Jake Smith

VentureBeat reports that Google has been granted a patent for its driverless car project. The patent covers “methods and devices for transitioning a mixed-mode autonomous vehicle from a human driven mode to an autonomously driven mode” — aka no driver. In the past, Google has been testing these cars out on the streets, and there has only been one crash. Luckily, that was human error and not machine’s.

The cars use various sensors to detect surrounding areas and theoretically could dock to a landing strip for more instructions like directions. Nevada was the first state to legalize driverless cars last summer. This technology is still a few years out from everyday use, but is definitely cool nonetheless. Check out a video explaining the project after the break.

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Amazon Kindles are selling like wildfire, at least that’s the latest from the company. Amazon announced in a press release this morning that they’re selling more than 1 million Kindles per week — for the last 3 weeks. Granted this includes all three Kindles, but Amazon specifically mentioned the Kindle Fire, saying that it has broken records since it was released 11 weeks ago. Not only has it broken their records, but also is the best selling tablet at Target and others reports The Next Web.

We’ve embedded the press release after the break.

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As we inch closer to the US release of the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon, update 4.0.2 of ICS has been pushed to those lucky enough to already get their hands on the device. A Droid-Life reader took the above shot revealing the build number ICL53F. For now it looks like the update is just bug fixes. Is this the update Verizon was looking for to launch the Galaxy Nexus?

Also adding more fuel to the fire, a mysterious package from Verizon is on the way to our reviewer and will arrive Friday. They won’t say what it is, but you obviously know what we’re hoping for. We’ll keep you posted on the latest.
Update: Verizon has confirmed that the Galaxy Nexus lands tomorrow.

Google has announced today that Utah’s State School Board has approved to use Google Apps for all of their K-12 schools in the entire state. Google Apps will offer the 42 school districts tools like Gmail, Google Docs, Google Chat and more to help not only teachers, but also students, to work in a more efficient manner. It has been estimated that the switch to Google Apps will save at least one school district $100,000.

Today, we’re thrilled to announce that the Utah State Board of Education has decided to begin offering support for Google Apps for Education to K-12 schools and districts across the state. The decision has the full support of the Utah Technology Coordinators Council (TCC), a group of IT professionals from Utah’s 42 school districts and other organizations that regularly advises the State Office of Education and Utah public schools on technology issues.

Utah isn’t the first state to adopt Google Apps in its schools. Colorado,Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin have also made the switch, that arguably has saved them a lot of money.

In order to get teachers trained on switching to the new technology, Utah Education Network will be holding a professional development session to any school across the state that would like to receive training on Google Apps.

Google continues their 10 cent app promotion for hitting 10 billion app downloads, and today is day 9. Most of the other apps from Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are still on sale for 10 cents as well. Check out all of today’s deals here, or grab direct links to each below.

Tank Riders
Swiftkey X
Sleepy Jack
ezPDF Reader
Guns N Glory
IceBreaker

Continue after the break.

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At a press event in Germany, LG has announced their newest addition to their Android line up — the Prada 3.0. Sadly, it doesn’t look like this device will see a US landing, but it’s good-looking nonetheless. The Prada 3.0 has a 4.3″ NOVA display at 480×800 resolution, TI OMAP 4430 dual-core processor at 1GHz, Android 2.3.7 w/ custom skin, 8GB of internal storage, and an 8-megapixel camera. There’s no word on pricing or availability.

Check out the rear after the break:

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Verizon hasn’t been saying much about the release date of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. There seems like there has been too many rumored dates to count, and as time ticks by we’re starting to think the Galaxy Nexus launch in the US is going to happen next year — but luckily that’s not the case. In an official statement, Verizon confirmed with Android and Me that the Galaxy Nexus is still on track to launch this year.

The Galaxy Nexus is still on track to launch this year. We will definitely send a press release to announce availability. Feel free to visit www.verizonwireless.com/galaxynexus to sign up for email alerts to be one of the first to know.

Also adding more fuel to the fire, a mysterious package from Verizon is on the way to our reviewer and will arrive Friday. They won’t say what it is, but you obviously know what we’re hoping for. We’ll keep you posted on the latest.

Previously available on Amazon and a few other retailers, Samsung has made the Galaxy Nexus available on NewEgg for $700. Don’t get your hopes up however, this isn’t the Verizon Wireless version — rather the GSM version that works with a T-mobile or AT&T SIM card. NewEgg’s price cuts Amazon’s by more than $50.

We know the Galaxy Nexus will be launching in the US in the coming weeks exclusively on Verizon, and it’s not clear which carrier will get it (if ever) after Verizon. If you’re not ready to switch to Verizon and want the Galaxy Nexus — here’s your chance.

European readers, how are you liking ICS?

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Google just announced that they’re extending free calling in Gmail through 2012 for both the US and Canada.The original plan for the Gmail tool was to have it run for free until the end of this year, but luckily for us Google has chosen to keep it free. Vincent Paquet posted on the Official Gmail Blog:

As the holiday season approaches, we’re happy to announce that we’ve extended free domestic calls within the US and Canada for 2012.

Gmail calling uses Google Voice technology to allow users to call any phone number in the US or Canada. It doesn’t attribute a specific phone number unless you tell it to use your Google Voice number.

UPDATE [Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 9:58am ET]: Ouch! Google has killed Google Shoot View.

A Dutch advertising agency called Pool Worldwide has turned Google Maps into a first-person shooter. The website is called Google Shoot View, and simply puts a first-person M16 overlay on top of Google Maps Street View — and quite frankly that’s really it. There’s no blood, running, or screaming, but just the fun of simply shooting at whatever appears on Google Maps. While it won’t replace your midnight Call of Duty rampage, it’s a fun little game to play while sitting at your desk. Check out the promotional video after the break. (via Business Insider)

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PocketNow has obtained leaked press shots for the LG Spectrum — formerly rumored the “Revolution 2” — that is on its way to Verizon Wireless. Most likely seeing a CES announcement, the LTE handset is packing a 1.2GHz processor, 720p HD display, and an HD capable camera (probably 8MP). The LG Spectrum is a successor to Verizon’s LG Revolution, and doesn’t look too much different on the outside. I guess it’s the internals that really matter. It doesn’t appear the Spectrum will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich. At any rate expect the Spectrum sometime this winter season, hopefully with some ICS love.

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Verizon has still yet to announce a release date for the highly anticipated Galaxy Nexus, but apparently a Best Buy store didn’t get that memo. A user posted the following on the Android Central forums:

Went to best buy at 9am in olathe kansas
got one
all activated
everything works fine
there was even a post it not that said 12-11

only problem was the best buy computer didn’t have a valid ski, they couldn’t ring it up
the manager looked in the system for like 60 min and confirmed it was available today

ended up having the ppm override the system and selling it to me.
in the end. i got one
me and my buddy.

Hit up your local store to see if you can get lucky! Check out the box after the break:

(Update: AndroidCentral got an unboxing, below as well)

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The founders of Google — Larry Page, and Sergey Brin — are offering NASA $33 million to restore their Hangar One. Hangar One was once the building that housed NASA planes, and is currently in really bad shape and needs to be restored to protect the environment. How nice of Google, but there’s a catch. Mercury News reports:

Without a covering, the hangar’s frame and foundation will be exposed to the elements. That’s a problem because there are toxic materials in the soil underneath the hangar that could leach out because of rain exposure, Siegel said. Additionally, the Navy has set up some $12 million worth of scaffolding to remove the hangar’s skin. If supporters are able to put a new covering on the hangar right after that process ends, that scaffolding can be left in place. If not, it will have to be removed and then replaced later at a cost of some $1 million to $2 million more, Siegel said.

The Google founders want to use 2/3 of the NASA hangar to house their 11 jets, one of which is currently being sold. The deal hasn’t yet gone through, and still needs approval from necessary NASA/Navy boards. If approved, the restoration project will begin next summer. 
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Radio Shack will be offering a $30 discount on all AT&T phones, starting this Sunday running through December 17th. Besides the iPhone, other AT&T offerings include the Impulse 4G (free), HTC Status (free), Sony Xperia PLAY 4G, and HTC Freestyle. Head on over to your local store this weekend to pick up on some great deals.

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Coby Electronics, the maker of cheap Android tablets and other electronics, has announced five new Android tablets that will run the new Ice Cream Sandwich. The tablet will come in five different screen variants: 7-inch MID7042 (4:3 aspect ratio), 8-inch MID8042 (4:3 aspect ratio), 9-inch MID9042 (4:3 aspect ratio), 9.7-inch MID9742 (4:3 aspect ratio), and a 10-inch MID1042 (4:3 aspect ratio). The tablets will be landing in the first quarter of 2012, after seeing a debut — presumably with a ton of other Android tablets — at CES 2012.

All five variants will pack a 1 GHz RM Cortex A8 processor and multi-touch capacitive touch screen underneath.Other specs include 1GB of RAM, expandable memory up 32 GB, Wi-Fi, and 1080P HD playback.  There’s no word on if this device will actually have the Android Market pre-loaded or what the actual price will be. We’ve posted the full press release after the break. (via AndroidCentral)

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Have you ever been curious to find out who spends the most money advertising on Google Search? AdAge has put together a list of Google’s top ad-spot buyers. If you’re a frequent Google Search-er you’re probably familiar with a lot of them, and probably have clicked on their ads before.

The media company IAC has earned the top-spot, spending $174,000 from January 2011 – September 2011. IAC owns popular online media properties like Match.com, Dictionary.com, Excite, and more. Amazon holds the second spot, with $118,000 spent within the same time period. It’s worth noting, pointed out by AdAge, that the fourth quarter is typically the most busiest time for advertising. These numbers will be much higher for 2011 as a whole.

Search still proves to be Google’s number one source of income. You might be thinking Android would, with 500,000 activations a day, but you have to remember Google makes Android open-source for all to use. All Android does for Google is draw traffic to their web products, which in turn could drive revenue through ads — Search being an example. Curious to see who else made the list? Check it out after the break.

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Google just launched Currents for Android (and iOS) and being an official launch partner, we thought it’d be best to bring you a first look at the app. As you can see in the video and gallery after the break, the app reminds us a lot of Flipboard for iOS. The app allows you to read stories from top publications pre-selected by Google and allows you to import news from your Google Reader feed with a clean feel. Of course being Google, you can also +1 posts, which shares them with your Google+ friends. Check out the video walkthrough after the break:

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AllThingsD’s review columnist Walt Mossberg has graced us with his Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime review this evening, giving the device a pretty high score. Mossberg, a renowned reviewer, calls the Prime the best Android tablet he has tested. Mossberg compliments the Prime on its fast quad-core Tegra 3 processor and keyboard dock which can be purchased separately.

Just as Joanna Stern from The Verge said, Mossberg isn’t too happy with the software on the Prime. He calls it sluggish and not as complete as the iPad. For his final words, Mossberg says the iPad is still the best tablet out there, but if you’re interested in Android and a physical keyboard this tablet is for you. Be sure to read his full review.

I still believe the iPad 2 is the best overall tablet available. However, if you’re looking for a model using Google’s Android interface and are yearning for a well-designed, easily integrated keyboard solution, or want to play more power-hungry games, the Transformer Prime is a good choice, as long as you can tolerate its software limitations.

The Prime launches in the United States on December 15th. The 32GB model will be available for $499, and the optional keyboard dock will be available for $149. We look forward to getting our hands on this!

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t02iJn5Ypio#t=2349s”]

(39:20 mark)

While speaking at Le Web today, Google’s Chairman Eric Schmidt made comment that “Google TV will be embedded in the majority of new TVs by summer of 2012.” While some of you might scoff at that, seeing as Google TV’s current performance is subpar, but perhaps with the rumored Samsung partnership and switch to ARM based processors Google could have something up their sleeves. Schmidt reassured that Google TV will continued to be offered like Android is — free and open sourced. At the upcoming 2012 CES in January, we should be seeing a large amount of Google TVs being announced. Stay tuned!  (via Engadget)

Related articles

• Eric Schmidt and French President Nicolas Sarkozy open new Google HQ in Paris (9to5google.com)
• Eric Schmidt: Developers will prefer ICS to iOS within 6 months (9to5google.com)
• Eric Schmidt to meet European antitrust chief over accusations of search abuse (9to5google.com)
• Logitech Revue Google TV Receiver, TV Cam for $130 + free shipping (9to5toys.com)
• Eric Schmidt says Motorola Mobility won’t receive special treatment (9to5google.com)

Following the release of Cyanogenmod 7 on the Kindle Fire, an Xda-Developers user has ported the latest and greatest Ice Cream Sandwich to the device. The port is currently a bit sketchy — missing audio, Wi-Fi, accelerometer, and light sensor — but does have a working touch panel and hardware graphics. The forum user promises a release of the code in the near future, and we can promise you this project isn’t for the feeble. You have to remember there’s no going back if you mess up. But it doesn’t hurt to look does it? Head on after the break to see the port in action.

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Instagram’s CEO Kevin Systrom told the audience at Le Web today that an Android app is on the way. For those of you who don’t know, Instagram is a very popular socia lnetworking app on iOS, that lets users take pictures of the world around them. Android users have been begging for the app ever since it was first released 13 months ago.

Systrom said that the company currently has two developers working on an Android app, but didn’t say when the app would be completed. The iPhone version of the app currently boasts 50 million users, and Android could help double those numbers. So why did Instagram select iOS to begin with? Systrom said that the iPhone’s disruptive camera and screen were something that had to be taken advantage of — 13 months ago he might of had a point. (via CNET)