• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, February 2, 2011

Google showed off Honeycomb -- the latest version of the Android operating system, aimed at tablets -- at an industry event. It also unveiled the Android Market Web store, sharing features such as in-application purchases for virtual goods, and currency support.

Honeycomb demonstrates how Google's cloud services tie together a variety of applications from companies making devices in several market segments, according to Andy Rubin, Google's Android chief. "The cloud is the central point at which all the applications and services share information. In the future, you can see a real integration between phones, tablets and Google TV, which is also based on Android," he says.

The latest Android version will let developers create modular applications, tap into an animation framework and rely on a rendering engine optimized for high-performance 3D graphics. Hugo Barra, director of products for mobile at Google, demonstrated a new music application featuring a carousel 3D view and Google Body, a mapping platform for human anatomy.

Media capabilities on the platform include a camera application with a "slick" user interface to control the flash, the white balance and the color. Honeycomb also supports video chat for tablets that have front-facing cameras. A contact shortcut widget enables the user to connect through video chat.

Louis Gump, vice president of mobile at CNN, has been building a Honeycomb application for video chat. CNN will launch an iReport tablet application on Honeycomb that streams stored and live content. The free application lets anyone take videos and upload the content to the CNN iReport Web site.

Although applications development has picked up, the challenge becomes getting the apps into the hands of consumers. Google is making changes to the Android marketplace. The Android Market Web store will give consumers a variety of ways to discover applications for the devices they use.

The consumer will need to click through a series of permissions before making the purchase and to install the apps. The search filters options by device compatibility, price, popularity, relevance, and more. There's a share with friend feature using a Twitter tweet button, and the link will direct buyers to the correct market app. Developers will have an option to upload YouTube videos to promote the applications.

A new international pricing option lets developers set cost in specific currencies. When developers upload applications, they can enter specific prices per currency. The different currencies will roll out in phases beginning today.

Google will also launch support for in-app purchases where developers can sell or unlock virtual goods in their applications, such as games. At Disney, mobile has become a major focus with more than 60 million mobile app downloads on platforms other than Android. Disney will soon bring three top applications to the Android market: Radio Disney, Jelly Car, and Tap Tap Revenge.