On social network, Google+, Google developer Dan Morrill posted his designs for the original Android mascot, from the days when Android was as yet a concept, not a reality.

The team was preparing for an internal launch for developers to get a look at the API, and Morrill, then a developer relations guy, needed some visuals to populate his slides with. He created the above robot-men to illustrate Android.

While iOS may not be as flexible or as customizable as Android, on the whole it looks a whole lot nicer. Android is steadily improving, that’s for sure, but it’s hard to deny that iOS developers appear to spend more time making their apps prettier, even if you’re a diehard Android fan.

And that was proven when Chris Hulbert, an iOS developer, went to work at Google for three months. In a post on his blog, Hulbert reveals the differences in attitude towards design for iOS and Android, which help explain why Android apps aren’t quite as pretty as they could be.

Apple and Samsung are the only two smartphone manufacturers currently seeing any growth in the United States. The pair are slowly eating away at the market share held by their rivals, including LG, Motorola, Research in Motion, and HTC. In the three months leading up to November 2012, Samsung increased its market share from 25.7% to 26.9%, but Apple is catching up with the Cupertino company enjoying slightly more growth.

Microsoft has beaten Apple and Google to the acquisition of R2 Studios, a small home entertainment technology startup from the founder of Sling Media. R2 is famous for an Android app that allows users to control things like lighting and appliances throughout their homes, and its thought the company’s technology will help Microsoft push its Xbox console even further into home entertainment.

Google’s Nexus 4 has undoubtedly been one of the hottest Android handsets on sale this holiday season, and it’s been selling rapidly since its release back in November. The search giant has even had to apologize for the difficulties LG is facing in keeping up with the impressive demand. Exactly how many Nexus 4 handsets have been sold, however, is somewhat a mystery.

Google never announces its device sales, and LG’s been keeping quiet when it comes to the Nexus 4, too. However, some Android enthusiasts have been keeping track of Nexus 4 serial numbers, and they estimate that around 400,000 units were produced by the end of 2012.