Android 4.0 ICS gets a style guide, with Android Design site

Google has written a style guide for Ice Cream Sandwich, hoping to help developers and device manufacturers create apps and user interfaces that are optimized for both tablets and smartphones. The style guide is called Android Design.

According to Android Developer Blog, Android Design is a “place to learn about principles, building blocks, and patterns for creating world-class Android user interfaces. 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.”

The recommendations supplied in the style guide are optional, however, Google’s intension is clear – it’s trying ensure that future Android apps and custom user interfaces from manufacturers work well in terms of user experience, regardless of differences in display sizes and other hardware features. The aim is to make the Android platform less fragmented as a whole, even within the unified Ice Cream Sandwich version of the operating system.

The current Android Design guide is just the first step towards this goal, with more in-depth content promised in the coming months. Refer to the blog post, and the Android Design guide, for more information.

Monitor content or face ban: Delhi HC warns Facebook, Google

The Indian government had come under severe criticism for asking Internet companies such asFacebook and Google to monitor content on their sites. Many labelled the move as an attempt to censor the Internet, triggering a heated debate - what should stay online and what should not. However, the Indian government maintained it did not intend to interfere with social media, nor it had any plans to evolve guidelines to regulate the Internet content. The Delhi High Court in its recent ruling has however taken government's earlier stance on the issue. The court not only asked Facebook and Google to remove 'offensive content' from their sites but also warned they may be blocked if they didn't comply to orders. The court further asked the companies to set up a mechanism to keep a check on such content on web page.

Mukul Rohtagi, counsel for Google India, acknowledged that some of the articles were obscene but the company could not control it. "No human interference is possible and, moreover, it can't be feasible to check such incidents. Billions of people across the globe post their articles on the website. Yes, they may be defamatory, obscene but cannot be checked," Mr Rohatgi was quoted as telling the court. "We cannot control billion minds. Some are conservative, some are liberal and some write all the defamatory and obnoxious articles on web pages."

Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Facebook India, told court that it was impossible to control the content with billions of people accessing the site. "A third party who uploads the content is not touched and we are sought to be liable in the case. Facebook India is not the controller of Facebook.com, it is Facebook.com which removes the content not me," he pointed out.

Many of us will agree that some online content can be termed as offensive. But it is quite next to impossible to monitor each and every individual on the Internet. And even if they are monitored, will it not be tantamount to 'censorship'? China has also similar control on the online content. Do you also back the Delhi HC directives? Let us know in the comments section below:

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admires Amazon, Apple, Google

Summary: Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he admires Amazon, Apple, and Google. There’s a company missing from his list though: Microsoft. Are you surprised?

The Wall Street Journal recently interviewed Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg as well as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in separate interviews. While they were conducted in October 2011, excerpts from them have only been published now.

When Zuckerberg was asked about companies he looks up to, he named three. Here’s the relevant excerpt:

WSJ: What companies do you admire?
Zuckerberg: Amazon is a great recent example of focusing on the long term and accepting shorter margins on the short term. [Amazon CEO] Jeff [Bezos] went through years of people thinking he’s crazy. Apple is amazing in terms of the quality of stuff that they do. And Google, too, for the same thing.

WSJ: Do you place Facebook in the same category as those businesses?
Mr. Zuckerberg: I hope one day we will be. We’re a lot younger than all of them and still quite a bit smaller in terms of size of employees. Because we focused so much over the past five or six years on building things that are going to have lasting value for people, I think we have a good shot at that.

I agree with all three companies listed by Zuckerberg. Facebook has a long history with both Apple and Google, but barely anything to do with Amazon, so it’s nice to know that the company’s leader is paying attention to what is happening in the technology industry. In fact, Facebook has a poor history with both Apple and Google, though it is slowly rebuilding the one with the former (and not so much the latter).

It’s worth noting Zuckerberg skipped over Microsoft, which is a big investor in Facebook. The two companies are solid partners; just last year the duo launched multiple initiatives and new features. On the other hand, they are also competitors: Facebook is quickly gaining on Microsoft in terms of advertising market share.

Regardless of which companies Facebook competes or partners with, Zuckerberg can still have his own personal opinion. Sometimes it will influence his company’s decisions, and other times it will simply remain his own view. Are you surprised by his thoughts?