Last week featured a number of interesting highlights. A company called Lambda Labs developed a facial recognition solution for Google Glass, researchers have discovered a way to accelerate data transfer speeds much more cost effectively than before, and the CIA’s VC arm bought a stake in a rapidly growing flash startup. Yahoo also made headlines with the acquisition of PlayerScale, a gaming infrastructure startup with lots of user data.

Lambda Labs’ facial recognition software for Google Glass lets users take a snapshot of a person of interest; attach relevant information about that individual to the image, and use it to identify him or her in other photos. The firm plans to introduce real-time recognition capabilities in the future.

Lambda’s solution has a lot of potential, but not nearly as much as the latest innovation from Bell Laboratories. Scientists from Alcatel-Lucent’s development center succeeded in transmitting 400GB/s signal through almost 8,000 meters of fiber optic cable using a new technique that involves sending two beams of light that mirror each other perfectly. These signals are fused at the receiving end using a process called phase conjugation.

The velocity of data is a big focus in both the networking space and the storage industry. Startups like Pure Storage are leveraging flash to make data more accessible for enterprises that value speed and low latency more than a low-cost entry point. Pure recently announced that it has raised an undisclosed sum from In-Q-Tel, the intelligence community’s venture capital arm. The capital injection paved the way for a joint technology development agreement.

Last but not least is the update from Yahoo. The web titan gobbled up PlayerScale, a cross-platform gaming startup that supports over 150 million users and keeps track of their preferences and in-app purchases.