Google is announcing the advent of paid applications in the Android Market. Android is Google's operating system for mobile devices (which, right now means the T Mobile G1 and the occasional netbook). And up until now, the only apps available in the Android Market were free. Good for cheapskates, but not necessarily the best thing if you're looking for high quality, professionally developed software. Or, you know, if you happen to be a developer looking to make some money from your work.

Developers can upload application and user prices at the new Android Market publish page. Paid apps should be available to US customers next week, and Google plans to roll out the feature to other countries in the next few months.

Not surprisingly, users will be able to pay for programs using Google Checkout.

[via The Gadgeteer]

If you had asked me yesterday if I thought I would get any use out of the WikiMobile Encyclopedia for Android, I probably would have rudely laughed in your face. The joke is on me, because WikiMobile is actually a pretty fantastic. It's also free -- something that cannot be said for the $19.99 BlackBerry version (and I'm not paying $19.99 to access a free website on my Curve).

Bonfire Media really did a bang-up job bringing WikiMobile to Android. Just looking at the BlackBerry screenshots (apparently, it is also available as a subscription service on some AT&T and Verizon phones), the Android version is much easier on the eyes.

I'm not a huge Wikipedia fan -- I tend to trust it as far as basic time and date skeletons and for information on popular culture -- but I can't deny having found the service helpful. WikiMobile really accentuate and captilizes on those features.

The Google Android Market is now live. What's the Android Market? It's sort of like the App Store for the the iPhone. But for cellphones running the Android OS. Right now, that means the T-Mobile G1. Because the G1 isn't locked down as tightly as the iPhone, you're free to install applications that don't come from the Android Market. Handango and MobiHand have already launched their own Android stores with free and commercial software.

But if you prefer to go through the official channel, the Android Market now has about 50 applications including WikiMobile for mobile access to Wikipedia, SplashPlay for learning to play the guitar, and iSkoot for making Skype VoIP calls on your Android phone. There's also a weather map program called iMap and a mobile client for streaming music service iMeem.

There are still far more applications for iPhone, Symbian, Palm, or Windows Mobile devices than there are for Android phones. But considering today is day one, there are already some pretty impressive apps.

All of the apps available in the Android Market today are available as free downloads. Starting Monday, developers will be able to upload their own software after paying a $25 application fee. And next year Google will allow developers to sell commercial applications in the Android Market.

Leave it to Google to step in where others have mishandled the ball. It seems their mobile platform Android is getting its very own App Store ala Apple, except without all that pesky submit-and-pray scenario iPhone devs have been unable to complain about. OK, they can complain, they just can't share notes on the actual development process. Google is taking the open road here, and it appears there won't be those issues at Android Market.

From the Android Developer's Blog: "Similar to YouTube, content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it." Holy smokes, that's it? While developers are busy doing the three-step for Google, one wonders what will become of the Great VC Gold Rush currently playing out around Apple's mobile sexpot.

[via CrunchGear]