"Top of the Morning" to everyone. It's Monday and we are going to start the week off right with the latest news in technology and social media. Let's take a look at what's making a buzz today....

- Google halts Street View in Germany.

- Verizon bids farewell to one year contracts.

- iSteve, the official biography, to make its debut early 2012.

- Adobe makes Photoshop look cool on the iPad.

Beginning March 28th, you will have to start paying for full NYTimes content. According to NYT’s website, it will cost you $15/ month for an all access pass. $20/month give you full access online as well as on their native iPad app. Add another $15 ($35/monthly) to that and you can view unlimited content on an unlimited amount of devices. If you are the casual, infrequent reader, you can read up to 20 articles per month at no charge. So choose wisely because on your 21st article, you will be given the option to whose one of the three packages. In addition to the 20-article reading limit, non-subscribers will have access to articles found through blogs and social networks like Facebook and Twitter. You will also be able to search up to five articles a day using Google. Head over to NY Times FAQ section to find out more.

I am excited to finally hear a date on the HP Touchpad. Why? Because that means it is actually going to be release. For months we have heard rumors, gotten sneak peeks but never really got a chance to hear an availability date and its price….until now. Come this June, the TouchPad goes on sale for $499.

And with HP CEO, Leo Apotheker, making the statement, “Going forward, we don’t intend to play in the minor league in this business”, he is sending out a clear message that the HP Touchpad is here to play and is playing to win. So, let’s take a look at what this device is expected to come packed with.

The Touchpad is reminiscent of the iPad 1st generation in weight(1.6 lbs), screen size (9.7 inches) and resolution (1024 by 768 pixels). It has a dual-core Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm with 1GB memory. This will allow the tablet to run apps at top speeds and smooth multi-tasking. The device will have two storage size options, 16GB and 32GB. It comes without a SD card slot for expandable storage, making it hard to compete with the 64GB iPad and the Xoom that comes with the SD card slot. At time of release the TouchPad will be available in wifi-only, but expect to see a 3G version at a later date. It features a front-facing camera only, allowing for video-conferencing and the ability to charge wirelessly with a separate accessory.

Now let’s talk about the operating system.  The TouchPad will be the first tablet device to feature WebOS, the operating system that HP purchased from Palm. Just like the Palm devices it will have the same card-stack but having more real estate on the larger screen, it is sure to look even better. The interface comes with various gestures allowing the user to ‘flick and fling’ their way through different apps. It sounds like the TouchPad is trying to play with the big boys, but we will have to test all this out once we really get our hands on it. I for one would like to know what the battery life is on the device, which is an important piece of info for someone who, for example travels quite frequently.

So now my question to you is..

  "Top of the Morning" to ya!  Today is Thursday and I can see the weekend on the horizon. First, we have to tackle today and today's tech news. Here are the stories we are keeping a close eye on...

* Firefox 4 has changed its stats from beta to download now.

* Help Starbucks celebrate its 40th anniversary by checking in using Foursquare. You  just may win a $40 gift card! Here are the rules.

* Not resting on their laurels, Flipboard releases version 1.2 of its app with new partnerships, faster load time and Instagram integration.

* This question has bugged me for the past week… here is the official answer.

* Apple has posted new iPad 2 Guided Tours for your viewing pleasure.

I know, I know, we heard him say it too, but the iOS 4.3 is now available for download instead of Friday as originally announced. This release comes 2 days shy of the iPad 2nd generation release.  Those of you that are wondering, 4.3 is said to be installed on the new device for your convenience. So, what goodies can we expect on the latest update?

iOS 4.3 Features:

·         Safari performance- I have a need for speed and the Nitro JavaScript engine inside Safari makes this possible, making it twice as fast as 4.2.

·         Personal hotspot- this newcomer to the operating system will allow user to share Wi-Fi and 3G connection with up to five other devices from your iPhone 4. It is secure as it is password-protected.

·         iTunes home sharing- from anywhere in your home and with a shared Wi-Fi connection, you can play your music, movies and TV shows from a shared iTunes library on a Mac or PC, but you do need iTunes 10.2.

·         Airplay-Airplay has some new updates which allow you to play videos from the Photos app, iTunes previews, third-party apps and even view websites on Apple TV. You can also play slideshows from Photos on Apple TV using transitions.

·         iPad Switch- Apple DOES allow their users to have a choice, at least when it comes to the switch.  Now you can make the choice between a mute or screen rotation lock on the iPad side switch.

·         You can now view 720p HD video from the default apps as well as third-party apps using the Apple Digital AV Adapter.

Now you know the goods, go on and  get your iOS 4.3 download on.

Happy Monday and a "Top of the Morning" to ya!  "Top of the Morning" is a segment where we bring you the latest news in technology that is trending that day. 
Here's a look at today's stories...

* Angry Birds heads to FaceBook..further feeding the addiction.

* Google ‘flips the switch’ on malicious apps.

* Just bought an iPad 1st Gen? Apple will refund you a $100.00….but first - “show me the receipts!”

* "I quit!"…says RIM’s CMO, Keith Pardy. (Guess he got sick of waiting for the Playbook, as well)

The highly anticipated Motorola Xoom goes on sale today. It was the highlight of this year’s CES, and words such as ‘fast, sleek, and highly responsive were used to describe this device. With so much buzz surrounding this device, calling it the potential ‘iPad Killer’. I say we take a look under the hood to see what it is packing.

It is the first Android tablet using Google's tablet-specific Honeycomb OS.  Coming it at 1.6 lbs, 9.8 by 6.6 inches, with a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, this thing is faster and more powerful than that of its biggest competitor. It has 802.11n Wi-Fi and is Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR HID compatible. Front and rear facing cameras comes standard with 2mp for the front and 5 mp for the rear with a4x digital zoom and dual-LED flash. It comes with a slot for LTE SIM, making it compatible and upgradable to Verizon's future LTE network. It has a micro SD slot as well…..a non-functioning SD slot, which we’re hoping will at some point work for possible storage upgrade. As of right now, 32 gb is the max on storage. Battery life, another pertinent subject is actually pretty good, with Motorola claiming 10 hours.
As mentioned before, the Xoom is using the Honeycomb OS. Visually it looks like something out of an Iron Man movie with its distinct shapes and neon colors. One thing about Android that I appreciate is the open feel and many options you have to customize. Users like having a choice and unlike others *cough* Apple *cough*, Android doesn’t come off as though they are running a big brother program.
Taking a look at the browser, you can definitely tell Google was very hands on with this one. It has a familiar Google Chrome- like appeal. One piece of controversy, however, is the lack of Flash support. Not quite sure why, but according to a Verizon advertisement, owners of the Xoom can look forward to “Adobe Flash expected spring 2011". Now, I feel this is one feature that every potential “iPad Killer” needs to stay on ahead. Not to have this at launch, doesn’t really maximize the strength of the Xoom.

Next up…Prices Prices!!

There have been a lot of speculation and back and forth regarding the price of the Xoom. Motorola has set the official price of the 32GB, 3G version at $600 with a 2 year agreement. For 1 GB of data you will to cough up $20 monthly for data service.  Not looking to be locked into a contract? That same device will cost you $800.  A wifi- only version is on its way, at the price of $600, but there is no word on a date of release.

I honestly, do think this is the first decent competitor for the iPad. I do feel, however, that the iPad has a less complex user interface, allowing a 3 year old and a 80 year old grandmother alike to feel comfortable using it. Also, I need to see more apps.  I want to really see what this thing that can do when pushed to its limit and we all know apps is the driving force behind any smart phone and tablet out there. But all in all the Motorola Xoom, in my opinion, has the potential to bring Steve and Co to the edge of their seat. 
 
So tell me...

The invitations have been handed out and now it is time to sit back and speculate. Apple has sent out  invitations to the media for a special event on March 2nd. This event will be held in San Francisco, CA at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts at 10 am. While Apple is famously private about their upcoming releases, there have been many speculations as to what the new iPad features will be. Some have include front and rear facing cameras to support FaceTime video higher resolution graphics, dual-mode GSM and CDMA wireless data capabilities. It is also said to be thinner than the first gen iPad

I have to say at the top of my wishlist is USB port, but one can only hope!