It used to be that having Google Earth running on your mobile device was a testament of its awesomeness. We’ve since gotten used to seeing this GPU intensive wonder installed on most devices, but having the world in the palm of your hands, is still pretty damn awesome! For some users rocking Tegra 2 devices however, Google Earth has been somewhat of a flat experience. Apparently there have been some problems between Google Earth and the NVIDIA Tegra 2 chips, causing the app to constantly crash on devices like the Motorola XOOM and Galaxy Tab 10.1. You’d imagine how dissapointing it would be, not have the ability to fly around the world on your Galaxy Tab, and thus, Google has finally released an update to fix these issues.
As the ongoing patent arms race continues, Google has acquired a few extra weapons courtesy of IBM. Just before the end of 2011, Google scooped up another 200+ patents from IBM, bringing the total of IBM patents acquired to just over 2000. Of course not all these patents are mobile related, but there are a few covering VOIP, NFC, and a “computer phone.” This just continues the steps Google has been taking to increase its patent portfolio and readying itself for the inevitable patent troll 2.0 that 2012 will bring.
Do you remember the Google Music Blowout sale we told you about two weeks ago? Well, it’s coming to an end. In fact, it’s ending today. We wanted to give you a heads up to ensure you had an opportunity to take advantage of the millions of tracks you can get for $.49, or the half a million albums that have been discounted to $4.99.
If you’re on Google+ and looking for a little Android fun, Google has just the thing for you. They’d like you to share your Android adventures by taking a photo of your Android (not your phone but the little green guy) out and about. Maybe you and the little guy just got back from some deep sea diving off the coast of Australia, or perhaps you and your green pal just finished climbing Mt. Everest. Of course we all can’t be Mr. Adventure, so think of any creative or funny place to bring your trusty Bugdroid and snap a photo.
comScore remains a leading source for measuring key mobile trends, and their latest report is giving me a sense of deja vu. If we look at the results from the three month period ending November 2011, it’s safe to say that not much has changed. Samsung still remains the top OEM with 25.6 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers (up 0.3 percentage points), followed by LG with 20.5 percent. RIM finished last out of the top 5 with a 6.5 percent share (down 0.6). As for mobile OS platforms, I bet you can guess who’s leading.
