RIM’s Head of Global Sales Resigns

Another loss for BlackBerry maker RIM today. Research in Motion’s Head of Global Sales, Patrick Spence, has resigned from the company to work in a different industry. Spence started working for RIM in 1998, that’s 14 years ago and was one of the most important, high-profile roles in the company. A RIM spokesperson confirmed this and said:

“I can confirm that Patrick Spence, Head of Global Sales for Research In Motion, has resigned following 14 years of service. Patrick will be taking on a leadership position in a different industry. The sales function will report directly into Kristian Tear, our newly appointed COO when he starts this summer. In the interim, the sales function will report to CEO Thorsten Heins.”

Google To release Five Nexus Devices To Celebrate Five Years Of Android

A hot new rumor just hit the internet which suggests we'll be celebrating Android's fifth birthday in a major way this November.  According to a trusted TalkAndroid source, we'll be getting five Pure Android/Nexus devices come November 5th.  It's not clear whether this means an announcement or actual release however we wouldn't care either way.  We're all for multiple hardware makers getting involved with the Nexus project and this new rumor does little to temper our enthusiasm.

While we must maintain that this is nowhere near confirmed we can't help but wonder which five we might see.  We'd love to hear from you guys on this one.  If you could pick the top five Android companies for a Nexus device, what would they be?  Sound off in the comments below.

Best Buy CEO Admits Serious Flaws

After the resignation of its CEO and later its founder in the wake a personal conduct probe, numerous store shutdowns, and a $1.7 billion quarterly loss, Best Buy is trying to draw people back to its stores. On an earnings call today, interim CEO Mike Mikan gave a candid assessment of what he saw as the flaws that have left Best Buy struggling against online retailers like Amazon. "Not that long ago," he said, "Best Buy was the authority in this market. Our stores wowed consumers... Best Buy provided a unique customer experience that gave us a clear edge over competitors. Not anymore." The company, he said, was unprepared for a market where information and products were easily available online, and now "Best Buy is not performing up to its past standards."

One of the biggest changes, Mikan says, will be with its employees. "We need to raise the bar for everyone, from the Blue Shirts to Geek Squad to those at the very top of the company, including myself." That means "better trained, better equipped team members" who can lure customers off the web. They'll also need to be able to speak knowledgeably about the tech that they're selling. 

"We expect the Blue Shirts and Geek Squad agents who will staff those stores will speak with authority about technology. Their mandate will be to shift the customer expectation from repair, our traditional Geek Squad offering, to one of relationship." It's a common sense idea, but it's also probably easier said than done on a large scale. More immediately, he also said Best Buy could use analytics to figure out what customers want to buy and maintain a stronger relationship.

Best Buy has already closed down fifty storefronts, but Mikan noticeably did not mention any more shutdowns, focusing instead on plans to make stores smaller and more targeted. All these plans, however, seem very much in the air right now. "We do not have all the answers today," he said, noting that Best Buy would be drawing up a multi-year blueprint later. "Make no mistake: we will reclaim that place of authority."

Google Did Not Infringe On Oracle Patents

A jury on Wednesday decided that Google did not infringe on two of Oracle’s patents.

Google may not have infringed on patents, but the jury which has now been sent home for good said Google did infringe on Oracle’s copyrights. According to The Verge, which has followed the case closely from the courtroom, the ruling jury found that Android infringed on “Oracle copyrights by its use of the structure, sequence and organization of 37 Java APIs.” The jury, however, could not reach a verdict in regards to whether or not those features of Android were safe for fair use. Google was also found to have infringed on part of Oracle’s range Check code and eight Java files that it uses in Android.

Judge William Alsup needs to rule on whether or not Oracle can actually copyright parts of its Java APIs. If Aslup decides that Oracle, in fact, cannot copyright that material, then Google will only be responsible for paying damages for copyright infringement on rangeCheck. Otherwise, Google could be required to pay damages for three different copyright infringement charges.

It’s unknown when Aslup will make his final decision but Oracle and Google will be speaking with him today. Google could pay up to $150,00 per count in damages if Aslup rules in Oracle’s favor.

iOS Warning Message Hints At FaceTime Over 3G

You can’t currently start a FaceTime video chat from an iPad, iPod touch or iPhone using a 3G network; Apple still requires that users are logged in to a Wi-Fi network, likely to make sure that a minimum level of video quality can be guaranteed. A new warning message inside iOS 5.1.1, discovered by iDevice recently, suggests that 3G FaceTime support will be enabled in the future, however.

If a user first places a FaceTime call over a Wi-Fi network and then switches off the “enable 3G” option within iOS’s Network settings menu, an alert pops up stating that doing so could end the FaceTime call. “Disabling 3G may end FaceTime,” the warning says, specifically. “Are you sure you want to disable 3G?”

A similar message also pops up when a user tries to enable 3G during a Wi-Fi call, AppleInsider discovered. “Enabling 3G will end your phone call. Are you sure you want to enable 3G,” the warning message states.

Oddly, selecting either option never ended AppleInsider’s test FaceTime calls. You just can’t place a call if you’re only on a 3G network. Wireless carriers reportedly asked Apple to disable support for 3G video calls, likely to prevent bandwidth hogging, and only jailbroken phones are capable of executing the feature. It’s possible Apple and wireless carriers will enable the function when a 4G LTE-enabled iPhone is released, or perhaps 3G support will be activated sooner.

Cable Internet Providers Team Up For CableWiFi Initiative

If you’re looking to enjoy Wi-Fi access wherever you go, it looks like that may become more of a reality in the near future if you subscribe to the right provider.

Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable have announced that a new coalition has been formed between the five companies that will be called “CableWiFi.” If you subscribe to any of these providers you will soon be able to enjoy using over 50,000 company owned Wi-Fi hotspots through out the nation.

The first coverage areas will include New York City and the surrounding area, Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando and Philadelphia with more cities expected in the future. You’ll be able to find where the hotspots are located by visiting your providers hotspot locator or going to CableWiFi.com.

While this is certainly not an end-game solution that will allow you to dump your mobile data on your phone, it definitely raises some interesting questions for the future. Could the U.S. finally get to a point where you could wander from one Wi-Fi hotspot to another and no longer worry about the speeds of your mobile data or your bandwidth camp?

Check out the official website for more details

T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G Gets A Taste Of Ice Cream Sandwich Starting Today

The T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G has begun getting its Ice Cream Sandwich update. The push to Android 4.0 isn't going to hit everyone at the same time, so don't fret if you don't get it right this second.

Here's the full changelog:

• Android version 4.0.3 / Software version 2.14.531.3710RD
• Approved 5/21/2012

New Features

• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Sense 3.6
• System bar enhancements to easily view recent apps.
• Re-sizeable widgets
• Lock screen actions including pull down notifications and adjust volume while device is locked.
• Data usage controls.
• Face Unlock
• Home screen folders
• Improved battery life

Improvements

• Improved text input and spell checking
• Improved menu structure

Prerequisites

• OTA or Manual update
• Device is running Android version 2.3.4 / Software version 1.43.531.3, 1.36.531.5, or 1.36.531.6
• Device software is not rooted
• More than 50% battery life
• Data or Wi-Fi connection

Voyager Mobile Officially Up And Running, A Few Days Behind Schedule

It's tough being the new kid in town ask Voyager Mobile, an up and coming MVNO that had its launch delayed by a "malicious network attack" last week. The tenacious firm may have missed its planned May 15th launch, but managed to pull things together in time for the weekend, piggybacking unlimited talk, text and data off of Sprint's CDMA and WiMAX network for $40 a month. A basic unlimited voice plan is also available to the tune of $20, without data allowances, of course. Phones are available too, albeit without subsidies Samsung's Epic 4G Touch or Galaxy S II will each set you back $550, though an assortment of more affordable devices can be had from $120 and up. 

Check out the official Voyager Mobile website.

Motorola And Google Expect To Close Sale On Wednesday

Motorola today filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission indicating that it expects to conclude its sale to Google by Wednesday, May 23. "As the transaction has now received all required regulatory approvals, the companies are moving to close the transaction within two business days," said Motorola. Chinese anti-trust regulators approved the deal over the weekend, though Google had to agree to keep Android open for five years as a condition of winning approval. The deal already has the approval U.S. and European government bodies. Google agreed last August to acquire Motorola for $12.5 billion. Along with Motorola's smartphone and cable box businesses, Google will also acquire some 17,000 patents.

Sprint Now Supports Complete Carrier Billing in Google Play

Google has announced a series of expansions to carrier billing options for Play Store Apps, Movies, Books, and Music on various carriers. While some changes went into effect immediately, Sprint, which already allowed direct billing for apps, was one carrier that was listed as "coming soon."

As of today, all three additional options are available to Sprint customers: books, music, and movies. Not surprisingly, carrier billing is the default option since it's by far the cheapest to carriers and Google as they get to bypass credit card fees. While this addition doesn't benefit everyone, I can see a few handy uses for carrier billing:

• you don't own a credit card at all
• you don't want to add a credit card to your Wallet account for some reason, be it security, paranoia, or a medical condition that prevents you from typing 16 digits in a row (also known as laziness)
• you don't want to pollute your credit card statement with multiple charges
• you don't want your significant others with access to your credit card statement to see what you're doing

 Previously, only apps were supported.