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TED 2013, an annual tech and media conference, is underway in California, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin has apparently made an appearance while donning non other than Google Glass.

Brin went on stage Wednesday to show off Google’s space-age spectacles. According to tweets coming from the event, Brin is reiterating that Glass will be available later this year for $1,500. He also reportedly compared Glass to traditional handsets, claiming smartphones are “emasculating” and “clumsy and awkward for humans.”

Forbes’ Bruce Upbin summarized some of what Brin said:

“This act of looking down at my phone is one of the reasons behind Glass. We questioned whether you should be walking around looking down. That was the vision behind Glass and that’s why we created this form factor. (…) When we made this we thought, ‘Can we make something that frees your hands and frees your eyes.’ That’s why we put the display up high and out of your line of sight so you can make eye contact with people. The sound conducts through the bones in your cranium to free up your ears. If you want to hear it better you cover up your ears, which is surprising.  Our original vision at Google was eventually to get rid of the search query and you’d just get the information you need when you need it. Fifteen years later this is first form factor that delivers on that vision. The project has lasted just over 2 years. We’ve learned  lot.”

Brin also called cell phones a “nervous habit,” according to The Verge, and admitted he whips his out when trying to look as though he has something important to do, but Google Glass takes that restless need away.

A collection of tweets and images are below.

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Google showed off its latest Chrome experiment on Wednesday, and it notably lets Chrome users race with friends on a shared computer screen while using mobile devices as game controllers.

The experiment, dubbed “Chrome Super Sync Sports,” uses HTML5 features like WebSockets for syncing devices to computers and Canvas and CSS3 so users can run, swim, and cycle with rich graphics. The experiment also offers a solo mode, challenges with up to four friends, and the ability to post results on a world leaderboard.

The Google Chrome blog explained how to get started:

To get started, you’ll need a computer and a smartphone or tablet that run a modern browser, like Chrome. Visit chrome.com/supersyncsports on your computer, pick a game and decide if you’re playing solo or with friends. Next, visit g.co/super in Chrome on your smartphone or tablet and type in the unique code shown on your computer screen. You’ve now “super sync”ed your mobile device with your computer, and you’re ready to race!

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Google just updated its Google+ platform with application sign-in and a bevy of related enhancements.

The new application sign-in feature basically allows users to log into non-Google apps on mobile and web with their existing Google account credentials. The feature also enables users to, as Google coined it, “bring along their Google+ info for an upgraded experience.”

This type of functionality has long existed with Facebook and Twitter, so Google’s update essentially brings its social network up to speed. An added bonus, however, is that Google+ sign-in comes with Google safety measures like 2-step verification.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vydTPnIjAHI]

The platform update bundles additional tweaks like the ability to selectively share app activity with circles—as well as the option to sign into a website with Google and install its mobile Android app with just one-click. According to the official Google PlusPlatform blog, another interesting features involves new interactive posts in Google+ streams:

Get more videos below.

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Virgin Mobile USA now offers Samsung’s Galaxy Victory 4G LTE smartphone.

The Android handset is the carrier’s first LTE offering, and it is available today in gray for $299.99 at virginmobileusa.com without a contract.

Key features include the Jelly Bean OS, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with HD video capture, 1.3MP front-facing camera, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and Wi-Fi capabilities, and a MicroSD slot for expandable storage up to 32GB.

Virgin’s No-Contract Beyond Talk unlimited data and messaging plans start at $35 per month, and the carrier said it would roll out the Victory 4G LTE to more retailers in mid-March.

Check out the press release below for more details.

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HP TouchPad with webOS

LG announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today that it bought Hewlett-Packard’s webOS to power upcoming televisions.

The terms of the deal are not publicly available but allegedly include all webOS patents, employees, and the operating system’s original source code, according to a report by CNET, and LG notably revealed it plans to use the software to power televisions and not mobile devices.

LG Electronics President and Chief Technology Officer Skott Ahn told CNET that he hopes webOS would create “a new path for LG to offer an intuitive user experience and Internet services across a range of consumer electronics devices.”

LG expanded its Google Smart TV lineup last month from two models in 2012 to seven models in 2013. The sets will feature PrimeTime, Voice Search, and YouTube Send to TV capabilities, and they are a part of the new GA6400 and GA7900 series that boast 42-, 47-, 50-, 55-, and 60-inch screen sizes. The GA7900 will only have 47- and 55-inch models.

Spearheaded by ex-Apple executive John Rubinstein, Palm originally developed WebOS in 2009. HP bought Palm a year later for $1.2 billion to use the platform within its TouchPad tablet and other mobile devices.

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Update: Google leaked its registration page for Google I/O early on Friday, as 9to5Google first reported, and then abruptly removed the sign up information, but now the page is officially live again with details about when and how to register for the upcoming conference.

Two separate tipsters sent 9to5Google screenshots of the Developers I/O page—and they definitely looked legit—when the registration page originally leaked earlier today. Registration for Google I/O 2013 will open March 13 at 10 a.m. EST, according to those screen grabs and the current live page.

A collection of tweets below show quite a few people were able to access the page before Google removed and then reinstated the registration details. Among the particulars, Google recommended folks set up their Google+ and Google Wallet accounts prior to registering on March 13.

Google also confirmed via the Google Developers Google+ page that tickets will cost $900 USD for general attendees and $300 USD for academic attendees, and it expects tickets to sell out quickly.

Google I/O 2013 will kick off May 15 and go until May 17 in San Francisco. The Internet Giant held its annual event in June of last year, instead of May, but it opened registration in March, as well, and took less than an hour to sell out.

Registration is typically hectic for Google I/O events, with many potential attendees finding themselves locked out or unable to access the registration servers. Also, with Google launching Pixel and Glass, this year’s ticket will be the hottest on record.

Perhaps Google should rent Candlestick instead of Moscone.

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Want a 16GB Nexus 4 on the cheap? Well, T-Mobile is offering a free Nexus 4 if you sign a two-year contract before Feb. 24. Not everyone is keen on contracts, though, but this is one of the most hot-selling Android smartphones on the market right now (and no one can beat free). 

Check it out:

• T-Mobile | Google Nexus 4

The Nexus 4 notably boasts a 4.7-inch WXGA True HD screen, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, 8-megapixel main camera with LED flash, 2100 mAh battery, and quad-core 1.5 GHz processor.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtHVTQssXNQ]

Kyocera’s latest Android smartphone, the Torque, is an “ultra-rugged” 4G LTE device with Ice Cream Sandwich, but the outdoorsy-type will mostly enjoy its Military 810G Standard and ability to withstand water and dust immersion, shock, vibration, solar radiation, humidity, and extreme temperatures.

So, you can go ahead and dip the Torque into one meter of water for up to 30 minutes, drop it from 4 feet roughly 26 times a day, pile dust on top for 6 hours, expose it to salty fog for 2 days, lay it in the sun for a day, hang out in 95-percent humidity weather for 10 days, or hike Death Valley for 3 hours—all without negatively affecting the Torque.

Bear Grylls, of Discovery Channel’s popular “Man vs. Wild” TV show, even gave the Torque two thumbs up in a series of campaign ads (above and below). If interested in Kyocera’s Torque, pick one up when it lands March 8 on Sprint with a $99.99 price tag after a two-year contract and $50 mail-in rebate.

More videos and the press release are below.

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LG announced on Thursday that it plans to expand its 4G LTE footprint by launching the Optimus F5 and Optimus F7 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.

Aside from sporting 4G LTE, the Optimus F5 has a 4.3-inch IPS display, 1.2GHz Dual-Core processor, and 2,150mAh battery. The Optimus F7 is the more high-end LTE smartphone due to its 4.7-inch True HD IPS display, 1.5GHz Dual-Core processor, and 2,540mAh battery.

Both handsets will début with latest Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 OS and include LG’s upgraded QSlide and Live Zooming user-interface features.

LG said in a press release that the worldwide rollout of the Optimus F5 will begin in the second quarter in Europe, while the Optimus F7 will launch soon after in selected markets. The announcement didn’t offer information on exact timing or pricing.

Check out the press release and an image gallery below for more details.

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Just as it did last winter with an online holiday guide for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, Google has developed a similar website so the world can now “enjoy the Oscars with Google.”

The website is a part of Google’s Inside Search and touts how film buffs can prepare for, have fun with, and watch the Oscars simply by using Google products. The page itself acts like a guide, features this year’s nominees upfront, and serves up a variety of Oscars-related tools and links.

Google posted a prediction list of which nominees could win based on Search volume, highlighted a composite reel of 2012’s best films (above), and advertised voice search as a way to discover movie trivia. The Internet Giant also suggested folks use Google Play to watch the nominated films vi Google Play and said an inside look at the theatre hosting the Oscars would come soon to Google Maps.

Additional highlights on the Inside Search Oscars page include a link to YouTube’s My Acceptance Speech, where avid fans can upload their version of an acceptance speech, and an interactive map that explore where films take place and the birthplaces of several nominees.

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Google wants the world to know that it takes security, spam email, and account hijackers seriously, and it’s proving so by detailing a few statistics and security measures in a new blog post on Tuesday.

According to the official Google blog, scams, illegal, fraudulent, or spam messages often come from a person’s own contacts. Only 1 percent of that spam lands in the Gmail inbox, but spammers have started increasingly hijacking accounts in recent years to improve their chances at being more successful. They’ve turned into “account thieves,” as Google dubbed them, breaking into databases to steal usernames, passwords, and online keys to accounts.

Google said it saw one attacker attempting to hack a million Google accounts every day for several weeks and even an entire gang trying to illegally access over 100 accounts per second. With such aggressive spamming and hijacking, Google has a security system that does more than check if a password is correct.

“Every time you sign in to Google, whether via your web browser once a month or an email program that checks for new mail every five minutes, our system performs a complex risk analysis to determine how likely it is that the sign-in really comes from you. In fact, there are more than 120 variables that can factor into how a decision is made,” Google  wrote.

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HTC just posted its first video for the new HTC One on YouTube.

The bumping ad highlights the handset’s full metal body, new BlinkFeed and Zoe features, and BoomSound. Check it out above, but feel free to mute the rave music first.

Aside from the New York unveiling, HTC CEO Peter Chou also showcased the One in London on Tuesday. A video of the event is below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5HM8MHkL3c&list=UUiUC-8OJ7OqxyEEPNkBJEfA&index=1]

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