Google and Motorola Deal Finalized, Sanjay Jha Steps Down
What seems like an eternity ago, Google announced plans to acquire Motorola Mobility. After receiving the final blessing from China, today the deal has been completed. In the midst of the closing current Motorola Mobility CEO, Sanjay Jha, has stepped down and is being replaced by Dennis Woodside. Along with Woodside, executives from Amazon, Google, and Visa will be joining the ranks.
What is not known, is what Google plans to do with Motorola Mobility. Will they enter the hardware game or will they simply keep the patents and spin the hardware division off? Either way, Motorola has some huge transitions ahead of itself and change is definitely in the air.
via [The Verge]
The Gadget Gurus Podcast Ep 162 – Sold Bad Drugs
The Gadget Gurus are back with another podcast to tickle your ear balls. This week we talk Verizon killing unlimited plans, multiple Nexus devices coming, Sense 4 multitasking, ITC/customs mucking up things, we get out hands on S-Voice, and of course we cover the recently public company Facebook and much more!
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Leaked S-Voice App Being Blocked on None Galaxy S 3 Phones
Well it was fun while it lasted. Looks like requests being sent to Vlingo (folks who power S-Voice) using the leaked app are now being blocked. When you use the app it sends your device’s ID and if it’s not a Galaxy S 3, it returns with a network error. In other words, becoming more like Siri everyday.
Via [XDA]
Verizon to Kill Unlimited Data Plans for Grandfathered Customers
According to PhoneArena, Verizon plans to force current customers, with unlimited 3G data plans, who transition to an LTE device to a new tiered data plan. Big Red will be releasing new shared data plans this year and want to move everyone off unlimited data.
What’s not clear, is if customers that have already made the switch to an LTE device will be forced off unlimited on their next upgrade. I’m sure this is a preemptive strike against iPhone users, as the next version will have LTE and VZW will want to limit those users who currently have unlimited 3G plans.
T-Mobile Working Through a Rebuilding Year
This has been a tough year for T-Mobile, bleeding customers because of the possible merger with AT&T this year, not having the iPhone, and the lack of LTE, when compared to the other carriers. Recently, they announced that they are building a LTE network to compete with the other carriers, which is a big part of the rebuild.
After losing almost 1000 employees in March due to cut backs, another warning memo was issued to employees today. With their new structure, there will be some difficult decisions. They will be notifying some employees this week that they will be laid off in this second round of layoffs. CEO Phillip Humm says that additional details on the matter will come this following week. Hopefully T-Mobile can refocus and get back on track this year for a solid 2013 year, allowing them to get back in the competition strongly.
Source The Verge
