International Galaxy No...

Samsung has been teasing Galaxy Note users with the promise of Ice Cream Sandwich for months, but now it seems like the consumer electronics giant has finally come through for their phablet fans. Multiple reports from European Note owners confirm that the long-awaited software update is hitting devices, though how users actually install it seems to depend on their locale. Dutch Galaxy Note owner Devin Balentina reported that his device received the update over-the-air for instance, while a report from SammyHub points out that German users can nab the update from Samsung’s Kies updater. Not every market has gotten their taste of Ice Cream Sandwich though — I have yet to see any reports from the U.K. for instance, and CNET UK’s Crave blog reports that Samsung is being characteristically quiet on the issue. Sorry AT&T users, you’ll still have to wait your turn, The new OTA update is only for the international-spec Galaxy Note, and it’ll likely be a while before AT&T finally approves the new software build for mass consumption. But hey, you can always take solace in the fact that your devices have those snappy LTE radios — hopefully you’ve got the coverage to back it up. Despite a company announcement pointing to a release in during the first quarter of 2012, Samsung pointed out last March that the update would end up going live later than everyone had hoped. To help soften the blow, Samsung also introduced their so-called Premium Suite of Galaxy Note apps like S Note and My Story — rather than spell out what they do I’ll just let you see for yourself:

Klout In The Airport: A...

Last month, Klout launched its iPhone app . Today, it’s announcing its first big mobile partnership, one that should make app pretty appealing to any air travelers in San Francisco. So Klout is launching a Perk with Hong Kong-headquartered Cathay Pacific Airways. Anyone in the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport with a Klout score of 40 or higher will be allowed into the airline’s lounge, which is normally limited to Cathay’s first class and business class passengers. Just use the app to show your score to the lounge receptionist and you’ll get access to seven workstations, three showers, and a noodle bar. The promotion, which starts today and runs through July, is another sign that whatever the haters say , companies are interested in exploring Klout as a marketing opportunity. That Cathay Pacific is willing to open its doors to Klout users seems like a real commitment, albeit one that’s limited to SFO, rather than all of its airports. So if you’re scared of a future where people are flashing their Klout scores to get special access, well, that future is getting closer.

Leap Motion Raises $12....

Last year, stealth startup OcuSpec raised $1.3 million from Andressen Horowitz, Founders Fund, SOSventures International and a number of angel investors. Today, the company is announcing that is has raised a $12.75 million Series A round led by Highland Capital Partners with participation from its existing investors . This brings Leap Motion’s total funding to $14.55 million. It is also changing its name from OcuSpec to Leap Motion. What it isn’t announcing, though, is what its actual product will look like. A year go, our own Alexia Tsotsis thought that OcuSpec/Leap Motion was probably working on a “poor man’s Kinect, except that it will work across any platform.” That still sounds like a pretty good guess. All we know for sure is that the company is indeed working on motion-control software and hardware. According to the company’s CEO Michael Buckwald, Leap Motion is a solution “to the challenge of 3D motion control and motion sensing is completely unique from existing products, with tremendous implications across all aspects of computing and device interaction.” Andy Miller, a general partner at Highland Capital Partners says “Leap Motion’s founders have uniquely positioned this company to make the next giant leap forward in computing.”

Report: Internet ad rev...

Online ad revenue for 2011 reached a historic high of $31 billion, according to the International Advertising Bureau's (IAB) Internet Advertising Revenue report, published April 18. That number is a 22% increase over 2010's full-year figure of $26 billion, which was also a record-topping figure.

Evernote Raising $50 Mi...

Cloud note and storage app Evernote is raising a massive fifth round of funding of between $50 to $100 million at a valuation that tops $1 billion, according to multiple sources close to the company. Contrary to what Business Insider  is reporting , the round has not yet closed; While the final details of which investors will participate are still being finalized, there’s strong interest in the Valley and beyond. Investor Meritech is believed to be in the lead, having already dropped a term sheet according to one source. The financing is expected to go through and it could all close in the next couple of weeks. But things are still tentative: There’s a small chance the round could be scrapped or that the numbers could be different, as there are no documents signed, no money in the back, the board hasn’t yet approved any deal. Evernote doesn’t necessarily need the money, but may be eying a strong push in China and other international markets. To date,  Evernote has raised $95.5 million from angels and its Series A through D rounds, the latest of which was a $50 million Series D in July 2011. As of December 2011, the app had 20 million users, across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, web browsers, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, and other platforms. That user count was double what Evernote had in December 2010, showing very strong momentum for the company, hence strong investor interest.