Yahoo Japan (4689.T), Japan’s largest Internet portal operator, said on Tuesday it will adopt Google’s (GOOG.O) search engine instead of teaming up with Microsoft (MSFT.O) like partner Yahoo Inc.

Yahoo Inc will remain a strategic partner for Yahoo Japan and will maintain its stake in the firm, while Yahoo Japan will continue to use the Yahoo brand, the Japanese firm said in a statement. (more…)

If Steve Jobs and Apple had their way, the penalty for jailbreaking would undoubtedly involve the mandatory donning of an ill-fitting orange jumpsuit and a one-way ticket to Guantanamo Bay.

Fortunately, however, the federal government has officially sanctioned the popular activity which allows iPhone (and Android) owners to legally break electronic locks on their devices and download “unapproved” software apps without fear of imprisonment or penalty. (more…)

If you bought the iPhone 4, you are now entitled to a free phone case. They come in the colors of Clear, the Speck PixelSkin HD Black, Griffin Motif Diamonds/Smoke, Belkin Shield Micra, the Speck Fitted Case Black Tartan, Smoke and the Griffin Reveal Etch Black/Black Graphite.

Now it’s always nice to get something free, but the real hassle is that they are giving out the cases because they mucked up the antenna on the iPhone 4. A software glitch has caused the phone’s signal strength for the iPhone 4 to drop and constantly drop calls. (more…)

Apple has released today an app for the Iphone called the “Iphone 4 Case Program”, an app that will help you get your free order of the Iphone 4 cases promised last week by Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs.
One of the most searched-for models of case to order with the app is the Incase Snap Case for Iphone 4 that comes in black, smoke and clear .

There are also more options, such as t he Belkin Shield Micra for iPhone 4 in Clear, the Griffin Motif iPhone 4 Diamonds/Smoke, the Griffin Reveal Etch iPhone 4 – Black/Black Graphite, the Speck Fitted Case iPhone 4 – Black Tartan, and the Speck PixelSkin HD iPhone 4 – Black.
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Though social-networking sites like Facebook are growing in popularity, they are not necessarily satisfying their customers, according to a Tuesday survey.

Facebook scored 64 out of 100 for customer satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), followed closely by MySpace, which scored a 63. That puts the sites in line with the satisfaction rates for the airlines and cable companies.Every time I dare to talk about race or class and MySpace & Facebook in the same breath, a public explosion happens. This is the current state of things. Unfortunately, most folks who enter the fray prefer to reject the notion that race/class shape social media or that (more…)

Google Images Gets Revamped Interface, More Relevant Results
Google launched a redesigned Google Images page on Tuesday, with an improved landing page and what the company said was more relevant search results.

The most noticeable changes? The elimination of the text or “cruft” from the search results page, leaving a mosaic of images. Now, Google Images will generate 1,000 results per page, which will be accessible through an “infinite scroll” function that adds more results as a user scrolls down the page. (more…)

Windows Mobile to Retire; Windows Phone is Born
Windows Mobile is getting a new name, Windows Phone, with the introduction of Windows Phone 7, which is slated to be released in October. Windows Phone 7 test units from LG and Samsung were shipped today to different developers around the globe.

Windows Phone 7 is not just a Windows Mobile facelift; it was created from the ground up. The new Windows OS will replace the Windows Mobile 6.5, aiming to offer high-end smartphone users something different from Apple’s iOS 4, among other smartphone OS options. (more…)

Google Kills off Nexus One
First the Microsoft Kin. Now Google’s Nexus One has gone to that great smartphone graveyard in the sky.
The company quietly announced that had discontinued shipments. The Nexus One will still be available through carrier partners, including Vodafone in Europe and KT in Korea.

“Once we sell these devices, the Nexus One will no longer be available online from Google,” according to the post. (more…)

Nokia Reportedly Looking for New CEO
ESPOO, Finland (TheStreet) — Nokia(NOK), the No. 1 cellphone maker, is looking for a new chief executive, a report says.
The move comes as current CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo is struggling to keep Nokia up with smartphone advances made by rivals such as Apple(AAPL), the Wall Street Journal notes. Kallasvuo has been CEO since 2006.

A U.S. spokeswoman wouldn’t comment for the Journal, and efforts to reach spokesman in Finland were unsuccessful, the newspaper says. (more…)

Nokia Siemens buys Motorola networks
HELSINKI – Nokia Siemens Networks will acquire the majority of Motorola’s wireless operations for $1.2 billion in a major thrust to gain a stronger foothold worldwide, the company said Monday.

The Finland-based company said the deal is “expected to significantly strengthen Nokia Siemens Networks’ presence globally, particularly in the United States and Japan.”
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