Andre Yoskowitz
20 May 2010 11:16
This week, Google subtly noted that Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" is set for a Q4 2010 release.
The date was shown off inside the FAQ for the new WebM video format. Google's latest update, 2.2 "Froyo" is expected to be launched today at the I/O conference, which is now in its second day.
WebM is Google's new open source video codec, built on the VP8 codec that was originally developed by On2. Last year, Google purchased On2 for $124 million USD. For audio, the codec uses open source Ogg Vorbis.
The open source codec is Google's answer to the current HTML5 video format war. HTML5 allows for native video embedding in web pages, removing the need for plug-ins like Adobe's Flash or Microsoft's Silverlight. The standard does not specify which format will be used, and that has led to Apple and Microsoft pushing the expensive H.264 format, while Google, Opera, and Mozilla among others are pushing for free, open source formats.
Widespread smartphone HTML5 support is not expected for some time, adds MobileBurn, but Android users will likely see the start of strong support with "Gingerbread."