For those of you that don't know who I am Josh Uhlemeyer I started MobileNewsNow.Net almost three years ago. During that time I’ve had the great pleasure of informing readers of   news about mobile technology from android to the ipad. I've even reviewed a few products along the way, and made a lot of connections as well. I've given freelancers a place to post their guest blog post and helped give them a voice on the Internet. I do appreciate everyone that has followed the website on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and subscribed to the RSS feed and newsletter, but unfortunately I will be shutting the website down over the next couple of days. Although I will still blog about technology at other websites, if you are interested in reading my work feel free to follow me on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook. I want to thank all of the readers for coming to the website, but it's time to say goodbye. 

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While it’s a good that the merger of T-Mobile USA and AT&T didn’t go through the Department of Justice was happy to give Google the okay when it came to buying out Motorola Mobility.

According to Reuters the Department of Justice allowed Google to buy Motorola Mobility for 12.5 billion dollars. Not only did the buy out go through in the US, but it also went through in Europe as well.  By Google having Motorola Mobility this will allow the company access to 17,000 patents and 7,500 patent applications that Google could use in competition with Apple Inc. and could be used to protect Android manufactures from patent infringement allegation from Apple Inc.  The EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Alumina is concerned that Google could link the patents to the companies Android devices.  Other countries like China, Taiwan as well as Israel have yet to announce whether or not they will allow Google to purchase Motorola, but have until March 20^th to decided.

Although it is not a surprised to me that the deal went through especially in comparison to the AT&T/T-Mobile USA merger, since there are many hardware manufactures such as HTC, Samsung, LG etc. the DOJ wouldn’t have to worry about a monopoly.  I also wouldn’t be surprised if the next Android flagship phone has Motorola’s logo on it, and who know maybe Google will start to sell their own Google TV set top boxes. At this moment only time will tell what Google will do. 

image coutesy of TalkAndroid

Seems like Motorola is working on their next high-end smartphone, which said to be powered by Intel’s processors. According to TalkAndroid.com the handset will run Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).  The Intel processor is said to be one of the Medfield platform processors this kind of processor handles both the central processing unit as well as the graphics processor. Having a processor that handles both the CPU and the GPU could allow for a faster operations as well as save battery life.  Motorola’s Intel powered handset is expected to be announced during Mobile World Congress. 

image courtesy of googtv blog

Google’s Google TV platform may not have been a huge success last year, but the company isn’t counting it out just yet.

Google announced yesterday that they are updating YouTube on their Google TV platform. The update allows users to easily navigate content as well as subscribe to channels. User will also be able to find related content on what they are watching. Google also added new channels to YouTube although didn’t mention what kind of channels they were.  Google TV owners can find the update through the Android Market. So, tell me what do you think of YouTube for Google TV? 

While only a couple of handsets currently run Android 4.0 ( Ice Cream Sandwich). Smartphone manufactures have kept silent on which, smartphone will be upgraded to the new Android operating system except HTC.   HTC announced last week that the HTC Sensation, HTC sensation 4G and the HTC Sensation XE will get Android 4.0 at the end of March while the HTC Sensation XL will be upgraded soon after. HTC also included that the HTC Rezound , HTC Vivid, HTC Amaze 4G HTC EVO 3D,HTC EVO Design 4G, HTC Incredible S, HTC Desire S and the HTC Desire HD will be upgraded to Android 4.0 sometime this year. 

Well if you happen to miss T-Mobiles Valentines Day sale yesterday you’re in luck the cellular company is continuing the sale today. According to Tmonews.com the reason for continuing the sale is due to the popularity of yesterday’s sale causing system slowdowns and downtime.  T-Mobile’s sale is allowing new and renewing customers to get a 4G phone and select tablets for free after a mail-in-rebate, to read more information on the sale go to our T-Mobile USA celebrates valentines day with a 4G sale post.

T-Mobile USA is getting ready for Valentines Day with a sale for all of you couples out there.

T-Mobile Valentines Day sale is available for new and upgrading current customers. Customers that subscribe to T-Mobile’s classic plan for two years can get the Samsung Galaxy S II for $249.99,BlackBerry Bold 9900 for $249.99,HTC Amaze 4G for $274.99 and the T-Mobile SpringBoard for $399.99. Customers that choose the classic plan will be able to send in a rebate card for the price of the device, or customers can sign up for an Unlimited Value Plan with a zero down payment after the mail-rebate.  Customers that choose the Unlimited Value Plan can purchase the Samsung Galaxy II for 199.99, Nokia Lumia 710 for $49.99 or the T-Mobile Sonic 4G Mobile Hotspot for 24.99 with a mail-in rebate for the price of the device. Although customers can get any 4G phone,  there is a catch the handsets must have a data plan, which are 200MB for voice phone, 2GB for most smartphones. If the handset supports T-Mobile 42Mbps network such as the HTC Amaze 4G or the Samsung Galaxy S II will need a 5GB data plan. 

T-Mobile Valentines Day sale will launch in stores nationwide starting Feb. 11th to see a complete list of 4G phones go T-Mobile’s webpage 

Press Release:

Cupid’s Arrow Hits Mark: T-Mobile Offers Free 4G Phones to Celebrate Valentine’s

For one day only, on Feb.11, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free with the switch to a qualifying two-year plan

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Feb. 7, 2012 — In the spirit of the season, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will show consumers lots of love with another jaw-dropping promotion for its “Valentine’s Day Sale.” For one day only, Saturday, Feb. 11, T-Mobile will give customers the chance to get their hands on the latest 4G smartphones and select tablets for free, making a perfect gift for loved ones or themselves. The promotion includes T-Mobile’s fastest 4G smartphones and select tablets running on America’s Largest 4G Network^® such as the Samsung Galaxy S^™ II¹ and the T-Mobile^® SpringBoard^™ with Google™.

New and existing eligible customers can take advantage of this deal receiving their device for free after a mail-in rebate card when they sign up for a new two-year contract on any qualifying Classic Plan^™2 or for a $0.00 down payment after mail-in rebate card when signing up on a qualifying Unlimited Value^™3 Plan.

“T-Mobile has a commitment to make the 4G experience affordable and accessible to everyone, so this sweet deal on smartphones and tablets is our Valentine’s gift to consumers,” said John Clelland, senior vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. “No matter where loved ones live, T-Mobile wants to bring them closer with unlimited talking, photo sharing, video chatting, texting, and more.”

A recent online Omnibus survey4 with Harris Interactive found that four-in-ten (44%) of first time smartphone buyers in 2012 say the cost of the data plan associated with the smartphone is the most influential reason they have not purchased a smartphone before. The value for customers extends beyond the “Valentine’s Day Sale” as T-Mobile offers the best rate plan pricing on America’s Largest 4G Network.

The following is a sample of the exceptional devices available during the “Valentine’s Day Sale” if customers choose to sign up on a two-year Classic Plan^™:

If customers choose to sign up for an Unlimited Value^™ plan, the following is a sample of device pricing and EIP payments:

The “Valentine’s Day Sale” will be available on Feb.11 at participating T-Mobile retail stores nationwide and T-Mobile will support the promotion with a national television advertising campaign. For more information about T-Mobile’s “Valentine’s Day Sale” and details about qualifying plans, visit http://bit.ly/z36M9c.

1 Devices must be supported with the following data requirements: voice phones: 200 MB data; most smartphones: 2 GB data; 42 Mbps devices (Amaze and Galaxy S II): 5 GB data.

2Standard upgrade eligibility rules apply for existing Classic customers that stay on a Classic plan; standard migration fees will apply for existing Classic customers that switch to a Value plan and have less than 18 months contract tenure.

3 $0 down payment offer not applicable in RI, CT, or Miami-Dade County, FL; customers in these regions will be eligible for a different offer. Equipment installment plans: On approved credit and 0 percent APR. Down payment and unfinanced portion required at purchase. Remaining balance paid in 20 monthly installments. Total post-rebate price of each device equals down payment amount plus monthly payment amount times 20.

While Android may have a lot of alternatives to the default web browser, Google is looking to make Chrome Android’s web browser of choice. 

Yesterday Google officially announced the Chrome web browser for Android 4.0 powered handsets and tablets. The new web browser is said to allow users to quickly search and surf the web much faster. Chrome for Android will feature instant search by loading search results in the background.  User will also have tabbed web browsing and be able to sync their bookmarks which will give users access to their favorite websites on the go.

While I think it’s great that Google is bringing Chrome to Android the only issue I have with it is that it’s only on Android 4.0. At the moment only 0.7% of Android smartphones run Android 4.0 while about 58.1% are running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).  I wonder if this is Google’s way of forcing people to get a new handset in order to get Chrome, or will Google release a version of the Chrome web browser for previous versions of Android.  Either way take look at the promo video below, and tell me what do you think of Chrome for Android?  

courtesy of AT&T

While am sure a lot of people in the US are wanting to know how they can get the Samsung Galaxy Note with out having to import it, will be happy to know that AT&T will carry it.

The Samsung Galaxy Note will have a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED touch screen, a 1.5-GHz dual-core processor, an 8.0-megpixel rear-facing camera, 2.0-front-facing camera, 16GB of internal memory, support for 32GB microSD cards, GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The handset will run Android 2.3 at the moment the Samsung Galaxy Note has not been announced to receive Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).   Samsung is trying to bring back stylus pens with their “S pen” which allows users to draw, play games or take notes. The handset comes with the Amazon Kindle application pre-installed that allows consumers to download E-books and read them on the go. The Samsung Galaxy Note has a lot to offer business consumers with full support for Microsoft Exchange Active Sync, and on-device encryption. The handset also comes with Polaris Office that allows consumers to open, view and edit Microsoft Office files and Google documents.  If productivity is not your thing the Samsung Galaxy Note does allow users to share HD video to their HD TV with the HDTV Smart Adapter.

The Samsung Galaxy Note is currently available for pre-order and will be available in stores on Feb. 19^th for $299.99 with a two-year contract. 

image courtesy of tmobile 

T-Mobile USA may have had a difficult year in 2011 with the merger of AT&T not going through, but the company seems to be looking toward the future during 2012.

T-Mobile announced during CES that it has increased the speed of their “4G” network to 42MBps in some markets, and nine additional markets have been upgraded to 21MBps. The cellular company also noted that after regulatory approval T-Mobile would receive a large package of AWS mobile spectrum in 128 markets, due to the breakup of the AT&T merger. T-Mobile US also announced their first 42MBps capable smartphone the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G. The handset will have a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor and a Super AMOLED touchscreen as well a various pre-loaded applications. T-Mobile has stayed quite on the details of the handset, but more information will be released in the coming weeks.

T-Mobile has improved their “Bobsled” application, which allows users to message and call other users who use the application for free over Wi-Fi and their mobile data network.  The application also allows user to group message other Bobsled users. The application is available for Android,iPad,iPhone and iPod touch devices.

Press Release:

T-Mobile Expands America’s Largest 4G Network

And Showcases 4G Experiences at 2012 CES

T-Mobile Unveils Samsung Galaxy S^® Blaze^™ 4G

and Launches New Bobsled™ Messaging Application

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Jan. 10, 2012 — Today, at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), T-Mobile USA executives, including CEO and President Philipp Humm, outlined the company’s ongoing efforts to drive consumer adoption of mobile data through the continued expansion of America’s Largest 4G Network®, rate plans that make mobile data more affordable, and new devices and services that take advantage of the company’s faster 4G network.

“Last year, T-Mobile made solid progress during uncertain times, doubling our 4G network speeds and launching 25 new 4G devices,” said Philipp Humm, CEO and President, T-Mobile USA. “We are here, in fighting shape, and we will compete aggressively to win and retain customers by delivering compelling 4G services — all at a great value.”

The company also announced the expansion of its 4G network; unveiled its next 4G smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G; and demonstrated free, premium services built into smartphones and tablets that bring amazing 4G experiences to life for customers.

T-Mobile also announced an extension of its Bobsled^™ by T-Mobile^® platform, which launches today. The new IP-based group messaging application, Bobsled Messaging, is another example of T-Mobile bringing simple, affordable branded communication solutions to other platforms, beyond traditional wireless services, and to consumers who aren’t currently T-Mobile subscribers.   

Strengthening America’s Largest 4G Network:

T-Mobile announced the company has doubled the speed of its 4G network in 12 additional markets, offering faster 4G (HSPA+ 42) to 184 million Americans in 175 markets. In addition, T-Mobile expanded the reach of its nationwide 4G (HSPA+ 21) network to nine additional markets, now covering 217 markets across the country and reaching more than 200 million people. 

The AT&T breakup concessions give T-Mobile valuable spectrum. T-Mobile will receive, pending regulatory approval, a large package of AWS mobile spectrum in 128 Cellular Market Areas (CMAs), including 12 of the top 20 markets.

“Our 4G network is better than ever heading into 2012,” said Neville Ray, chief technology officer, T-Mobile USA. “HSPA+ will continue to deliver a competitive mobile broadband experience for our customers in the coming years as we evaluate our options for continued investment and evolution of our 4G network.”

Expanding T-Mobile’s 4G Device Portfolio with Two New 4G Smartphones:

T-Mobile continues to expand its 4G product portfolio, today announcing the upcoming availability of the Samsung Galaxy S^® Blaze^™ 4G and celebrating the January 11^th retail availability of the 4G-capable Nokia Lumia 710.

The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G will be the third smartphone to take advantage of 4G HSPA+ 42 technology running on America’s Largest 4G Network^™.  Featuring a Qualcomm^® Snapdragon^™ S3 processor with 1.5 GHz dual CPUs, a brilliant Super AMOLED^™ touch screen and a variety of pre-loaded entertainment, the Galaxy S Blaze 4G provides fast access to the things consumers want most. The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G is expected to be available later this year. Additional details will be revealed closer to availability. For more information, visit http://www.t-mobile.com/GalaxySBLAZE4G.

While Android powers the majority of T-Mobile smartphones, the company expects Windows Phone to also play an important role in its 2012 portfolio, beginning with the Nokia Lumia 710.  The first Windows Phone from Nokia in the U.S., the Lumia 710 will be available starting tomorrow, Jan. 11, at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers and retailers nationwide, and online at http://www.t-mobile.com.The Nokia Lumia 710 is expected to cost $49.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate card, with a two-year service agreement and qualifying Classic voice and data plan. For more information, visit http://www.t-mobile.com/lumia.

Bringing Amazing Service Experiences to Life, Introducing Bobsled Messaging:

T-Mobile is making mobile data approachable, particularly for first-time smartphone users, by offering additional value, making it simple for customers to find, try, and buy compelling applications and services. T-Mobile estimates that customers purchasing a data plan get over $150 worth of free applications, content and services on select devices. T-Mobile customers can choose to use free apps or upgrade to a premium experience anytime. On many devices, customers can easily access this content out of the box directly through the Bonus Apps widget, or by accessing the T-Mobile Mall, our mobile digital storefront. T-Mobile TV, GameBase, MobileLife Album and MobileLife Family Organizer, Bonus Apps, Zinio, Google Music, among others, are part of the “freemium” experience.

“Our goal is to deliver amazing 4G experiences at a great price. We deliver these compelling and optimized 4G experiences by bringing together a fast network, smart devices and leading innovative applications and services,” said Brad Duea, senior vice president, T-Mobile USA.  “Our ‘freemium’ approach to applications, content and services provides our customers with a great out-of-the-box experience at a value unmatched by our leading competitors.”

T-Mobile has seen the rapid adoption of certain services, noting that adoption of its T-Mobile TV premium service has increased over 700% with T-Mobile customers using tablets twice as likely to upgrade from the free to paid service.

In addition to mobile applications, T-Mobile discussed its latest cloud-based services, promoting partner solutions and T-Mobile branded services that provide a seamless customer experience, regardless of where or how they’re connecting. T-Mobile demonstrated its enhanced MobileLife Album service that offers customers a way to automatically upload, backup and store for free on a private website the photos and videos they take on their smartphone or tablet. 

At CES, T-Mobile announced expanded messaging and enhanced calling functionality for its Bobsled^™ by T-Mobile^® service, which provides consumers with effortless communication for free across devices, countries, social networks and mobile carriers. Available today through the Android Market^™, Bobsled Messaging is a free, all-in-one, cloud-based messaging application that allows users to send and receive free individual and group messages with friends and family from any Android^™-powered smartphone or tablet, and any web connected, browser-enabled device. Also starting today, T-Mobile enhanced its Bobsled Calling service enabling users to make free phone calls from their mobile (standard data rates apply) and WiFi-enabled devices including Android-powered smartphones and tablets as well as iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod Touch^® devices. For more information, please visit http://www.bobsled.com.