Apple Co-Founder Ronald Wayne Sold His 10% Stake For $2,300 In 1976

On April 12th, 1976, one of three co-founders of Apple Computer sold his 10% stake in the company for $2,300. Ronald Wayne says he made the “best decision with the information available to me at the time” when he chose to sell his shares in the emerging technology firm. Unlike counterparts Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Wayne had capital on the line and stood to lose his assets if Apple went under. Had he retained his full stake in Apple to this day, it would currently be worth nearly $60 billion. Wayne went on to enjoy a long career as an engineer with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and other firms, Wired reports, and he later opened a stamp shop before retiring to Pahrump, Nevada. Apple is currently the most valuable company in the world and as of Wednesday’s close, the company’s market capitalization totalled just under $585 billion.

Microsoft Considering $3.5 Billion Investment In RIM

The rumor of a Microsoft and Research In Motion deal is circling back around. New chatter suggests Microsoft is prepared to make a $3.5 billion investment in Research in Motion, according to sources. Apparently, the two companies have been frequently mentioned in potential deals over the past few months.

AOL’s announced sale of 800 patents to Microsoft on Monday, raised interest in RIM’s patent portfolio. Neither party would comment on the rumor. We’ll keep you updated should any other news arise.

Sprint LG Viper 4G launching April 22nd

The race between the LG Viper 4G and Samsung Galaxy Nexus to become Sprint's first LTE phone isn't over yet, but at least now we know when one of those phones will be released. Today, Sprint announced that the Viper will be available on April 22nd, and customers who pre-order one starting today could get it as soon as April 20th. The mid-range phone is selling for $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, and will run Android 2.3 on a 4-inch screen.

As we saw earlier, the Viper 4G is being billed as the "first 4G LTE device from Sprint with eco-friendly features," and Sprint says it's going to be "one of the first smartphones" to run on the new LTE network, so we wouldn't be surprised to see the Galaxy Nexus come out around the rumored April 22nd date as well. Sprint's LTE network still hasn't turned on, and there are rumors that the Nexus will ship with 4G off by default; in the press release, Sprint still puts the network at a "mid-year" launch. However, promoting the Viper as an LTE phone suggests it may be coming soon.

Google Currents Gets Updated

Google Currents, a Flipboard-like webzine app for Android and iOS, got an update to version 1.1 today. For international readers the biggest news is that Currents is now available world-wide, and will auto-translate content into 44 different languages. There are also important performance gains to content downloading and offline reading.

Google Goggles Gets Updated

The continuous mode on Google Goggles allows users to scan objects around them without having to stop to snap a photograph. This mode is one that received some updating as version 1.8 is now available for free from Google Play store. The speed of the bar code scanner in continuous mode has been doubled. Additionally, while in this mode, the objects you tap on are saved in your search history.

BBM Voicemail For BlackBerry

Have you ever wanted to exchange voice messages with your BBM contacts rather than have to type them? There’s a new app called VVM Messenger that allows you to record, send and receive voice messages with any of your BBM contacts. VVM Messenger lets you send short voice messages up to 25 seconds without incurring pricey roaming or long distance voice calling charges.

The developer says the app is currently in public beta and users must meet the following Requirements:

• OS 6 or later (OS 5 support coming soon. Stay tuned!)
• SD card
• BBM 6.0.1 or later (VVM Messenger will prompt you to download it if you don’t have it installed the first time you run VVM Messenger)

Users will also have to make sure their recipients of a BBM Voicemail also has VVM Messenger in order to receive the message. Although, if you send someone a VVM and they don’t have VVM Messenger installed they will automatically receive an App World invite to download VVM Messenger.

• Download VVM Messenger for free in BlackBerry App World

Instagram Now Supports Tegra 3 Devices

Instagram has gotten another update. This time the team is adding support for a whole bunch of new devices which are powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 3, and this includes the new HTC One X. The team had dropped a camera support bugfix on launch day, but the HTC One X was the standout incompatible device. At launch, Instagram didn't support Android tablets, so no other Tegra 3 devices mattered all that much. But, now Instagram supports not only the HTC One X, but all Tegra 3 tablets like the Asus Transformer Prime.

Fix For Lumia 900 Data Connectivity Issue Coming

Nokia has confirmed the problem. In a post on its Nokia Conversations blog, the company says that a memory management issue is causing a loss of data connectivity for some users and that it's already cooked up a fix for the bug. An update is expected to be pushed via the Zune software on or around April 16th. Affected Lumia 900 owners also have the option of exchanging their existing device for an updated handset. Nokia and AT&T aren't stopping there, though, as they'll also be giving a $100 AT&T bill credit to anyone that's already bought a Lumia 900 or will buy one through April 21st.

Verizon To Introduce $30 Upgrade Fee On April 22nd



Today it was announced that Verizon will be introducing a $30 upgrade fee on April 22nd. The fee will apply to customers buying a new device with a two-year contract, and Verizon says that the fee will help it to continue to provide support and services that include Wireless Workshops, online educational tools and consultations with experts. Verizon also notes that many devices can be traded in using its trade-in program to save money and possibly offset this new $30 upgrade fee.

MetroPCS Outs Promotional $25 Unlimited Talk & Text Plan

MetroPCS this week launched a new plan that offers unlimited voice minutes and messaging for $25 per month. The plan, which is going to be available until June 30, is for new customers only and is compatible with just three handsets: the Huawei Pinnacle, Kyocera Presto, and Samsung Freeform III. The plan includes voicemail, 3-way calling, and caller ID. Data packages cost extra.