Two 4G LTE Windows Phone battle but only one can come out the victor. This battle is between the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II. Both phones are exclusive to AT&T and both are the first 4G LTE offerings for the Windows Phone platform.  It’s not often we get a Windows Phone battle that has two phones with high-end specs  so we are going to break down every detail we can between these two to smartphones to see which is the best of the best when it comes to Windows Phone. Check out the video below and share your thoughts.

About Nokia Lumia 900

The Nokia Lumia 900 is the first 4G LTE Windows Phone for the U.S. It comes with a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Clear Back Display, 1.4 GHz Single-core processor, front-facing camera with a wide-angle lens, 8 megapixel rear facing camera with a Carl Zeiss lens,  F2.2, and dual LED flash, 4G LTE and Windows Phone 7.5. It will also come with exclusive apps such as Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps and Nokia Transit. The Lumia 900 is set to be Nokia’s comeback into the U.S. Market

Nokia Lumia 900 Full Review

About HTC Titan II/ HTC Titan 2

The HTC Titan II is an update from the very popular HTC Titan. It adds a new 16 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p HD video capture and  4G LTE data. The rest of the specs are close to the same as the first HTC Titan with a massive 4.7 inch Super LCD display, 1.5 GHz single-core processor,  512MB  of  RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, front facing camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. The Titan 2 is giving HTC fans who want Windows Phone a high-end camera and 4G LTE.

HTC Titan II / HTC Titan 2 Full Review

With today’s $1 Billion announcement this morning at least 5 things that we will see happen with Facebook acquiring the social photo sharing company Instagram.

Facebook will put ads in Instagram

Facebook will find a way to integrate ads within the Instagram social network. It’s what pays the bills these days and the ad space that will made available in photo feeds will be quite profitable. The downside to this of course is no one likes ads in anything but a free service needs to earn money somehow and with the user base that Instagram has a huge opportunity there for Facebook

More Business, Brands and Media will use Instagram

Business, Brands and Media outlets use social media to connect with current and gain new customers, fans, audiences, readers and viewers. When the buzz gets around that a new social network is hot and on the rise they will jump in right a way to create an account. With Facebook now running the show they are sure to create a similar “fan page” option for the Instagram world  for companies to create and connect.

Everyone and I mean Everyone including your Grandma will have an Instagram Account

Instagram started off by being just an exclusive photo-sharing community for iOS users racking up to nearly 30 million on Apple’s mobile OS platform along. Then about a week ago they launched an app for Android that saw 1 Million downloads in a single day. Now with the marketing power and branding of Facebook behind it you can be sure just like how Facebook itself blew up Instagram will do the same.

Windows Phone Will Finally Get Instagram!

While there is an app called InstaCam for Windows Phone it can’t access the Instagram network as they don’t allow 3rd party applications and while the app looks good it has issues at times. Facebook’s relationship with Microsoft should get an official app create for Microsoft’s mobile OS in the very near future which could be just a standalone app and/or directly build into the Windows Phone OS. They could also buyout what InstaCam now has and improved it or give the app the API access it needs.

Will Blackberry Be Left Out?

Now I know the few Blackberry users left are wondering will they be left out? I think its going to be a wait and see for that as Blackberry has to get their 2012 devices out with their new BBX OS which will combine features of Blackberry OS and QNX found on the Blackberry Playbook. This may mean you’ll only be able to emulate the android version if RIM doesn’t get themselves a good place back into the consumer market.

Some are excited for this while many are skeptical and worry that Facebook will just phase out Instagram in favor of their own branded version of social photo sharing. One thing is for sure is that whatever happens it will send shockwaves through social media.

Image Via Techcrunch

Today Mark Zuckerberg announced  that Facebook will buy Instagram for $1 Billion.  Facebook  states that they will keep Instagram a separate company and “committed to building and growing Instagram independently.”  and will “work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.”  The purchase is one of Facebook’s biggest acquisitions in its history and come shortly after Instagram made it way to Android.  Read the statement from Mark Zuckerberg.

Statement from Mark Zukerberg:

I’m excited to share the news that we’ve agreed to acquire Instagram and that their talented team will be joining Facebook.
For years, we’ve focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family. Now, we’ll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.
We believe these are different experiences that complement each other. But in order to do this well, we need to be mindful about keeping and building on Instagram’s strengths and features rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook.
That’s why we’re committed to building and growing Instagram independently. Millions of people around the world love the Instagram app and the brand associated with it, and our goal is to help spread this app and brand to even more people.
We think the fact that Instagram is connected to other services beyond Facebook is an important part of the experience. We plan on keeping features like the ability to post to other social networks, the ability to not share your Instagrams on Facebook if you want, and the ability to have followers and follow people separately from your friends on Facebook.
These and many other features are important parts of the Instagram experience and we understand that. We will try to learn from Instagram’s experience to build similar features into our other products. At the same time, we will try to help Instagram continue to grow by using Facebook’s strong engineering team and infrastructure.
This is an important milestone for Facebook because it’s the first time we’ve ever acquired a product and company with so many users. We don’t plan on doing many more of these, if any at all. But providing the best photo sharing experience is one reason why so many people love Facebook and we knew it would be worth bringing these two companies together.
We’re looking forward to working with the Instagram team and to all of the great new experiences we’re going to be able to build together.

Source: Facebook

AT&T has officially pulled out of merger plans with T-Mobile. The deal which was worth $39 Billion was set to bring T-Mobile into the AT&T umbrella. This comes after the merge was blocked by the FCC and the DOJ because they felt it would hurt the wireless industry and consumers in the long run. AT&T will owe T-Mobile $4 Billion for the failed attempt.

I’m not surprised this deal didn’t go through once federal agencies stepped it. There wasn’t much that the two wireless companies could do to prove the merge would have positive effects on the industry or the economy. This isn’t to say that T-Mobile won’t be bought out at all, It just means that it won’t be AT&T that will do it. Check out the official press release below.

Press Release:

AT&T Ends Bid To Add Network Capacity Through T-Mobile USA Purchase

Company Reaffirms Its Commitment to Mobile Broadband Leadership

Dallas, Texas, December 19, 2011

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) said today that after a thorough review of options it has agreed with Deutsche Telekom AG to end its bid to acquire T-Mobile USA, which began in March of this year.

The actions by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to block this transaction do not change the realities of the U.S. wireless industry. It is one of the most fiercely competitive industries in the world, with a mounting need for more spectrum that has not diminished and must be addressed immediately. The AT&T and T-Mobile USA combination would have offered an interim solution to this spectrum shortage.  In the absence of such steps, customers will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled.

“AT&T will continue to be aggressive in leading the mobile Internet revolution,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO.  “Over the past four years we have invested more in our networks than any other U.S. company. As a result, today we deliver best-in-class mobile broadband speeds – connecting smartphones, tablets and emerging devices at a record pace – and we are well under way with our nationwide 4G LTE deployment.

“To meet the needs of our customers, we will continue to invest,” Stephenson said. “However, adding capacity to meet these needs will require policymakers to do two things. First, in the near term, they should allow the free markets to work so that additional spectrum is available to meet the immediate needs of the U.S. wireless industry, including expeditiously approving our acquisition of unused Qualcomm spectrum currently pending before the FCC.  Second, policymakers should enact legislation to meet our nation’s longer-term spectrum needs.

“The mobile Internet is a dynamic industry that can be a critical driver in restoring American economic growth and job creation, but only if companies are allowed to react quickly to customer needs and market forces,” Stephenson said.

To reflect the break-up considerations due Deutsche Telekom, AT&T will recognize a pretax accounting charge of $4 billion in the 4th quarter of 2011.  Additionally, AT&T will enter a mutually beneficial roaming agreement with Deutsche Telekom.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

So the DROID Razr finally gets an official release date which is 11/11/11. The commercial played during the 4th quarter of the #1 LSU Tigers vs #2 Alabama Crimson Tide College football game. This has been the rumored release date and now its official. Incase you need a refresher on the DROID RAZR it’s the thinnest 4G phone coming to market with a 4.3 Inch Super AMOLED Advance display with qHD resolution, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of ram, 32 GB of storage split with 16  GB on-board and 16 GB micro SD, 8 megapixel rear facing camera with 1080p HD video capture and a VGA front facing camera. It will support Verizon 4G LTE network and will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread and will be upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in 2012. Check out our hands-on demo below.
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It was just a couple of months ago that Steve Jobs stepped down at CEO of Apple and today October 5, 2011 he has passed away at the age of 56. Steve Jobs was much more than the CEO of Apple he was one of the biggest pioneers in technology.

First and foremost, Thank You Steve! I didn’t agree with all of your ideas and philosophy on technology but you have touched my life and the life of many others with your trail blazing thoughts forward thinking mentality. You always pushed technology to  something more than just a tool but an experience that enhanced the life of people and inspired many to “think different.”

Our deepest sympathy and condolences go to your family and close ones from all of use at BWOne.com. Rest in Peace and thank you for being an influential forces in technology and the world.

Statement from Apple. Inc

Tim Cook:

Team,
I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.
Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.
No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.
Tim

Apple Board of Directors:

We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.

Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.

Steve Jobs’ family today made the following statement regarding his death:

Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.
In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.
We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief.

 

Statement from Bill Gates

Bill Gates:

I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.
Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.
The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.
For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.

Watch Facebook’s F8 Conference live here below for the new announcements!
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Blackberry Torch 9850 for Verizon unboxing & first impressions. Not to be left out of the party Verizon is joining Sprint in releasing the all touch screen Blackberry Torch 9850. The Torch 9580 is RIM’s latest attempt at offering an all touch screen device. RIM has a mixed history in the past with the Storm and the click screen technology which they have dropped in favor of a normal capacitive touchscreen in the Torch 9850. Check out our unboxing and first impressions below and stay tuned for our full review.

Press Release:

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless today announced the new BlackBerry® Torch™ 9850 smartphone will be available online atwww.verizonwireless.comon Sept. 8, and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on Sept. 15.

Watch videos, play games and stay productive on the largest display and highest resolution on a BlackBerry smartphone to date. Powered by the new BlackBerry® 7 operating system, customers can enjoy the next generation BlackBerry browser with optimized zooming, panning and HTML 5 performance. BlackBerry® Balance is now integrated, allowing secure access to business information while preventing it from being copied into, sent from or used by personal applications. Customers can stay connected to their personal and business lives while in or out of the office.

Key features:

• 3G coverage on the nation’s most reliable network
• 3.7-inch high-resolution touchscreen display (800 x 480) with trackpad navigation
• 1.2 GHz processor
• Global Ready™ – Quad band with support for UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS and EDGE allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice and data service in more than 200 countries, including more than 95 with 3G speeds
• 5-megapixel camera with flash and 720p HD video recording capabilities
• Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS and Bluetooth® 2.1
• 16 GB microSD™ card pre-installed, with support for up to 32 GB microSD card

BlackBerry 7:

• Liquid Graphics™ technology combines a dedicated high-performance graphics processor with a blazingly fast CPU and stunning high-resolution display to deliver a responsive touch interface with incredibly fast and smooth graphics.
• Premium version of Documents To Go is now included at no additional cost, offering customers enhanced document editing features, as well as a native PDF document viewer.
• The newest release of BBM™ (BlackBerry Messenger) now extends the real-time BBM experience together with a range of apps including gaming and social networking.
• Updated Social Feeds app has been extended to capture updates from media, podcasts and more, all in one consolidated view.
• Universal search capability now supports voice-activated search, allowing customers to simply say what they want to find on their device or the Web.
• BlackBerry Balance administrator can remotely wipe business information from the device while leaving personal information intact.

Pricing and availability:

• BlackBerry Torch 9850 smartphone will be available for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• Customers that purchase a BlackBerry Torch 9850 smartphone will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Bloomberg is reporting that the U.S. Government has filed antitrust paper today against the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. The Department of Justice has filed their today in Washington looking to prove that this deal violated U.S antitrust laws and block the deal.

With this happening it’s now very unlikely that the deal with go through with is bad for AT&T and good for T-Mobile and they will get $43 Billion from AT&T if the deal falls through.  Check the source link below for the full story.

Via: BooredAtWork

Source: Bloomberg

Apple has officially announced that Steve Jobs is stepping down as CEO of Apple. Tim Cook will take his place. The iconic figurehead of Apple is retiring from being CEO of the company but he will stay on the Board of Directors as Chairman. A big change for Apple here in the middle of this war with cell phones, tablets, computers and patents. Investors have felt confident in investing in Apple because of the popularity and public figure Steve Jobs is. I wonder how they will react. His official letter of Resignation and Apple’s PR statement below.

Steve Jobs Resignation Letter:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

Apple’s PR Response:

Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple

Tim Cook Named CEO and Jobs Elected Chairman of the Board

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple’s Board of Directors today announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has named Tim Cook, previously Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, as the company’s new CEO. Jobs has been elected Chairman of the Board and Cook will join the Board, effective immediately.

"Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration."
"Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company," said Art Levinson, Chairman of Genentech, on behalf of Apple’s Board. "Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration."

"The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO," added Levinson. "Tim’s 13 years of service to Apple have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does."

Jobs submitted his resignation to the Board today and strongly recommended that the Board implement its succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO.

As COO, Cook was previously responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. He also headed Apple’s Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.