"We are grateful to our customers worldwide for making this the best holiday ever for Kindle," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO. "And in a huge milestone for independent publishing, we'd also like to congratulate Darcie Chan, the author of 'The Mill River Recluse,' and Chris Culver, the author of 'The Abbey,' for writing two of the best-selling Kindle books of the year."

"I have long dreamed about taking the next big step in private space flight after the success of SpaceShipOne - to offer a flexible, orbital space delivery system," Allen said. "We are at the dawn of radical change in the space launch industry. Stratolaunch Systems is pioneering an innovative solution that will revolutionize space travel."

"In just three years the App Store changed how people get mobile apps, and now the Mac App Store is changing the traditional PC software industry," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "With more than 100 million downloads in less than a year, the Mac App Store is the largest and fastest growing PC software store in the world."

"webOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected and scalable," said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer. "By contributing this innovation, HP unleashes the creativity of the open source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices."

The company has adapted a number of console-class games for touch-screen control, including L.A. Noire and LEGO Batman, and nearly 200 games are immediately playable with the new Universal OnLive Wireless Controller, which is compatible with a wide variety of tablets and smartphones.

"Today marks a major milestone: OnLive is now delivering the latest, console-class, top-tier games--literally to your fingertips--on tablets and phones for instant, on-demand play anywhere, anytime," said Steve Perlman, OnLive Founder and CEO. "Through the free OnLive app, tablet and smartphone gamers can play top console and PC titles like Assassins Creed: Revelations and L.A. Noire--one of the most highly acclaimed, graphically sophisticated games to date--with exclusive OnLive Cloud Touch controls or with the new mobile-compatible Universal OnLive Wireless Controller. Tablets and smartphones, the fastest-growing consumer product categories in history, are now capable of running the hottest, highest-end games. Gaming and mobile devices will never be the same."

“VideoSurf’s content analytics technology will enhance the search and discovery of entertainment content across our platform,” said Alex Garden, director of Xbox LIVE for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “This holiday we will launch voice search across our entertainment partners on Xbox LIVE. Over time, as we integrate VideoSurf’s technology into our system, we are excited about the potential to have content tagged in real time to increase the speed and relevance of the search results.”

“Having already established itself as the leading brand in e-readers, Amazon’s entrance into the adjacent tablet space will disrupt the market," said Tricia Parks, CEO, Parks Associates. "Amazon’s competitive pricing, combined with its considerable media and application offerings, makes the Kindle Fire a serious tablet contender, likely to scoop up market share among bargain shoppers.”

"Arrested Development is one of the finest American comedies in TV history and its return through Netflix is a perfect example of how we are working closely with studios and networks to provide consumers with entertainment they love," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer.

"Netflix's bold entrance into original programming presents an exciting new opportunity for our two companies," said Peter Levinsohn, Fox Filmed Entertainment's President of New Media & Digital Distribution. "Bringing a classic show back to production on new episodes exclusively for Netflix customers is a game changer, and illustrates the incredible potential the new digital landscape affords great content providers like Twentieth Century Fox Television and Imagine."

"We build brands at this studio which are so distinctive that audiences still clamor for them years after they go off the air," said 20th Century Fox TV Chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman. "'Arrested Development' is a great example of that—it has stood the test of time. This innovative deal with Netflix represents a new business model that is extremely exciting and opens the door for a wide range of new collaborations."

"We started talking to app developers everywhere the day we introduced Kindle Fire, and the response has been overwhelming," Dave Limp, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. "In addition to over 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, and magazines from Amazon, we are excited to offer customers thousands of apps and games to choose from on Kindle Fire - from Pandora and Rhapsody to Facebook and Twitter to Netflix, as well as popular games from EA, Zynga and many other top game developers. And this is only the beginning - we're adding more apps and games every day across all categories."

“We are very excited about this next step. Kobo provides one of the world’s most communal eBook reading experiences with its innovative integration of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter; while Rakuten offers Kobo unparalleled opportunities to extend its reach through some of the world’s largest regional e-commerce companies, including Buy.com in the US, Tradoria in Germany, Rakuten Brazil, Rakuten Taiwan, Lekutian in China, TARAD in Thailand, and Rakuten Belanja Online in Indonesia, and of course, Rakuten Ichiba in Japan,” said Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, about the acquisition,

“This transaction will greatly strengthen our position in our current markets and allow us to diversify quickly into other countries and e-commerce categories,” said Kobo CEO Michael Serbinis.

“In NOOK Tablet, we’ve created the best wireless media tablet in the portable 7-inch class. NOOK Tablet’s VividView display has been designed to be the world’s finest screen for readability and viewing content. We’ve utilized that breakthrough display technology to bring consumers the largest digital catalog of color and interactive books, magazines, children’s books and high-quality apps through our NOOK Store. Additionally, we’ve seamlessly integrated today’s top entertainment services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Pandora in a product that’s powerful, easy-to-use, under a pound, and a tremendous value at only $249,” said William Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble.

"As a leading company in digital imaging, Canon's debut in the film and TV production industry provides a tremendous opportunity to enter into a thriving market," said Fujio Mitarai, Chairman and CEO, Canon Inc. "Reflecting upon the achievements that Canon EOS Digital SLRs have had in the industry thus far, we are confident the new Cinema EOS series products will bring that success to a whole new level."

"This November holiday season will mark the true advent of the post-PC era with consumers demonstrating a heightened interest in adding mobile devices to their holiday shopping arsenal," said John Squire, Director, Product Management, Enterprise Marketing Management Group, IBM Industry Solutions. "In response, savvy retailers must invest in delivering hyper-personalized, smarter commerce shopping experiences that are capable of building loyalty through multiple channels with exceptionally relevant promotions, free shipping and more."

The fellowships will sponsor U.S. graduate student researchers who show significant potential to contribute to NASA's strategic space technology objectives through their studies, and allow them to perform innovative space technology research while building the skills necessary to become future technological leaders.

"We're calling for our second round of applications from America's best and brightest future technology leaders," said Michael Gazarik, director of the Space Technology Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Our Space Technology Graduate Fellowships will help create the next generation of highly skilled workers needed for NASA's and our nation's technological future, while motivating careers in science and technology that will lead to sustainable, high-tech jobs and help America out-innovate the world."

"Owning a Kindle just got even better. Today, we're introducing a new Prime benefit built for Kindle: The Kindle Owners' Lending Library," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. "Prime Members now have exclusive access to a huge library of books to read on any Kindle device at no additional cost and with no due dates."

“GarageBand on iPad has been a big hit and we think customers will love using it on their iPhone or iPod touch,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The innovative Multi-Touch interface combined with Smart Instruments makes it easy to create great sounding music, even if you’ve never studied music or played an instrument before.”

"We are excited to add some of the very best content available from Disney-ABC to Prime instant video," said Brad Beale, director of video content acquisition for Amazon. "We're working hard to add even more selection for Kindle Fire customers and Prime members leading up to the holidays, and expect to have nearly 13,000 titles available in Prime instant video by early next year."

“With over 1,100 adopters of the technology, and over 2 billion HDMI-enabled products shipped since launching the standard in 2003, the HDMI Founders strongly believe that the next leap in growth will come with broader industry participation,” said Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, LLC. “Due to the overwhelming success of the HDMI Specification and the increased adoption of the standard in a wide variety of applications and industries, the HDMI Founders decided to establish the HDMI Forum, a new organization where interested companies can become an integral part of the development process.”

“With the VIZIO Tablet and Hulu Plus, users can have an incredible mobile video experience with the freedom to watch their favorite shows at their leisure,” said Matt McRae, VIZIO Chief Technology Officer. “We hope users take advantage of the addition of Hulu Plus, which really exemplifies how the convergence of great content, audio and picture quality make the VIZIO Tablet stand out as an entertainment device.”

“DROID RAZR by Motorola is a testament to the innovation and design possibilities that stem from a strong partnership between Motorola Mobility and Verizon Wireless,” said Sanjay Jha, Chairman and CEO, Motorola Mobility. “We set out to design the best smartphone on the planet and delivered DROID RAZR which is thinner, smarter, stronger than any device on the market.”

“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.”

"Our goal is a Roku in every home," said Roku Founder and CEO Anthony Wood. "The Roku LT opens up streaming to more people by lowering the cost of entry in these difficult economic times. With a $49 price and selection of more than 300 channels we expect the Roku LT will be everyone’s favorite Holiday device."

"Consumers value the simplicity Netflix has always offered and we respect that," said Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings. "There is a difference between moving quickly -- which Netflix has done very well for years -- and moving too fast, which is what we did in this case."

“We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do.”

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.

Apple CEO Tim Cook stated:

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 excited to bring our award-winning devices to Target as we expand the retail locations where people can purchase NOOK,” said Chris Peifer, vice president, digital business development at Barnes & Noble. “The All-New NOOK offers a simple, easy-to-use, dedicated reading experience for readers of all ages and NOOK Color is the perfect sleek, sophisticated and reading-centric tablet device.”

“With the new LG Optimus Slider we’re bringing our customers an updated operating system and slide-out keyboard,” said Mark Lederman, Business Line director, Virgin Mobile USA. “According to NPD Group, year-over-year preference for a touchscreen has tripled among prepaid buyers, and 21 percent of all customers say that having a QWERTY keyboard is a motivating factor in making a purchase. Coupled with the popularity we’ve seen on the LG Optimus V we’re looking forward to bringing this fresh option to Virgin Mobile.”

"We have received very positive feedback from Prime members about Prime instant videos. Customers love the instant access to thousands of movie and TV favorites," said Steve Oliver, director of Video at Amazon.com. "Since the launch of Prime instant videos in February, we have more than doubled the library to 11,000 titles and will continue to add more of our customers' favorite movies and TV shows to Prime instant videos."

“We are fortunate to have someone of Meg Whitman’s caliber and experience step up to lead HP,” said Lane. “We are at a critical moment and we need renewed leadership to successfully implement our strategy and take advantage of the market opportunities ahead. Meg is a technology visionary with a proven track record of execution. She is a strong communicator who is customer focused with deep leadership capabilities. Furthermore, as a member of HP’s board of directors for the past eight months, Meg has a solid understanding of our products and markets.”

"Starting today, millions of Kindle customers can borrow Kindle books from their local libraries," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "Libraries are a critical part of our communities and we're excited to be making Kindle books available at more than 11,000 local libraries around the country. We're even doing a little extra here - normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no. But we're fixing this by extending our Whispersync technology to library books, so your notes, highlights and bookmarks are always backed up and available the next time you check out the book or if you decide to buy the book."

The announcement, which was supposed to inform current customers about why the previous changes had been put into place, only served to anger them further, as they will now have to deal with two separate websites to search for titles to add to their disc and streaming selections. Angry customers flooded the company with online comments, with most not happy at all about the latest changes coming to the service.

The new OS also features connected apps, that can communicate with each other, to make it easier to find and share files and other information between applications.

“We reimagined Windows,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft, in his keynote address to the thousands of developers in attendance. “From the chipset to the user experience, Windows 8 brings a new range of capabilities without compromise.”

The new 4G Windows Phones coming to AT&T are the Samsung Focus S, the Samsung Focus Flash, and the HTC TITAN. The Samsung Focus S features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, 1.4 GHz processor, 4G, a front facing 1.3-megapixel camera, and a rear facing 8-megapixel camera, while the Samsung Focus Flash features a 3.7-inch Super AMOLED screen, a 1.4 GHz processor, and a 5-megapixel camera plus a front facing camera. The HTC TITAN features a 4.7 inch screen, a 1.5 GHz processor, and an 8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash.

"Our customers love Windows Phones which is why we've sold more of them than anyone else," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "We're taking our leadership to a whole new level by getting the Mango update to all existing customers and rolling out awesome new Windows Phones."

"Zagat will be a cornerstone of our local offering—delighting people with their impressive array of reviews, ratings and insights, while enabling people everywhere to find extraordinary (and ordinary) experiences around the corner and around the world," said Marissa Mayer, VP of Google.

"We are pleased to announce the TiVo Premiere Elite at this year's CEDIA show as this product was designed specifically for the high-end custom home theater integrator or enthusiast looking to complete their home entertainment system with a best-in-class TV experience. Only TiVo Premiere Elite seamlessly combines digital cable programming with the best of Web entertainment, in full 1080p HD, and with 300 hours of HD recording space," said Doug Bieter, Vice President of Retail Sales for TiVo Inc. "With the added distinction as a THX-certified DVR, the TiVo Premiere Elite offers a high-end solution for premium quality installers looking for an improved way to get the most out of a customer's high definition television and cable subscription."

Though Netflix claims that the Starz titles it will be losing only make up a small percentage of their streaming content overall, with recent price hikes to Netflix's services, the loss of popular shows and movies from Starz being added into the mix could hurt the company if subscribers decide there simply isn't enough relevant streaming content left on Netflix worth paying for. The current Starz/Netflix deal is scheduled to end early next year, by which time Netflix will need to acquire many more current titles for streaming if it hopes to keep competing with other online streaming services such as Amazon, Hulu, and iTunes. Starz will, no doubt, shop their content to other services as well, making the competition Netflix will have to face that much stronger.

The GALAXY Note features a 5.3” HD Super AMOLED touch display, S Pen (for additional input and content creation options), a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3(Gingerbread), a front-facing 2 MP camera, 8 MP rear camera with LED Flash and HD recording capability, 16 or 32GB of internal memory with a microSD slot that supports up to 32GB, and optional NFC.

“The GALAXY Note is a device borne of our insight and innovation. We examined the fundamental elements of mobile culture, entertainment and communication in order to bring together the best experiences in a single, elegant device,” said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business. “The huge, 5.3” HD Super AMOLED screen is the largest, highest quality display available in any phone; the touch screen and S Pen combine to produce a uniquely accurate level of control and finesse, along with rich expressions across the GALAXY Note experience, enabling the introduction of new smartphone experiences. The artistic freedom of a paper notebook is coupled with the benefits of Samsung’s smartphone technology and services, allowing users to create, edit and share with more style than ever before.”

“This tablet is a beautiful 10.1-inch, LTE powered masterpiece,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “When you combine powerful options like HTC Jetstream with our upcoming LTE technology and nationwide HSPA+ network, it flies.”

“Reaching supercomputer performance levels of a hundred times more powerful than today by 2018 will require the combined efforts of both industry and government. An ExaFlop supercomputer’s performance is the equivalent of every person on Earth making about 150 million calculations per second. We look forward to collaborating more closely with the U.S. government on future supercomputing challenges,” said Kirk Skaugen vice president and general manager of Intel’s Datacenter and Connected Systems Group.

+Snippets are also being added, when you share content from the +1 button. When sharing content, Google will automatically include a link, an image, and a description in the sharebox to make it easy to share +snippets with the people you choose.

“These new models will build on the incredible success of the BlackBerry Curve line and further expand the largest global launch of BlackBerry smartphones in our history,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “The new BlackBerry Curve smartphones are absolutely stunning and offer a significant performance upgrade with an unmatched mobile social experience for the millions of feature phone users in the market as well as our existing Curve customers.”

"Skype and GroupMe have a shared vision of creating applications and experiences that are the daily communications choice for a billion people. We will continue to seek the top talent and technology to make that vision a reality," said Tony Bates, Skype's Chief Executive Officer. "The GroupMe team has created an incredibly sticky group messaging experience that works across mobile devices and platforms, making this a perfect addition to the voice, video and text products in the Skype family," added Bates.

“With new games coming to the ecosystem on a daily basis, Xperia PLAY is redefining smartphone gaming. Xperia PLAY is in a whole new category, a unique platform that allows major publishers and independent studios alike to push the boundaries of smartphone gaming and reach new audiences,” said Tim Harrison, Head of Content & Marketing Strategy for Sony Ericsson. “Gamescom provides a fantastic opportunity to show consumers just how far Xperia PLAY has come in a short space of time. And the journey is really only just beginning.”

"Kids discover and categorize movies and TV shows differently than adults," said Todd Yellin, Netflix Vice President of Product Innovation. "Just as we have revolutionized the way people find the movies and shows they want to watch when and how they want to, we're making it easier for kids and parents alike to have the best possible Netflix experience."

“Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers,” said Larry Page, CEO of Google.

“Beats has found a unique way to harness popular culture in a manner that is unlike any other brand today,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “It’s an exciting brand that has been built around providing something very special, and we believe our strategic partnership will provide customers with unbeatable sound on HTC phones. We obsess over every detail of a consumer’s mobile experience and audio is a critical part of that experience.”

“Ultrabook devices are poised to be an important area for innovation in the $261 billion global computer industry,” said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital and Intel executive vice president. “The Intel Capital Ultrabook fund will focus on investing in companies building technologies that will help revolutionize the computing experience and morph today’s mobile computers into the next ‘must have’ device.”

"We are excited to take this leap forward in our 'Buy Once, Read Everywhere' mission and help customers access their library instantly from anywhere," said Dorothy Nicholls, Director, Amazon Kindle. "We have written the application from the ground up in HTML5, so that customers can also access their content offline directly from their browser. The flexibility of HTML5 allows us to build one application that automatically adapts to the platform you're using - from Chrome to iOS. To make it easy and seamless to discover new books, we've added an integrated, touch optimized store directly into Cloud Reader, allowing customers one click access to a vast selection of books."

“At Walmart, one of our key priorities is to provide one continuous experience for our customers to interact with our brand — whether that is in stores, online or from their mobile devices,” said Edward Lichty, general manager, VUDU. “VUDU’s launch on the iPad plays into that vision as we’re committed to offering the VUDU experience on as many devices as possible so customers can shop for and access their favorite movies and TV shows however they want, whenever they want.”

"The Qosmio F755 3D laptop is not just a breakthrough in mobile entertainment, but a great example of Toshiba's ongoing commitment to turning technology innovation into real, usable products," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "We are excited to bring this cutting-edge technology to consumers, as there's really nothing like it. The unique capabilities of the laptop's 3D display make enjoying 3D content both convenient and hassle-free. It's like nothing you've ever seen before."

"The Space Needle was built when our country was in a global space race. With space travel moving to the private sector, a new race has begun that focuses on the best of what the Space Needle has become -- a symbol of the aspirations of today's world of technology and science. What better way than sending a person from our midst into space to mark our first 50 years and look into the exciting future that lies ahead," said Ron Sevart, president of Space Needle LLC.

“Over the last year Adobe has delivered on several significant HTML5 milestones including contributions to jQuery, submitting code to WebKit, and enhanced HTML5 output in Creative Suite® 5.5,” said Paul Gubbay, vice president of Design and Web Engineering, Adobe. “Now, with Adobe Edge, we’re taking our HTML5 tooling to a whole new level and look forward to getting some really useful feedback from the community over the next few months, as we refine the product.”

In partnering with TiVo, Best Buy's Insignia branded Insignia Connected TV offers a number of entertainment options, including Netflix, CinemaNow, YouTube, Pandora and Napster, plus popular entertainment and social media applications from the chumby content network, such as Facebook, Twitter, Photobucket and more.

"The Insignia Connected TV gives our valued customers a new way to easily set up and access the entertainment they want, when they want it," said Patrick McGinnis, vice president of Exclusive Brands at Best Buy. "We've heard from customers that Smart TVs can be intimidating, and we've put 110% of our energy into making the powerful features of the Insignia Connected TV easy to enjoy."

“At Walmart, one of our key priorities is to provide a continuous channel for our customers, from our stores to our powerful e-commerce and social media platforms,” said Steve Nave, SVP and general manager, Walmart.com. “With VUDU becoming increasingly popular among our customers, we’re providing them more access to enjoy this digital entertainment experience directly online at Walmart.com.”

“RIM is pleased to announce that the BlackBerry PlayBook is the first tablet approved under FIPS for use within the U.S. federal government,” said Scott Totzke, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry Security at Research In Motion. “This certification demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of security-conscious organizations and enables the U.S. federal government to buy with confidence knowing that the PlayBook meets their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive information.”

"The brave astronauts of STS-135 are emblematic of the shuttle program -- skilled professionals from diverse backgrounds who propelled America to continued leadership in space with the shuttle's many successes," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "This final shuttle flight marks the end of an era, but today, we recommit ourselves to continuing human spaceflight and taking the necessary- and difficult - steps to ensure America's leadership in human spaceflight for years to come."

"Our new deal with CBS makes Amazon Prime even better for customers," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com CEO. "We're excited to add thousands of popular CBS programs to our already great selection, all of which stream at no additional cost to Amazon Prime members."

"Students tell us that they enjoy the low prices we offer on new and used print textbooks. Now we're excited to offer students an option to rent Kindle textbooks and only pay for the time they need--with savings up to 80% off the print list price on a 30-day rental," said Dave Limp, vice president, Amazon Kindle.

"Today, we celebrate an incredible exploration milestone as a spacecraft enters orbit around an object in the main asteroid belt for the first time," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "Dawn's study of the asteroid Vesta marks a major scientific accomplishment and also points the way to the future destinations where people will travel in the coming years. President Obama has directed NASA to send astronauts to an asteroid by 2025, and Dawn is gathering crucial data that will inform that mission."

"The new Netflix application looks great, plays great and is a fantastic consumer experience," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "It gives Nintendo 3DS owners access to an amazing wealth of movies and TV shows, which they can watch conveniently from thousands of free Wi-Fi access points across the country. Nintendo 3DS truly offers something for everyone."

“Sprint is thrilled to build on the strength of our relationship with Motorola by bringing customers Motorola’s first Sprint 4G device with a dual-core processor,” said Fared Adib, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. “Motorola PHOTON 4G brings our customers the latest in Android technology combined with enterprise-quality security for business users and international GSM capabilities for those who travel abroad. It is spectacular to bring yet another Sprint 4G device to our customers.”

"Kindle 3G is more convenient - customers never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot - they simply download and read books anytime, anywhere. Kindle 3G customers read 20 percent more books, and take advantage of twice as many special offers," said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com. "A big thank you to AT&T for helping to make the new $139 price possible."

For existing members, and future members, this means that Netflix will no longer be offering unlimited plans that include both streaming and DVDs by mail. With the new plans, for users to get both unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs, they will have to pay $15.98 a month.

Netflix stated that for new members, the changes will be effective immediately. Existing members have September 1st before the new pricing kicks in.

“In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Thank you to all of our amazing developers who have filled it with over 425,000 of the coolest apps and to our over 200 million iOS users for surpassing 15 billion downloads.”

Transit Navigation uses GPS to determine your current location along your route, and alerts you when it’s time to exit or make a transfer. Even if you open another application or put your phone away, Google Maps will display an alert in your notification bar, and vibrate your phone when your stop is coming up.

Video calling on Facebook eliminates the problem of people using different video calling services, and not being able to connect with each other. As long as users are signed in on Facebook, they simply click the video call button at the top of the chat window, and their video call begins. The new feature brings video calling to over 750 million people, and is being made available in over 70 different languages.

"We are committed to bring Skype Video Calling to as many platforms as possible and are delighted to deliver on this with our new updated Skype for Android app," said Neil Stevens, Skype's vice president and general manager for product and marketing. "With approximately 30 million concurrent users logging into Skype at any given time4 and making up to half a million simultaneous video calls , Skype for Android with video makes it even easier for users to share moments with their contacts wherever they are."

Sparks is another new feature that lets users start up a conversation about any number of subjects, and Hangouts lets people in your Circle gather via video chat whenever they are free to join in. Huddle let users coordinate with each other in real-time with group messaging that lets everyone inside a Circle know what's going on, and Mobile provides people you are connected to with opt-in location information about where you are, in case a nearby friend or family member wants to meet up with you while you're out.

"NASA has been focused on human-robotic interaction for more than a decade, leading to flight of our newest crew member on the International Space Station, Robonaut2," said NASA's Chief Technologist Bobby Braun. "Our challenge today is to develop robotics technology that can increase the effectiveness and safety of humans in space and deliver cutting-edge science. Through our participation in the National Robotics Initiative, NASA will create the new knowledge, technology and capabilities needed for our future space missions while benefiting life here on Earth, today."

"It's exciting to be on the forefront of creating new knowledge and to play a catalytic role in the development of smart technology that enhances America's productivity and ultimately the quality of life of Americans," said NSF Director Subra Suresh. "It's also an opportunity to harness the expertise of our colleagues in several government agencies to tackle a major challenge and to bolster creative science and the U.S. economy. NSF is proud to lead this effort."

“NOOK Color is a tremendous product, offered at a terrific value, for people who love to read everything in rich beautiful color, stay connected, be entertained or learn new things anywhere and everywhere. Whether reading a bestseller, the latest issue of a favorite magazine, checking e-mail or playing a brain-teasing game, we continue to build upon our fantastic array of fun and engaging NOOK Apps and content for NOOK Color customers to enjoy,” said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products, Barnes & Noble. “Since we added our customers’ most-requested tablet features just a few weeks ago, we’ve had an amazing response, particularly to our growing array of popular apps that give customers the ability to do even more with their award-winning, best value Reader’s Tablet.”

The Xperia active features a 3-inch screen, a 1Ghz processor, and a 5mp camera. The new phone is also dust proof and water resistant, and incorporates wet finger tracking. The Xperia active comes pre-loaded with sports apps that enable users to track their fitness levels, and has a built-in GPS, barometer, compass, and an on-screen heart rate & pulse monitor

“Today’s announcement demonstrates that we continue to deliver a portfolio to make the Sony Ericsson experience available to a broad range of consumers,” said Steve Walker, Chief Marketing Officer, Sony Ericsson. “As the Android platform gains market share in Asia Pacific, the Xperia portfolio is well positioned to deliver consumers a unique and differentiated experience.”

"With the Nokia N9, we wanted to design a better way to use a phone. To do this we innovated in the design of the hardware and software together. We reinvented the home key with a simple gesture: a swipe from the edge of the screen. The experience sets a new bar for how natural technology can feel," said Marko Ahtisaari, Nokia's head of Design. "And this is just the beginning. The details that make the Nokia N9 unique - the industrial design, the all-screen user experience, and the expressive Qt framework for developers - will evolve in future Nokia products."

“Final Cut Pro X is the biggest advance in Pro video editing since the original Final Cut Pro,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “We have shown it to many of the world’s best Pro editors, and their jaws have dropped.”

“Motorola XOOM has been all about ‘firsts’ since the launch, and we are pleased to be the first to enable users to rent movies from Android Market and instantly watch them on their Motorola XOOM tablets,” said Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer, Motorola Mobility. “The improved user interface, better Flash video performance and many other benefits that are part of this software update are also part of how we are making the Motorola XOOM experience better than ever.”

“Sprint is pleased to partner with Lookout to offer our customers applications that will help to protect and secure the private information on their device and ensure the applications they download are safe from viruses,” said Fared Adib, senior vice president-Product, Sprint. “Lookout also offers a premium version of the mobile security application that gives customers the ability to remote lock or even remote wipe the data from their device if it is lost or stolen.”

"We know that our customers love having instant access to entertainment on their TVs - and at great value...," said Roku Founder and CEO Anthoy Wood.

The two companies showed off the Motorola PHOTON 4G, Motorola’s first Sprint 4G device, which features a dual-core 1GHz processor, a 4.3-inch touchscreen with qHD (Quarter High Definition) display, 16GB of onboard memory (with support for up to 32GB of additional memory with an added SD Card), Sprint ID and worldphone capabilities, a kickstand for hands-free viewing, 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability, and Android 2.3.

Also on hand was the Motorola TRIUMPH, the first Virgin Mobile USA device from Motorola. The TRIUMPH features a 4.1-inch WVGA touchscreen, up to 32GB of expandable memory, two cameras, HD-Video (720p) capture, and HDMI output.

“Over the years, we have teamed with Motorola to bring top of the line devices to our customers across both prepaid and postpaid brands,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. “I am pleased to see our collaboration grow. Together we will enhance the customer experience by bringing innovative devices to market, such as the Motorola PHOTON 4G and Motorola TRIUMPH.”

“This is an incredible time of growth and innovation for our business leveraging technologies that see us, hear us and connect us all together,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “This year by bringing together the power of Kinect for Xbox 360 and the intelligence of Bing, we are transforming how people enjoy entertainment.”

“We have been conducting additional testing and further security verification of our commerce functions in order to bring the PlayStation Network completely back online so that our fans can again enjoy the first class entertainment experience they have come to love,” said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation. “We appreciate the patience and support shown during this time.”

"Kindle is the bestselling e-reader in the world. It's been just six weeks since we introduced the new $114 Kindle with Special Offers, and already customers have made it the bestselling member of the Kindle family," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "In response to customer requests, we're now making these money-saving special offers available for Kindle 3G. You will get all the features readers love about Kindle 3G - free 3G wireless, global wireless access, Pearl electronic ink display that's easy to read even in bright sunlight, access to over 950,000 'Buy Once, Read Everywhere' Kindle books - all for just $164 - the lowest price for any 3G e-reader."

“Seven months ago we started our mission to make smartphones smarter and easier for people to do more,” said Andy Lees, president of the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft. “With ‘Mango,’ Windows Phone takes a major step forward in redefining how people communicate and use apps and the Internet, giving you better results with less effort.”

With the “Mango” release information is organized around a person or group the user wants to interact with, and is not tied to one particular app. With Threads, for example, users can switch between text, Facebook chat, and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation. Using Groups, contacts can be grouped into personalized Live Tiles to see status updates, and quickly send a text, email, or IM to the whole group.

Also added to the new release is App Connect, which connects apps to search results and integrates them more deeply with Windows Phone Hubs, such as Music and Video and Pictures. Live Tiles, for example, can get real-time information from apps without having to open them. Other improvements include Internet Explorer 9, Local Scout (which provides search results for and recommends nearby establishments), and Quick Cards (which provides a quick summary of relevant information on a given search subject, including related apps).

Kobo also announced the inclusion of Reading Life in the new Kobo eReader Touch Edition, the popular social reading application currently on the iOS and Android platforms. By touching the Reading Life button, users can see their Reading Stats, track the minutes they've read, the number of pages turned, earn awards for every book they read, and more.

The HTC Trophy features a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3.8-inch WVGA touch screen, a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, 720p HD video capture, virtual surround sound with SRS WOW HD, and 16 GB onboard storage.

"Customers are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books. We had high hopes that this would happen eventually, but we never imagined it would happen this quickly - we've been selling print books for 15 years and Kindle books for less than four years," said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com. "In addition, we're excited by the response to Kindle with Special Offers for only $114, which has quickly become the bestselling member of the Kindle family. We continue to receive positive comments from customers on the low $114 price and the money-saving special offers. We're grateful to our customers for continuing to make Kindle the bestselling e-reader in the world and the Kindle Store the most popular e-bookstore in the world."

The Xperia PLAY features Android 2.3, a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon II processor with Adreno 205 GPU, Adobe Flash Player support, a 4-inch multi-touch display, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a VGA front-facing, support for Google Mobile Services, access to Android Market, mobile hotspot capability for up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices, and a slide out game pad.

"Today's final launch of Endeavour is a testament to American ingenuity and leadership in human spaceflight," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "As we look toward a bright future with the International Space Station as our anchor and new destinations in deep space on the horizon, we salute the astronauts and ground crews who have ensured the orbiter's successful missions. The presence of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at the launch inspired us all, just as America's space program has done for the past 50 years."

“During the past 18 months, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in the volume of cyber attacks, their sophistication and their impact on businesses. Thwarting cyber-crime requires an evolutionary approach to security that is well integrated, reduces risk exposure and improves efficiencies,” said Francis deSouza, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Security Group, Symantec. “Today’s cyber crime attacks are proving to be more covert, more targeted and better organized than those we’ve seen in years past. In working with Sony on the move of their data-center, it’s clear they’re implementing measures to reduce security risks moving forward.”

“Our recent software update to NOOK Color delivered the most requested tablet features by our customers, including the ability to shop for and download high-quality apps. Reaching over a million app downloads in just a week since the launch of NOOK App shopping for all NOOK Color customers exceeded expectations, and is an exciting milestone for our developers, publishing partners, and most importantly for our rapidly growing NOOK Color user base,” said William Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble.

"Netflix is thrilled to enter into this deal with the new team at Miramax," said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. "Existing relationships with management and a shared affinity for these great films make this an important deal for both companies and for our members, who will enjoy instantly watching movies from one of the truly great film libraries for many years to come."

"From day one, we've been very clear about the importance of digital and our desire to respond to the significant pent-up demand for our films -- delivering to consumers whenever and wherever they want," said Mike Lang, CEO of Miramax. "This agreement is an important first step in our digital strategy. Netflix has always been a trailblazer, with a tremendous track record of innovation and quality customer service. We're thrilled to now be in business with them as we build and revitalize the proud Miramax brand."

“With the LUMIX G3, Panasonic offers an extremely light compact system camera that is easy to use, thanks to a touch-control LCD, yet still maintains powerful and creative features to appease the more advanced photographer,” said Darin Pepple, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “With new features that enhance photo and video quality, the LUMIX G3 offers exceptional image quality that a photographer at any level would be excited about using to capture their experiences.”

“Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world.”

Citing Moore's Law, which states that roughly every 2 years transistor density will double, while increasing functionality and performance and decreasing costs, Intel is confident that by being able to bring the 3-D Tri-Gate transistor design into high-volume manufacturing, it will usher in new innovations across a broad range of devices.

"The performance gains and power savings of Intel's unique 3-D Tri-Gate transistors are like nothing we've seen before," said Mark Bohr, Intel Senior Fellow. "This milestone is going further than simply keeping up with Moore's Law. The low-voltage and low-power benefits far exceed what we typically see from one process generation to the next. It will give product designers the flexibility to make current devices smarter and wholly new ones possible. We believe this breakthrough will extend Intel's lead even further over the rest of the semiconductor industry."

“Our customers love the iMac’s aluminum enclosure, gorgeous display and all-in-one design,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, Thunderbolt technology and a FaceTime HD camera, we've made the world’s best desktop even better.”

“With Captain Jack Sparrow returning for a new adventure in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, we wanted to find ways to connect with the franchise’s incredibly dedicated fan base, as well as bring the world of Pirates to new platforms,” said Don Gross, vice president, global promotions, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Marketing. “The team at Verizon has developed this amazing new app that allows us to do just that.”

"The new BlackBerry Bold smartphones and BlackBerry 7 OS are inspired by millions of customers around the world who want the ultimate combination of performance, functionality and style," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion. “These fully-loaded and beautifully crafted smartphones offer a highly refined user experience with blazingly fast performance, a brilliant touch screen and an outstanding typing experience.”

“The white iPhone 4 has finally arrived and it’s beautiful,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “We appreciate everyone who has waited patiently while we’ve worked to get every detail right.”

Apple also stated that the problem with the information still being stored, even if location services are turned off, is a bug in the iOS software, and that a new iOS update will be released within the next few weeks to correct the problem. Additionally, the company stated that after the next update no more than seven days of Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data will need to be stored, and with the next major iOS update the information will be encrypted as well.

The S1 Sony Tablet has a 9.4-inch display, and features a unique off-center of gravity design to make it easier to hold, and to increase stability and comfort when using the device for extended periods of time.

“We are thrilled to add to our robust eReading ecosystem a differentiated and unique portfolio of high-quality applications, which enrich and extend the reading experience that our customers know and love and keep the whole family entertained and engaged, connected and organized. With an update to the operating system, NOOK Apps, email, an enhanced Web experience and more new, great features and content to enjoy, we have made NOOK Color – already acclaimed as the best reading device on the market – truly the best value tablet on the market for $249,” said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products at Barnes & Noble. “The response from the developer and content communities has been terrific, as many great companies are enthusiastic about bringing their strong brands, products and content to NOOK Color and the NOOK Bookstore, and taking advantage of the unique benefits of our open platform and merchandising opportunities.”

“In the pivotal first minutes of a natural or man-made disaster, AT&T Remote Mobility Zone provides a solution to help maintain critical mobile communications,” said Chris Hill, vice president, Advanced Mobility Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions. “With AT&T Remote Mobility Zone, users can set up a cell site in less than 30 minutes.”

"At the highest level, we have entered into a win-win partnership," said Stephen Elop, President and CEO of Nokia Corporation. "It is the complementary nature of our assets, and the overall competitiveness of that combined offering, that is the foundation of our relationship."

"We're excited that millions of Kindle customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from their local libraries," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "We're doing a little something extra here," Marine continued. "Normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no. But we're extending our Whispersync technology so that you can highlight and add margin notes to Kindle books you check out from your local library. Your notes will not show up when the next patron checks out the book. But if you check out the book again, or subsequently buy it, your notes will be there just as you left them, perfectly Whispersynced."

"Ovi Maps' photorealistic 3D models of metropolitan areas are a significant step towards our vision of bridging the real and virtual world, with location-based services being the glue," said Michael Halbherr, senior vice president, Nokia.

“We are pleased to strengthen our strategic relationship with Samsung in a way that better aligns both companies around technologies and products,” said Steve Luczo, Seagate chairman, president and CEO. “With these agreements, we expect to achieve greater scale and deliver a broader range of innovative storage products and solutions to our customers, while facilitating our long-term relationship with Samsung.”

"Dropbox transforms the way people create and share their life's work," said Drew Houston, CEO and co-founder of Dropbox. "Whether that's designing buildings, writing music, or raising a family, we're focused on making it effortless to have your files wherever you need them, on any computer or phone. With this first step, we're excited to reach new people around the world and delight them with all the ways Dropbox can simplify their lives."

"Staples is excited to bring this amazing product with its enhanced applications to our stores this Spring, which is just in time to celebrate Mother's Day and Father's Day with a gift of the newest technology," said Mark Mettler, senior vice president for consumer technology at Staples. "We invite Staples customers to experience a live demonstration of the NOOK's many features in all our U.S. locations and also enjoy the convenience of free shipping when ordering on Staples.com."

“Panasonic is pleased to support this ground-breaking industry-wide initiative,” said Joe Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America. “We have worked collaboratively for many years with other manufacturers and with our retailer partners and we look to this initiative to even further expand recycling opportunities available to Panasonic’s customers—and to those who wish to recycle any other brand, too.”

"We're working hard to make sure that anyone who wants a Kindle can afford one," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. "Kindle with Special Offers is the same #1 bestselling Kindle - and it's only $114. Kindle is the best deal in consumer electronics anywhere in the world."

The badge, which depicts a Mars rover, is part of the BSA's new curriculum emphasizing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities. To earn the Robotics merit badge, a scout is required to understand how robots move, sense the environment and understand how to perform an operation. Scouts will spend approximately 14 hours meeting the requirements of the badge, during which they will design a robot and demonstrate how it works.

"This unique partnership is another clear example of NASA looking at new and creative ways to inspire our youth to consider STEM careers," said Lyndon Bridgwater, NASA aerospace engineer and lead badge contributor from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

”With its more than 1,700 store locations, a highly recognizable brand and multiple methods of delivery, Blockbuster will complement our existing video offerings while presenting cross-marketing and service extension opportunities for DISH Network,” said Tom Cullen, executive vice president of Sales, Marketing & Programming of DISH Network.

“Motorola’s Media Engagement Barometer research into video consumption habits shows that more and more people are accessing broadcast video services on multiple screens around the home,” said Keith Kelley, vice president, home devices, Motorola Mobility. “The Motorola VAP2400 wireless video bridge solution is a game-changing technology that enables operators to change the way video services are deployed in customer home networks. Compatible with multiple set-tops, it delivers enhanced media experiences throughout the home, allowing service providers to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market.”

“We are very excited to get out there and engage consumers across the country with our Experience Amazing Tour,” said Shiro Kitajima, President of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “Panasonic has so many exciting new, category-leading products to share with consumers from the latest VIERA Full HD 3D TVs and 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theater systems to our vastly expanded VIERA Connect IPTV features and line of 3D digital cameras and camcorders. We created this tour to let consumers get hands-on with our 2011 products and experience for themselves how amazing and easy-to-use the world of home entertainment has become.”

The Panasonic Experience Amazing Tour will begin across the country the week of April 4th, with events at New York’s Grand Central Terminal (April 4th-5th) and Roosevelt Field (April 7th-10th), Chicago’s Union Station (April 4th-8th), and Los Angeles’ Culver City Shopping Center (April 4th-10th). The tour will then appear in other major cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC through May 15th.

“Having sold over 1 million Roku players through online sales only up until now, we are incredibly excited to announce our entrance into brick and mortar retail with nationwide availability from the preeminent consumer electronics retailer,” said Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc. “Customers can now grab a Roku off the shelf at Best Buy, take it home and be up and running, enjoying their favorite TV show, movie, music or sports team in just a matter of minutes.”

"We're excited to take this leap forward in the digital experience," said Bill Carr, vice president of Movies and Music at Amazon. "The launch of Cloud Drive, Cloud Player for Web and Cloud Player for Android eliminates the need for constant software updates as well as the use of thumb drives and cables to move and manage music."

Cloud Drive customers start with 5GB of storage to upload their digital music library. Files can be stored in AAC or MP3 formats, and will be uploaded to Cloud Drive in the original bit rate. Customers who purchase an Amazon MP3 album will be upgraded to 20 GB of Cloud Drive space, and new Amazon MP3 purchases saved directly to Cloud Drive are stored for free and do not count against a customer's storage quota.

“At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss.”

"Intel designed new quality and reliability features into our SSDs to take advantage of the latest 25nm silicon, so we could deliver cost advantages to our customers," said Pete Hazen, director of marketing for the Intel Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) Solutions Group. "Intel's third generation of SSDs adds enhanced data security features, power-loss management and innovative data redundancy features to once again advance SSD technology. Whether it's a consumer or corporate IT looking to upgrade from a hard disk drive, or an enterprise seeking to deploy SSDs in their data centers, the new Intel SSD 320 Series will continue to build on our reputation of high quality and dependability over the life of the SSD."

"We are committed to constantly expanding our selection of top new movies and TV shows for our Canadian members," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer. "This agreement will allow them to watch some of the latest hit Paramount films as well as an incredible range of the studio's recent and classic favorites anytime they want. Netflix and Paramount enjoy a great relationship and are proud to bring such a terrific array of films to Netflix members in Canada."

“I believe that efforts like those of Google are essential to keeping our language alive,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith. “We have been working hard to get our young people interested in learning our Native tongue but we cannot be successful unless they can read and write in the medium of their era – all the digital devices that are currently so popular.”

“In a world of fast and readily available 3G and WiFi connections, video allows you to transcend the current world of text and photo messages to share special and everyday moments in a more meaningful way,” said Rick Osterloh, head of consumer products for Skype. “Qik Video Connect makes the concept of ‘see what I see’ a full reality.”

Two versions of the app are available, the free Qik Video Connect and Qik Video Connect Plus, which sells for $2.99, and offers additional features. Qik is integrated with your phone’s contact list, to easily see when friends and family are available for a live video chat. Private video mail can also be sent through email or SMS, no matter what device or phone network they are on, if friends and family aren’t able to talk live.

“Following the fall launch, we’ve continued to seek feedback from our customers so we can continue to shape and grow the Starbucks Digital Network in a way that is authentic to the Starbucks Experience, inspires conversation and invites new customers to experience our content offering when they visit their neighborhood Starbucks,” said Stephen Gillett, Starbucks chief information officer, executive vice president Digital Ventures. “Today we’re broadening the offering and will continue to develop the network’s channels with a spectrum of new content.”

"Test Drive lets customers truly experience an app before they commit to buying. It is a unique, new way to shop for apps," says Paul Ryder, vice president of electronics for Amazon.com. "Our customers have told us that the sheer number of apps available can make it hard to find apps that are high quality and relevant to them. We've spent years developing innovative features that help customers discover relevant products. By applying these features - plus new ones like Test Drive - we're aiming to give customers a refreshing app shopping experience."

Amazon is also offering Android app shoppers the new Angry Birds Rio for Android which debuts exclusively in the Amazon Appstore. For a limited time, customers can download Angry Birds Rio for free. The company also stated that it will offer customers a paid app for free from the Appstore every day.

“While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we’ve changed the game again with iPad 2,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the US, and customers around the world have told us they can't wait to get their hands on it. We appreciate everyone’s patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”

“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.”

"We're excited to partner with Sprint on Nexus S 4G, which brings innovative hardware by Samsung and innovations on the Android platform, to create a powerful smartphone experience,” said Andy Rubin, vice president of Engineering at Google.

"With David Fincher’s unique vision, the incredible acting skills of Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, and a great and timeless story of power, corruption and lies, we think “House of Cards” will become a big hit among Netflix members...," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer.

“MOTOROLA XOOM is a truly innovative tablet – its design, coupled with being the first tablet to have Android 3.0, results in a user experience that is one-of-a-kind,” said Dan Papalia, vice president of retail sales for Motorola Mobility. “We are now continuing to expand the choices available to consumers with the MOTOROLA XOOM Wi-Fi to be available soon from numerous leading retailers in the United States.”

“Music has always been at the core of Virgin Mobile’s DNA,” said Ron Faris, director of Brand Marketing for Virgin Mobile. “And given our fans’ addictive nature to discover and share new music, we wanted to make sure they had access to the hottest new bands right at their fingertips. We’re especially thrilled to invite non-customers to this experience so they can see what our brand is all about.”

“Backed by the faster speeds on T-Mobile’s 4G network, the new Sidekick 4G offers customers both speed and style,” said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. “We’ve reinvented the messaging experience that made the Sidekick such an iconic device, and supercharged it with communication and entertainment experiences that take full advantage of our 4G network.”

Apple has stated that the iPad 2 will be available on March 11th at 5 p.m. local time at all 236 Apple retail stores in the U.S. and through the Apple Store beginning at 1 a.m. PT. Additionally, iPad 2 will also be available beginning at 5 p.m. local time at AT&T, Best Buy, Target, Verizon Wireless, Walmart, and select Apple Authorized Resellers. The company also stated that every customer buying an iPad 2 at an Apple retail store will be offered free Personal Setup service, so if you think you may need help setting up e-mail, installing apps, or getting other features up and running, you may want to consider getting your new iPad at a local Apple Store.

The Wi-Fi only iPad 2 starts at $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model, and $699 for the 64GB model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models start at $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model, and $829 for the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G comes in models that are compatible with the Verizon network as well as models that are compatible with the AT&T network, so be sure to know which carrier you're going to want to go with, so you get the correct model.

“We’re really excited to be working with RIM to bring the 7digital experience to the BlackBerry PlayBook," said Ben Drury, CEO of 7digital. "RIM has created an incredible tablet with premium multimedia features and together we are delivering a truly exceptional music experience for mobile users, offering content that is extremely easy to discover, purchase and use."

“We continue to raise the bar when it comes to the mobile computing experience,” said Mike Lucas, senior vice president of Networked and Technologies and Services Division at Sony Electronics. “The VAIO S Series laptop makes no compromises by offering the ultimate, full-featured ultra-mobile PC.”

“Until now, businesses of all types – especially small ones – were limited to listing only local (landline) phone numbers in thick phone directories that printed annually. What businesses want is a place to list, customize and regularly update their business information – including wireless numbers. The old directories aren’t an option in today’s business environment, especially for small businesses that use only wireless phones,” said Judy Train, Sprint vice president – Small Business and Alternate Channels.

“The first phase of our Reader Library Program was a tremendous success with participating libraries across the country reporting significant interest from patrons corresponding with strong growth in digital lending,” said Phil Lubell, Sony Electronics’ vice president of digital reading. “Today, we’re excited to announce the next 30 participants in the program and look forward to opening up digital reading opportunities to more consumers.”

“Amazon has without question pioneered the eReader space with Kindle, and it’s exciting to not only connect this device through our network, but now offer it in our stores to readers around the country,” said Glenn Lurie, president, emerging devices, AT&T. “As the first dedicated eReader offered in our stores, we are confident the Kindle will be an attractive addition to our in store connected devices lineup.”

“Anyone who has lost a phone knows that their personal information is possibly just as vulnerable as if their computer was hacked,” said John Carney, senior vice president of consumer marketing for Sprint. “Now, Sprint customers have peace of mind knowing that their personal and private information is safe. TEP and this accompanying application is a safeguard for customers who want protection from not only loss, but misuse and unauthorized access.”

"With Discovery's mission, the United States once again reaches for new heights, pushes the boundaries of human achievement and contributes to our long-term future in space," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "Discovery's crew - including the first-ever dexterous robot crew member, Robonaut 2 - will continue America's leadership in human and robotic spaceflight, and support important scientific and technical research aboard the space station."

“The new MacBook Pro brings next generation dual and quad Core processors, high performance graphics, Thunderbolt technology and FaceTime HD to the great design loved by our pro customers,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology that delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and can support every important I/O standard which is ideal for the new MacBook Pro.”

"Millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy the convenience of free Two-Day Shipping," said Robbie Schwietzer, vice president of Amazon Prime. "Adding unlimited instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost is a great way to give members even more value for their $79 annual Amazon Prime membership."

“This really is a transforming technology, and when we leverage the capabilities of Watson is when we will see real innovation,” said Paul Bloom, IBM Chief Technology Officer for Telecom Research

Copy and paste will be added, so users will be able to copy text from emails, text messages, web pages, and Office Mobile documents, and paste it anywhere they can type. Apps and games will also start up and resume faster, cutting down on waiting time, and Marketplace search has been streamlined to make finding apps, games, and music easier than before.

“Clearly, smartphones have transformed our lives but as we observed how people use smartphones, computers and other technologies, we saw an opportunity to create a tablet experience that is different, more personal and productive,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “We are progressing down a path as an industry when people will no longer be in a single device paradigm, but have multiple wireless devices for different needs; this is the direction we are moving.”

“HTC has always understood that different people want different things and the new HTC ChaCha and Salsa offer special new ways to experience Facebook on a mobile device,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “With more than 500 million active users worldwide, Facebook has become synonymous with the social web and we wanted to create the ultimate socially connected phones with mass market appeal.”

The Facebook button on HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa is also context-aware, gently pulsing with light whenever there is an opportunity to share content or updates through Facebook. Press the button, and you can update your status, upload a photo, share a Web site, post what song you are listening to, ‘check in’ to a location, and more. Facebook messages and conversations are also integrated within the phone and appear within your text and e-mail inboxes alongside regular conversations.

Subscriptions purchased from within the App Store will be sold using the current App Store billing system used to buy apps and In-App Purchases. Publishers will set the price and length of the subscription (weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly or yearly). Customers will then pick the length of subscription they want to purchase, and be automatically charged based on their chosen subscription. Customers will also be able to review and manage their subscriptions from their personal account page, including cancellation and automatic renewal of a subscription. Just as it does with app purchases, Apple will process all of the payments, and keep 30 percent of the purchase price.

“Our philosophy is simple—when Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30 percent share; when the publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100 percent and Apple earns nothing,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “All we require is that, if a publisher is making a subscription offer outside of the app, the same (or better) offer be made inside the app, so that customers can easily subscribe with one-click right in the app. We believe that this innovative subscription service will provide publishers with a brand new opportunity to expand digital access to their content onto the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone, delighting both new and existing subscribers.”

In portrait mode, the Xperia PLAY works as most would expect a touchscreen smartphone to work. The device offers a Qualcomm optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and Adreno GPU graphics processor, a 5 megapixel camera, and a 4” multi-touch screen. In landscape mode, however, the Xperia PLAY's gaming controls slide out to reveal a digital D pad, two analog touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons many gamers are already familiar with: the circle, cross, square, and triangle.

"I am delighted to see Xperia PLAY as the first PlayStation Certified smartphone to hit the market. Xperia PLAY provides a unique consumer offering and is yet another example of great products and services coming to market that leverage Sony's strong assets," said Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products and Services Group at Sony Corporation.

“Today, developers, operators and consumers want compelling mobile products, which include not only the device, but the software, services, applications and customer support that make a great experience,” Stephen Elop, Nokia President and CEO, said at a joint news conference in London. “Nokia and Microsoft will combine our strengths to deliver an ecosystem with unrivalled global reach and scale. It’s now a three-horse race.”

“I am excited about this partnership with Nokia,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. “Ecosystems thrive when fueled by speed, innovation and scale. The partnership announced today provides incredible scale, vast expertise in hardware and software innovation and a proven ability to execute.”

Under the new partnership, Nokia will adopt Windows Phone as its principal OS, help drive the future of Windows Phone, and help bring Windows Phone to a larger range of market segments and geographies. Bing will also power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices, and Microsoft adCenter will provide search advertising services.

"Adoption of tablets and mobile phones is exploding, and digital media isn't keeping up. Consumers can't find the publications they buy off the newsstand, and publishers and advertisers can't reach the audiences they want to serve," said Blake Irving, executive vice president and chief product officer for Yahoo!. "As the premier digital media company, we're in a position to meet all of these needs. Livestand is an immersive environment that provides a dynamic and personalized experience for consumers, and a pipeline of fresh and active content for publishers and advertisers."

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

Unlike single screen smartphones, where only one task can be completed at a time, Kyocera Echo’s second screen allows users to do two things at the same time. Users, for example, can send e-mail on one screen while watching a video on the other screen, or browse the Web while checking Facebook. When back in its closed position, the Echo then functions as a single-display touchscreen smartphone.

“Sprint is proud to boast the most powerful Android portfolio available today and Echo adds to that legacy with industry-leading technology that will change the way our customers use smartphones,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. “Today’s busy schedules often demand that we do at least two things at once. Kyocera Echo is the first device that allows us to do a different task on each of two screens while also providing a tablet-like, larger screen experience that easily fits in a pocket when closed.”

The Kyocera Echo features Android 2.2, Wi-Fi hotspot capability with support for up to five devices, a 5-megapixel camera with flash, a 720p HD camcorder, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 1GB of onboard memory and an 8GB microSD card with support for up to 32GB, and a spare battery.

As part of the transaction, Arianna Huffington, The Huffington Post's co-founder and editor-in-chief, will be named president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, which will include all Huffington Post and AOL content, including Engadget, TechCrunch, Moviefone, MapQuest, Black Voices, PopEater, AOL Music, AOL Latino, AutoBlog, Patch, StyleList, and other brands.

"The acquisition of The Huffington Post will create a next-generation American media company with global reach that combines content, community, and social experiences for consumers," said Tim Armstrong, Chairman and CEO of AOL. "Together, our companies will embrace the digital future and become a digital destination that delivers unmatched experiences for both consumers and advertisers. Arianna is a singularly passionate and dedicated champion of innovative journalistic engagement, and a master of the art of using new media to illuminate, entertain and enhance the national conversation. Arianna is a remarkable person and she will continue to create remarkable outcomes for the combined company."

"This is truly a merger of visions and a perfect fit for us," said Huffington. "The Huffington Post will continue on the same path we have been on for the last six years - though now at light speed - by combining with AOL. Our readers will still be able to come to the Huffington Post at the same URL, and find all the same content they've grown to love, plus a lot more - more local, more tech, more entertainment, more finance, and lots more video. We are fusing a legendary and powerful new media brand with a vibrant, innovative news organization, known for its distinctive voice, a highly engaged audience, an expertise in community-building, and a track record for demystifying the news and putting flesh and blood on the data while drawing our audience into the conversation. By uniting AOL and The Huffington Post, we are creating one of the largest destinations for smart content and community on the Internet. And we intend to keep making it better and better."

“This was an exciting day,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer for Verizon Wireless. “In just our first two hours, we had already sold more phones than any first day launch in our history. And, when you consider these initial orders were placed between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., it is an incredible success story. It is gratifying to know that our customers responded so enthusiastically to this exclusive offer – designed to reward them for their loyalty. I am proud of our employees who worked tirelessly to strengthen and scale our systems, enabling unprecedented customer orders through our website. Overall, it was a very good day.”

Due to the high demand, Verizon Wireless had to cease online orders of iPhone 4 to existing customers, but Mead said customers will have another opportunity at being among the nation’s first to own an iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network.

“The Galaxy S 4G pushes the envelope by reaping the benefits of our network’s unprecedented speeds and by offering groundbreaking entertainment experiences,” said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. “We are excited to continue to expand our portfolio of 4G devices that enable our customers to have access to unique and compelling features and an optimal 4G experience.”

“The G-Slate represents the next chapter in T-Mobile’s rich history of Android innovation,” said Brad Duea, senior vice president, marketing, T-Mobile USA. “Tablets enable users to take with them the rich Web and entertainment experiences they have at home, and this will radically shift the way people interact with and consume content while mobile. The G-Slate delivers a powerful combination of premium mobile HD entertainment and T-Mobile’s lightning-fast 4G mobile broadband network.”

“We appreciate our many customers who told us that iPhone 4 should be on the nation’s most reliable network,” said Dan Mead, chief executive officer for Verizon Wireless. “We heard them and we agreed, which is why we are letting them be among the first to own an iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network. We thought it fitting to say thank you to our customers by giving them the phone they want, a week before the general population.”

iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network will be priced at $199.99 for the 16GB model and $299.99 for the 32GB model with a new two-year contract. Additionally, the Nationwide Talk plan will be priced beginning at $39.99 for 450 minutes, or customers choose a Nationwide Talk and Text plan, which begins at $59.99 and includes unlimited text, picture and video messaging. An unlimited e-mail and Web data plan will also be available for $29.99 per month. The Verizon iPhone 4 also offers customers a 3G Mobile Hotspot feature that can connect up to 5 devices over Wi-Fi. The 3G Mobile Hotspot plan is $20 per month for 2GB.

"2010 has been a fantastic year for the smart phone market. After a difficult 2009, the speed with which the market has recovered has required real commitment and innovation from vendors and they have risen to the challenge," said Canalys VP and Principal Analyst Chris Jones. "But vendors cannot afford to be complacent. 2011 is set to be a highly competitive year with vendors looking to use new technology, such as dual-core processors, NFC and 3D displays, to differentiate their products and maintain value."

"Thanks to our customers, we achieved two big milestones. We had our first $10 billion quarter, and after selling millions of third-generation Kindles with the new Pearl e-ink display during the quarter, Kindle books have now overtaken paperback books as the most popular format on Amazon.com. Last July we announced that Kindle books had passed hardcovers and predicted that Kindle would surpass paperbacks in the second quarter of this year, so this milestone has come even sooner than we expected - and it's on top of continued growth in paperback sales."

"Small and medium-sized businesses have been clamoring for a simple, cost-effective solution so they can stay focused on their core business and not waste time figuring out which tools they need," said Monte Beck, vice president of small-business marketing for Verizon. "With Verizon's business bundled packages, which now include Google Apps for Verizon, all the essential functions needed to run a business effectively and efficiently are now easily accessible to our business customers and their employees, anytime and anywhere."

"The response to our announcement of Singles has been great," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. "This first set of Singles was selected by our team of editors, and includes works by Rich Cohen, Darin Strauss, Ian Ayres, and the first-ever books published by TED. We think customers will be riveted by these stories that can take them to a Swedish bank heist or to the Mexican border town of Juarez, or to consider a new way to think about happiness."

The company stated that after a user ports their number to Google Voice their mobile service plan will be cancelled, but there are a series of steps that need to be taken to continue making and receiving calls on their mobile device. For more information, and detailed instructions, visit the Google Voice Help Center.

"Customers have consistently asked us for the ability to send large quantities of high-quality email from Amazon EC2. Amazon SES makes it very easy for businesses to send email from applications running on Amazon EC2 and other AWS services," said Adam Selipsky, Vice President, Amazon Web Services. "With Amazon SES, businesses no longer have to worry about the details of building and maintaining their own email-sending solution or negotiating and paying for expensive outside email services. Instead, they can focus on improving customer communication and reducing costs."

“We are excited to offer a wide array of top periodicals and have seen explosive growth in NOOKnewsstand sales since the launch of NOOKcolor. Our customers clearly enjoy reading digital versions of their favorite magazines in rich, beautiful color, along with their daily newspapers, with the convenience of subscription or single issue purchases,” said Jonathan Shar, Vice President and General Manager of digital newsstand at Barnes & Noble. “We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback from our content partners as well and will continue to build upon our vast collection of periodicals and incorporate even more interactivity for NOOKcolor customers this year.”

“With more than 10 billion apps downloaded in just two and a half years—a staggering seven billion apps in the last year alone—the App Store has surpassed our wildest dreams,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The App Store has revolutionized how software is created, distributed, discovered and sold. While others try to copy the App Store, it continues to offer developers and customers the most innovative experience on the planet.”

"Nintendo 3DS is a category of one - the experience simply doesn't exist anywhere else," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "You have to see Nintendo 3DS to believe it. And it's like nothing you've ever seen before."

“LOVEFiLM has been innovating on behalf of movie rental customers across Europe for many years and with the advent of the LOVEFiLM player, they are further delighting customers by streaming digital movies for their immediate enjoyment,” said Greg Greeley, Amazon’s Vice President of European Retail. “LOVEFiLM and Amazon have enjoyed a strong working relationship since LOVEFiLM acquired Amazon Europe’s DVD rental business in 2008, and we look forward to a productive and innovative future.”

“The deal is a winner for the members who love LOVEFiLM because of its value, choice, convenience and innovation in home entertainment,” said Simon Calver, Chief Executive of LOVEFiLM International. “With Amazon’s unequivocal support we can significantly enhance our members’ experience across Europe.”

“Today, one in five Starbucks transactions is made using a Starbucks Card and mobile payment will extend the way our customers experience and use their Starbucks Card,” said Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Brand Loyalty. “With mobile payment, the Starbucks Card platform further elevates the customer experience by delivering convenience, rewarding loyalty and continuing to build an emotional connection with our customers.”

To use mobile payment at Starbucks, customers need to download the free Starbucks Card Mobile App for select BlackBerry smartphones, the iPhone, or iPod touch. In addition to the mobile payment capability, the app allows customers to manage their Starbucks Card account, check their card balance, reload their card with any major credit card (iPhone users can also use the PayPal feature), check their My Starbucks Rewards status and find a nearby Starbucks store with the store locator feature. Customers can pay with their smartphone by holding their mobile device in front of a scanner on the countertop and scan the Starbucks Card Mobile App’s on-screen barcode to make a purchase.

Team,

At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.

I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.

Steve

OnStar is interested in working with students who are working in voice application development, and can provide solutions in one or more areas, such as keeping drivers safely connected to infotainment options, using vehicle information to improve the driving experience, and using location-based information to increase productivity or plan travel.

"OnStar's services are the result of ingenious solutions that consistently deliver in-vehicle safety, security and information. We're thrilled to continue this tradition by looking for the most talented students in the nation as we develop additional voice-enabled applications that will enrich the driving experience," said OnStar Chief Information Officer Jeff Liedel.

WebWorks features access to core functionality in the BlackBerry PlayBook, including the WebKit web rendering engine, which supports the latest web technology standards including HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. Other features include access to device capabilities and components such as native dialogs, application invocation and system information, a simple command-line tool that allows developers to use their favorite web development environment to develop WebWorks applications, and the ability to automatically transform a W3C widget archive file containing web assets into a BlackBerry WebWorks application package.

“RIM continues to invest in a global and diverse developer community and we are offering them a broad range of tools in support of the BlackBerry Application Platform,” said David Yach, CTO for Software at Research In Motion. “With BlackBerry WebWorks, developers will be able to use standard web technologies to build powerful, integrated applications quickly and easily for both BlackBerry smartphones and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, and the GitHub open source project around BlackBerry WebWorks means more support for developers, enabling them to fully participate in defining the future of this platform and tooling. We are also excited to launch the new Payment service for BlackBerry smartphones, along with enhancements to the Push Service and an update of the Java Plug-in for Eclipse.”

“We are pleased to introduce millions of wireless users to the industry leading iPhone 4 on the nation’s most reliable network,” said Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. “This is an important step for the industry as two great companies join forces to give wireless customers one of the most important technological additions to the mobile landscape this century.”

“Verizon Wireless customers have told us they can't wait to get their hands on iPhone 4, and we think they are going to love it,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We have enormous respect for the company Verizon has built and the loyalty they have earned from their customers.”

"RIM believes a significant portion of the tablet market will want a higher performing, multitasking, professional-grade tablet and that is why we chose to design the BlackBerry PlayBook for premium performance with a powerful dual-core processor and multitasking OS. Together with Sprint, we are now building on that performance advantage with 4G and providing an unparalleled mobile experience for users," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.

”We are excited to bring this powerful new product to our business customers and consumers who rely on Sprint for industry-leading devices as well as one of the best values in wireless,” said Steve Elfman, president of network operations and wholesale for Sprint. “This tablet is a great example of Sprint’s strong partnership with RIM in continuing to bring customers powerful devices to enhance their mobility. We are confident the BlackBerry 4G PlayBook from Sprint will be one of the most anticipated tablets in 2011.”

Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless, said, “Today, we’re unveiling the next evolution of 4G LTE for consumers. During this three-year journey, from acquiring spectrum to launch, we not only transformed our network, but also our business by engaging in a strategy of collaboration and openness, while driving partnerships that will make 4G LTE successful across the globe. The result is true magic – the sum of a powerful network, applications, software systems and devices that bring 4G LTE to life.”

Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless, said, “For consumers, our 4G LTE network isn’t about simply doing things faster. It’s about doing things we couldn’t do before. In the consumer electronics arena, it’s not just about devices. It’s about those powerful devices with deeply integrated applications and how our 4G LTE network truly transforms the wireless experience with rich multimedia and real-time response intervals.”

“With more than 1,000 apps, the Mac App Store is off to a great start,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We think users are going to love this innovative new way to discover and buy their favorite apps.”

“Motorola XOOM is a powerful addition to Verizon’s product lineup and builds on our combined leadership with Motorola to deliver innovative mobile devices and service on the Android platform,” said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “Motorola XOOM gives consumers complete access and control of their favorite personal content and work files whether through our nationwide 3G network, or through our lightning-fast 4G LTE network as it rolls out around the country.”

The Motorola XOOM will launch as a 3G/Wi-Fi-enabled device in the first quarter of 2011 with an upgrade