Screen savers have come a long way since the days of flying toasters. Apple has just filed a patent entitled “Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device” that is designed to recognize when a iPhone, or other device, is in freefall and takes automatic steps to save the screen, according to Apple Insider.

It looks like the technology discussed in the patent is designed to do one of two things, either protect the data on the screen and in use or to realign the device while falling in order to have it land in a manner that will not damage the screen. Sounds a bit farfetched but would be interesting if real.

A nice look at Google Glass’ future
Google Glass has been an interesting platform since its introduction about a year ago, with people speculating on uses and at least one place already banning the as yet unreleased commercial model, but what are the real challenges and opportunities that they will provide users?

Mashable has a nice outlook piece of the platform that talks about a host of challenges that the platform will face from connectivity, how commands and control are implemented to safety issues that they might present. Head on over.

Athletic Directors Pay too high?
Sports on Earth’s Patrick Hruby has an interesting piece on the issue of paying college athletes, taking a different approach than most do by looking at how well paid executives in athletic departments are at top schools.

The issue is of importance because a lawsuit against the NCAA is slowly making its way through the court systems and the NCAA is saying that it will destroy amateurism in sports, although a cycnic might think that the organization was more concerned with its tax exempt status.

ESPN adds a new league with USA Ultimate deal
USA Ultimate may not ring a bell but now you will be able to watch its matches on the network’s channels as ESPN has reached a deal with the governing body of the sport of Ultimate Frisbee in the United States.

The deal calls for ESPN to broadcast the sports three major events; the College Champions, the US Open and the National Championship. There will be both live and tape delayed coverage on the network’s ESPN3 and ESPNU channels.

Survey Says: Mobile Apps win over mobile net
A survey run by Compuware found that the speed and convenience of mobile apps makes them a clear favorite among smartphone users over mobile web sites, with 85% of those surveyed giving the mobiles apps the thumbs up.

It looks as if the convenience factor was a major factor since the poll also showed that only 28% felt that the apps gave a better user experience. Another interesting fact from the study was that the number of apps that smartphone users have on their devices grew 28% last year and now stands at 41.

No $99 Kindle Fire
For the last several weeks there has been a rumor that Amazon was going to break new pricing ground by offering a version of the Kindle Fire for $99. It was supposed to be a 7-inch tablet and would ship later this year.

Not so fast Amazon has replied. Talking to Business Insider, as reported by the Inquistr, the company has responded saying that it is simply not happening. So it is no longer necessary to wait for the fall releases if you were waiting for that device.