Apple I- Phone

What makes something an "Ice Cream Sandwich" device? What does it mean to embody the spirit of Android? To help answer these questions, Google on Thursday unveiled Android Design, a guide for how to create the best Android apps and interfaces.

Android Design is "the place to learn about principles, building blocks, and patterns for creating world-class Android user interfaces," Christian Robertson, head of the Android visual design group, said in a blog post. "Whether you're a UI professional or a developer playing that role, these docs show you how to make good design decisions, big and small."

Robertson said Google is "committed to helping you design amazing apps that people love," and promised more in-depth content on Android Design, as well as design-related blog posts and Google+ Hangouts, in the coming months.

At this point, the Web site has basic tutorials on Android style, patterns, and building blocks.

Google said the latest version of its Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich, focused on three overarching goals for core apps and the system at large: enchant me; simplify my life; and make me amazing.

During an appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt touched on the need for an aesthetically pleasing user interface. The search giant wants to attract "people with great taste," Schmidt said. The new model for Android is "cleaner, pristine, and more spare," he said, doing "enough of what you need" without cluttering the space.

That's a description you might normally hear coming from Apple, a company that prides itself on a simple, intuitive design across all its devices. Google, meanwhile, has a customizable UI that could look very different from one device to the next. There are also many different versions of Android floating around—Ice Cream Sandwich is on just 0.6 percent of devices at this point—which has prompted concerns about Android fragmentation. At CES, however, Schmidt said he was not convinced Android was fragmented, arguing instead that there was a "differentiation" between the versions.

For more, see PCMag's full review of Ice Cream Sandwich and the slideshow below.

For more from Chloe, follow her on Twitter @ChloeAlbanesius.

For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.

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I installed the latest Android market as soon as it was leaked on XDA, at first glance it did look good, but later I missed the old Android market, not only because I was used to it, but I use EDGE and it takes forever for Android market to load while using it, it opens fast enough when I am using Wi-Fi, but I am always travelling and keep downloading new applications so I decided to revert back to the old Android market, and thought that you guys must be going through the same, so I decided to write a guide about it.

Well there are three ways to go back to your old Android market, follow the methods below:

I tried this method but when I rebooted my phone the new market was back. So go through this procedure if you are looking to download something fast and need old Android market quickly.

Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Select to view All > Go down to where your Android market is and select itNow inside the Market settings select “Uninstall updates”Follow the prompts and press OKPress home and open Android MarketIt will show you a screen with the Android market terms and conditions, Accept itWait till it loads and takes you into the old Android market

I read this method somewhere, did not actually do it, but thought of sharing.

Download an application called aTrackDog from hereAfter installing the application, open it up and uninstall Android Market from itSwitch off your phone and turn it back on, Now you will be able to see the old Android market

This is the procedure which I performed though I never rebooted my phone after doing it so I am not sure whether the new market comes back or not.

Download Market.apk and updater.apkCopy both these application to the root of your SD card (Not in any folder)Using Root Explorer application mount system as RWOpen the folder named app inside the system folderDelete applications with filename “Vending.APK” and “MarketUpdater.APK”Now go into the folder named data inside a folder named data (Yes I know)Delete files “com.android.vending” and “com.android.vending.updater”After doing the above procedures switch off the phone and switch it back onReopen Root Explorer application and again mount file system as RWNow copy the file named “Updater.APK” from your SDcard to /System/appSwitch off and switch on your phone againAgain remount the file system as RWNow this time copy “Market.APK” from SDcard to /System/appReboot the phone and now you will have the old Android market, Enjoy.

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Android 2.3.4 was leaked for the Samsung Galaxy S 2 just yesterday and already the custom ROMs have shown up. This particular ROM is DarkyROM2 with version XXKG1 which is Android 2.3.4. This is just the stock ROM which has been deodexed. So if you won the SGS 2 and wish to use Android 2.3.4 leaked ROM then you can follow the procedure below.

Note:

Your device must be rootedYou should have ClockworkMod custom RecoveryYou don’t need to Wipe your data before flashing this if you are already on a 2.3.3 ROMYou need ODIN

Download:

Download SuperCore from hereDownload DarkyROM2 from here

Procedure:

Load up Odin and flash SuperCore using it on your SGS2Copy DarkyROM2 on the internal SD cardSwitch off the deviceBoot into recovery by pressing volume up, home and power button togetherChoose install .Zip from SD card from the options in ClockworkMod recoveryChoose the ROM you just downloaded and flash itReboot the deviceAll done

You can follow the original thread over here

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