Apple Acquires Chomp, ZTE to Debut Eight New Smartphones at MWC & Motorola Droid X Gets Massive Bug Fix Update

Texas Instruments Shows Off Dual-Core OMAP 5 SoC, Wipes the Floor with Tegra 3
The Tegra 3 has taken a bit of a hit in recent days as it was negatively compared to the upcoming dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset, and now it’s been paired up with Texas Instrument’s OMAP 5 SoC, to no less of a proverbial slaughter. OMAP 5 is based on Cortex’s new A15 reference design, and as much there are many, many improvements in both speed and power efficiency over previous Cortex A9 chips.
MobileSyrup

Motorola Droid X Gets Massive Bug Fix Update
Motorola Droid X owners may have thought that Verizon had forgotten about them. Not the case at all. Today, the carrier has begun rolling out a massive bug fix update for its aging 3G smartphone that will be bring a number of fixes and enhancements along with it. Exciting stuff, especially when you consider the fact that the Droid X came out in July of 2010.
GottaBeMobile

Apple Acquires Chomp; App Store Search And Discovery To Be Completely Revamped
With the countdown underway to 25 billion total app downloads, there’s no disputing the success of Apple’s App Store. We live in a world of hyperbole, but Apple’s entry into this space really has changed the entire mobile world. But the App Store is far from perfect. And with its immense scale, a few problems have been revealed. The biggest one is app discovery. Right now, it’s hard and getting harder by the day. The strong get stronger while new apps often have trouble breaking in. But with an acquisition that Apple has just made, they hope to change that. Apple has bought the app search and discovery platform Chomp.
TechCrunch

ZTE to Debut Eight New Smartphones at MWC
ZTE is looking to make a big splash at next week’s Mobile World Congress, bringing eight new smartphones powered by Android and Windows Phone to the event. The company had previously announced three Android smartphones, the Mimosa X, PF200 and N910. The Mimosa X comes equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, a 4.3-inch qHD display, Ice Cream Sandwich, 4GB of internal storage, a microSD slot, a front facing camera and a 5-megapixel rear camera.
BGR

TELUS Re-Introduces the $30/Month 6GB Data Plan, Sony Ericsson Is Now Sony Mobile Communications & Opera Snaps Up Mobile Theory

TELUS Re-Introduces the $30/Month 6GB Data Plan
“In direct response to Bell and Rogers, TELUS is re-introducing the 6GB data add on, with an incredible 6GB of Data”. That sums it up. The $30/month 6GB plan is back – it’s available to those on a MTM, 1, 2, or 3-year contracts who “meet the $50 minimum spend”.
MobileSyrup

Sony Ericsson Is Now Sony Mobile Communications
Starting today, Sony Ericsson will be officially known as Sony Mobile Communications. Every new phone launched from the company will bear only Sony’s name, and we have seen a couple of them already. However, the existing range of devices out in the market will continue to bear the Sony Ericsson name.
GSMArena

Opera Snaps Up Mobile Theory, 4th Screen For $26M In Mobile Ad Push
Mobile browser company Opera today announced that it has acquired the mobile ad networks Mobile Theory and 4th Screen Advertising. The move is not just another sign of the ongoing consolidation in that space, but also of the need to bulk up to better compete with the likes of Google with more full-service solutions.
TechCrunch

Leaked Windows Phone ‘Tango’ Images Reveal New Details
Images of Microsoft’s next mobile operating system, Windows Phone “Tango,” were published on Wednesday, showing off a number of new features. Tango will reportedly feature the ability to export contacts to a SIM card, handle multiple attachments in a single MMS message and manage roaming both domestically and internationally, according to WP7forum.
BGR

Public Mobile Has 199,000 Subscribers, Nokia Lumia 800 to Launch on February 14th & Mobile Web Usage Doubling Every Year

Public Mobile Has 199,000 Subscribers
Public Mobile launched their wireless service in 2010. According to a report in Reuters, Public Mobile, who operates in 2 core cities, increased their Q4 subscriber base by a stunning 45,000 to reach a total of 199,000 subs. 199k in 2 markets! It’s also been revealed that their ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) $25.27 (most likely in Q4).
MobileSyrup

Nokia Lumia 800 to Launch in U.S. on February 14th as Part of $900 Bundle
Microsoft may be planning to launch a special bundle that includes the Nokia Lumia 800 and several accessories for $899. Citing unnamed industry sources, The Verge said the deal will kick off on February 14th and will include a Bluetooth headset, a Purity HD stereo headset and Nokia’s Play 360 wireless speaker.
BGR

StatCounter: Mobile Web Usage Doubling Every Year, Nokia Leads the Way
That’s according to the latest report from StatCounter, which found that Nokia handsets account for about 40 percent of the world’s mobile browsing, followed by Apple, at around 29 percent. Coming in at a relatively distant third is Samsung, with an approximately 14 percent share.
Engadget

‘App Economy’ Has Created Nearly Half a Million Jobs Since 2007 [STUDY]
That app you use to play Words with Friends on your phone or book a reservation using Open Table might be giving the American economy a nice boost, at least according to a new survey by TechNet. The new “app economy” has created about 466,000 jobs in the United States since 2007, according to the survey.
Mashable