Today is a good day for technology. Google just released the Software Development Kit for Android, the open (Oh snap, iPhone) operating system for mobile phones they’ve been working on. I’ll just say it: I’ve had a quick look and it rocks. Not only does it rock from a developer perspective – because it is a pretty comprehensive SDK -, but the platform’s user experience is surprisingly good for something that’s not considered ready to go yet.

The fact that Android is open and extensible is the most exciting bit – in fact, I’ve written about the need for an open connected device quite like this back in 2006, and now it’s finally here. Being completely open means one very important thing: you get to control the experience. I’m betting we’re going to see people (finally) put their time into producing a compelling mobile experience (both apps as well as the device’s own UI) without the feeling that they’re losing their time (and mind). Actually, I’m definitely going to be working on it.

Another part of the announcement – and no less important for quite a few people – is that Google has a grant of $10 million dollars to reward the best applications built on top of Android. So if you have development chops, get cranking on some of those mobile ideas!

To grab the SDK and start working on Android-based applications, visit the Android page at Google Code.