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.

Thankfully, it’s been some time since I’ve written about an Apple patent lawsuit, however, that doesn’t mean they’ve magically disappeared. The latest in Apple’s crusade against Google (via Motorola Mobility), leads us to a U.S. District Court in Madison, Wisconsin. Apple was slated to go up against Motorola Mobility with allegations of unfair licensing practices, however, Judge Barbara Crabb has dismissed Apple’s lawsuit with prejudice — meaning the case is over at the trial court level.

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.

Rovio has released the official gameplay trailer for Angry Birds Star Wars, and while it blends all the familiar Angry Birds’ physics we’ve come to love, it looks to be the most feature-rich one yet. you’ll find a slew of new abilities, powers, and even a cameo by the Millennium Falcon. An array of Star Wars themed Angry Birds characters are present and ready to take down the Ham-Empire and any Porkside treachery it has to throw at them.

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.