Honeycomb: Up close with Google’s Android 3.0 for tablets (video)

Google showed off more details of its Android 3.0 operating system for tablet computers today, code-named Honeycomb. We had a chance to get up close to see some of the new features such as a better way of presenting email, videos, music and home screen via rich graphics.

Honeycomb is Google’s attempt to catch up with Apple’s iPad tablet and fuel a host of Android-based rivals. If it takes off, Apple will have some serious competition in the fast-growing tablet market, which Apple dominated in 2010. We took a bunch of video at today’s Android 3.0 event at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

As you can see from the picture of the user interface for YouTube, running on the Motorola Xoom tablet above, Honeycomb gives tablets a much more visually appealing, touchscreen-focused user interface. Honeycomb tablets can take advantage of 3D hardware acceleration and dual-core ARM-based microprocessors.

Check out the video walk-through of some key features of Honeycomb below. You’ll see new features such as fragments, the action bar and the home screen.