCoMo and Google partnership announcement came mainly to reinforce Google position in this mobile advertising market, and possibly to bring Android based handsets to the Japanese market.

NTT DoCoMo is one of leading mobile communications companies worldwide, Headquartered in Tokyo, and is owner of i-mode, the world’s most popular mobile e-mail/Internet service, used by nearly 48 million people.

The company provides already a set of Handsets in collaboration with handset manufacturers such Fujitsu, including : Raku-Raku PHONE Basic, Secure 3G FOMA F903iBSC, 3G FOMA 703i Series, D800iDS and SO903iTV.

According to a new study by Mobile Consumer Behavior, outlining key challenges and success factors for the Open Handset Alliance :

Google’s Android is the first legitimate attempt to re-create the success of Japan’s “Wireless Ecosystem” model within the context and realities of international mobile markets. If successful, Google could spark unprecedented innovations within mobile content, service and application development, yet a number a critical factors stand in the way of such success.

Google is facing a big challenge in the Japanese Mobile Marketing Market first, then to reproduce this wireless ecosystem worldwide. Dr. Philip Sugai, Director of the Mobile Consumer Lab at the International University of Japan and lead author of MCB report, stated :

“Although Symbian and Microsoft have offered the most stinging criticisms of Google’s Android, Google’s next (and most) critical challenge at this early stage of development actually lies in how it will address MontaVista, and galvanize the mobile Linux development movement. Without successfully accomplishing this goal, Android will become obsolete within 2008, never ever leveling a substantial competitive threat against either Symbian or Microsoft.”