Google recently wrapped up its Google+ Photographer’s Conference in San Francisco. During the event, a number of Google employees, including co-founder Sergey Brin, wore the company’s Project Glass prototype, and even a shared a video and a photo album of point-of-view images taken with the device. The augmented reality head-mounted display prototypes are being tested outside the walls of Google’s Mountain View campus as the company continues to refine the devices. Details surround the glasses are few and far between, and it is still unclear if Project Glass will ever hit the consumer market in its current form. Point-of-view images and a video taken with Project Glass prototypes follow below.

[Via Engadget]

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Usage of Apple’s third-generation iPad in the United States has passed the original iPad model after just over two months of availability. According to a recent report from software analytics firm Localytics, Apple’s latest iPad captured a staggering 14% of the U.S. iPad market in just four days when Apple sold more than 3 million devices during the tablet’s debut. Now, a week and two months after the third iPad launched on March 16th of this year, the new model’s share of U.S. usage topped 20% during the week of May 16th, narrowly surpassing the original model for the first time. Apple’s first iPad tablet launched in the U.S. on April 3rd, 2010 — more than two years ago — and was available for purchase at a discounted price until the third-generation iPad launched in March of this year. According to Localytics, Apple’s iPad 2 currently accounts for 60% of all iPad usage in the U.S.

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CBS, Fox and NBC have independently filed lawsuits against Dish Network, claiming its new automatic commercial-deleting service Auto Hop violates copyright laws; Fox even goes as far as to state that Auto Hop is “destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television ecosystem.” Auto Hop is a feature launched recently for Dish Network’s Hopper DVR. When enabled, the free add-on allows users to automatically skip over commercials aired during prime time shows on each of the four major television broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Networks took issue with the feature immediately, of course, and now complaints have been filed by three of the four affected networks, BGR sister site Deadline reports. Dish has already filed its own complaint with a New York district court seeking a declaratory judgement that its new service is “in full compliance with copyright law and its re-broadcast agreements.”

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iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users running the latest version of Apple’s iOS software now have access to full-featured untethered jailbreak software courtesy of iOS hackers Chronic Dev Team and pod2g. The software needed to perform the jailbreak, Greenpis0n Absinthe 2.0, is now available for download and is compatible with A4-powered devices like the original iPad and the iPhone 4, as well as newer A5-powered devices like the new iPad and iPhone 4S, JailbreakUntethered reports. The updated software allows users to jailbreak their newer A5-powered iOS devices without having to connect to a computer while booting, though it is not compatible with iPad 2 models powered by Apple’s newer 32-nanometer chipset. Download links for Greenpois0n Absinthe 2.0 and a how-to guide details each step of the jailbreaking process can be found through the read link below.

UPDATE: A large number of users are reporting problems with the new software and as such, users may want to wait for a subsequent release before attempting to jailbreak their devices.

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GameFly announced on Wednesday that it plans to begin publishing mobile games for Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s Android operating system. In addition, the video game rental service plans to further expand into mobile by launching its own Android app store to take on the Google Play store.  ”GameFly is dedicated to giving consumers the best user experience possible, and to be their single destination for console, PC and mobile gaming needs,” GameFly co-founder Sean Spector said in a statement. “We plan to be a leading player in mobile games by launching our retail GameStore for Android and helping to fund mobile developers of all sizes to publish, promote and sell their smartphone and tablet games.” The GameFly GameStore will launch this fall on Android tablets and smartphones. GameFly’s full press release follows below.

GameFly To Publish Mobile Games For iOS And Android Platforms And Launch GameFly GameStore For Android

LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — GameFly, Inc., the leading video game service, announced today its plans to begin publishing mobile games for the iOS and Android platforms, as well as launching the independent GameFly GameStore for Android later this fall. Continuing its foray into digital initiatives, the company has set aside a game development fund to work with mobile developers that are in the process of making a great game, but need the extra resources to publish and promote their titles. GameFly will also expand its mission to be the top resource for all gaming needs, offering expertly curated Android games in the GameFly GameStore with thousands of the best games and daily deals. With its large social network for gamers, game discovery will also be made easier via friend recommendations, and ratings and reviews from fellow gamers.

“GameFly is dedicated to giving consumers the best user experience possible, and to be their single destination for console, PC and mobile gaming needs,” said Sean Spector, GameFly co-founder and SVP of Business Development and Content. “We plan to be a leading player in mobile games by launching our retail GameStore for Android and helping to fund mobile developers of all sizes to publish, promote and sell their smartphone and tablet games.”

GameFly is currently accepting submissions from mobile game developers at GameDev@GameFly.com, and expects to publish its first title this summer. The GameFly GameStore will be available for Android phones and tablets by this holiday season. GameFly’s Game of the Day feature was launched on the popular GameFly mobile App in April, enabling iOS users to discover high quality games or find great deals on titles they may have missed.

Pandora CEO Joe Kennedy recently announced that the music streaming service had surpassed 150 million users in the United States and was the second most downloaded app in the history of Apple’s App Store. According to the company’s recent earnings report for the first quarter of fiscal 2013, Pandora grew to a record 51.9 million active users, representing a 53% year-over-year increase. The service has a commanding 71.7% share of the top U.S. Internet radio market and controls almost 6% of the total U.S. radio listening market. The company’s total revenue jumped 58% year-over-year to $80.8 million, $70.6 million of which came from advertising and $10.2 million from subscription plans. While advertising revenue increased 62% year-over-year and subscription revenue increased 38%, Pandora still reported a net loss of $0.09 per share.

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Sharp and Sony on Wednesday released a joint statement to announce the end of the companies’ joint venture to produce and sell LCD panels. Due to the “rapidly changing market for LCD panels and LCD televisions,” Sony will sell its shares of the venture, which represent 7.04% of the company. The manufacturer will also receive a cash payment equal to its original investment of 10 billion yen that will be paid by Sharp. Both the sale of shares and Sony’s cash payment will be completed by the end of June 2012. The joint press release can be found after the break.

Sharp and Sony to terminate joint venture to produce and sell large-sized LCD panels and modules

Sharp Corporation (“Sharp”) and Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced that their joint venture relationship to produce and sell large-sized LCD panels and modules will terminate, and that Sony will sell its shares (representing 7.04% of the issued shares) in Sharp Display Products Corporation (“SDP”) to SDP*. In consideration for the sale of shares, Sony will receive cash consideration equal to its original investment of 10 billion yen to be paid by SDP*. Both the sale of shares and the payment of cash consideration will be completed by the end of June 2012.

On July 1, 2009, Sharp transferred its LCD panel plant in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, to SDP, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sharp. On December 29, 2009, Sony invested 10 billion yen into SDP in exchange for new shares issued by SDP to Sony (representing 7.04% of the issued shares of SDP) and, as a result, SDP became a joint venture company of Sharp and Sony as of the same date. In light of the rapidly changing market for LCD panels and LCD televisions, in March 2012 Sharp and Sony agreed to amend the original joint venture agreement to provide that Sony would not make additional capital injections in SDP. Based on this amendment, the companies agreed to study studied the future direction of the joint venture and other potential business relationships between the parties, including with respect to Sony’s interest in SDP.

* In the event SDP is not able to purchase or pay for those shares due to applicable legal restrictions on acquiring its own shares or for any other reason, Sharp will purchase those shares from Sony.
Impact on the consolidated financial information of Sharp, as the parent company of SDP
No material impact is anticipated on Sharp’s consolidated financial forecasts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.
Impact on the consolidated financial information of Sony

No material impact is anticipated on Sony’s consolidated financial forecasts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.

Sharp Display Products Corporation

Representative:
Hiroshi Saji, President
Location:
1 Takumi-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture
Principal Business:
Production and sales of large-sized LCD panels and modules
Date of Establishment:
April 1, 2009 (as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sharp)
Joint Venture

Establishment Date:
December 29, 2009
Share Holding Ratio:
Sharp 92.96%, Sony 7.04% (as of end of April, 2012)

Millennial Media on Thursday released a new report outlining estimates first-quarter market share across mobile devices and operating systems. The mobile advertising company found that tablets — the top being Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Amazon’s Kindle Fire — accounted for 20% of all ad impressions during the first quarter of 2012, an increase from 15% in the first quarter of 2011. “Tablets and other non-phone connected devices have established a clear role in the growing mobile ecosystem,” said Jamie Fellows, SVP, Product, Millennial Media. “The substantial quarterly growth of impressions in this category is tied to both increased usage and adoption, and we expect this trend to continue in the foreseeable future.” The report also found that 14 of the top 20 mobile phones ran Google’s Android operating system, which was installed on 49% of all devices. Apple’s iPhone was the top handset, helping the Cupertino-based company to edge out Samsung, which had four of the top 20 mobile phones, as the top manufacturer. Millennial Media’s press release and two additional tables follow below.

Millennial Media Releases Q1 Mobile Mix Report

Report Shows Significant Growth in Ad Impressions Among Tablets and Non-Phone Connected Devices

BALTIMORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Millennial Media, Inc. (NYSE: MM), the independent leader in mobile advertising, today released its Q1 Mobile Mix report, the latest edition of its reliable and widely-sourced report on trends in impressions for mobile devices and mobile operating systems.

The Q1 Mobile Mix report takes an in-depth look at the mobile device advertising landscape, including the top 20 mobile phones, top 10 mobile device manufacturers, leading mobile device operating systems and top mobile app categories ranked by impressions.

The report found that non-phone mobile devices, such as tablets, accounted for 20 percent of all impressions on the Millennial Media platform during the first quarter of 2012, compared to 15 percent in Q1 of 2011.

The report also found that Android remained the top overall operating system on the Millennial Media platform in Q1 2012, with a 49 percent share of impressions, and Apple remained the leading individual mobile device manufacturer.

Other highlights from the Q1 Mobile Mix report include (ranked by impressions on the Millennial Media platform during the quarter):

• The Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Amazon Kindle Fire were the top tablets in Q1, and all three were among the top 20 mobile devices.
• The Apple iPhone remained the leading individual mobile phone.
• Android made up 14 of the top 20 mobile phones.
• Samsung was the second leading manufacturer and had 4 of the top 20 mobile phones.
• Gaming was the top mobile app category and grew 10 percent compared to Q4 2011.
• Mobile video views increased 958 percent from Q2 2011 to Q1 2012.

“Tablets and other non-phone connected devices have established a clear role in the growing mobile ecosystem,” said Jamie Fellows, SVP, Product, Millennial Media. “The substantial quarterly growth of impressions in this category is tied to both increased usage and adoption, and we expect this trend to continue in the foreseeable future.”

The University Community Next Generation Innovation Project (Gig.U) and Gigabit Squared this week announced funding of $200 million for the nation’s first multi-community broadband gigabit deployment project. The funding will support projects for up to six select Gig.U members, which will offer broadband networks with speeds between 100 and 1,000 times faster than today’s standards. “What makes the Gigabit Squared approach so exciting is that it goes far beyond normal industry business models in how to successfully and creatively improve broadband access speeds for university communities, which is exactly the premise upon which Gig.U was founded,” said Blair Levin, Executive Director of Gig.U. “We intuitively knew this, but to see Gigabit Squared emerge so strongly today proves that yes, America needs an upgrade; and that yes, there are innovators and investors willing to step up to get it done.” Gig. U and Gigabit Squared will make their selections between November 2012 and March 2013. The joint press release follows below.

Gigabit Squared and Gig.U to Make Available $200 Million in Broadband Development Funding Through the Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program

Digital Economic Development Initiatives is Nation’s First Multi-Community Gigabit Deployment

(May 23, 2012) Washington, DC – In a joint announcement today, The University Community Next Generation Innovation Project (Gig.U) and Gigabit Squared announced the nation’s first multi-community broadband gigabit deployment with the availability of $200 million in funding. Under the Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program, capital is available to support up to six select Gig.U member-sponsored projects. At the center of the Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program is the idea that communities and their local stakeholders can drive economic opportunities through private investments that leverage public capital that will accelerate the deployment and utilization of gigabit speed networks.

Gigabit Squared created the Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program to help select Gig.U communities build and test gigabit speed broadband networks with speeds from 100 to 1000 times faster than what Americans have today. The Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program will offer communities services at a competitive price for innovative projects that range from small neighborhoods of 5,000 to 10,000 and up to 100,000 people. Selections will be announced between November 2012 and March 2013.

We have brought together a team that has had a hand in transforming broadband in dozens of communities, Including Cleveland-Ohio, Chattanooga-Tennessee, Lafayette-Louisiana, Jackson-Mississippi, Topeka-Kansas, and the Virgin Islands. Including companies such as Corning, G4S, Juniper Networks, Alcatel Lucent, Calix, Ericson, Level 3, Genexis, OnDemand, Baller Herbst and others.

Aaron Gadouas, Senior Vice President of the investment firm Stern Brothers & Co., commented on the unique model Gigabit Squared has created, “Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program is a compelling public/private model because both sides are able to leverage the contributions of the other, enabling projects that would not have been completed otherwise. It is a well-conceived and innovative initiative.”

“What makes the Gigabit Squared approach so exciting is that it goes far beyond normal industry business models in how to successfully and creatively improve broadband access speeds for university communities, which is exactly the premise upon which Gig.U was founded,” said Blair Levin, Executive Director of Gig.U. ”We intuitively knew this, but to see Gigabit Squared emerge so strongly today proves that yes, America needs an upgrade; and that yes, there are innovators and investors willing to step up to get it done.”

The Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program will create demonstration projects in Gig.U communities that will serve as a model for maximizing the impacts of regional broadband networks. Each will feature “open” architecture networks to create long-term value and growth for the Gig.U University and community partners.

Each Gigabit Neighborhood Gateway Program project will feature:

• The use of underutilized network assets and capacity and local investment to drive services and unlock long-term value and sustainability,
• A framework to create new capacity and spur development, including community service applications that promote better health, education and community services,
• Previously unavailable speed and bandwidth,
• Digital economic development strategies to aggregate revenues and lower the overall costs of scaling gigabit-broadband, and
• A future-state network that will serve as a platform for innovation, next generation application development, workforce development and job creation.

“The Stimulus Funding was a great jumpstart to get broadband initiatives on track in the U.S. But it is just a starting point,” explains Mark Ansboury, president of Gigabit Squared. “In order to realize true economic revitalization, we’re urging our national and community leaders to think and act in more creative ways. And we’re backing those efforts with significant investment of our own.”

“As a founding member of Gig.U, Case Western Reserve University is proud to be piloting the next generation of broadband networks to neighborhoods around universities, and providing high bandwidth service to support the national priorities of health and wellness, home energy management, public safety, and STEM education at the high school level,” said Dr. Lev Gonick, Case Western Reserve’s Vice President, Information Technology Services & Chief Information Officer. “Working with Gigabit Squared, Cleveland’s Judson Manor and leading technology companies, we’ll be creating a second gigabit fiber to the premise research project that will serve as a model for other Gig.U communities.”

Facebook on Thursday announced “Camera for iOS,” a new mobile app that intends to make uploading and viewing Facebook photos faster and easier. The app features Instagram-like filters and unlike Facebook’s current mobile app, Camera for iOS allows users to upload multiple photos at once. It remains to be seen how Facebook’s new app will impact Instagram, which the company acquired for $1 billion last month. Facebook’s Camera for iOS is available now on the Apple’s App Store.

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An experimental solar-powered airplane embarked on its first transcontinental flight on Thursday, The Associated Press reported. The Solar Impulse plane left Switzerland and, after a pilot change in Spain, should reach North Africa next week. The aircraft features a 207-foot wingspan and more than 12,000 solar panels. The project began in 2003 and is estimated to cost about $100 million over 10 years. The Swiss traveled to Belgium and France last year to complete the Solar Impulse’s first international flight. The mission to Africa is described as the final dress rehearsal before a round-the-world flight that will include stops in the United States using a newer and more improved model scheduled to be unveiled in 2014.

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NVIDIA on Thursday announced that its Icera 410 LTE multi-mode data modem for tablets and clam shell devices has been validated for use on AT&T’s 4G LTE network. “Validation with AT&T is an achievement that paves the way for NVIDIA Icera-powered LTE devices on the AT&T network through this year and next,” said Stan Boland, senior vice president of Mobile Communications at NVIDIA. The Icera 410 LTE modem offers 4G LTE connectivity of up to 50Mbps alongside HSPA+, 3G and 2G connectivity. NVIDIA’s modem is the company’s latest step toward bringing LTE and Tegra 3 compatibility to smartphones. So far, manufacturers have been forced to scrap NVIDIA’s quad-core processor in devices bound for LTE networks in the U.S. Read on for NVIDIA’s press release.

NVIDIA Icera Modem Chipset Validated on AT&T LTE Network

SANTA CLARA, CA — (Marketwire) — 05/24/2012 — NVIDIA today announced that the NVIDIA® Icera® 410 LTE multimode data modem chipset for tablets and clamshell devices has been tested and validated for operation on the AT&T 4G LTE network.

AT&T qualification tests help ensure that product manufacturers can confidently select chipsets that integrate with connected devices and can quickly achieve final product qualification.

“Validation with AT&T is an achievement that paves the way for NVIDIA Icera-powered LTE devices on the AT&T network through this year and next,” said Stan Boland, senior vice president of Mobile Communications at NVIDIA.

The NVIDIA Icera 410 LTE modem delivers lightning-fast web browsing, video streaming and multiplayer gaming to tablets and clamshell devices. It is the first Icera modem to implement 4G LTE in NVIDIA’s software defined radio baseband processor. Together with its multimode radio transceiver, the chipset offers 4G LTE at category 2 data rates (up to 50 Mbps) as well as 4G HSPA+, 3G and 2G compatibility.

A German regional court on Thursday issued an injunction against newly-acquired Motorola Mobility for infringing one of Microsoft’s patents, according to FOSS Patents. The manufacturer is banned from selling its Android-powered devices that infringe Microsoft’s EP1304891 patent, which covers “communicating multi-part messages between cellular devices using a standardized interface.” The sales ban, for the time being, is subject to additional confirmation. If confirmed however, it is enforceable with a bond of $31.4 million. Patent expert Florian Mueller notes that since the patent covers “operating system-level functionality, the modifications ‘Googlorola’ would have to make to Android to work around this ruling would lead to significant complications.” Furthermore, apps that make use of Android’s messaging layer will apparently have to be completely rewritten.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently formed a new unit tasked with developing technologies that enable more effective means of monitoring Internet, mobile and VoIP communications, CNET reported. The secretive new unit, reportedly called the Domestic Communications Assistance Center, aims to develop new surveillance technologies that make it easier for law enforcement to spy on suspects as they communicate using modern technology. Joined by agents from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Agency, the FBI reportedly formed the DCAC because it believes technology has developed too quickly, leaving law enforcement without the tools necessary to effectively monitor these new communications channels.

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Google on Thursday announced an update to its Google Play Store that allows Android users to make in-app subscriptions. The update comes more than year after the Mountain View-based company introduced in-app billing in what was then called the Android Market. “Since the launch, In-app Billing has been extremely successful in helping developers monetize their apps through try-and-buy, virtual goods, upgrades, and other popular business models,” Google said on its developer blog. “Today, 23 of the 24 top-grossing apps in Google Play use In-app Billing, and the total revenue generated from in-app purchases exceeds revenue from traditional app purchases.” In-app subscriptions will allow developers to sell monthly or annual subscriptions from within their apps. “Developers just set the price and billing interval and Google Play manages the purchase transactions for them, just as it does for other in-app products and app purchases,” the company said.

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