http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Android-Home-Google-I-O-android-Project-Tungsten-Google-Music,news-14142.html

An FCC filing by Google has brought Project Tungsten back into the spotlight after nearly a year.

ZoomNews of Google’s plans for a home entertainment system isn’t really new — the company demonstrated its hopes and dreams last year at Google I/O 2011 during the Day One Keynote. Essentially the company wants consumers to have a network of accessories with Android baked right in — aka the Android@Home Framework — which will talk to each other, and to non-Android devices.

For instance, Google Calendar could control when the lights in the house turn on and off through an Android-based device. A music CD could be swiped next to a special NFC-packed gadget and unlock the digital version to be played from the cloud to connected speakers. Last year Google even demonstrated an Android-based hub that streamed music to a set of Wi-Fi speakers, or to a stereo system in the next room.

Nearly one year later, news has surfaced that Google is still working on the hinted “Project Tungsten” entertainment system thanks to the Wall Street Journal. Sources close to the project say that, as seen last year with the reference designs, the system’s hub will stream music wirelessly throughout the home to Wi-Fi speakers or other Web-connected devices. And unsurprisingly, the system will be marketed under the company’s own brand.

“[The hub] is both a stand-alone Music Beta end-point and a bridge to the Android@Home network”said project head Joe Britt last year. “It’s always powered on, and it’s always connected to the cloud.”

This week the unnamed sources also claimed that Google’s entertainment system may stream more than just music — possibly movies rented from Android Market. Even more, Google will supposedly unveil the new system later this year — perhaps at Google I/O 2012?

The Wall Street Journal’s story probably stems from news released on Monday that an FCC application shows Google developing a home entertainment system. The application describes a device that connects to a Wi-Fi network and communicates with other devices within the home via Bluetooth. The filing asks the FCC to grant 252 employees permission to test the device (hub) in their own homes between January and July (which kills any kind of Google I/O launch).

Unfortunately, the filing doesn’t mention anything about the 900 MHz based radio system that Google chose for its Android@Home system. “The device utilizes a standard WiFi/Bluetooth module, and the planned testing is not directed at evaluating the radio frequency characteristics of the module (which are known), but rather at the throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device, as well as the basic functionality of the device,” the filing reads.

Naturally Google isn’t manufacturing its own devices, but will likely rely on hardware partners to produce Android@Home compatible accessories and hubs. We expect to hear more about Google’s upcoming entertainment system this June at Google I/O 2012.

The Internet Blacklist Legislation – known as PROTECT IP Act in the Senate and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House – is a threatening sequel to last year’s COICA Internet censorship bill.  Like its predecessor, this legislation invites Internet security risks, threatens online speech, and hampers Internet innovation. Urge your members of Congress to reject this Internet blacklist campaign in both its forms!

Visitors, please go here to find your local representatives and send them a message about why this bill should be stopped!

These new cameras capture light fields, which allow you to change the focus of the image after the picture has been taken.  Although the technology has been around for years, it’s now available for use in cameras and desktop applications, where it used to take entire rooms of super computers to do the calculations.

Check it out, it’s pretty crazy:

http://www.lytro.com/living-pictures/282

http://www.sync-blog.com/sync/2011/09/seven-reasons-to-like-blackberry-7-os.html

I feel bad to finally give up my Pre for a new phone.  I just couldn’t take it anymore. My Pre is an original and has been through way too much over the years.  I hacked it with the WebOS 2.1 which isn’t supposed to be on there, the screen was broken, cracked, scratched, and even had pieces of plastic flaking off from being in the sun for 15 mins.  The keyboard only worked sometimes, or would just repeat the letter “ooooooooooooo” throughout all applications.

I hope the new Google phone serves me well.  I got it for “almost” free at Best Buy Mobile because they were giving the phone away for free today (with 2 year contract and activation fees of course).  Head on over here to pick one up for yourself: bestbuy.com/mobile

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/nexus-s-Best-Buy-Free-Sale-Google-Phone,news-12073.html

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/hybrid-car-electric-car-battery-powered-car,news-11462.html

More in-depth: http://news.discovery.com/autos/electric-car-battery-goo-110608.html

Pretty slick stuff!  Maybe EV cars will be cheaper soon.

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Wireless-Power-Tesla-Fulton-eCoupled,review-1641.html

Pretty nifty stuff.  How cool would it be to set a can of soup on the counter and have it cook, then replace it with your phone to charge after it’s done cooking?  The fact that things could be tracked by the charging station is pretty handy too.

The NFC (near-field-communication) technology in stores for products that light up when you get near them could be handy as well, but I can already foresee advertising companies annoying the heck out of us with tech like that.