The transaction gives Sony an opportunity to rapidly integrate smartphones into its network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers. The transaction also provides Sony with a broad intellectual property (IP) cross-licensing agreement covering all products and services of Sony as well as ownership of five essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology.

As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of EUR 1.05 billion.

“This acquisition makes sense for Sony and Ericsson, and it will make the difference for consumers, who want to connect with content wherever they are, whenever they want. With a vibrant smartphone business and by gaining access to important strategic IP, notably a broad cross-license agreement, our four-screen strategy is in place. We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment. This includes Sony’s own acclaimed network services, like the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s Chairman, CEO and President. Stringer also noted that the acquisition will afford Sony operational efficiencies in engineering, network development and marketing, among other areas. “We can help people enjoy all our content – from movies to music and games – through our many devices, in a way no one else can.”

“Ten years ago when we formed the joint venture, thereby combining Sony’s consumer products knowledge with Ericsson’s telecommunication technology expertise, it was a perfect match to drive the development of feature phones. Today we take an equally logical step as Sony acquires our stake in Sony Ericsson and makes it a part of its broad range of consumer devices. We will now enhance our focus on enabling connectivity for all devices, using our R&D and industry leading patent portfolio to realize a truly connected world” said Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson.

The transaction, which has been approved by appropriate decision-making bodies of both companies, is expected to close in January 2012, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. As a result of obtaining full control of Sony Ericsson, Sony will consolidate Sony Ericsson from the closing date of the acquisition. The resulting impact of the acquisition to Sony’s consolidated results for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2012 is currently being evaluated.

Apps were everywhere at the show, with everyone from manufacturers to distributors promoting their iPhone and/or Android apps for information and ordering of products. One was the Canon Idea Mine, designed for the manufacturer by Carbone Smolan Agency (CSA). The free iOS app serves as an idea-provoking tool for photographers, and was previewed at the show – it will be available before the holidays in iTunes.

But the show wasn’t limited to just apps when it came to mobile photography. The two biggest pieces of hardware take the iPhone from a phone that takes pictures into a full-fledged camera.

First was the Steadicam Smoothee Stabilizer. Based on the technology used by professional videographers to get steady, smooth motion, this is a smaller version that the iPhone fits right into. The user can then pan it around and shoot video with a much smoother look and feel that just using the video camera with hands alone. Made by Tiffen Co. LLC, the device can be used with an iPhone or iPod Touch of any flavor, as well as any other devices of a similar size and shape. With the iPhone 4S capable of beautiful HD quality video, and when available, innovation like this make filming a feature with it a reality and not some far fetched idea!

Watch The Steadicam Smoothee™ from Tiffen on Mobile

The second exciting piece of hardware at the show for mobile was the iPro Lens from Schneider Optics. It is a lens kit, actually, designed to take the iPhone camera further. It comes with a case that will allow the lenses to be easily taken on and off, and a handle that attaches to the case to make it easier to use the iPhone as a video camera, as well as doubling as a universal tripod mount, allowing users to take advantage of equipment they might already own. Inside the handle are two lenses – a wide-angle and a fish eye, with more planned for the future. The fish eye gives a 165-degree view, an the wide-angle increases the overall field of vision on the iPhone by about 35 percent.

According to the wiki for the site, “This group was created by a community of people brought together on the 12th October 2011 at the Guardian, York Way, London – made up of young people, teachers, ex-teachers, developers, parents and industry with the purpose of finding ways to support education of programming and computational thinking for the current and next generations in the UK. Whether this be through traditional education methods – or other stuff.”

The movement is currently based and centered around the United Kingdom, where it was founded, and started when a few parents and teachers realized their children were going to fall behind the rest of the world when it came to understanding computers and how they work, given the current curriculum. The group hopes to give kids the tools they’ll need to be successful and compete on a global scale in the future.

On the actual launch day, people once more lined up around corners by the thousands, proving that even though it wasn’t the iPhone 5 people had been originally hoping for, the masses are excited to have a new iPhone, period. In fact, the company announced that it had sold more than four million of the devices just a few days after the official launch.

“iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend—the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “iPhone 4S is a hit with customers around the world, and together with iOS 5 and iCloud, is the best iPhone ever.”

In addition to hardware excitement, the iPhone also got a new carrier, Sprint, giving consumers more of the choices of iPhone carriers they’ve been asking for. To lure in both new and current iPhone users, the company is offering an unlimited data plan – something that is becoming rare in the mobile world today – starting at $80 per month. ” The response to this device by current and new customers has surpassed our expectations and validates our customers’ desire for a truly unlimited data pricing plan,” said Fared Adib, Sprint Product Chief.

Watch on Mobile via friends at XDA Developers

[Via AndroidTapp]

Galaxy Nexus Images

Galaxy Nexus

Galaxy Nexus Super HD AMOLED Display

Speed

It is of course capable of 4G high speed mobile broadband internet speeds in both LTE and HSPA+favors globally. It will zip in blazing speeds touting a 1.2 GHz dual core processor, married to Google new Ice Cream Sandwich software.

Screen

The Galaxy Nexus has one of the biggest and brightest screens, a whopping 4.65 inch Super HD AMOLED touchscreen display with 1280×720 resolution in 16:9 ratio.

Design

The design has slight curves, contoured display that is rounded, slicker, and slimmer (slim as in 8.94mm) than any other Nexus device. Samsung made the device screen near bezel measuring only 4.29mm, so the display is wider without being bigger in the hand. It feels light and weightless, even the materials are elegant with hyper skin backing for slip resistance. The Galaxy Nexus does not have any physical buttons, yet Android 4.0 supports total operation without it.

Unfortunately Samsung chose to put a 5 megapixel camera (versus 8mp), though capable of 1080p HD video with front facing camera. New to the smartphone is a barometer which will bring new app development opportunities and of course NFC yielded innovations with mobile payment options or contacts sharing.

OS

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) brings beauty, simplicity and power to Android in a harmonious way. All of the core apps are update: Gmail, Maps, Google+, YouTube, etc. Other key improvements are with the keyboard, notifications, lock screen, Browser, Photos, Gallery, Videos, and Contacts (now called People App). Learn more What’s New in Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0.

(Source: AndroidTapp)

According to the company,  iPhone owners do more with their phones than anyone else – browsing the web, sending emails, using social networks and even mobile banking. Lookout focused on providing an app to keep iPhone users safe, and started by addressing the biggest risks to iPhone users today.

In a recent survey, Lookout found that:

• 93% of iPhone users said they have concerns about the security of the data stored on their phones
• 4 out every 10 iPhone users are unsure about the security of public Wi-Fi
• More than a third of users don’t regularly sync their devices.

In addition to mobile security, Lookout also helps users find lost or stolen phones, back up data and avoid behavior that might expose personal information, like connecting to an unsecure Wi-Fi network or postponing security updates. It includes both security and privacy protection. For an in-depth review of the our check out our Android app review of Lookout.

Facebook for iPad News Feed

One of the apps that’s long been clamored for on the iPad has been an official Facebook client. There were plenty of third-party options, but while Facebook had an app for smaller screens, they hadn’t released one designed for the tablet. Last week, that all changed, when the company officially launched the iPad version of its Facebook app.

Facebook for iPad Messages

The interface was deliberately made cleaner so users can more easily find and interact with their content. Photos look amazing on the big screen, and Facebook has ensured users can access everything they might want to in their account – from status updates to photo galleries and even the games that have become a major part of the Facebook experience.

Facebook for iPad Photos

In his review for the app on CNET, Jason Parker noted that, “One of the best things about Facebook on the iPad is how easy and fast it is to browse photos. Just tap on a friend’s name and you quickly get all of his photo folders. From there you can just tap on a folder and browse quickly through all his photos. Alternatively, you can view a photo full-screen and just swipe to move on to the next picture or you can touch a strip across the bottom (iPad only) to jump between photos. To go back to folder view, you can simply do a pinch gesture and the photo has a collapse animation to smoothly deliver you back to the folder. You also can quickly upload a photo from your library or snap a new picture for upload on your iPhone or iPad. All of these elements are laid out to make your most-used actions on Facebook both easy-to-use and fast.”

Facebook for iPad Find Friends on Map

Overall, if you’re a Facebook user with an iPad, this is the app you’ve been waiting for. The release also updates the iPhone version, so now there is just one app that works on both platforms, bringing the same features and experience to both the big and small screen.

Motorola ATRIX 2

Samsung Captivate Glide

Pantech Pocket

Samsung DoubleTime

AT&T Avail

We often symbolize Jobs with the behemoth company that is Apple, maybe because he was the ultimate micro-manager. Maybe because his vision for perfection was ingrained in the company and products produced. Maybe because he paid attention to the nuances of philosophy in design and they should be entwined. Or maybe because he understood the buyers and users of Apple’s products. We remember how we changed the world a few times, we remember how he changed how we communicate and are entertained… And here’s a reflection back:

In 1977, Jobs and co-founder Steve Wozniak introduced the Apple II computer. In 1984, Jobs introduced the first personal computer that was actually personal unlike the bulky machines the competition produced. The Macintosh was revolutionary with features like a mouse, graphical user interface, smaller design; even the TV commercial aired during the Super Bowl used hype to stir up the industry. However, the uphill battle of marketing the Mac computers amid Intel and Microsoft eventually led to Jobs being ousted from Apple later that year.

The young mogul mind quickly bounced back when starting NeXT in 1986, which produced advanced workstation computers with radical design, plus introduced the underlying programming language used in Mac OS today.The following year he acquired the graphic arts division of Lucasfilm, transforming it into Pixar.

By 1998, Apple Computers was nearly bankrupt and Jobs was asked to come back and run the company. The following year he introduced the iMac, the combination of the computer and the Internet, which started to turn the company around. A thing of note was Jobs presentation skills, deemed so iconic and whimsical that it earned a term, called Reality distortion field.

In 2001 the game-changer came with the iPod, then launching iTunes for Windows in 2003, revolutionizing how we are entertained and the music industry forever. Another radical yet successful idea came when Apple launched their own line of stores to sell their products directly; these too are iconic. Again, in 2007, introduced was another game-changer with the iPhone and brought forth new industries with Apps. Next in 2010, Jobs’ Apple revolutionized the simple device that other companies tried to get right for years, the iPad. Deemed the “Post-PC” device, created a market even without demand; execution has been so flawless that competition (Android, Blackberry & WebOS) are still struggling to get the formula right. You can say many things about Jobs’ tactics and Apple products, however, the formula is impeccable; the company has recently been deemed the “world’s most valuable company.”

In his legacy, we remember him for is passion for creating great new products the world has never seen. For challenging and changing old ways of thinking. For turning complexity into simplicity. For blending the harmony of the arts in design. Farewell Steve!

The biggest news was, of course, the new iPhone 4S. The new model boasts some major hardware improvements that will speed up the phone, allow for faster browsing and give better call quality overall. It also has a brand new camera that shoots both HD still frames and HD video, and promises an experience on par with most point-and-shoot models. The biggest feature of the new phone, however, is around it’s Siri personal assistant software, which basically is designed to recognize almost any question or basic task no matter how you phrase it, and do things like get the weather, set alarms, create and manage calendar appointments, etc. It will be interesting to see how well this works outside of the controlled setting of a press conference and in the hands of regular users.

iOS 5 was also announced at the event, and brings a variety of enhancements. One big feature is an Android-like notifications window shade, that will pull down with a swipe, and then allow users to go to the app or information with a touch to that specific item. New core apps include iMessage, which allows iOS users, across multiple devices, to communicate with each other directly. Another is the Newsstand, which features newspapers and magazines from a pretty impressive starting lineup, including The New York Times and Vanity Fair.

Other announcements were around tweaks to things like iCloud and iTunes, as well as a refreshed iPod Nano with a multi-touch screen. For a full report on each segment, including pricing information and release dates, see the individual posts below, written as the event was happening live!

• Apple Live Event – Cards app for iOS
• Apple Live Event – iOS 5
• Apple Live Event – iCloud and iTunes
• Apple Live Event – iPod gets iOS 5, Improved for Fitness & Fashion
• Apple Live Event – iPhone 4S Unveiled

Apple introduced the iPhone 4S at their live press event today. It features the new A5 processor chip, which means it is up to 2 times faster than the previous iPhone, with graphics that, according to the company, are up to 7 times faster.

The 4S will have 8 hours of 3G talk time, and 6 hours of browsing – that increases to 9 hours of browsing on Wi-Fi. For video, the battery life is about 10 hours, and for music, it’s about 40 hours.

It also features a new wireless protocol, which intelligently switches between radio antennas to transmit and receive faster and more seamlessly, as well as improve call quality. Download speeds are now at a maximum of 14.4 Mpbs, as opposed to the 7.2 on the iPhone 4.

Another major upgrade is that while previous iPhones came in either GSM or CDMA flavors, the 4S can handle both in one device. This means it is a true world phone that can be used on almost any network around the globe, making it a much more attractive option for frequent travelers than the previous model.

The iPhone 4S has a brand new camera as well, with a whopping 8 megapixel sensor, which rivals most point-and-shoot models on the market today. This is a 60% boost over the iPhone 4, and also comes with a backlit CMOS, which means that it will let in more light, according to Apple. It is also, the company noted, about a third quicker to take shots overall. Other improvements in the camera include upgrades to hardware to improve the color accuracy and sharpness of shots taken with the 4S. On the video side, the 4S can record at 1080p, with image stabilization and noise reduction built in.

Another major upgrade to the iPhone 4S is in its voice recognition technology. Called Siri, Apple is billing it as a personal assistant that helps you get things done simply by speaking into the phone, without needing to use a predefined, specific set of phrases already programmed in. Apple demonstrated the feature by asking for the weather in several ways, including “what’s the forecast” and “do I need an umbrella today?” They also asked questions such as the current time in other countries, and for the alarm to be set at a specific day and time. Other examples of Siri’s use include asking it to find you a restaurant in the local area, asking for directions to a location, which will bring up the maps app, even reading text messages to you, and then allowing you to respond by speaking the message.

In addition to Siri, the phone also has a dictation feature, that allows you to compose emails by voice, instead of typing. Like the Android version, it requires an active data connection, since it happens in the cloud, and like Android, it will get better over time as it learns your particular voice and vocabulary. It will work in English, French and German to start, with more languages coming.

The iPhone 4S will come in both black and white flavors, with the 16GB priced at $199, the 32GB at $299 and the 64GB at $399, with a carrier two-year contract agreement. The price for the 8GB iPhone 3GS will be free on contract, with the 8GB iPhone 4 coming in at $99. Preorders for the iPhone 4S will open on Oct. 7, this Friday, and it will be available on October 14. It will be available in several countries, and for the United States, it will be on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.

iPod Nano

The iPod is what started Apple’s journey into personal portable electronics, and it’s getting an update at the live event this year.

The iPod Nano has some new features, such as a multi-touch display to make it easier to navigate, as well as an improved fitness experience, which includes a pedometer that is built into the device, so an extra dongle, such as the Nike+ that attaches to the shoe, is no longer needed. There are also 16 new clock faces, for those who have accessories that turn the Nano into a watch. The 8GB Nano will retail for $129, with the 16GB version retailing for $149.

Other than the iOS 5 upgrade, the iPod Touch doesn’t have much new, except for a white version that will be available in addition to the black. There is also a price drop for the device, with the 8GB now at $199, the 32GB at $299 and the 64GB for $399. All three will be available on October 12.