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During the second day of the Google I/O conference, the 2.2 release of the Android operating system, named “Froyo”, stole the show during the keynote. Here is a quick summary of some of the cool new features:

• The Dalvik just-in-time compiler has been tweaked to provide an amazing boost in speed over Android 2.1. Expect a two to five times performance improvement with the new OS version.
• Android 2.2 will sport over 20 new enterprise features, including Microsoft Exchange capabilities. The addition of account auto-discovery and calendar sync is almost certainly aimed at the corporate market.
• The Android 2.2 browser is now faster and more powerful as Google brought some of its Chrome capabilities to its mobile counterpart. V8 JavaScript should significantly improve JavaScript performance, and in a side-by-side demo, the Nexus One performed much faster than the iPhone.
• Other fun enhancements to the SDK and associated APIs include Android Cloud To Device Messaging, which introduces things like mobile alert, send to phone, and two-way push sync. For example, now a user can look up directions in Google Maps in Chrome on their PC, and then send the directions to their Android phone for navigation with the click of a button.
• The Android Market received an upgrade as well. Search functionality is easier, and now there is the ability to move apps to an SD card while keeping the app secure for developers (this was a big hit at the conference). Music was also added to the marketplace, giving Android yet another option of music downloads.
• Adsense for Mobile Apps - eerily similar to the advertising Apple just announced for the iPhone…

And to top it off, at the end of the keynote, everyone in attendance received a free HTC Evo phone. Now why on earth didn’t I go again???