PRESS RELEASE

AT&T Inc. and Deutsche Telekom AG (FWB: DTE) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which AT&T will acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom in a cash-and-stock transaction currently valued at approximately $39 billion. The agreement has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies.

AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile USA provides an optimal combination of network assets to add capacity sooner than any alternative, and it provides an opportunity to improve network quality in the near term for both companies’ customers. In addition, it provides a fast, efficient and certain solution to the impending exhaustion of wireless spectrum in some markets, which limits both companies’ ability to meet the ongoing explosive demand for mobile broadband.

With this transaction, AT&T commits to a significant expansion of robust 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) deployment to 95 percent of the U.S. population to reach an additional 46.5 million Americans beyond current plans – including rural communities and small towns.  This helps achieve the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and President Obama’s goals to connect “every part of America to the digital age.” T-Mobile USA does not have a clear path to delivering LTE.

“This transaction represents a major commitment to strengthen and expand critical infrastructure for our nation’s future,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T Chairman and CEO. “It will improve network quality, and it will bring advanced LTE capabilities to more than 294 million people. Mobile broadband networks drive economic opportunity everywhere, and they enable the expanding high-tech ecosystem that includes device makers, cloud and content providers, app developers, customers, and more. During the past few years, America’s high-tech industry has delivered innovation at unprecedented speed, and this combination will accelerate its continued growth.”

Stephenson continued, “This transaction delivers significant customer, shareowner and public benefits that are available at this level only from the combination of these two companies with complementary network technologies, spectrum positions and operations. We are confident in our ability to execute a seamless integration, and with additional spectrum and network capabilities, we can better meet our customers’ current demands, build for the future and help achieve the President’s goals for a high-speed, wirelessly connected America.”

Deutsche Telekom Chairman and CEO René Obermann said, “After evaluating strategic options for T-Mobile USA, I am confident that AT&T is the best partner for our customers, shareholders and the mobile broadband ecosystem. Our common network technology makes this a logical combination and provides an efficient path to gaining the spectrum and network assets needed to provide T-Mobile customers with 4G LTE and the best devices. Also, the transaction returns significant value to Deutsche Telekom shareholders and allows us to retain exposure to the U.S. market.”

As part of the transaction, Deutsche Telekom will receive an equity stake in AT&T that, based on the terms of the agreement, would give Deutsche Telekom an ownership interest in AT&T of approximately 8 percent. A Deutsche Telekom representative will join the AT&T Board of Directors.

Competition and Pricing

The U.S. wireless industry is one of the most fiercely competitive markets in the world and will remain so after this deal. The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world where a large majority of consumers can choose from five or more wireless providers in their local market. For example, in 18 of the top 20 U.S. local markets, there are five or more providers. Local market competition is escalating among larger carriers, low-cost carriers and several regional wireless players with nationwide service plans. This intense competition is only increasing with the build-out of new 4G networks and the emergence of new market entrants.

The competitiveness of the market has directly benefited consumers. A 2010 report from the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) states the overall average price (adjusted for inflation) for wireless services declined 50 percent from 1999 to 2009, during a period which saw five major wireless mergers.

Addresses wireless spectrum challenges facing AT&T, T-Mobile USA, their customers, and U.S. policymakers

This transaction quickly provides the spectrum and network efficiencies necessary for AT&T to address impending spectrum exhaust in key markets driven by the exponential growth in mobile broadband traffic on its network. AT&T’s mobile data traffic grew 8,000 percent over the past four years and by 2015 it is expected to be eight to 10 times what it was in 2010. Put another way, all of the mobile traffic volume AT&T carried during 2010 is estimated to be carried in just the first six to seven weeks of 2015. Because AT&T has led the U.S. in smartphones, tablets and e-readers – and as a result, mobile broadband – it requires additional spectrum before new spectrum will become available.  In the long term, the entire industry will need additional spectrum to address the explosive growth in demand for mobile broadband.

Improves service quality for U.S. wireless customers

AT&T and T-Mobile USA customers will see service improvements – including improved voice quality – as a result of additional spectrum, increased cell tower density and broader network infrastructure. At closing, AT&T will immediately gain cell sites equivalent to what would have taken on average five years to build without the transaction, and double that in some markets.  The combination will increase AT&T’s network density by approximately 30 percent in some of its most populated areas, while avoiding the need to construct additional cell towers. This transaction will increase spectrum efficiency to increase capacity and output, which not only improves service, but is also the best way to ensure competitive prices and services in a market where demand is extremely high and spectrum is in short supply.

Expands 4G LTE deployment to 95 percent of U.S. population – urban and rural areas

This transaction will directly benefit an additional 46.5 million Americans – equivalent to the combined populations of the states of New York and Texas – who will, as a result of this combination, have access to AT&T’s latest 4G LTE technology. In terms of area covered, the transaction enables 4G LTE deployment to an additional 1.2 million square miles, equivalent to 4.5 times the size of the state of Texas.  Rural and smaller communities will substantially benefit from the expansion of 4G LTE deployment, increasing the competitiveness of the businesses and entrepreneurs in these areas.

Increases AT&T’s investment in the U.S.

The acquisition will increase AT&T’s infrastructure investment in the U.S. by more than $8 billion over seven years. Expansion of AT&T’s 4G LTE network is an important foundation for the next wave of innovation and growth in mobile broadband, ensuring the U.S. continues to lead the world in wireless technology and availability.  It makes T-Mobile USA, currently a German-owned U.S. telecom network, part of a U.S.-based company.

An impressive, combined workforce

Bringing AT&T and T-Mobile USA together will create an impressive workforce that is best positioned to compete in today’s global economy. Post-closing, AT&T intends to tap into the significant knowledge and expertise held by employees of both AT&T and T-Mobile USA to succeed. AT&T is the only major U.S. wireless company with a union workforce, offering leading wages, benefits, training and development for employees. The combined company will continue to have a strong employee and operations base in the Seattle area.

Consistent with AT&T’s track record of value-enhancing acquisitions

AT&T has a strong track record of executing value-enhancing acquisitions and expects to create substantial value for shareholders through large, straightforward synergies with a run rate of more than $3 billion, three years after closing onward (excluding integration costs). The value of the synergies is expected to exceed the purchase price of $39 billion. Revenue synergies come from opportunities to increase smartphone penetration and data average revenue per user, with cost savings coming from network efficiencies, subscriber and support savings, reduced churn and avoided capital and spectrum expenditures.

The transaction will enhance margin potential and improve the company’s long-term revenue growth potential as it benefits from a more robust mobile broadband platform for new services.

Additional financial information

The $39 billion purchase price will include a cash payment of $25 billion with the balance to be paid using AT&T common stock, subject to adjustment.  AT&T has the right to increase the cash portion of the purchase price by up to $4.2 billion with a corresponding reduction in the stock component, so long as Deutsche Telekom receives at least a 5 percent equity ownership interest in AT&T.

The number of AT&T shares issued will be based on the AT&T share price during the 30-day period prior to closing, subject to a 7.5 percent collar; there is a one-year lock-up period during which Deutsche Telekom cannot sell shares.

The cash portion of the purchase price will be financed with new debt and cash on AT&T’s balance sheet. AT&T has an 18-month commitment for a one-year unsecured bridge term facility underwritten by J.P. Morgan for $20 billion.  AT&T assumes no debt from T-Mobile USA or Deutsche Telekom and continues to have a strong balance sheet.

The transaction is expected to be earnings (excluding non-cash amortization and integration costs) accretive in the third year after closing. Pro-forma for 2010, this transaction increases AT&T’s total wireless revenues from $58.5 billion to nearly $80 billion, and increases the percentage of AT&T’s total revenues from wireless, wireline data and managed services to approximately 80 percent.

This transaction will allow for sufficient cash flow to support AT&T’s dividend. AT&T has increased its dividend for 27 consecutive years, a matter decided by AT&T’s Board of Directors.

Conditions

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals, a reverse breakup fee in certain circumstances, and other customary regulatory and other closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in approximately 12 months.

Advisors

Greenhill & Co., J.P. Morgan and Evercore Partners acted as financial advisors and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Arnold & Porter, and Crowell & Moring provided legal advice to AT&T.

Conference Call/Webcast

On Monday, March 21, 2011, at 8 a.m. ET, AT&T Inc. will host a live video and audio webcast presentation regarding its announcement to acquire T-Mobile USA. Links to the webcast and accompanying documents will be available on AT&T’s Investor Relations website. Please log in 15 minutes ahead of time to test your browser and register for the call.

For dial-in access, please dial +1 (888) 517-2464 within the U.S. or +1 (630) 827-6816 outside the U.S. after 7:30 a.m. ET. Enter passcode 8442095# to join or ask the conference call operator for the AT&T Investor Relations event.

The webcast will be available for replay on AT&T’s Investor Relations website on March 21, 2011, starting at 12:30 p.m. ET through April 21, 2011. An archive of the conference call will also be available during this time period. To access the recording, please dial +1 (877) 870-5176 within the U.S. or +1 (858) 384-5517 outside the U.S. and enter reservation code 29362481#.

Transaction Website

For more information on the transaction, including background information and factsheets, visit www.MobilizeEverything.com.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T ?DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/RSS. Or follow our news at @ATT.

About Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with around 129 million mobile customers, approximately 36 million fixed-network lines and more than 16 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2010). The Group provides products and services for the fixed network, mobile communications, the Internet and IPTV for consumers, and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in over 50 countries and has around 247,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 62.4 billion in the 2010 financial year – more than half of it outside Germany (as of December 31, 2010).

About T-Mobile USA

Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, approximately 129 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group – 33.7 million by T-Mobile USA – all via GSM and UMTS, the world’s most widely used digital wireless standards. Today, T-Mobile operates America’s largest 4G network, and is delivering a compelling 4G experience across a broad lineup of leading devices in more places than competing 4G services.  T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services empower and enable people to stay connected and productive while mobile. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA as a leader in customer care and customer satisfaction. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.  For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. In addition to these factors, there are risks and uncertainties associated with the T-Mobile business, the pendency of the T-Mobile acquisition and the ability to realize the benefits of the integration of the T-Mobile business. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise. This news release may contain certain non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations between the non-GAAP financial measures and the GAAP financial measures are available on the company’s website at www.att.com/investor.relations.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Its Official !  After multiple rumors about what was going to be included Apple finally announced there iPad 2 today. (Press Release Below)

It features a 1GHz dual-core A5 chip and, finally, cameras, both front and rear!

The pricing is the same @  $499 for the lowest model

Apple® today introduced iPad™ 2, the next generation of its magical device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading ebooks and much more. iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime® and Photo Booth®, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. Though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers up to 10 hours of battery life* that users have come to expect. iPad 2 is available in black or white, features models that run on AT&T’s and Verizon’s 3G networks, and introduces the innovative iPad 2 Smart Cover in a range of vibrant polyurethane and rich leather colors.

“With more than 15 million iPads sold, iPad has defined an entirely new category of mobile devices,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “While others have been scrambling to copy the first generation iPad, we’re launching iPad 2, which moves the bar far ahead of the competition and will likely cause them to go back to the drawing boards yet again.”

With the new front and rear cameras, iPad 2 users can now make FaceTime calls to millions of iPhone® 4, iPod touch® and Mac® users so they can see family and friends anywhere there is Wi-Fi. Photo Booth lets you apply fun visual effects, including eight photo special effects like Squeeze, Twirl and Kaleidoscope, to photos captured by either camera.

iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, with new features including faster Safari® mobile browsing performance; iTunes® Home Sharing; enhancements to AirPlay®;** the choice to use the iPad side switch to either lock the screen rotation or mute audio; and Personal Hotspot to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection over Wi-Fi.*** Additional iPad 2 features include a built-in gyro for advanced gaming; HSUPA support for enhanced 3G upload speeds on iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G on AT&T, and HDMI Video Mirroring that lets users mirror their iPad screen on an HDTV using an optional adaptor.

The innovative new iPad 2 Smart Cover provides protection for the iPad screen while maintaining its thin and lightweight profile. Designed with a unique self-aligning magnetic hinge that makes it easy to attach and remove, the new iPad 2 Smart Cover automatically wakes iPad 2 when it’s opened and puts it to sleep when it’s closed, and has a soft microfiber lining to help keep the screen clean. The Smart Cover also folds into a stand for typing or viewing videos and is available in vibrant polyurethane for $39 or rich leather for $69 in a range of colors, including a (PRODUCT) RED one which helps support the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Apple also introduced two new apps: iMovie® and GarageBand® for iPad, both available on the App Store? for just $4.99 each. With iMovie, iPad 2 users can shoot and edit videos right on their iPad and post their movies to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and their MobileMe? gallery; watch them on their iPod®, iPhone or iPad; as well as view them on their HDTV using AirPlay and Apple TV®. GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of touch instruments and 8-track recording studio, allowing you to perform with onscreen keyboards, guitars, drums and basses using multi-touch gestures–even if you don’t play a musical instrument.

iPad 2 runs almost all of the over 350,000 apps available on the App Store and there are more than 65,000 native iPad apps available from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iTunes Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 14 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 10,000 films including over 3,500 in stunning high definition video. The iBooks® app for iPad includes Apple’s iBookstore?, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device.

Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G compatible with the Verizon network will be available in the US only for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iMovie and GarageBand for iPad apps will be available on March 11 for $4.99 each from the App Store on iPad or www.itunes.com/appstore.

iPad 2 will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25; and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.
Major updates from original iPad! Make sure you use Data recovery to back up data from your old iPad to your new one!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Apple will be holding an event on March 2. According to the invite received by Engadget, the event will be regarding the iPad and we know what that means; Apple will be unveiling the second generation model of the iPad.

Popularity: 2% [?]

HP today enlarged the HP webOS world with the first webOS slate – the HP TouchPad – the breakthrough webOS user interface fully realized in the tablet experience.

With its vibrant 9.7-inch diagonal flush capacitive multitouch display, virtual keyboard, instant-on access, support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta in the browser and access to thousands of webOS applications,TouchPad works the way you do and is designed not just for fun but for mobile productivity. It’s ideal for anyone who wants the benefits of the amazing webOS platform on a much bigger scale.

TouchPad is one of the products HP announced today to introduce a unique experience for customers around connected mobility, offering a unified experience for the first time across a variety of devices. It’s one of the building blocks in HP’s vision to seamlessly connect all your worlds through the power of HP webOS.

“Today we’re embarking on a new era of webOS with the goal of linking a wide family of HP products through the best mobile experience available,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “The flexibility of the webOS platform makes it ideal for creating a range of innovative devices that work together to keep you better connected to your world.”

Designed to be used alone or as a digital companion to your webOS phone, TouchPad connects you and your devices through the elegant webOS experience. Never miss an important call or SMS message – they can be answered and viewed right on your TouchPad. Plus, HP’s exclusive new touch-to-share feature will let you simply touch an enabled webOS phone to your TouchPad to share web URLs.

With the HP Synergy feature, you simply have to sign in to your Facebook, Google, Microsoft Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo! accounts and your contacts, calendar and email automatically populate your TouchPad.

TouchPad works the way you do
The TouchPad user interface is a visual representation of your workspace, so you can manage your workflow in a naturally intuitive way that’s easy and fun. The power of webOS true multitasking lets you have multiple applications running at the same time. webOS shows you your activities in the form of cards, not a sea of application icons on numerous home screens.

This helps you do all the things you want to do, all at once, so you can listen to music, update your status on Facebook, read email and chat on IM at the same time. As you launch new activities, webOS will automatically group related cards – for example, an email and an associated web page – together in a card stack, so you can easily track all related items together.

TouchPad also features a webOS communication suite powered by HP Synergy that keeps you connected and creative, making all of your communications simpler, richer and in your control. It’s a complete solution, including email, instant messaging, contacts, calendar, videos and a front-facing camera for video calling. Connected photo albums make it easy to share and view your pictures directly from popular services such as Facebook, Snapfish and Photobucket. It works seamlessly with TouchPad’s user interface for a natural and efficient experience.

Around the house or on the go
TouchPad offers a great internet experience around the house or on the go, so you can manage your busy life, be productive wherever you are and stay connected with work, friends, family and social networks. It keeps you connected anywhere there’s Wi-Fi for easy access to the web and entertainment.⁽⁸⁾

At home, whether you’re watching TV, relaxing on the sofa, at the kitchen table or in bed, you can check in with friends, surf the web, play games or read a book, magazine or newspaper. Amazon.com today announced that it will launch a free Kindle app for HP webOS tailored for TouchPad that will give you access to more than 810,000 titles from Amazon’s Kindle Store. You also can subscribe to popular magazine titles, such as Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and People, and download movies and TV shows through the HP Movie Store. The TouchPad music app lets you transfer and play all your favorites from your personal music collection,⁽⁹⁾ with amazing sound quality by Beats Audio^™. You can start an email, create a message, update your status, search your favorite websites – all before you’ve even opened an application. Whenever you want to do something on your TouchPad, Just Type.

Buy and sell on Amazon.com, do your banking, buy movie tickets from Fandango or check the news. Whether your thing is Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, IM, video calling or email, TouchPad brings it all together with thousands of available webOS applications and the convenience and power of HP Synergy for integrated contacts and calendar to keep your busy life on track.

It’s great for road trips, on a plane, while commuting, in public places, while visiting friends and on vacation. It’s easy to pack, has a long-lasting battery and integrated GPS (3G only), and posting vacation photos is a snap.

Mobile productivity
When productivity is key, TouchPad makes an excellent companion. You can read and write email, view your work and personal inboxes together, or easily toggle between them. Integrated messaging conveniently combines all your text messages, picture messages and IM conversations with one person into a single view, and you can connect through SMS, Google Talk, AIM and Yahoo! Messenger.

TouchPad’s virtual full QWERTY keyboard includes a number row, which reduces keyboard switching, making typing easy and fast. It powers on instantly and brings you back to exactly where you left off, whether you were in the middle of composing an email, playing a game or browsing a web page. With webOS true multitasking, it’s like you never left.

For maximum productivity, HP is working with Quickoffice to include the Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite, which lets you view and edit documents, such as Microsoft Word and Excel. It also comes with VPN support to connect to corporate networks.

With its 1.3-megapixel front-facing webcam, TouchPad offers video calling capability. It’s also compatible with HP’s industry-leading printing solutions, so you can wirelessly print documents, photos and emails to compatible wireless and networked HP printers.

TouchPad has built-in HP Touchstone technology for easy charging, so it’s compatible out of the box with the HP Touchstone for TouchPad (sold separately), and you can charge in either portrait or landscape mode, even without removing the TouchPad case (sold separately). The webOS Exhibition feature lets you run applications designed specifically for Touchstone. Set your TouchPad on Touchstone and Exhibition launches automatically, showing you anything from today’s agenda to a slideshow of your photos.

TouchPad is one of three webOS products announced today (see separate announcements for HP Veer and HP Pre³). Each product plays a distinct role in the growing webOS family, designed to meet the varying needs of customers in a rapidly evolving mobile landscape.

Availability
HP TouchPad is scheduled to be available in the summer. Exact pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

HP TouchPad features and specs

• HP webOS
• High-speed connectivity
• Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-CPU APQ8060 1.2-GHz processor
• 9.7-inch diagonal XGA capacitive, multitouch screen with a vibrant, 18-bit color, 1,024 x 768 resolution display
• The option of either 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage
• High-performance browser with full access to the web, including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta for access to rich, Flash-based web content
• Wireless connectivity:
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication
  • A-GPS (3G only)
  • Bluetooth^® wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
• Multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, and a 3.5 mm headset/headphone/microphone jack
  • Internal stereo speakers and Beats Audio
  • Front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam for live video calling
• Email, including EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers) and personal email support (Google Gmail push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)⁽⁶⁾
• Robust messaging support
• Light sensor, accelerometer, compass (magnetometer) and gyroscope
• Rechargeable 6,300 mAh (typical) battery
• Micro-USB (Charging and PC Connect) with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
• Built-in HP Touchstone technology for easy charging (HP Touchstone for TouchPad sold separately) and HP touch-to-share to share web addresses between TouchPad and compatible webOS phones
• Dimensions: 190 mm x 242 mm x 13.7 mm (7.48 inches x 9.53 inches x .54 inches)
• Weight: approximately 740 g (1.6 pounds)

More information about HP TouchPad is available at www.palm.com/TouchPad.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

For anyone who wants a smartphone that packs the features they crave without the extra size they don’t, HP today introduced the powerfully small HP Veer smartphone running HP webOS.

Veer is one of the products HP announced today to introduce a unique experience for customers around connected mobility. It’s one of the building blocks in HP’s vision to seamlessly connect all your worlds through the power of HP webOS.

Veer is the smallest webOS phone to date – the size of a credit card and no thicker than a deck of cards – yet it offers the higher-end features of a smartphone, such as easy messaging and access to apps, social networks and the web, including support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 beta in the browser for access to rich, Flash-based web content.⁽¹⁾

It has a full slide-out keyboard, vivid touchscreen and access to thousands of webOS apps⁽²⁾ in a surprisingly small, modern package that fits easily into a pocket or purse. It’s everything a smartphone should be, but in a smarter size.

“While much of the industry is trending toward larger and larger devices, we believe there’s also a whole lot of room for thinking small,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “Veer bridges the gap for a new generation of smartphone users, proving they really can have it all without sacrificing the size they want.”

Less is more
At just 54.5 mm x 84.0 mm x 15.1 mm and only 103 grams, Veer touts an 800-MHz processor; a vivid 2.57-inch glass display; full slide-out keyboard; 8 gigabytes (GB) of internal user storage; a high-performance browser with full access to the web,⁽¹⁾ including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta; Wi-Fi⁽¹⁾; integrated GPS⁽³⁾; robust messaging support⁽⁴⁾; and multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, and a 5-megapixel camera.

Veer also includes HP Synergy, which is exclusive to webOS devices. Synergy brings together information from multiple sources across the web automatically, so the information you need is all in one place.⁽⁵⁾ In one incredibly small design powered by HP webOS, Veer gives you many features per square inch:

• More than just text – With Veer, messaging means more than just text.⁽⁴⁾ Integrated messaging conveniently combines all your text messages, picture messages and IM conversations with one person into a single view. You can read and write email with ease and view your email accounts together or easily toggle between them.
• More ways to connect – Sign in to your Facebook®, Google, Microsoft® Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo!® accounts and the HP Synergy feature automatically populates your information on your phone.⁽⁵⁾ Mobile social networking apps such as those for Facebook and Twitter allow you to stay connected, update your status and upload pictures in real time.⁽¹⁾ The webOS App Catalog features thousands of apps for fast and easy access to all the things you need from the web, including games, weather, movie info, news, recipes – you name it.⁽²⁾
• More than just search – With Just Type, whatever you want to do on your phone – searching the web, texting, updating your status or almost anything – all you have to do is start typing and Veer takes you there.^(1,4)
• More apps open – Veer lets you keep multiple websites and apps open at the same time and easily switch between them with just a swipe of your finger. Pause a game, read a text message, check your calendar, reply to the text, then switch back to the game without closing anything.^(1,6)
• More ways to get where you want to be – Veer lets you get directions, find points of interest or discover fun things to do on the go. Built-in GPS turns your phone into your personal navigation system, and apps such as Fandango and OpenTable work with GPS to pinpoint your exact location, get directions, find places of interest around you and provide turn-by-turn directions.⁽³⁾
• More power to you – With HP Touchstone (sold separately), Veer gives you a unique and innovative way to charge your phone. Simply place your phone on the dock and it charges automatically; there’s nothing to plug in. And the new Exhibition feature lets you run apps designed specifically for Touchstone. Set your phone on Touchstone, and Exhibition launches automatically, showing you anything from today’s calendar to a slideshow of your photos.⁽⁷⁾ Veer also supports the HP mobile hotspot, enabling your phone to act as a mobile Wi-Fi router so you can share wireless internet connectivity with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including the new HP TouchPad, as well as notebooks, gaming devices and portable media players.⁽⁸⁾

Veer is one of three webOS products announced today (see separate announcements for HP Pre ³ and HP TouchPad). Each product plays a distinct role in the growing webOS family, designed to meet the varying needs of customers in a rapidly evolving mobile landscape.

Availability
The HP Veer smartphone is scheduled to be available in the early spring. Exact pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

HP Veer features and specs

• HP webOS
• High-speed connectivity(1)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7230 800-MHz processor
• 2.57-inch multitouch screen with a vibrant, 18-bit color, 320 x 400 resolution display
• Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
• Full slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• 8 GB of internal storage(9)
• High-performance browser with full access to the web, including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta for access to rich, Flash-based web content(1)
• Wireless connectivity:
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication(1)
  • Integrated GPS(3)
  • Bluetooth® wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
  • Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot(8)
• Multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, a 5-megapixel camera with geotagging and 3.5 mm stereo headphone adapter
• Email, including EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers) and personal email support (Google Gmail push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)(5)
• Robust messaging support (combining IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)(4)
• Proximity sensor, light sensor and accelerometer
• Rechargeable 910 mAh battery
• USB mass storage mode to transfer your media and other files quickly between desktop and device
• Ringer switch, which easily silences the ringer with one touch
• Compatible with HP Touchstone (sold separately)
• Tri-band UMTS, quad-band GSM/EDGE world phone(10)
• Dimensions: 54.5 mm x 84.0 mm x 15.1 mm (2.1 inches x 3.3 inches x 0.6 inches)
• Weight: 103 grams (3.6 ounces)

More information about HP Veer is available at www.palm.com/Veer.

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Popularity: 8% [?]

For professionals who require powerful mobile productivity with an eye on personal connectivity, HP today announced the versatile HP Pre³ smartphone running HP webOS.

With a large 3.58-inch touchscreen, fast 1.4-GHz processor and a full slide-out keyboard, Pre³ is a multitasking professional workhorse that’s perfectly balanced for speed and serious fun.

Pre3 is one of the products HP announced today to introduce a unique experience for customers around connected mobility. It’s one of the building blocks in HP’s vision to seamlessly connect all your worlds through the power of HP webOS.

“In the suite of webOS products we’re introducing today, Pre3 is our premier phone, designed for the speed of business,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “It enables professionals to accomplish more of their important workday tasks while easily keeping their fingers on the pulse of their personal lives.”

Pre³ is the ideal smartphone for multitasking professionals who rely on advanced messaging and voice capabilities to stay connected with all aspects of their busy lives.⁽¹⁾ With a slim design and high-capacity battery,⁽²⁾ it is comfortable to carry and use all day. The phone’s fast performance and large, high-resolution display accentuate the unique webOS experience for both professional and personal use.

The portrait layout enables optimal readability for email, attachments and web, and the new vertical slide-out keyboard – the widest and largest keyboard on any webOS phone to date – helps ensure quick and comfortable error-free typing. It’s ideal for heavy email and messaging needs, web browsing, enjoying multimedia and for staying in touch with business and social circles.^(1,3)

For professionals who demand more than productivity With an array of features that are critical for professionals balancing work and personal use – including the speed of 3G and Wi-Fi,⁽¹⁾ a comfortable keyboard for typing and a large vivid touchscreen – Pre³ offers the best of both worlds on the powerful HP webOS platform:

• Business-class email – Pre³ offers business-class email and encrypted data storage to protect critical information and supports industry-standard VPN to connect to corporate networks. You can read and write email with ease, view your email accounts together or easily toggle between them.^(1,3)
• More ways to connect – With the HP Synergy feature, you just have to sign in to your Facebook®, Google, Microsoft® Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo!® accounts. Your information – email, contacts, calendars – automatically populates your phone and stays updated so it’s always at your fingertips.⁽³⁾ Integrated messaging conveniently combines all your text messages, picture messages and IM conversations with one person into a single view, and you can connect through SMS, MMS, Google Talk, AIM and Yahoo! Messenger.
• The whole web – Pre³‘s high-performance web browser offers support for HTML5 features and Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 beta for access to rich, Flash-based web content on the phone’s big, vivid display.⁽¹⁾
• Video calling – Pre³ has a front-facing camera, a great speaker and noise cancellation for a state-of-the-art video calling experience.^(1,4)
• True Multitasking – webOS works the way you do. Begin an email, pause to answer a call, check your calendar, send a text, then switch back to your email without closing anything. Pre³ lets you easily manage multiple open applications and notifications using natural touch gestures. Whether you’re planning a meeting or a night on the town, webOS keeps related items together so managing multiple tasks is easy.⁽⁵⁾
• Just Type – Start an email, create a message, update your status and search your favorite websites – all before you’ve even opened an app. Because webOS works the way you do, whenever you want to do something on your Pre³ – whether it’s emailing, texting, searching or almost anything – just type.
• Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite – HP is working with Quickoffice to include the Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite, which offers support for viewing Microsoft Office Word and Excel and provides integration with a variety of services, including Google Docs and Box.net.
• Touch-to-share – With HP’s new and exclusive touch-to-share feature, you’ll be able to simply tap your Pre³ phone to the new HP TouchPad to share web addresses between devices.⁽⁶⁾
• GPS – Get where you need to be with built-in GPS on Pre³. Apps such as Fandango and OpenTable work with GPS to pinpoint your exact location, get directions, find nearby places of interest and provide turn-by-turn directions.⁽⁷⁾
• Apps to keep you connected – The webOS App Catalog features thousands of apps for fast and easy access to all the things you need to keep your day moving, such as weather, news, hotel and restaurant reviews and reservations, flight info and games.⁽⁸⁾ Mobile social networking apps such as Facebook and Twitter allow you to stay connected throughout your hectic day and update your status and upload pictures in real time.
• HP mobile hotspot – Pre³ also supports the HP mobile hotspot, enabling your phone to act as a mobile Wi-Fi router so you can share wireless internet connectivity with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including the new HP TouchPad, as well as notebooks, gaming devices and portable media players.⁽⁹⁾

Pre³ is compatible out of the box with HP Touchstone (sold separately). The webOS Exhibition feature lets you run apps designed specifically for HP Touchstone – showing you anything from today’s agenda to a slideshow of your photos – turning charge time into useful time.⁽¹⁰⁾

Pre³ is one of three webOS products announced today (see separate announcements for HP Veer and HP TouchPad). Each product plays a distinct role in the growing webOS family, designed to meet the varying needs of customers in a rapidly evolving mobile landscape.

Availability

The HP Pre³ smartphone is scheduled to be available in the summer. Exact pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

HP Pre³ features and specs

• HP webOS
• High-speed connectivity⁽¹⁾
• Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8x55 1.4-GHz processor
• 3.58-inch multitouch screen with a vibrant, 24-bit color, 480 x 800 resolution display
• Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
• Redesigned vertical slide-out QWERTY keyboard with backlight
• 8 or 16 gigabytes (GB) of internal storage⁽¹¹⁾
• High-performance browser with full access to the web, including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta for access to rich, Flash-based web content(1)
• Wireless connectivity:
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication⁽¹⁾
  • Integrated GPS (and A-GPS)⁽⁷⁾
  • Bluetooth® wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
  • Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot⁽⁹⁾
• Multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack
  • Rear-facing autofocus camera with flash, HD camcorder (capable up to 720p video recording)
  • Front-facing VGA fixed-focus camera for live video calling⁽⁴⁾
• Email, including EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers) and personal email support (Google Gmail push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)⁽³⁾
• Robust messaging support (combining IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)⁽¹²⁾
• Proximity sensor, light sensor, accelerometer and compass
• Removable, rechargeable 1,230 mAh battery
• USB mass storage mode to transfer media and other files quickly between desktop and device
• Ringer switch, which easily silences the ringer with one touch
• Compatible with HP Touchstone (sold separately)
• Dimensions: 111 mm x 64 mm x 16 mm (4.37 inches x 2.52 inches x .63 inches)
• Weight: 156 grams (5.5 ounces)

More information about HP Pre³ is available at www.palm.com/Pre3.

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Popularity: 10% [?]

Sprint  Nextel announced that it will introduce this spring a dual-touchscreen Android-based smartphone from Kyocera.

Called the Kyocera Echo, the smartphone features a patent-pending pivot hinge designed to enable the smartphone’s two displays to operate independently, ether side-by-side or combined to form a 4.7-inch integrated display. The device will use Google’s Android 2.2 operating system and will operate over Sprint’s CDMA EV-DO network rather than Clearwire’s WiMAX network.

The phone will be customizable and include pre-loaded apps to take advantage of the dual-screen. VueQue, for instance, allows users to watch a video in one display while browsing, queuing and buffering additional videos in the other.

Kyocera Echo also offers four viewing modes. Single-screen mode acts like a single-display touchscreen smartphone; Simul-task mode displays two of the phone’s seven core apps running at the same time but independently on dual displays; Optimized mode allows both displays to support a single app, while tablet mode enables one application to spread across both screens for a full 4.7-inch viewing area.

Ross Rubin, an analyst at the NPD Group, told FierceWireless that the Echo’s two screens can provide greater flexibility for users. “However, when working with an operating system with a wide variety of apps across a wide array of hardware such as Windows or Android, it can be difficult to attract third-party software developers to take real advantage of a dual-screen device, which limits its potential. This is in contrast to products that are created specifically to support dual screens such as the Nintendo DS.”

Popularity: 5% [?]

Google Inc. launched a new Web-based store for applications that run on mobile devices powered by its Android software, one of several moves by the Internet company to keep up with rival Apple Inc. in the wireless sector.

Users of Android devices such as Motorola Mobility Inc.’s Droid or HTC Corp.’s Evo smartphones have previously had access to the app market via their devices, but many app makers have complained it was difficult to get noticed there because the marketplace was partly built around lists of featured apps and top downloads.

Google’s new app market, available at Market.Android.com, is aimed at letting users discover new apps more easily from their computers, as well as to see recommendations by friends and download apps to their mobile devices. That could help level the playing field with Apple, which has had an edge over Android because it allowed users to find apps and buy them through the iTunes program on their computers.

These “important changes to the Android market meet the needs of both users and developers,” said Chris Yerga, a Google engineering director, at the event at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

Google on Wednesday also said developers could create Android apps that charge users for in-app purchases of virtual goods in games, among other things—a feature already available on apps running on Apple devices. Google said developers could set prices for their apps in foreign currencies, which previously they had been unable to do.

Google’s new moves come as Android overtook Nokia Corp.’s Symbian as the most widely used operating system globally in the fourth quarter, based on the number of devices shipped, according to studies released Monday. Apple came in third, those studies showed.

But most of the revenue generated by mobile apps, which research firm Gartner Inc. projects will triple this year to more than $15 billion, occurs through Apple’s iPhones and iPads. Revenue is generated through purchases of paid apps or through iadvertising and purchases inside apps.

Google doesn’t generate revenue from the sale of Android devices because it gives the software away free to handset makers. But it takes a cut of app purchases and in-app advertising revenue, and the proliferation of Android devices ensures that its search engine and other key services are a mainstay on mobile devices.

Google executive Eric Chu, who works on Android, last week said the company was “not happy” with the level of purchases of apps in its app market but was taking steps to increase them. There are more than 350,000 mobile apps available on Apple devices compared with more than 100,000 on Android devices.

Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google is trying to improve the Android app market by designing high-quality apps for the system, in addition to relying on third-party developers. The company plans to hire dozens of software developers to create apps, people familiar with the matter have said.

Google on Wednesday also showed off features of Honeycomb, a version of Android software that is tailored to tablets that will rival Apple’s iPad. Motorola’s Xoom tablet, slated for launch later this quarter, is powered by Honeycomb.

Hopefully they will include this in their new Sprint Kyocera Echo — A Dual Screen Android . Lets Hope!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Specifically, iOS 4.3 introduces a capability that Apple calls “multi-touch”. That’s a short way of saying that iPad users will be able to utilize all of their digits when interacting with the iPad’s touch-screen interface.

For instance, users will be able to go directly to the home screen by making a pinching gesture that employs all five fingers.

“This beta release contains a preview of new Multi-Touch gestures for iPad,” Apple said in a note on its developers Web site.

“You can use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen; swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar; and swipe left or right between apps. We are providing this preview before releasing them to the general public to understand how these gestures work with your apps,” Apple said.

With the multi-touch capability in place, Apple plans to eliminate the physical Home button on the next-generation of the iPad, which is expected to be announced within weeks.

Apple released iOS 4.3 to beta testers on Thursday and will make it available for download by the general public once testing is complete. Beyond adding multi-touch to the iPad, it also brings new features that will work on iPhone 4 and the latest version of the iPod touch, as well as iPad.

They include AirPlay support for third-party apps, the introduction of a revamped Facetime icon, and a feature that allows users of GSM equipped devices to set up personal hotspots that act as a base station for other devices. The beta code also reportedly makes reference to a service called “Find My Friends,” raising speculation that Apple plans to add social networking capabilities to its mobile devices.

Source: Information Week

Popularity: 7% [?]

Skype today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Qik, a provider of mobile video software and services that enable individuals to capture, instantly share and preserve great moments on video from anywhere. Qik has 60 employees, and is headquartered in Redwood City, California and has an office in Moscow, Russia. The transaction is expected to close in January 2011. Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

Qik was founded in 2006 and offers innovative and flexible solutions to capture and share video with anyone across mobile devices, the web, and desktop platforms. Videos can be shared in real time or stored so moments can be viewed later, allowing for video messaging, sharing and archiving. The Qik service is available on over 200 mobile phones across the Android, iPhone, Symbian, Blackberry and Windows Mobile platforms, and comes pre-loaded on a wide variety of mobile handsets through partnerships with leading handset manufacturers and carriers.

Both Skype and Qik have a common purpose of enriching communications and sharing with video, across any device. The acquisition of Qik helps accelerate Skype’s leadership in video by adding recording, sharing and storing capabilities to Skype’s product portfolio. Through this acquisition, Skype will also be able to leverage the engineering expertise that is behind Qik’s Smart Streaming™ technology, which optimizes video transmission over wireless networks.

“The Qik team has delivered exceptional video experiences for its mobile partners and millions of end users across a range of devices,” said Tony Bates, Skype’s Chief Executive Officer. “Skype’s software enables an estimated 25 percent of the world’s international long distance voice calling minutes*, and approximately 40 percent of those Skype-to-Skype calls are happening over video. Qik’s deep engineering capabilities and strong mobile relationships will be an impressive complementary fit with Skype.”

Together, Skype and Qik will focus on providing a richer, more integrated experience that will allow people globally to share experiences in real-time video across different platforms, as well as, store those moments so they can be viewed anytime later.

“Qik has worked very hard to solve complex problems that allow millions of people everyday to take advantage of sharing their lives with those people who are most important to them,” said Vijay Tella, Chief Executive Officer of Qik. “Joining Skype allows Qik’s team to unite with Skype’s talented team to develop new and innovative products for our customers and partners.”

Popularity: 1% [?]