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Editor's Note: Apple just announced a media event on January 27 in San Francisco to announce their "Latest Creation." Tablet, anyone? We'll find out next Wednesday.

There are more leaks and rumors in the Apple world regarding their (hopefully) coming soon tablet. According to one of the "insiders" mentioned in a Boy Genius Report article, the tablet is basically an “iPhone on steroids” and the multi-touch gestures are “out of control.” I’m guessing that’s out of control in a good way. The tipster also said that it’s powered by a zippy ARM CPU, not that we expected Apple to do anything less than amazing. With an ARM processor the tablet will deliver incredible speeds and performance while reducing power consumption, something Apple has been good at in the past. Using an ARM processor will also cut down on the hardware cost for Apple meaning that maybe I won’t have to sell my first born in order to buy the tablet. Maybe. This is Apple we’re talking about.

The “multi-touch gestures” that the tipster is talking about is more than likely the product that Fingerworks was bragging about (before Apple shut down the web site in January). If this is what will be implemented into the Apple tablet, then get ready for a wild ride. The multi-touch touchpad is designed to allow the user to do pretty much everything by simply employing a few pre-programmed gestures, whether it’s scrolling, turning up the volume, or going back a page. In a press release from a while back, FingerWorks described it this way: “Mouse operations like point, click, drag, scroll, and zoom are combined seamlessly with touch-typing and multi-finger gesture everywhere on the MacNTouch's surface.” Sales Manager Jeff Green adds "People are amazed by all the things a hand gesture user interface provides. We have a large number of easy-to-use gestures that cover just about every common computer operation.” Seriously, this stuff is off the chizain!

The tablet will be running on the iPhone kernel, but the tipster didn’t know of any updates in the OS so far, supposedly Apple wanted to avoid leaks. Of course, all of this is just rumor for now. No matter how reliable a tipster may be, we won’t really know until Apple officially releases anything - possibly at their just-announced media event next Wed., January 27.

So now the speculation is that it will be a giant iPhone. Something tells me that’s not the case. I mean, that’s just not Apple’s style. If they’re going to give us something new and exciting, they’re going to give us something completely new and totally exciting. Not only that, but it would be kinda disappointing if it were just a giant iPhone. I mean, really? That’s the best you’ve got?

Nokia and Apple are locked in an ever-increasing legal dispute based on the fact that there are only a finite number of ways to build a phone, and they’re not going to leave the billion dollar US mobile phone market because someone else did it four seconds earlier.  The personal electronics patent battle continues, and the only people anywhere near winning so far are the lawyers.Nokia sued Apple in October last year, alleging the iPhoners were infringing on ten of its patents.  Apple countered by claiming Nokia was infringing thirteen of theirs, so Nokia knew they could only do one thing: claim even more by boosting the patent count to seventeen with a separate suit.  Apple’s now going for all the marbles by asking the International Trade Commission to block all Nokia imports into the US, which is about as likely as legally banning sunshine, but it is a serious challenge which will consume Nokia’s time and money - just like they’re eating Apple’s.

Nokia spokespeople announced that the company would “defend itself vigorously,” so you can look forward to several more suits being filed in short order.  And you might want to consider a lucrative career as a lawyer.

Post from Dial-a-Phone, UK's no. 1 for Mobile Phones.

Sure, it's running Android 1.5 and has a resistive touchscreen, but after my brief hands-on look at CES 2010, I can say that the LG GW620 is a decent mid-level Android device - particularly given that it's LG's first foray into the Android market. 

The LG GW620, branded as the "InTouch Max," has landed on Virgin Mobile and T-Mobile in the United Kingdom, where £20 (approximately $32.50) monthly and a two-year T-Mobile agreement will net them the device for free.  Virgin Mobile is offering the device for free with a £22 monthly bill and an 18-month agreement.

Head over to T-Mobile UK and Virgin Mobile for more information, including pricing and availability.  Whether it will arrive in the States or not is anyone's guess (I could see this taking off on Virgin Mobile USA), but the low to mid-level device category is one that Android needs in order to be successful.  The fact that devices like this are hitting the market is a positive sign for Android's long-term viability.

Via Engadget

Thought AT&T was going to let Verizon lower their unlimited plans without recourse?  Of course not.  On the heels of Verizon's announcement Friday regarding changes in their unlimited plan pricing structure, AT&T followed suit and lowered their plans as well. 

The new price plans, which take effect today, look exactly the same as Verizon's - unlimited talk for $69.99, and unlimited talk and text for $89.99.  Family plans mimick Verizon's changes as well, with unlimited talk (two lines) for $119.99, and unlimited talk and text (two lines) for $149.99.  Unlimited text messaging remains the same at $20 for individual lines, and $30 for family plans.

Though the requirement only applies to the new unlimited plans (from what I can decipher from this press release), a $20 monthly text or data feature is now requred on individual lines, while a $30 monthly text or data feature is required on family plans.  The good news is that text messaging will cover this - so if you have unlimited text messaging on your individual or family account, you're good to go.

The full press release is below.  Who's contemplating a switch?

AT&T Announces New Unlimited Plans

AT&T* today announced new unlimited plans across all devices --including its industry-leading lineup of smartphones -- to provide more value and choice for customers who want to talk, text and surf on the nation’s fastest 3G network.

“With more than twice the number of smartphone customers as our nearest competitor, we are committed to offering great value and choice for customers who want to talk, text and surf on the nation’s fastest 3G network,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Our new plans reflect customers’ continuing desire to do more with their phones – including talking and browsing the Web at the same time. Plus these new plans make it even more attractive to choose AT&T which already offers customers the best 3G experience and the industry’s most popular and innovative devices.”

The new plans, which will be available beginning Monday, Jan. 18, can be ordered at AT&T’s 2,200 company-owned retail stores and kiosks, through convenient online service at www.att.com, or at one of the thousands of authorized AT&T retail locations.

• Feature Phone customers may choose unlimited talk for $69.99. Family Talk customers (prices assume two lines) may choose unlimited talk for $119.99 per month. Texting plans remain unchanged at $20 for unlimited plans for individuals and $30 for Family Talk plans.
• Quick Messaging Device customers may choose unlimited talk for $69.99 and Family Talk customers may choose unlimited talk for $119.99 per month (for two lines). These plans require a minimum of $20 per month for individual plans and $30 per month for Family Talk plans in texting and/or Web browsing packages for new and upgrading customers.
• All smartphone customers, including iPhone customers, may now buy unlimited voice and data for $99.99. For smartphone customers with Family Talk plans (prices assume 2 smartphones), unlimited voice and data is now available for $179.99. Texting plans remain unchanged at $20 for unlimited plans for individuals, $30 for Family Talk Plans.

Beginning Monday, existing AT&T customers can change to any of the new plans without penalty or contract extension with the online account management tool at www.att.com/wireless.

For customers who do not choose an unlimited voice plan, AT&T offers Rollover, which lets customers keep the minutes they don’t use. In addition, AT&T offers A-List, which offers unlimited calling to up to 10 domestic phone numbers.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

*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.

In perhaps another positive sign that the BlackBerry Tour2 (Essex) 9650 launch is imminent, a Verizon employee snapped a picture of the Cellebrite machine, clearly showing the device listed along with its fellow 'Berry brethren.

The thing that caught me off guard is the naming in the system - notice that while the Storm, Storm 2, and Tour are all listed by name, it remains the Essex (its original product code name).  Is it possible that the device will be branded as the BlackBerry Essex 9650 at launch?  It's possible, but I highly doubt it.  Like anything else, Cellebrite machines require regular updates, and my guess is that an update will come just after the 9650's launch that will change the Essex moniker to the official retail name.

At any rate, it's nice to see this.  Anyone that works or has worked in the wireless industry knows that seeing a device listed in the Cellebrite machine is usually a sign of an imminent release.  Anyone want to begin speculation of the launch timeframe?

Via BGR

The tragedy in Haiti has inspired people around the world to do what they can to help. This is something that we’ve seen happen in many cases of global disaster. However, it’s even easier now to donate than it ever was before thanks to the prevalence and convenience of modern mobile technology.

People are using their mobile phones to donate to a number of different organizations that are helping out in Haiti. As a result, millions of dollars have been raised using mobile donations alone. Donations are typically of $5 or $10. You send a text message to the appropriate phone number and your donation is automatically recorded. The amount that you donate shows up on your mobile phone bill at the end of the month.

The easiest way to donate to the cause of your choice in America is by going through the Mobile Giving Foundation. You can use their text services to give money to Yele Haiti, the Clinton Foundation Haiti Relief Fund, International Rescue Committee, International Medical Corp, or the American Red Cross. More than one fifth of the millions of dollars raised by the American Red Cross alone have come from mobile donations. Mobile phones are being used to aid donations by the British Red Cross as well.

O2 is also doing it’s part to make it easy to donate using your mobile phone. Not everyone can get active about donating their time or large sums of money to this important cause. However most people can afford to donate a small amount by sending a simple text message.

Post from Dial-a-Phone, UK's no. 1 for Mobile Phones.

Once Windows Mobile 7’s delay became public, most resigned themselves to at least another year with the current 6.5 incarnation, give-or-take a few tweaks here and there.  However, good news came from LG, who slipped the fact they still expected Mobile 7 in 2010 and no later into a recent press conference.

Now, over the past weeks, speculation that we may at the very least see a demonstration of Windows Mobile 7 at Mobile World Congress in February, and that among its new features will be a gesture control system - although whether this will be on display is unknown - which perhaps syncs with Phil Moore’s comments on a ‘flexible UI’ he made in December.  The rumour has then evolved to take on the possibility that we may see the actual launch too.

Most - including ourselves - have dismissed this, but it could actually be partially true, but instead of 7, it could be 6.6.  With a version number increase like this, we’re likely to see many of the upgrades we’ve seen images of over the last months, including the increase in size of important buttons and their relocation to the bottom of the screen.

With Nokia and LG both shunning Mobile World Congress, Microsoft could potentially brighten the place up considerably.

Post from Dial-a-Phone, UK's no. 1 for Mobile Phones.