Google on Monday announced the latest version of Android, Android 2.3, which is also code-named Gingerbread.

 

The first smartphone to come with the new operating system is Samsung's Nexus S.  The smartphone includes a 4-inch screen, and has two cameras. The Nexus S succeeds the Nexus One, which was made by HTC but considered a failure.

 

Google has tried to give a new life to Android 2.3. It is the fastest version of Android said and sports a new user interface. It has a new keyboard and now supports NFC (near-field communication), which should allow devices to communicate wirelessly over short distances with other items like posters or credit card readers, provided they have NFC.

 

But Google is highlighting the gaming capabilities with Gingerbread. Developers can write code for the devices to tilt based on the gyroscope, for example. Native code based on gaming programming frameworks -- EGL/OpenGL ES, OpenSL ES -- can also be written. The gaming focus could be an effort to catch up with Apple's iPhone, which already is being praised as a good gaming device. More information is available on Google's Website. There's also a video on Android 2.3.