"Take that, Facebook?" It isn't as though Google and Facebook have been at each other's throats in this business for years, and Google delivered a killing blow. They're entering this game very late so of course they're undercutting the competition to drive adoption. That's the way Google works.
I think the bigger news here is that Gizmodo is not being charged at all. It was fairly clear from the behavior of the individual who fenced the phone that he suspected that he was breaking the law so it is no surprise that the prosecution came to the same conclusion.
It makes sense. VCs stick a finger in the wind and then go where they think the profits are blowing. The truth is that if someone invented a slam dunk Clean Energy solution that was better than what we have, financially sans subsidies, they would get the funding they need regardless of how much capital it required.