| Google Glass v2 hardware now arriving for Explorers Nov 1st 2013, 17:10, by Robert Nelson Google has yet to offer a public launch date for Glass, however they recently began opening the Explorer program a bit. Basically, hinting the program is going smooth. Anyway, Google mentioned that existing Explorers would be able to invite up to three more friends into the world of Glass. And along with that, there was also mention of updated hardware. 
At the time, Google didn’t offer much in terms of when we could expect the updated hardware to begin arriving. They did post an image showing Google Glass v2 shortly after the announcement, but now it looks like the units have begun arriving for users. Det Ansinn of BrickSimple LLC has recently shared some images on his Google+ page. 
Perhaps more important though, along with a real-world style image of Glass v2 being worn — we are beginning to get some details on the hardware. For example, there was mention of how the earbud will work with the old devices and about how the bone conduction remains the same. Nathan Russak, also of BrickSimple LLC said; “The earbud is simply an optional accessory for when you want some additional volume (for phone calls, etc) since the bone conduction speaker is pretty quiet.” 
While the new hardware sounds like a good option for those getting invited into the Explorer program now, there is the question as to whether existing Explorers should update. Of course, that is a personal decision and we suspect extending the length of the warranty (by getting new Glass) could be beneficial, but otherwise, it seems as if the hardware is largely the same. To that point, both Ansinn and Russak had similar comments on the new hardware. Ansinn mentioned how “there are no obvious physical changes with the hardware” and Russak said there is “no noticeable physical change to the device.” |  | PLAiR 2 streaming dongle unveiled with Android app support Nov 1st 2013, 17:03, by Robert Nelson PLAiR may not be a name that everyone is familiar with, however the functionality of the PLAiR 2, which has been announced today will be familiar. Basically, you can think Chromecast, but with much more ability. PLAiR 2 is, as the name would imply, a second-generation device and this time around there has been some added functionality as well as a drop in price. 
PLAiR is a dongle, again similar to the Chromecast. It measures in at 4.0 x 1.4 x 0.46-inches and attaches to your television using HDMI. The PLAiR 2 also has WiFi 802.11 b/g/n for connectivity, a micro-USB port for power and will support streaming from a wide variety of Android devices. Basically, anything running Android 2.3 or later. There is also support for Windows (XP or higher) and Mac (OS X 10.6 or higher) computers as well as iOS devices. 
The kicker here, the PLAiR 2 brings support for Android apps. Users will be able to install these apps directly to the PLAiR 2. The apps can be installed from the Google Play Store or the Amazon Appstore and some of the specifics mentioned include Netflix and Hulu Plus as well as games such as Angry Birds. The PLAiR 2 is also able to stream local content such as images and video.   On the computer side, that means local content and web content streamed by way of a Chrome extension. Users on both a computer or mobile device will also be able to stream locally stored presentation files to the television. The PLAiR 2 supports AAC and MP3 for audio and JPG for images. PLAiR 2 will be available for pre-order beginning today and is expected to begin shipping on November 8th. Those looking to make a purchase can expect to shell out $49, which is down from $99 and the unit will be available with Amazon, Newegg and direct from the PLAiR website. SOURCE: PLAiR          | | Google sued by Microsoft/Blackberry owned Rockstar Nov 1st 2013, 16:31, by Nate Swanner The seemingly endless litigation tech companies engage in just took a very serious tone. While suing over iPhone designs or WiFi radios is important, even interesting, it's not necessarily crucial to the way a company does business. A new lawsuit filed against Google threatens the absolute core of what Google does, and it could get ugly. 
Rockstar — a company owned by heavy hitters like Apple, Microsoft, Blackberry, Ericsson and Sony — has filed suit against Google. The lawsuit, filed in Texas federal court, claims Google infringed on several patents that have to do with search results and advertising. More to the point, the lawsuit claims Google is infringing on patents by using search results to return targeted advertising.
We see the action daily, even if we choose not to pay it any mind. You search for something like pocket knives, then you visit some random website. Lo and behold, there's an ad for pocket knives — even if the site has nothing to do with knives, or camping, or anything that could possibly be related to your search. That's the most glaring example of how your search results are targeted to advertising, and it's a massive part of Google's revenue stream. These patents are all from a company named Nortel, which Google tried to purchase when the company went bankrupt in 2011. Google's initial offer for $900 million found it's way to $4.4 billion through a bidding war with — you guessed it — Rockstar. Rockstar ended up with Nortel's patents, and Google ended up purchasing Motorola shortly thereafter, in what many felt was a patent grab. Now, Rockstar is aiming their patent cannons at Google, and this one will be war.
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