Google gets new lawn ornament, Ice Cream Sandwich launch looms

As has become a tradition at Google, the company has erected a statue on the front lawn of its headquarters in advance of the next version of its Android™ mobile operating system, expected to launch October 19.

The latest version is dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich. According to technology news provider I Programmer, Google delayed Ice Cream Sandwich's original launch date following the death of Apple® co-founder Steve Jobs. But the raising of the statue is generally an indicator that the new arrival is on the horizon.

Ice Cream Sandwich represents one of Google's most ambitious Android updates yet. The newest version of the operating system will be optimized for both smartphones and tablet computers. According to a Forbes report, Ice Cream Sandwich is also expected to have a cleaner user interface and may support more external devices, such as keyboards and mice.

Many speculate that it is the tablet market Google is really focusing on with Ice Cream Sandwich. According to tech blog SlashGear, roughly 3.4 million tablets based on the Android 3.0 family have been sold, suggesting that Google has some work to do to be more competitive in the market.