We’ve known for a while that the Android App Inventor, an Android coding tool for the somewhat less than technical, is headed for the big web server in the sky. Today Google sent out a reminder and told users that they have until the end of the year to download the apps they’ve created, then they’ll be deleted forever. We though it was worth passing along.
If you haven’t heard of the App Inventor, it’s basically Google’s attempt at making Android app development available to all. The WYSIWIG editor clumps pieces of often-used code together in simple modules, allowing users to build an Android app in a fashion that’s not that different from creating a web page in any number of online editors. Users can download and test the apps on their own devices, and even publish them to the Android Market.
A combination of a lukewarm initial response and a stalling userbase led Google to abandon the project earlier this year. Users can download their APK and source files up until the deadline. Hope’s not lost for those who rely on the App Inventor system, however: Google has promised to make the software open-source, allowing others to pick up the easy app creation mantle.
