Google debuts App Inventor

Today sees the launch of Google's App Inventor, making mobile application creation available to anyone who wants a have a go.

Rather than having to be a developer and knowing how to write code, App Inventor enables users to "visually design" the app they want with pre-made blocks such as GPS location or the functionality to communicate with Twitter.

It is based on OpenBlocks Java library, created by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Kawa Language Framework.

"You can build just about any app you can imagine with App Inventor," said a posting on Google's website.

"Often people begin by building games like WhackAMole or games that let you draw funny pictures on your friend's faces but app building is not limited to simple games. You can also build apps that inform and educate."

Google first announced it was working on this in 2009 but it has taken a year to get to the beta stage.

Here is a video of App Inventor at work:

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.