Hasta La Gadget!

Last month news leaked that Facebook might acquire crowdsourced navigation / traffic / mapping app Waze, but now two papers in Israel say Google is about to close the deal. Globes and Calcalist both peg the potential sale price at $1.3 billion US, with the company’s development team remaining in Israel after the sale and not moving to the US. Where they will work from is cited by Globes as one reason why negotiations may not have worked out with Facebook, along with the price tag. For those unfamiliar with Waze, the app generates mapping data in real-time based on its nearly 50 million users and reports of accidents or traffic jams.

Update: Not to be left out, the Wall Street Journal also claims that Google is near buying Waze. The newspaper hears that the Waze app could soldier on while Google beefs up its own mapping app with data from its reported target. Likewise, Google Maps information could slip into Waze.

Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Google, Facebook

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Source: Globes, Calcalist

Windows Phone looks in line for a UI refresh, including a redesigned notifications center, if a clutch of screenshots supposedly inadvertently leaked can be believed. The images, culled according to a Reddit user from a Nokia Lumia 920 bought on eBay, apparently show a version of Windows Phone dated May 9, and could well be

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On June 6, The Washington Post revealed that, according to leaked documentation it was given, nine major companies are feeding the NSA data via direct access to their servers, something called the PRISM project. Within hours, nearly all the companies had denied the claims, and it has ignited an Internet storm. The disconnection between The

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Softbank’s plan A is still a $20.1 billion deal for Sprint, as it looks to enter the US wireless market. But, with stiff competition from Dish in the effort to acquire the black and yellow carrier, rumors are that it’s keeping one eye on T-Mobile. You know… just in case. According to a report from Reuters, the Japanese company is in discussions with Deutsche Telekom for its share of Big Magenta. Softbank was involved in discussions last year to purchase T-Mo, before the MetroPCS deal was eventually struck, following the collapse of a proposed merger with AT&T. Obviously none of this is official just yet. But, if Sprint’s shareholders reject the Softbank deal on June 12th, we wouldn’t be surprised if it quickly made moves to purchase the second most beleaguered national wireless provider in America.

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile

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Source: Reuters

Well, we were pretty sure that Apple was going to out a new version of iOS next week, and a banner just went up at the Moscone Center in San Francisco (the venue for WWDC) seems to confirm the rumors. As you can see, it shows only the number ‘7’, which all but confirms that we’ll be seeing Jony Ive’s first iteration of Apple’s mobile OS in just a few days. Tune in to our coverage next week to check the accuracy of our deductive powers and find out what other goodies Apple has in store.

Update: Our friends at 9 to 5 Mac have more pics, including photos of an ad with a big ‘X’ in front of a wave. That should put to rest any hopes for this being the launch of OS XI.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Apple

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Source: Macstories