In an interview with The New York Times, Google's Andy Rubin revealed that the upcoming version of the Android mobile operating system will fully support Flash technology. Code named Froyo, Adobe showed us Android 2.2 with Flash 10.1 on a Nexus One last month.

According to Rubin, Google's definition of openness “means not being militant about the things consumers are actually enjoying." This is pointed commentary about Apple's HTML5-or-bust attitude toward supporting Flash — or even allowing developers to use Flash when making applications —on Apple mobile devices. Google — at least based on our perception of the company's public face — seems more focused on the interoperability, compatibility and diversity of user experience.

Rubin also commented on Google's commitment to keeping Android open — open for developers, open for porn, open for API access, simply and completely open.

And as far as "stolen" phones are concerned, Rubin said Google would have been flattered by the attention.

All in all, Rubin's statement came across as a thinly — and we mean thinly — veiled "screw you" to Apple. As the platform continues to grow, both in end-user adoption and in developer interest, who can blame him? We can't wait to see what happens when an Android tablet is released to challenge the iPad.

[img credit: Jesus Belzunce]