Google today released the SDK for Android, which is their mobile application development platform. The SDK is based on Java running on Linux based phones and comes with a plugin for Eclipse IDE. In a bid to draw the attention of developer community towards recently launched Android platform for mobiles, Google is going to offer cash prizes to developers who write applications using this platform. The total award amount is going to be $10 million.

Apart from creating interest in the new platform, this will obviously also lead to lots of heads thinking hard and delivering useful apps. But probaby more importantly for Google, it will also create all the interest and hype around Android just in time for mid 2008 release of Android compatible phones.

Here is a video on Google’s site having demo of the SDK release and a few sample applications.

There are two contests, the first one opens on Jan 2, 2008 while the second one will open sometime during the second half of next year after the handsets supporting Android are actually available.They have suggested a few focus areas for application development, with Social networking on the top of the list. The Android SDK is available for download here.

Interview with Andy Rubin (director of mobile platforms at Google).