Google adds Orkut to Android

Google announced the introduction of its Orkut social networking service across its Android mobile operating system, promising users tools to stay in contact with friends wherever they go. Launched in early 2004 and named after its creator, Google staffer Orkut Büyükkökten, Orkut currently boasts more than 100 million active users worldwide--while the service lags some distance behind rivals Facebook and MySpace in the U.S., it is far more popular in markets like Brazil and India. Google issued its first Orkut mobile app in mid-2009; the new app for Android smartphones includes live homescreen folders enabling single-click communication with friends, photo uploads to albums, and notifications for new "scraps" (i.e., communication between users). The free Orkut app is available for download from Android Market.

In related news, Google also touted the release of a new Google Buzz widget for Android. Introduced in February, Google Buzz integrates Gmail with social networking features; the new app promises single-tap text and photo posts, complete with geolocation tags identifying the post's point of origin. For now the widget is available in English for Android phones running v1.6 and later, with additional languages forthcoming.

For more on Orkut for Android:
- read this Official Google Mobile Blog entry

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