Nokia today announced one of the most significant milestones in its history with the sale of its 1.5 billionth Series 40 mobile phone. The device was sold to a female consumer in the Brazilian city of São Paulo and represents a historic moment as Nokia continues its strategy of connecting the next billion.

The 1.5 billionth phone was a Nokia Asha 303, a stunning touch screen handset with QWERTY keypad designed for web browsing, social networking and gaming, that features pre-installed entertainment and applications such as Angry Birds Lite.

The device was purchased from a Magazine Luiza store in São Paulo by Mayara Rodrigues, a 21-year-old who loves staying in touch with friends and family through social networks.

The first Series 40 phone was the Nokia 7110 developed in 1999. Since then this family of phones has evolved to such an extent that they are considered ‘Smartphone Lite’ thanks to the innovations of the new Nokia Asha range.

Series 40 phones now blur the line between feature phones and smartphones. With recent innovations including Nokia Maps for Series 40, Nokia Browser and Web Apps, Nokia Money and Nokia Life Tools, millions of consumers have enjoyed easy and affordable access to the Internet and information for the first time, with locally relevant apps and content.

Glu Mobile will be bringing its games portfolio to Google’s Chrome Web Store. Gun Bros, Glu’s top title with more than 13 million downloads to date, is available today to the more than 160 million active users worldwide of Chrome. Glu plans to bring other successful titles to Chrome in 2011 including Contract Killer, Big Time Gangsta and family friendly Bug Village.

“Google Chrome offers another powerful platform for Glu to bring great social gaming experiences to global audiences,” said Glu CEO, Niccolo de Masi. “We are delighted to be launching one of the first games that support microtransactions on the Chrome Web Store and look forward to bringing additional Glu games to this growing platform.”

The Chrome Web Store, which surpassed 17 million total downloads as of Google I/O in May 2011, offers Chrome users a robust portfolio of browser applications. Glu games on Google Chrome will connect gamers through social features, including Facebook. Similar to Android, in-app-purchasing is core to Glu’s monetization strategy on Chrome.

AT&T today outlined plans for its future portfolio of 4G BlackBerry smartphones including the exclusive 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810, planned to be launched in August.

Also planned for 2011, AT&T customers will have the opportunity to select the 4G BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the 4G, all-touch, BlackBerry Torch 9860.

AT&T’s premium BlackBerry lineup will be capable of speeds up to nearly four times the network speed capability of previous models, so you can talk and surf even faster on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network.

4G BlackBerry Torch 9810
Exclusive to AT&T customers, the next-generation 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810 is faster and more fluid with high performance hardware features and the new BlackBerry 7 OS delivering an enhanced multimedia experience. It features the signature BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard that easily slides out to allow fast typing and a full touch screen display, and delivers high-speed 4G capabilities. The 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810 is planned to be available in August.

The new 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone boasts significant hardware improvements including a 1.2GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera with HD 720p video recording, 8 gigabytes of onboard storage and a high resolution, 3.2-inch touch display powered by BlackBerry Liquid Graphics™ technology to deliver an incredibly fast, smooth and responsive visual experience.

A powerful evolution of the BlackBerry software, BlackBerry 7 OS delivers speed, efficiency and UI enhancements and enables new hardware capabilities, including HD video recording, more fluid and responsive graphics, digital compass, and augmented reality. Browsing with the new BlackBerry 7 based smartphones is up to 40% faster than BlackBerry 6 based smartphones and up to 100% faster than BlackBerry 5 based smartphones.

In addition to the 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810, AT&T plans to also add even more 4G-capable versions of BlackBerry smartphones to its portfolio later this year including the 4G BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the 4G, all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860, which will be AT&T’s first all-touch BlackBerry smartphone.

Research In Motion (RIM) today announced plans to launch 5 new BlackBerry smartphones based on the BlackBerry 7 Operating System (OS). RIM, in conjunction with carriers and distribution partners around the world, is rolling out two new BlackBerry Bold models and three new BlackBerry Torch models, all running the powerful new BlackBerry 7 OS.

The launch of this family of handsets will be RIM’s largest global launch ever and more than 225 carriers and distribution partners have already commenced or completed over 500 certification programs for these 5 new handsets.

Featuring RIM’s next generation of hardware and software platforms, these five new BlackBerry 7 based smartphones offer users a variety of designs to choose from and deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity.

The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 are RIM’s thinnest smartphones ever, each offering a large keyboard and brilliant touch display. The new BlackBerry Torch 9810 smartphone builds on the popularity of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and combines a large touch display with a convenient slide-out keyboard. The BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 introduce an all-new, all-touch design featuring the largest display on a BlackBerry smartphone to date.

Next-Generation BlackBerry 7 OS
BlackBerry 7 introduces a next generation BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience that is among the best in the industry. Combining the dramatically improved performance of the advanced WebKit browser engine together with the powerful hardware enhancements found in the BlackBerry 7 based smartphones delivers browsing results that are up to 40% faster than BlackBerry 6 based smartphones and up to 100% faster than BlackBerry 5 based smartphones*. Additional enhancements to this next generation BlackBerry browser have also optimized zooming and panning for smoother web navigation and optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences.

RIM’s new BlackBerry 7 based smartphones also feature Liquid Graphics technology, with each smartphone combining a dedicated high-performance graphics processor with a blazingly fast CPU and stunning high resolution display to deliver a highly responsive touch interface with incredibly fast and smooth graphics.

In addition, BlackBerry 7 based smartphones continue the tradition of delivering the world’s best mobile communications experience with a highly refined and integrated suite of phone, email, messaging and social apps to keep users connected and productive throughout the day. Recent enhancements include the newest release of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) which now extends the real time BBM experience to a range of other apps (see separate announcement on July 28, 2011). The updated Social Feeds (2.0) app has been extended to capture updates from media, podcasts, and favorites all in one consolidated view. The new Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones (2.0) app introduces features like Facebook chat and BBM integration that makes it easier for users to connect with their Facebook friends in real time.

BlackBerry 7 OS also includes a number of other pre-loaded applications and integrated functionality for increased productivity and collaboration right out of the box. The Premium version of Documents To Go is now included free of charge, offering users powerful document editing features as well as a native PDF document viewer. BlackBerry Protect is also pre-loaded, offering customers the peace of mind that personal data can be backed up and secured in the cloud. BlackBerry Balance (announced May 2, 2011) is now integrated in BlackBerry 7, allowing users to enjoy the full BlackBerry smartphone experience for both work and personal purposes without compromising the IT department’s need for advanced security and IT controls. And further, the popular universal search capability has been enhanced with support for voice-activated search, so users can now simply speak to begin searching their device and the web for information.

A New Performance Driven Platform
RIM’s line up of next generation BlackBerry smartphones are built on a new performance driven platform powered by the latest BlackBerry software and hardware. In addition to supporting the new BlackBerry 7 OS, each smartphone also features a range of powerful hardware enhancements including a 1.2 GHz processor, HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, and advanced sensors enabling new augmented reality applications such as Wikitude that can be seamlessly integrated with BBM 6 – all designed to deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity for users around the world.

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 Smartphones with Touch Display and Keyboard
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 series is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet (at only 10.5mm) and the first to offer the perfect union of a high performance keyboard and touch display integrated within the iconic BlackBerry Bold design. The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 are also the first BlackBerry smartphones to include built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), a new technology that is enabling many new and exciting capabilities, including the ability to pair accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.
Distinguished by its beautiful design, amazingly effective keyboard and brilliant touch display, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 series is crafted with premium materials including a brushed stainless steel frame that puts the finishing touch on a truly outstanding smartphone.

BlackBerry Torch 9810 Smartphone with Touch Display and Slide-Out Keyboard
Building on the popular design of the BlackBerry Torch 9800, the new BlackBerry Torch 9810 is faster and more fluid with high performance hardware features and the new BlackBerry 7 OS delivering an enhanced multimedia experience. Featuring a large 3.2″, high resolution touch display and a distinctive BlackBerry keyboard that easily slides out to allow faster typing, the BlackBerry Torch 9810 truly delivers the best of both worlds.

All-Touch BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 Smartphones
The BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones offer the fast, fluid BlackBerry 7 experience in a stylish new all-touch design. With a spectacular new 3.7″ display, the largest ever on a BlackBerry smartphone, the new all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9850 and 9860 smartphones are optimized for displaying web pages, photos, videos, and powerful gaming experiences and still deliver the real-time communication and collaboration experience loved by millions of BlackBerry smartphone users around the world.

The next generation of BlackBerry smartphones will begin to be available from carriers around the world starting later this month. Availability dates for specific devices from specific carriers will be announced in conjunction with RIM’s partners.

Verizon Wireless announced the Compaq Mini CQ10-688nr with built-in 4G LTE will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com on August 4.

Previously announced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show and powered by Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, the Compaq Mini CQ10-688nr is the ideal balance of performance and size. Customers can stream videos; video chat; and download music, photos and videos on a slim and stylish netbook. Customers can also stay connected using 4G LTE and access digital files on HP Cloud Drive, a digital filing cabinet to download or upload files while mobile.

Small business customers can take advantage of the 4G LTE speeds to quickly download and send email attachments and utilize word processing and Web browsing on-the-go. The ultraportable Compaq Mini CQ10-688nr is designed to help business owners and frequent travelers get their work done fast and efficiently.

Features:
4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas
Windows 7 Home Starter 32-bit
10.1” WSVGA Anti-glare LED Display (1024 x 600)
1.66 GHz Intel Atom Processor N455
250 GB hard drive
Memory: 1 GB DDR3 RAM
VGA webcam with integrated digital microphone
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Multi-format digital media card reader for SD cards, multimedia cards, memory stick and memory stick pro
Weight: 3.10 lbs

The Compaq Mini CQ10-688nr will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com on August 4 for $449.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
Customers will be able to choose one of the following Mobile Broadband plans:
$30 monthly access for 2 GB monthly allowance
$50 monthly access for 5 GB monthly allowance
$80 monthly access for 10 GB monthly allowance

Research In Motion (RIM) today announced the availability of BBM version 6 (BBM 6), which provides support for “BBM connected” apps, allowing users to easily interact with each other from within the BBM connected app.

BBM connected apps integrate the popular functionality of the BBM service and offer users the ability to interact with their friends from within the app itself. For example, with a BBM connected game app, users can invite their BBM friends to join them in a game and then chat with one another in real time while the game is being played – without ever leaving the game app.

BBM 6 launches today and a selection of BBM connected apps are already available on BlackBerry App World.

Some of the additional functionality users can expect to see with BBM connected applications include the ability to:
Share app experiences with friends – When a user discovers a great new BBM connected app, they can instantly let their friends know about it. Users can simply select a BBM contact directly within the BBM connected app they are using.

Have a BBM chat within apps – Users can simply pull up their BBM contact list directly from within the BBM connected app and start chatting. For example, the functionality can enable everything from enhanced social game play to collaboration through productivity apps.

Discover apps through friends – Users can also discover new apps by viewing the list of apps that are posted to a BBM friend’s profile. They can also click on an app within the list, and instantly download it from BlackBerry App World.

The BBM 6 software will be available later today at www.blackberry.com/blackberrymessenger. A selection of BBM connected apps will also be posted on BlackBerry App World this week, with many more expected over the coming months.

Nintendo today announced plans to drop the suggested retail price of its portable Nintendo 3DS system to $169.99 in the United States, as new games based on some of the world’s most beloved video game franchises head to the system. The new price, down from the suggested launch price of $249.99 and effective Aug. 12, makes an outstanding value even better and sets up a strong holiday season for the system.

Nintendo 3DS has the strongest software lineup of any video game system this holiday season and the new price now opens up the glasses-free 3D experience to many more consumers. Building on the popularity of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which launched June 19, the upcoming game calendar is a Who’s Who of iconic video game franchises. Star Fox 64 3D arrives on Sept. 9, followed by Super Mario 3D Land in November, Mario Kart 7 in December and Kid Icarus: Uprising during the holiday season.

In addition to great games, Nintendo 3DS has a host of attractive features* that make it the must-have video game system this season:

The new Nintendo Video service automatically delivers short 3D videos from the worlds of music, comedy, animation and Hollywood.
A free application allows Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans to instantly watch TV episodes and movies streaming from Netflix.
The Nintendo eShop is a digital store for Nintendo 3DS owners that provides access to a wide variety of downloadable content, such as original 3D software, classic games that have been re-mastered in 3D called 3D Classics, Game Boy and Game Boy Color “Virtual Console” games in their original 2D glory, and more than 350 Nintendo DSiWare games. Visitors can also view video game trailers, screen shots and product information for games, including those available at retail locations.

Since Nintendo 3DS launched in the United States on March 27, more than 830,000 people in the U.S. alone have purchased one to enjoy 3D visuals without the need for special glasses. These Nintendo 3DS owners represent some of Nintendo’s most loyal customers, and Nintendo is rewarding them for getting in on the action early with 20 free downloadable games from the Nintendo eShop.

These free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program. The program contains two elements:

Starting Sept. 1, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES Virtual Console games at no charge and before they are available in the Nintendo eShop to the general public. These games, including Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Balloon Fight, Ice Climber and The Legend of Zelda, are slated to become paid downloadable games, but Ambassadors get them early for free. Once the paid versions of the games are posted to the Nintendo eShop later in the year, the updated versions will be available to Ambassadors for download at no cost.

By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.

BBC Worldwide is from today offering audiences across Europe the first-ever opportunity to delve into a digital mix of classic and contemporary British TV programming with the launch of the new global BBC iPlayer app, available exclusively on iPad www.bbc.com/iplayer/tv.

This brand-new video on demand subscription service, launching first in Western Europe, will deliver the award-winning programming upon which the BBC’s history and heritage is built, to viewers in 11 markets. For €6.99 a month (or €49.99 for an annual subscription), the app will initially be available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

Subscribers will be able to access a rich selection of captivating English language programmes across eight genres: News Specials & Documentaries; Entertainment; Drama; Comedy; Science & Nature; Family & Kids; Music & Culture and Lifestyle. The app brings together classic comedies such as Fawlty Towers and Only Fools & Horses, thrilling drama series Sherlock, Luther and much loved Pride and Prejudice, recent episodes of the UK’s famous soap EastEnders, global motoring phenomenon Top Gear, the Doctor Who archive and the adorable children’s show Charlie & Lola. Hours of new programming will be added to the service every week, along with imaginatively themed collections curated from the BBC’s extensive archive, including David Attenborough and the story of the Royal Family.

Designed to be intuitive and easy-to-use, a key feature of the app allows subscribers both to stream and to download shows for offline viewing for when they can’t access Wi-Fi connectivity. The stylish and simple interface enables users to build a personal library of shows.

The global BBC iPlayer App is now available to download for free from the App Store in the launch markets on iPad at www.bbc.com/iplayer/tv.

The global version of the BBC iPlayer app launched today marks the start of a pilot phase for the service.

Seagate today began distribution channel shipments of the Pulsar XT.2 solid state drive (SSD) that combines outstanding and consistent performance with the data integrity and drive endurance needed for the most demanding enterprise environments, and is on track to commence channel shipments of the Pulsar.2™ SSD, the first Multi-Level Cell (MLC) Flash-enabled SSD from an enterprise hard drive maker, on July 29.

The Pulsar XT.2 SSD combines Single-Level Cell (SLC) flash with a native 6Gb/s Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface to make it the fastest drive in the Seagate portfolio. The 2.5-inch SSD with up to 400GB of capacity is optimized for complex, mixed workloads typical of enterprise environments such as online transaction processing (OLTP), database or web indexing, and email.

The Pulsar.2 SSD has been designed specifically for data centers, unlike typical MLC SSDs built for consumer applications, which lack the robust data integrity and reliability required for enterprise applications. The drive, featuring up to 800GB of capacity, automatically detects and corrects any number of data errors that could otherwise plague normal drive operations, delivering the price/performance, data integrity, and endurance needed for performance-hungry enterprise applications. The Pulsar.2 SSD supports both native 6Gb/s SAS and Serial ATA (SATA) 6Gb/s interfaces for primary and secondary server storage.

Pulsar XT.2 Performance Validated by Industry-Standard SPC-1C Result
The Pulsar XT.2 400GB SSD has met the rigorous standards of the Storage Performance Council (SPC), a vendor-neutral consortium that defines, administers and promotes industry-standard storage benchmarks, for consistent and sustainable enterprise-class performance. The new SPC-1C Result demonstrated that the Pulsar XT.2 SSD delivers the sustainable storage device performance enterprises need round-the-clock – regardless of the workload complexity or changing server input-output (I/O) intensity levels.

Fluctuating workloads, background media management and program/erase functions can lead to erratic SSD performance, compromising a data center’s ability to meet stringent service-level agreements. These concerns can be alleviated by SSDs that hold up under exacting performance tests requiring the devices to sustain maximum I/Os for extended periods.

In a single storage device configuration, the Seagate Pulsar XT.2 SSD produced an SPC-1C Result* of 20,008.82 SPC-1 IOPS with an average response time of 2.05 milliseconds over a 10-minute duration, compared to an SPC-1C Sustainability Test result of 20,011.07 IOPS with an average response time of 2.08 milliseconds over four hours, demonstrating outstanding and consistent enterprise-class performance over time.

The real-world SPC-1C benchmark, designed for storage components, consists of I/O patterns typically found in online transaction processing (OLTP) applications, with a focus on random accesses. Unlike Iometer testing, which gauges IOPS performance using discrete measurements of random reads, random writes, sequential reads or sequential writes, SPC-1C benchmarks test storage components using a dynamic blend of random and sequential reads and writes to emulate real-world enterprise workloads. Storage professionals worldwide view the SPC as the definitive source for independent and verifiable comparisons of real-world application performance.

As part of the SPC-1C Result, the Pulsar XT.2 SSD also met the new SPC-1C requirement for data prefilling. Prefilling reduces any potential performance gains storage component vendors may produce by destroking a device, or limiting access to certain portions of the storage space to artificially increase performance. Prefilling writes random data to the entire addressable space of the drive.