Five years ago today, a multinational alliance in favor of advancing open standards for mobile devices was formed (sounds like an epic movie, doesn’t it?). This alliance gave birth to the operating system we’ve come to love and advocate. It’s quite amazing to look back now and realize how visionary these companies were. They saw the tremendous growth of the mobile industry and where it was headed. They had enough forethought to realize a closed system would only hold back that growth. Releasing a gOS tied to a gPhone was not the answer… releasing Android was.

Google apparently hired a few hipsters to create their latest commercial spot for the Nexus 7 and while it briefly saw time on YouTube, it was quickly set to private. Why would Google need to pull a commercial ad? Well, we’re sure it was voluntary, and most likely has to do with the fact that the commercial depicts a group of artsy hipsters frolicking through a mock aquarium on the rooftop of their New York apartment. Talk about bad timing.

You’d think a handcrafted Nexus 7 tablet case made in the U.S. using time tested bookbinding techniques would be a rare occurrence, yet here I am, reviewing my third product of its kind. It’s not only surprising, but quite refreshing. I’m actually quite proud to see American craftsmanship being used to mesh old world techniques with modern day products. It’s both nostalgic and, well… modern.

This next case comes to us from Portenzo, a tried-and-true company known for creating fantastic made-to-order iPad cases. While I can’t promise the Portenzo BookCase for the Nexus 7 will be the last hardcover case I review, I can say this: it’s one of the best I’ve reviewed.

How did you enjoy your extra hour of sleep thanks to the end of daylight-saving time? Now that you’re well rested, it’s time to try and win some sweet Android swag. Last week we were giving away three cool Android hats and today we’re going to announce the lucky winners, as well as give you a chance to win some new swag.

For those of you who have been around since the early days of Android, you surely remember the days of pure Samsung hate. I never thought it possible, but they have truly turned things around. They have become my favorite Android smartphone manufacturer, and judging by the numbers, I’d say millions of you feel the same. Samsung seems to be the only company getting it right, and that’s never been more evident than with their Galaxy S III.