We detailed the first information about the Google [x] Glasses project in December.

They are in late prototype stages of wearable glasses that look similar to thick-rimmed glasses that “normal people” wear.  However, these provide a display with a heads up computer interface.  There are a few buttons on the arms of the glasses, but otherwise, they could be mistaken for normal glasses.  Additionally, we are not sure of the technology being employed here, but it is likely a transparent LCD or AMOLED display such as the one demonstrated below:

In addition, we have heard that this device is not an “Android peripheral” as the NYT stated.  According to our source, it communicates directly with the Cloud over IP. Although, the “Google Goggles”  could use a phone’s Internet connection, through Wi-Fi or a low power Bluetooth 4.0.

The use-case is augmented reality that would tie into Google’s location services.  A user can walk around with information popping up and into display -Terminator-style- based on preferences, location and Google’s information.

Therefore, these things likely connect to the Internet and have GPS.  They also likely run a version of Android.

Since then, we have learned much more regarding Google’s glasses…

Our tipster has now seen a prototype and said it looks something like Oakley Thumps (below). These glasses, we heard, have a front-facing camera used to gather information and could aid in augmented reality apps. It will also take pictures. The spied prototype has a flash —perhaps for help at night, or maybe it is just a way to take better photos. The camera is extremely small and likely only a few megapixels.

(Oakleys)

The heads up display (HUD) is only for one eye and on the side. It is not transparent nor does it have dual 3D configurations, as previously speculated.

One really cool bit: The navigation system currently used is a head tilting-to scroll and click. We are told it is very quick to learn and once the user is adept at navigation, it becomes second nature and almost indistinguishable to outside users.

(As an aside, I built a head mouse as a Masters Thesis project a few years back that used head tilts to navigate and control menus. I am ready to collect royalties!)

I/O on the glasses will also include voice input and output, and we are told the CPU/RAM/storage hardware is near the equivalent of a generation-old Android smartphone. Moreover, as a guess, we would speculate something like 1GHz ARM A8, 256MB RAM and 8GB of storage? In any case, it will also function as a smartphone.

Perhaps most interesting is that Google is currently deciding on how it wants to release these glasses, even though the product is still a very long way from being finished. It is currently a secret with only a few geeky types knowing about it, and Google is apparently unsure if it will have mass-market appeal. Therefore, the company is considering making this a pilot program, somewhat like the Cr-48 Chromebooks last year.

Yes, Google might actually release this product as beta-pilot program to people outside of Google—and soon.

Related articles

• Google X’s wearable technology isn’t an iPod Nano, but rather a heads up display (glasses) (9to5google.com)
• Google testing mysterious “entertainment device”, is it Google’s glasses? (9to5google.com)
• Google X is actually Google [x] (as in “solve for X”) and there is a We Solve for [x] Conference happening now #solveforx (9to5google.com)
• Google poaches Apple’s Senior Director of Product Integrity for secret project, maybe to work on Google X? (9to5mac.com)
• Google poaches Apple’s Senior Director of Product Integrity for secret project, maybe to work on Google X? (9to5google.com)
• NYT: Apple’s been “conceptualizing and even prototyping some wearable devices” (9to5mac.com)
• Google releases updates for Google Maps, Goggles and Listen apps (9to5google.com)

While it’s likely not for the delayed Samsung Galaxy S III, that we now know won’t debut at the Mobile World Congress later this month, Samsung has sent out invites to several French Android blogs for an event scheduled for Mar. 22, 2012. The event will take place just weeks after MWC wraps up on March 1.

Earlier this month a leaked press shot of a mystery device surfaced pointing to an unveiling in Barcelona, where MWC will be held this year. The announcement on March 22 being held in France could point to a regional announcement, but we’ll have to wait until next month to find out for sure.

(FrAndroid via AndroidCommunity)

As the world champion New York Giants fought to hold New England scoreless in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVI, another battle was raging off the field — Samsung’s string of anti-Apple commercials culminated with a 90-second TV advertisement that cost the South Korea-based vendor more than $10 million for the airtime alone. Following a series of ads that depict Samsung smartphones as the cool alternative to Apple’s iPhone, Samsung’s new commercial showcases the vendor’s new supersized Galaxy Note, due to launch later this month on AT&T. In this latest spot, a dreary scene of iPhone fans waiting in line for the launch of Apple’s latest handset erupts into a massive block party when Samsung Galaxy Notes begin falling from the sky to the tune of The Darkness’s 2003 single, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” The full 90-second commercial can be viewed below.

It's bad enough that when Kayak.com announced it was dropping support for its BlackBerry app that it said it was a "practical decision." That's gotta sting, right? (Even if it's true. Or especially if it's true.) But what really gave us a chuckle was Kayak's line about devices it will continue to support. 

"If you're thinking of switching to an iPhone, Googlerola phone, other Android device, Windows Phone 7 device, or a Nokia device, we will continue to innovate and maintain our free apps for you," Kayak's billo wrote on the company's news section. "Googlerola phone." Heh. Looks like we're not the only ones chomping at the bit to see what what comes out of the proposed merger (acquisition, really -- Motorola's getting about $12.5 billion out of it) between Google and Motorola. And Kayak, like many of you, is of the mind that soon enough in the future you'll have two classes of Android -- Googlerola, and everything else.

Google's Andy Rubin, of course, has said otherwise -- that Motorola continue to operate as a separate company, and that it doesn't have a lock on future Nexus phones. (Of the major smartphone manufacturers, HTC and Samsung have been tapped for the three Nexus devices.)

"We don't expect that to change at all," Rubin said back in August 2011. "The acquisition is going to be run as a separate business. They will be part of that bidding process, and part of that lead development process. And obviously Android remains open to other partners to use as they are today."

The two companies expect the merger to be finalized "in early 2012," meaning any time now, once regulatory approval is received.

Apple was the top smartphone vendor in the United States last quarter according to new data released on Monday. A new report from market research firm The NPD Group suggests that the three best-selling smartphones in America last quarter were all iPhones. Apple’s new iPhone 4S was deemed the top-selling smartphone this past holiday quarter, followed by the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS, which is now free on contract from AT&T. Two versions of Samsung’s Galaxy S II smartphone rounded out the top-5. Read on for more.

“Attracted by a faster processor, improved camera and the Siri speech-driven agent, most iPhone buyers paid a premium for the iPhone 4S, making it the top-selling handset in Q4,” NPD analyst Ross Rubin said in a statement. “The iPhone 4S outsold the iPhone 4 by 75 percent, and outsold the iPhone 3GS, available for free on AT&T, five to one.” Apple reported last month that it sold more than 37 million iPhones into channels last quarter.

While Apple was the top smartphone vendor in the U.S. last quarter, Android maintained its operating system share lead according to NPD’s data. 48% of smartphone buyers opted for an Android device during the holiday quarter, while 43% chose iOS. The discrepancy was even greater among first-time smartphone buyers — 57% chose an Android device compared to an estimated 34% who chose an iPhone.

“Android has been criticized for offering a more complex user experience than its competitors, but the company’s wide carrier support and large app selection is appealing to new smartphone customers,” Rubin noted. “Android’s support of LTE at Verizon has also made it the exclusive choice for customers who want to take advantage of that carrier’s fastest network.” The NPD Group’s full press release follows below.

The NPD Group: Apple Leads Mobile Handsets in Q4 2011, But Android Attracts More First-Time Smartphone Buyers

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, February 6, 2012 – According to The NPD Group, a leading market research company, Apple leaped past Samsung and LG to become the best-selling U.S. handset brand in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2011. In a quarter that featured the launch of the iPhone 4S and the addition of Sprint, Apple’s three available models combined to capture 43 percent of the U.S. smartphone market in Q4.

“Attracted by a faster processor, improved camera and the Siri speech-driven agent, most iPhone buyers paid a premium for the iPhone 4S, making it the top-selling handset in Q4,” said Ross Rubin, executive director, Connected Intelligence for The NPD Group. “The iPhone 4S outsold the iPhone 4 by 75 percent, and outsold the iPhone 3GS, available for free on AT&T, five to one.”

Together, Android and iPhone accounted for over 90 percent of smartphone sales, with Android holding on to 48 percent of the smartphone market during the quarter; however, Android devices performed better among first-time smartphone buyers.  Based on the latest data from The NPD Group’s monthly Smartphone Track service, among the first-time smartphone buyers in Q4, 57 percent purchased Android phones compared to just 34 percent who purchased iPhones.

“Android has been criticized for offering a more complex user experience than its competitors, but the company’s wide carrier support and large app selection is appealing to new smartphone customers,” Rubin said. “Android’s support of LTE at Verizon has also made it the exclusive choice for customers who want to take advantage of that carrier’s fastest network.”

The overall share of mobile phone sales that are smartphones continued to climb in Q4 2011, reaching 68 percent of the total mobile phone market, which is an increase of 18 percentage points since Q4 2010. Based on the latest data from NPD’s monthly Mobile Phone Track service, average selling prices for smartphones increased eight dollars over the prior quarter, reaching $143 in Q4 2011, which is still below average price of $149 in Q4 2010. Led by continued steady sales for Apple’s iPhones, the top five best-selling mobile phone handsets in Q4 were as follows:

1. Apple iPhone 4S

2. Apple iPhone 4

3. Apple iPhone 3GS

4. Samsung GALAXY S II

5. Samsung GALAXY S 4G

Information this press release is from Mobile Phone Track and Smartphone Track, both of which report on the activities of U.S. consumers, age 18 and older, who reported purchasing a mobile phone or smartphone. NPD does not track corporate/enterprise mobile phone purchases.

Samsung’s Galaxy S III smartphone will be 1.49mm slimmer than its predecessor the highly successful Galaxy S II will, a new rumor has it. According to industry sources who spoke to ETNews.com (via BGR), the new flagship phone by Samsung will be just 7mm thick versus the previous model’s 8.49mm profile.

Confirming Samsung’s plans to postpone the expected MWC introduction, the publication is claiming the Galaxy S III will arrive in May, sporting an 8-megapixel back camera and a two-megapixel camera on the front. Other features mentioned in the article include Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Samsung’s trademark Super AMOLED Plus display…

We also know from earlier rumors that it should run a quad-core processor and pack in 4G LTE connectivity. A recent spy shot even claimed the device could sport a flexible display, but do not bet on it (even with Samsung confirming phones with flexible displays this year). PocketNow said Samsung’s new Exynos 4412 that has four Cortex-A9 processing cores will power the phone, each clocked at 1.5GHz.

Related articles

• Spyshot depicts Samsung Galaxy S III with flexible display (9to5google.com)
• New Samsung Android 4.0 device to be unveiled at MWC? (9to5google.com)
• Samsung delays Galaxy S III, new launch event scheduled for H1 2012 (9to5google.com)

Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy S III will reportedly be one of the thinnest smartphones in the world when it is unveiled in the coming months. South Korea’s Electronic Times News on Monday cited unnamed sources in claiming Samsung’s upcoming flagship superphone will pack impressive specs into a case that is just 7 millimeters thick; the thinnest version of Samsung’s current flagship, the Galaxy S II, features a case that is 8.49 millimeters thick. The site also states that the Galaxy S III will feature an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, a Super AMOLED Plus display and the Android 4.0 operating system. An earlier report claimed the Galaxy S III could launch as soon as April, but Electronic Times News claims the handset will hit store shelves in May. Recent rumors suggest Samsung’s Galaxy S III will feature a quad-core processor, a Super AMOLED Plus HD display, 4G LTE connectivity, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Read

HTC on Monday reported earnings for the fourth quarter last year along with guidance for the first quarter that missed analysts’ estimates. Further highlighting the slump that began in October with the launch of Apple’s iPhone 4S, the Taiwan-based vendor posted fourth-quarter revenue of NT$101.42 billion, or approximately $3.5 billion USD, down 2.5% compared to the same quarter in 2010. Gross profit slid nearly 12% in the fourth quarter to NT$27.5 billion, and HTC’s total assets on hand at the end of the year slid more than 33% to NT$254.59 billion. In the first quarter of 2012, the vendor expects the rough patch to continue ahead of new product launches due later in the first half. HTC said first-quarter sales will likely fall between NT$65 billion and NT$70 billion while Wall Street expected guidance of approximately NT$85 billion.

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Just days after hearing about the leaked release of Android 4.0.4 for the Nexus 4G, French mobile phone company SFR has not only announced (Google Translate) which devices will be getting ICS in the coming months, it has also confirmed the existence of Android 4.0.5.

According to its post, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S will be receiving an OTA update to Android 4.0.5 sometime in March, while the HTC Sensation and Galaxy SII will be updated to Android 4.0. In addition, a number of older Android devices, including the LG Optimus Black, HTC Desire S, ...

Official Android Police t-shirts are now on sale, with over 25 designs to call yours.

• Skype For Android Updated To v2.1 With Official Video Support For 17 More Devices (Including EVO 3D/4G, Thunderbolt, SGS1/2), And Unofficial Support For Any 2.2+ Device
• CyanogenMod 7.1 Nightlies Expanded To A Slew Of Devices, Including AT&T's Samsung Galaxy SII, Motorola Atrix 4G, Optimus Black, And Tons Of Xperias
• [Update: Now With Dates] Sony Ericsson Promises Ice Cream Sandwich For 2011 Xperia Line... Again
• Android Platform Version Chart Updated: Froyo Dominates, Éclair Still Strong, Cupcake And Donut On The Way Out
• Android Platform Version Chart Updated, Android 2.1 Continues To Grow

SFR Reveals Existence Of Android 4.0.5, Confirms ICS Update Roadmap For Galaxy Nexus, Nexus One, Galaxy SII And HTC Sensation In March 2012 was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Just days after hearing about the leaked release of Android 4.0.4 for the Nexus 4G, French mobile phone company SFR has not only announced (Google Translate) which devices will be getting ICS in the coming months, it has also confirmed the existence of Android 4.0.5.

According to its post, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S will be receiving an OTA update to Android 4.0.5 sometime in March, while the HTC Sensation and Galaxy SII will be updated to Android 4.0. In addition, a number of older Android devices, including the LG Optimus Black, HTC Desire S, ...

Official Android Police t-shirts are now on sale, with over 25 designs to call yours.

• Skype For Android Updated To v2.1 With Official Video Support For 17 More Devices (Including EVO 3D/4G, Thunderbolt, SGS1/2), And Unofficial Support For Any 2.2+ Device
• CyanogenMod 7.1 Nightlies Expanded To A Slew Of Devices, Including AT&T's Samsung Galaxy SII, Motorola Atrix 4G, Optimus Black, And Tons Of Xperias
• [Update: Now With Dates] Sony Ericsson Promises Ice Cream Sandwich For 2011 Xperia Line... Again
• Android Platform Version Chart Updated: Froyo Dominates, Éclair Still Strong, Cupcake And Donut On The Way Out
• Android Platform Version Chart Updated, Android 2.1 Continues To Grow

SFR Reveals Existence Of Android 4.0.5, Confirms ICS Update Roadmap For Galaxy Nexus, Nexus One, Galaxy SII And HTC Sensation In March 2012 was written by the awesome team at Android Police.