Mark Hearn

If you ponied up $1,500 yesterday for Google Glass, you’ll probably want to start scouting apps to try out with your brand new piece of wearable tech. If we can make a suggestion, hotel mega-chain, Starwood has just released a new app for Google’s modern day monocle that lets would-be guests search its vast inventory of resorts, view photos of rooms, get directions to a location and book a stay.

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Cyber security vendor FireEye recently announced that Google has patched a software flaw that left Android users open to phishing attacks. The firm says that it identified a malicious app that could modify the icons of other Android software applications. The strategy behind this attack, would be to trick an unknowing Android user into clicking a false app icon that would direct them to a phishing website.

These bogus sites would then try to steal their personal information. Some of the permissions attacked by the malware include  “com.android.launcher.permission.READ_SETTINGS” and “com.android.launcher.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS.” These permissions allow an application to reconfigure an Android device’s launcher, including its software icons.

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Over the years Google has produced some unbelievable products and the search giant shows no signs of slowing down. This has led to some heavy rumors claiming that the company’s super secret innovation lab, Google X has been working on a space elevator. As far-fetched as it may sound, guess what? It’s true! Well, sort of. Not only did Google kick around the idea of building a space elevator, it’s X lab also entertained the thought of building a hoverboard and the reality of teleportation. Recently, a group of members from Google’s hush-hush R&D group opened up to the folks at Fast Company about some the team’s wildest ideas.

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If you’ve been wanting to try a Chromebook, but have held off due to their need for an internet connection, Best Buy might have a remedy for your dilemma. The blue and yellow big box is currently knocking $100 off HP’s 11.6″ LTE Chromebook, bringing its asking price to $199. The device is backed by Verizon’s LTE network, you’ll pretty much have internet access anywhere in the US.

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With the introduction of a new CEO and a few personnel shifts, Microsoft is definitely making some changes, but along with its corporate restructuring, the company appears to have a new take on marketing as well. Derrick Connell, Microsoft’s corporate vice president in charge of Bing recently stated during an online Q&A session that the company was done with its highly publicized Scroogled ad campaign.

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Google is considering giving higher search rankings to websites that use security encryption, according to The Wall Street Journal. If true, this could force more websites to adopt a secure setup, possibly making it harder for cyber criminals to spy on web users. This new idea was recently mentioned at a conference by Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s Webspam team. Still under consideration, if Google decides to move forward with this process, a change reportedly won’t happen for quite a while. 

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Google will soon open its Glass explorer program to all US residents for one day only, however a recent patent application from the search engine kingpin might make you reconsider making a purchase tomorrow. Spotted by the folks at Patent Bolt, Google has filed a patent application for a micro camera component to compliment its recently announced smart contact lenses.

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The HTC One M8’s build quality is quite an accomplishment, but such a snazzy design comes with a high price tag. However, if rumors are true, HTC could soon offer an affordable plastic version of its new flagship phone. Perhaps in an effort to compete with Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 or maybe taking its cues from Apple’s iPhone 5c, the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer is reportedly planning to release a plastic version of the M8 as early as next month.

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