CNN shows off an Android tablet app where users can post news (video)

CNN showed off an Android tablet app today that will let users broadcast news directly. It debuted the app at Google’s event to show off Honeycomb, the latest version of the Android mobile operating system.

The app takes advantage of graphics hardware acceleration, which allows the display of high-quality graphics and 3D animations. That’s one of the features of Android 3.0, which debuts in tablets such as the Motorola Xoom in a short time.

One of the interesting features is iReport, which CNN relies upon for user-generated content, such as photos and videos from ordinary citizens.

Such apps are common on the Apple iPhone and iPad. But Google really needs to get marquee apps running in a beautiful way on Android tablets, if it has any hope of catching up with the iPad. The tablet market is going to be the subject of a huge tug-of-war this year.

Check out our video demo of the CNN app, which was one of 18 Honeycomb apps shown off today Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.