The upgrade will start with Motorola Xoom customers today and will be coming to Google TV this summer. The OS is bringing new, expandable widgets as well as support for USB peripherals, including cameras, joysticks, etc.
Android 3.0, better known as Honeycomb, was intended from the start to be a fork of the operating system specifically intended to play nicely with tablets. However, some devs misapplied to OS to phone devices, causing the fork to be temporarily closed for unauthorized development.
While Android 3.0 was setting the web on fire with wars and rumors of wars, Android's non-tablet fork, 2.X, was quietly continuing its own development. Android 2.3, or Gingerbread, was announced in October 2010 and began rolling out on devices shortly thereafter.
However, we were warned by a Google exec during the Honeycomb-closing "Androidocalypse" that the tablet and mobile forks would soon be reunited, at which point the entire OS would be open for development once again. While Honeycomb 3.1 isn't exactly a fulfillment of that prophecy, it does bring Google TV a little closer to the intended large-screen Android experience.
We'll be updating you soon with information on Ice Cream Sandwich, the new Android version for mobile devices.
Mashable's Google I/O Coverage
Ice Cream Sandwich: Android’s Newest, Sweetest Flavor
Google TV Gets Android Market Access
Google Launches Movies for Android
100 Million Android Devices Now Activated [STATS]
Google Music Is (Finally) Here
How Google’s Music Service Works [VIDEO]
Google Music Service To Debut Without the Labels
Android@Home Lets You Control Your Lights & Appliances Wirelessly