On Wednesday, Android head Andy Rubin said that Google’s Music Store will offer a special “twist” that will separate it from its competitors. Speaking to Business Insider, an anonymous record industry source said the “twist” is that Google Music users will be able to share songs with other users “on a limited basis.” Reportedly, the catch is that users will need to purchase the song first and friends will only be able to listen to the track for a limited amount of ti...

Google will announce and launch its own music store this quarter, Business Insider said recently. The company revealed its Music beta service in May, which allows users to store up to 20,000 songs in the cloud, but now users will be able to purchase and download tracks, too. Google is reportedly already in negotiations with the major music labels and The New York Times recently reported that the service will launch in the “next several weeks.” Record labels, however, are worried that Google’...

Silicone cases for the iPhone 5 have started to show up in AT&T stores according to an image received by MacRumors. The images, if authentic, set to rest the constant questions volleying back and forth over whether or not Apple will release a device called the “iPhone 5″ or just a device called the “iPhone 4S” this year. The cases suggest, as most reports have stated, that the iPhone 5 will indeed sport a thinner profile and a mute switch on the opposite side of the phone. In addit...

Facebook will launch a music service on September 22nd, CNBC reported today. There are currently no details on whether it will be a streaming subscription service or simply a music storefront similar to iTunes, and Facebook has not yet confirmed the announcement. Business Insider said the Facebook music service will integrate with other third party services such as Spotify and Rdio. CNBC also suggested Facebook will work with MOG, another music service that has a long-standing relationship with Facebook. Spot...

Nokia’s affiliate team has confirmed that Nokia will close its UK online shop by the end of the month. In a letter to partners, the Finnish firm said, “This message is to inform you that Nokia is closing their affiliate [program]… in keeping with a strategic business decision to close down the Nokia UK online shop.” The company argued that it has been hard to compete with wireless carriers that are offering products at subsidized prices. “We are planning to close the current UK onlin...

One of the major benefits of owning an Android handset is the ability to install applications from non-Market sources — without the necessity of a dev-team intervention. AT&T customers have not, however, been privy to this particular feature… that is until now. In a letter to developers, the carrier has confirmed that it will, from this point forward, allow users to install Android apps from third-party sources such as the Amazon App Store. The act of installing applications through unofficial c...

Android is planning to release an “entire family” of Android-powered devices, not just one tablet as originally thought, according to Android and Me. The rumor hasn’t specified whether or not Amazon is planning multiple sized tablets, or a tablet and a new Android-powered eReader, although there’s some speculation that a smartphone could be in the works too. It’s no secret that the company is working on at least one tablet. Earlier this week Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, said &...

Stop. Collaborate and listen… Apple’s online web store is down. Blog 9to5 Mac, is reporting that new, Sandy Bridge quad-core iMacs are due later this morning. Furthermore, the site states that the new all-in-one desktop will come in four standard configurations: 21.5-inch, 2.7 GHz quad-core; 27-inch, 2.7 GHz quad-core; 27-inch, 3.1 GHz quad-core; and 27-inch, 3.4 GHz quad-core. The two 27-inch units will ship with the AMD 6770M graphics card while the two 3+ GHz models will ship with a AMD 6970...

Keeping up with the white iPhone 4 saga over the past few months? Well, you’ll be happy it’s all coming to a close this Wednesday. With that said, if you’re completely strung out and waiting for a white iPhone 4 32GB unit, you might be in for a rough come down. We have got a hold of an internal AT&T UPS shipping invoice which clearly details that 20 white iPhone 4 16GB devices are destined for a specific AT&T store. Unfortunately, there are no 32GB units that are incoming. So sad.

In a recent blog post, Nokia reaffirmed its commitment to the Windows Phone ecosystem by offering us a glimpse at what is to come. The company’s CEO, Stephen Elop, has noted that Nokia has “shifted from a mode of developing” its strategy to one of “putting that strategy into action.” Part of the Finnish phone giants plans involve bringing some of Nokia’s strengths to all members of the Windows Phone family, and one of the most exciting Symbian ports will definitely be Ovi...

According to Peter Kafka over at All Things D, Apple’s presumed cloud-based music service will not be all that dissimilar from Amazon’s. The report details that Apple, like Amazon, will allow iTunes users to store newly purchased tracks and already-owned digital music in an online locker. Unlike Amazon, however, the Cupertino company is looking for deals with major record labels.“They’ve been very aggressive and thoughtful about it,” said an industry executive speaking with Kafka. “It...

As enraged as you may or may not be over the fact that your phone is tracking your location, you have to admit… it’s a pretty interesting story. The Wall Street Journal has filed a new report stating that both Apple and Google are collecting location data from their smartphone users — deflecting some of the public outrage in Google’s direction as well. “According to new research by security analyst Samy Kamkar, an HTC Android phone collected its location every few seconds and trans...

Research In Motion’s first QNX-powered device — the BlackBerry PlayBook — will be hitting a plethora of retailers beginning next month, and Office Depot has officially thrown its proverbial hat into the ring. Via a press release, the retailer has announced that beginning April 19th customers can purchase the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB PlayBooks for $499, $599, and $699 respectively. “Office Depot provides customers with the most innovative lineup of products that will help them take care of business, an...

Here’s an interesting way to add value to your mobile application store, free test drives! An overlooked feature of Amazon’s new Android app store provides users with the ability to try both free and paid applications before making their purchase. Being referred to as “Test Drive,” the company is utilizing an Android virtual machine to allow users to preview applications, in the desktop browser, before purchasing on their mobile. While a VM can’t give you the complete experienc...