App Inventor is a new tool in Google Labs released to make it easy for anyone to create mobile applications for Android-powered devices.

Up until now this tool was under wraps and available to teachers and students only. But Google is opening it up to the general public.

Mark Friedman, Google Engineer says "For many people, their mobile phone—and access to the Internet—is always within reach. App Inventor for Android gives everyone, regardless of programming experience, the opportunity to control and reshape their communication experience. We’ve observed people take pride in becoming creators of mobile technology and not just consumers of it."

The application has been tested in classrooms around the United States, and it was found it opens up the world of computer programming to students in new ways.

David Wolber, professor of computer science at the University of San Francisco and part of the initial pilot program, says “students traditionally intimidated by technology are motivated and excited to program with App Inventor.” One student from Professor Wolber’s class told us: “I used to think that no one could program except CS people. Now, I've made dozens of applications for the Android phone!” Another student, who struggles with dyslexia, was inspired by App Inventor to take more computer science classes and is now learning Python. Check out this video to hear more about App Inventor for Android at University of San Francisco.