Android Honeycomb Gets Logo – What Does it Bring to Google Devices?

What you’re looking at is the latest Google Android OS logo – Honeycomb.

The Android/Bee hybrid will be employed as the OS 3.0 logo and, just like the others, will be made into a statue to grace the Googleplex front lawn in Mountain View, Californ-i-a.

Just in case you didn’t realise how Google decide on these apparently random names – Each update is named alphabetically after something yumsome: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo (frozen yoghurt) and Gingerbread. After Honeycomb will come the clumsily dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich.

Honeycomb is the first Android system that has been designed with tablets in mind. It has new 3D effects and viewing options that have all been given the once-over in order to utilise the extra screen real estate.

The Android on-screen keyboard has been redesigned with repositioned keys and now features bonuses such as a Tab key. Touch-holding keys will now also access menus of special characters – copy and paste has been given a quick tweak too.

You get a System Bar at the bottom of the screen that hands you notifications and system status as well as containing soft navigation buttons. This is where you’ll find the Recent Apps list which will show which applications are running in the background.

At the top is where the Action Bar lives – here dwells options, widgets and other notifications.

Feel free to customise five home screens with your choice of widgets, app shortcuts and wallpaper.

For happy snappers Android 3.0 features a new camera app with access to more options; say hi to exposure, focus, flash and zoom for starters.

Because you get more width on tablet you’ll notice that the Contacts and Email apps have switched to a two-pane user interface just like the iPad.

Google have high hopes for the tablet-centric OS: “The new UI brings fresh paradigms for interaction, navigation and customisation and makes them available to all applications — even those built for earlier versions of the platform”..

Honeycomb will arrive first on the Motorola Xoom tablet and then watch the market explode with a slew of Honeycomb tabs.