Google stocks soar to record high amidst talks of antitrust settlements

Google's (GOOG) stock rose 2.6% to close at $775.60, topping the all-time high of $774.38 it reached in October 2012. The stock went as high as $776.60.

When the market closed on Friday, Google stock had come to rest at $775.60, which broke the $774.38 record Google hit in October of last year. GOOG even managed to peak at $776.60 that day, which is $2.22 higher than the record close.

GOOG stock this past six months

The cause of the sudden confidence in Google stock may be a result of an antitrust settlement proposal that the company sent to the European Commission, where it was facing an EU probe into its search business that has lasted three years. Experts claimed that Google might find itself in a very hard position, unlike how they fared in an investigation by the U.S earlier.

The Commission has not confirmed anything yet, but they did say that they would be taking the proposal into review. This news has been enough incentive to encourage investment in Google stock apparently -- enough to keep rising stocks Facebook (FB) and Microsoft (MSFT) eating their dust.

But will it last? That's the real question. An unfavorable decision by Europe may bring dire consequences upon Google's prices, and who really knows what the future holds?

Google Glass may be equipped with laser-projected keys

Yeah, you read the title right: laser-projected keys. An entire keyboard on your arm, or the dial-pad on your palm -- how future tech is that, right? Though, taking into consideration that Sergey Brin and his "X Lab" team (who recently developed automated, self-driving cars) have been on the Google Glass project, it's not too surprising that there would be some really cool innovations.

What's next? Side-mounted jetpacks? (Please?)

According to the patent filed by Google, this new laser-project keypad "can be projected onto a surface and components of the keyboard detect finger movements and translate the movements into keystrokes on a device." Basically, the Glass is getting reeeeal Minority Report up in here.

"A projection keyboard unit generally includes a laser to project a visible virtual keyboard onto a surface (e.g., a red diode laser as a light source to project a full size QWERTY layout keyboard, with a size of 295 mm x 95 mm projected at a distance of 60 mm from the projection keyboard unit), and a sensor or camera to sense finger movements. A location or detected co-ordinates of the finger can be used to determine actions or characters to be generated," continues the patent.

While it certainly sounds awesome, concerns are already being voiced. "Eh, that's still cool and everything but I've heard gripes from serious typists that a disadvantage of laser keyboards is there isn't that familiar click you get from the springs of keys in mechanical keyboards that have buttons when you are using laser or virtual ones," comments phys.org user Mycobacter.

Regardless of the kinks that may still need to be worked out (including the possibility that they may go an entirely different route in the final stages of development), this laser-keyboard has the obvious potential to really change the way we use our mobile electronics in much the same way texting on a cell phone did.

What do you think about Google Glass? Will it ever be truly feasible, and if so, will it actually be as big as many people anticipate?

Eh, that's still cool and everything but I've heard gripes from serious typists that a disadvantage of laser keyboards is there isn't that familiar click you get from the springs of keys in mechanical keyboards that have buttons when you are using laser or virtual ones.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-google-glass-laser-projected-keyboard.html#jCp

The patent says that the virtual keyboard "can be projected onto a surface and components of the keyboard detect finger movements and translate the movements into keystrokes on a device. A projection keyboard unit generally includes a laser to project a visible virtual keyboard onto a surface (e.g., a red diode laser as a light source to project a full size QWERTY layout keyboard, with a size of 295 mm.times.95 mm projected at a distance of 60 mm from the projection keyboard unit), and a sensor or camera to sense finger movements. A location or detected co-ordinates of the finger can be used to determine actions or characters to be generated. "

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-google-glass-laser-projected-keyboard.html#jCp

The patent says that the virtual keyboard "can be projected onto a surface and components of the keyboard detect finger movements and translate the movements into keystrokes on a device. A projection keyboard unit generally includes a laser to project a visible virtual keyboard onto a surface (e.g., a red diode laser as a light source to project a full size QWERTY layout keyboard, with a size of 295 mm.times.95 mm projected at a distance of 60 mm from the projection keyboard unit), and a sensor or camera to sense finger movements. A location or detected co-ordinates of the finger can be used to determine actions or characters to be generated. "

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-google-glass-laser-projected-keyboard.html#jCp

The patent says that the virtual keyboard "can be projected onto a surface and components of the keyboard detect finger movements and translate the movements into keystrokes on a device. A projection keyboard unit generally includes a laser to project a visible virtual keyboard onto a surface (e.g., a red diode laser as a light source to project a full size QWERTY layout keyboard, with a size of 295 mm.times.95 mm projected at a distance of 60 mm from the projection keyboard unit), and a sensor or camera to sense finger movements. A location or detected co-ordinates of the finger can be used to determine actions or characters to be generated. "

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-google-glass-laser-projected-keyboard.html#jCp

The patent says that the virtual keyboard "can be projected onto a surface and components of the keyboard detect finger movements and translate the movements into keystrokes on a device. A projection keyboard unit generally includes a laser to project a visible virtual keyboard onto a surface (e.g., a red diode laser as a light source to project a full size QWERTY layout keyboard, with a size of 295 mm.times.95 mm projected at a distance of 60 mm from the projection keyboard unit), and a sensor or camera to sense finger movements. A location or detected co-ordinates of the finger can be used to determine actions or characters to be generated. "

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-google-glass-laser-projected-keyboard.html#jCp

What's next for Google Fiber?

Google instantly dominated all other ISPs in speed after releasing their consistently fast service with a relatively small price tag... but what does the future hold for Google Fiber?

The United States is sinking into a quagmire of perpetually slow internet service, so much more visible when compared against the connection speeds of European and Asian ISPs. Thanks to a stagnant pool of national U.S. Internet providers, those that do exist have become complacent, as there are few other providers for customers to leave to (and certainly none that would be much better).

Google, the self-purported white knight of the technology world, swooped in recently to announce that they would be adding "Internet service provider" to their ever-increasing resume. The new service, going by the name of Google Fiber, would premiere in Kansas City only, so as to test the waters of a possible market.

Fiber offers three plans: the $120/mo. Gigabit + TV; $70/mo. Gigabit Internet; and the Free Internet for a one-time $300 activation fee (or $25/mo. for 12 months).

The price is excellent for buyers. Being very competitive, the prices are already something for the other ISPs to look out for. It only gets worse for the likes of Verizon and AT&T, though, as Netflix reported that on average, users of Fiber have considerably faster speeds than any other ISP listed, surpassing even the heavyweight champion of US providers: Verizon FiOs. Now there's blood in the water.

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said on stage at The New York Times' Dealbook conference about a week ago that Google Fiber "isn't just an experiment, it's a real business and we're trying to decide where to expand next." This spells bad news for the fat-cat ISPs who have become too comfortable in their Internet thrones.