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Android Atlas Weekly 37: A tablet first and two second chances (podcast)

Senior editor Donald Bell stops by, Motorola Xoom in tow, to give us a hands-on the first Honeycomb tablet. Once we've had our fill, we take a look beyond Honeycomb at the next generation OS for Android phones. Also, a pair of apps may be able to save your lost phone and save you from a speeding ticket on this week's edition of Android Atlas Weekly.

Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (640x360) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS (640x360) EPISODE 37

Motorola Xoom review http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/motorola-xoom-tablet/4505-3126_7-34468548.html?tag=mncol;txt … Read more

Google announces One Pass, rival to Apple's subscription service

The day after Apple officially shared details of its new App Store subscription plan, which lays the groundwork for Apple to take a 30-percent cut from publishers who sell content within their apps, Google announced the launch of Google One Pass, its online charging service for newspapers and magazines. Google's rival service offers two big differences from Apple's: content providers will get to keep 90 percent of revenue from One Pass sales and publishers will retain control of consumer data.

Outgoing Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who becomes Google's executive chairman in April, announced Google One Pass in … Read more

AT&T announces Mobile Hotspot App pricing

Just a couple of days ago, we reported that the HTC Inspire 4G for AT&T would launch on February 13. Aside from being the carrier's first 4G smartphone, it's also the first device to feature AT&T's Mobile Hotspot application. No pricing information was available for the service at first, but we have it now.

AT&T announced today that the feature will cost $45 per month for 4GB of data when bundled with the Data Pro data plan, which is required on all smartphones. Broken down, the Data Pro data plan costs $… Read more

Do we need the Internet for a revolution?

In the last two years I have read at least a dozen books that champion the Internet as the key to personal and political freedom. Scholars and academics have come to see digital communication as a near messiah in power and prescience.

However, I believe that the current revolution in Egypt should temper our faith in the Internet.

The Egyptian government has cut off the digital tools that we have come to rely on. All ISPs are shut down, cell phone service has been cut, and Al Jazeera has lost its license to broadcast within the country.

Yet the people … Read more

AT&T allowing unlimited iPhone data plans for some

AT&T has quietly revised its data plans for iPhone users, allowing some to switch back to unlimited data. The move comes just weeks before the heralded Verizon iPhone launch, which many analysts believe will cause a great number of AT&T customers to jump ship.

Verizon announced that it would be offering an unlimited data plan for new iPhone users, something AT&T got rid of last summer. Now, AT&T has backtracked, allowing some users that previously had the unlimited plan to switch back if they so choose.

This policy does not cover new … Read more

T-Mobile cuts price on Samsung Galaxy Tab

Samsung's Galaxy Tab is now selling from T-Mobile for a new low of $249 after a $50 rebate. The only catch? You'll still have to opt for a two-year contract.

The price of the Galaxy Tab through T-Mobile is a significant drop from the $399 it originally cost when it made its debut in November. But the data plan will still set subscribers back $24.99 a month for 200MB worth of access and $39.99 for 5GB.

Samsung's 7-inch Tab is being offered by all of the core U.S. carriers, including T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, … Read more

Data-retention plan

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

The Department of Justice proposes a very vague Internet data retention plan

Verizon's unlimited data plan for the iPhone will cost $30 per month--for a limited time

Verizon's iPhone tethering option will cost an extra $20 per month

Amazon.com wants to deliver groceries to homes nationwide with Amazon Fresh

Facebook is developing a Groupon competitor called Buy With Friends

Twitter confirms it has been blocked in Egypt amid violent, anti-government protests

Fox Sports will not broadcast the Super Bowl in 3D

The new MLB 11 game from Sony will … Read more

Verizon keeps unlimited data plan for iPhone--for now

NEW YORK--Verizon Wireless will keep its $30 unlimited data plan for the iPhone, Lowell McAdam, chief operating officer of Verizon, said today at the company's quarterly investor meeting.

The Wall Street Journal first reported McAdam's comments ahead of Verizon's quarterly earnings conference call this morning. And the company confirmed it here at an event for investors and analysts. But the plan will only be offered for a limited time before the company moves to a usage-based billing model.

"I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot," he told the Journal. He said that … Read more

'Compute efficiency' and cloud computing

Energy analogies abound with respect to cloud computing and its effect on enterprise IT operations and economics. Nick Carr's seminal work, "The Big Switch," laid out the case for why computing will be subject to many of the same forces as the electricity market was in the early 20th century. While I've pointed out the analogy isn't perfect, I will say there are often interesting parallels that are worth exploring.

One example is the ongoing discussion about the effect of cheaper computing on the reduction (or lack thereof) of future IT expenditures. Simon Wardley, a … Read more