Microsoft Surface Pro to launch in U.S. and Canada on February 9th starting at $899

Finally, the word from Redmond is out and we have a launch date and pricing for the Microsoft Surface Pro. This is the tablet that runs on the Intel Core i5 processor instead of an ARM enabled processor like the Microsoft Surface RT.  Windows 8 is installed on the Microsoft Surface Pro making the device more like a laptop than a tablet although the Surface Pro does take its design cues straight from the Microsoft Surface RT. Having said all that, the Microsoft Surface Pro will launch in the U.S and Canada on February 9th and pricing starts at $899 for a 64GB model that comes with a Surface pen. The pen includes technology that prevents an accidental palm touch from registering as an input on the screen. You can toss in another $119 for the soft Touch Cover that has the flat QWERTY keyboard and doubles as a protective cover, or for the same price you can obtain the Type Cover which has raised keys and acts more like the typical QWERTY that you might find on a desktop computer. This cover also protects your Microsoft Surface Pro tablet from harm and quickly attaches to your Surface Tablet.

The Microsoft Surface Pro will be available from Microsoftstore.com,, Best Buy, Staples and all of the retail outlets belonging to Microsoft. At the same time, Mr. Softy (as the company is known on Wall Street because of its ticker symbol-MSFT) has expanded the availability of the Microsoft Surface RT to other countries such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and others.

source: Forbes                                           

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BlackBerry 10 gets 19,071 new app submissions in last two days; stock soars 11% in Canada

Things are really beginning to fall into place for RIM. One area where BlackBerry appeared weak was with the number of available apps in BlackBerry App World. RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has stated that the size of an App Store doesn't matter and that RIM plans to carry the top 200 to 400 apps in each country and region. It is estimated that 70,000 apps will be available by the time the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry X10 are launched. In an effort to add more apps,  RIM held three Port-a-Thons where Android developers could receive $100 for each of their apps they submit to BlackBerry 10. In addition, RIM handed out its BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha all-touchscreen phone to developers and plans on launching one for its BlackBerry X10 model with a physical QWERTY on board, sometime after January 30th. The first time in mid December, 4,000 apps were submitted. In the middle of this month, 15,000 more were sent in over a 37 hour period. That was followed by the last Port-a-Thon which just ended with 19,071 apps sent to RIM in just 36 hours, according to a tweet sent out by RIM. That works out to 529 apps per hour or $52,900 from RIM's coffers.

Meanwhile, while the U.S. markets were closed on Monday to observe the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Canadian markets were open and the continued good news about RIM topped by the video we showed you comparing the BlackBerry Z10 quite favorably with the Apple iPhone, got investors in a buying mood. Last week, we showed you the Island Reversal on RIM's stock chart which is a bullish pattern. On Monday, the shares soared nearly 11% to close at $17.41 CD, up $1.70 CD. Of course, RIM has a long way to go to reach its all time high which was above $140 USD in 2008.

source: RIM via Pocketlint

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BlackBerry 10 gets 19,071 new app submissions in last two days; stock soars 11% in Canada

Things are really beginning to fall into place for RIM. One area where BlackBerry appeared weak was with the number of available apps in BlackBerry App World. RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has stated that the size of an App Store doesn't matter and that RIM plans to carry the top 200 to 400 apps in each country and region. It is estimated that 70,000 apps will be available by the time the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry X10 are launched. In an effort to add more apps,  RIM held three Port-a-Thons where Android developers could receive $100 for each of their apps they submit to BlackBerry 10. In addition, RIM handed out its BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha all-touchscreen phone to developers and plans on launching one for its BlackBerry X10 model with a physical QWERTY on board, sometime after January 30th. The first time in mid December, 4,000 apps were submitted. In the middle of this month, 15,000 more were sent in over a 37 hour period. That was followed by the last Port-a-Thon which just ended with 19,071 apps sent to RIM in just 36 hours, according to a tweet sent out by RIM. That works out to 529 apps per hour or $52,900 from RIM's coffers.

Meanwhile, while the U.S. markets were closed on Monday to observe the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Canadian markets were open and the continued good news about RIM topped by the video we showed you comparing the BlackBerry Z10 quite favorably with the Apple iPhone, got investors in a buying mood. Last week, we showed you the Island Reversal on RIM's stock chart which is a bullish pattern. On Monday, the shares soared nearly 11% to close at $17.41 CD, up $1.70 CD. Of course, RIM has a long way to go to reach its all time high which was above $140 USD in 2008.

source: RIM via Pocketlint

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Meanwhile in Canada: Virgin Mobile lets users test HTC Windows Phone 8S for a month

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Samsung ATIV S to launch December 13th-14th in U.K. and Canada

Just the other day, we told you that the long awaited Samsung ATIV S would be available Tuesday from T-Mobile Austria free on contract. Those kidders at T-Mobile Austria even took a picture of the phone laying on Tuesday's newspaper as proof that it was in stock. That's the kind of humor we love to see. What we also love to see is more countries with the Samsung ATIV S and it would seem that a few U.K. retailers will have the device starting as soon as today. Clove's web site shows the phone arriving at the retailer on Thursday while Unlocked-Mobile and Expansys both say that its customers who pre-ordered the Windows Phone 8 flavored handset, will have it shipped on December 14th. Unlocked-Mobile has the phone priced at £424.98 ($686 USD) while Clove's price tag reads £442.80 ($714 USD) and Expansys' shows £459.99 ($742 USD).

Also on the 14th, a couple of Canadian carriers will be launching the phone. TELUS will have a limited quantity of the Samsung ATIV S while Bell will also offer the device on Friday. Both have the model priced at under $100 on contract.

The Samsung ATIV S was the first of the new Windows Phone 8 models to be announced and now it looks like it will be among the last to be launched. Still, it beats the rumored February launch date that was making the rounds recently until the speculation was quashed by Samsung.

source: UnlockedMobile, Clove, Expansys via WMPoweruser, UnwiredView

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