Google’s demonstration last week of its Android 3.0 OS (Honeycomb, for those ‘in the know’) has been widely hailed as the first real shot across the massive battleship that is iPad/iOS.  Naval references aside, the combination of support for larger display sizes along with graphics and interfaces designed specifically for those larger displays is exactly what OEMs need for a competitive product.  I believe it’s also what consumers want.     For anyone who hasn’t seen it, Google’s list of improvements and updates to the software can be found here: http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-3.0-highlights.html, with a 52 minute demonstration video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfJuigJebRg&feature=player_embedded.  Admittedly, those two links are likely two of the three most repeated links this week in the tech world (the third being the Volkswagen commercial with Darth Vader—my compliments to their advertising staff on a truly great job).

QuickLogic welcomes the release of Honeycomb for a number of reasons, primarily because:

(a) we believe that its release accelerates a number of tablet product OEM programs, as we’ve stated in a number of public forums

(b) the emphasis on graphics and video creates additional want and need QuickLogic technologies and products like VEE, DPO, and our ArcticLink II CX platform (all CSSPs)

(c) competition is good for everyone.  For Apple fans, Honeycomb and its successors will only make whatever the iPad 2 (and 3, 4, etc…) is better

It’s a good time for technophiles.