I would like to take this time out to give the New York Giants a round of applause for making it to Super Bowl XLVI..oh yea…and the New England Patriots too.. *snicker*.  February 5th in Indianapolis, we will see both teams go head to head in the biggest annual sporting event.  So, how are you planning on watching Eli and his G-men face Tom and the Pats? Are you shelling out $4,000 to see it live and in living color…or are you like me…and the rest of the world who will watch at home with family and friends on the flat screen? Well, what about the growing number of households that have ditched their flat screen and cable service altogether? Between the weak economy and the rise of the cable bill, many are frustrated and have decidedly had enough with constantly getting hit in the pocket. There are cheaper alternatives to watching your favorites shows, including the Super Bowl. The NFL has been streaming games online since 2008 and has plans to do so again this year. They will be streaming the event on NBCsports.com and NFL.com using SNF Extra. SNF Extra is packed with many features including HD broadcast, DVR-style controls, additional camera angles, in-game highlights, and live stats.

Bonus- Got NFL Mobile on Verizon? For the first time, using a wifi connection, you can also stream the game from your mobile device.

So no worries if you don’t have cable or even if you are at work and want to tune it. NFL has got you covered..Just make sure your boss is cool with it or at least a Giants or Patriots fan.  May the best team win!

"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.

Hey you iPhone buddies over at Verizon? How's your signal? Well many of you seem please. According to research firm ChangeWave, 1.8% of you are reporting dropped calls, far less than 4.5 % of your AT&T counterparts. Well that was to be expected, right? I mean with Verizon continuously passing network coverage test, they have proved to be a more reliable voice network.

For those on AT&T’s network, you still say that you are a ‘very satisfied’ iPhone 4 customer, 80% of you in fact, with Verizon having 82%. I guess this will always boil down to preference though. I mean, how do you use your iPhone? Do you use data for everything under the sun ?  If so, AT&T will seem like a better fit. If you are a person who likes to talk and talk and well…talk some more, Verizon’s got you covered.

"Top of the Morning" to everyone. Today is Tuesday, March 22nd. GWG is bringing you the latest and what's trending in today's tech news. Read on below to read today's top stories...

- Apple is attempting to put the brakes on Amazon’s “App Store”.

- Playbook available today for preorder with a sticker price of $499.

- Verizon has no interest in purchasing Sprint; No interest in AT&T/T-Mobile merger for that matter.

Another game of I Sue You:

- Microsoft goes after Barnes & Noble for patent infringement.

"Top of the Morning" to everyone. Today is Wednesday, March 16th and we are bringing you the latest in tech news and the topics that are getting the biggest buzz. Here are today's trending stories...

- Netflix close to acquiring a television show.

-HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon to be available March 17th; priced at $250.

-Tech companies worldwide feeling the effects of devastation in Japan.

-Visa unveils personal payment service in the U.S.

- Apple delay iPad 2 launch in Japan.

- Motorola Xoom wifi-only goes on the market March 27th with a $599 sticker price.

- Side swiping comes to Google search app on the iPhone.

Earlier today, we told you that AT&T will allow free wireless calls made to Japan from now until the end of March. Shortly before noon, Verizon announced via twitter that they will also be allowing free calls and text messages to Japan until April 10th, in order to help customers get in contact with loved ones. Verizon is also making it easy for you to make a donation to help those affected by the devastation in Japan using text messages. I should note that AT&T also has a text messaging service in place so that their customers can make a text donation. Simply text “redcross” to 90999 (at no cost) to donate $10 to the Red Cross. Your donation will go on to help with disaster relief in that area.

"Top of the Morning" to all of you.  Today is Monday, March 14th and we have lots of tech news to tell you about. Let's take a look at today's top tech stories...

* iPad 2 came out swinging with strong sales.

* Verizon iPhone users fell back instead springing forward.

* Call family in Japan until the end of March for free with AT&T.

* Thunderbolt making its way over to HTC on March 17th.

* AOL and Huffington Post merges; 900 workers out of a job.

* Google tells its execs 'Thanks' with an $8.9 million dollar bonus.

* Devastation in Japan may affect gadget supply.

Apple's big announcement is over and we have the Press Release that spells out all the goodies. 

Apple Introduces iOS 4.3

 Update Includes Faster Safari Performance, iTunes Home Sharing, AirPlay Improvements & New Personal Hotspot
 
SAN FRANCISCO—March 2, 2011—Apple® today introduced iOS 4.3, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. New features in iOS 4.3 include faster Safari® mobile browsing performance with the Nitro JavaScript engine; iTunes® Home Sharing; enhancements to AirPlay®; the choice of using the iPad™ side switch to either lock the screen rotation or mute the audio; and the Personal Hotspot feature for sharing an iPhone® 4 cellular data connection over Wi-Fi.

“With more than 160 million iOS devices worldwide, including over 100 million iPhones, the growth of the iOS platform has been unprecedented,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iOS 4.3 adds even more features to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, across three blockbuster devices—iPad, iPhone and iPod touch—providing an ecosystem that offers customers an incredibly rich experience and developers unlimited opportunities.”

The Safari mobile browsing experience gets even better with iOS 4.3. The Nitro JavaScript engine that Apple pioneered on the desktop is now built into WebKit, the technology at the heart of Safari, and more than doubles the performance of JavaScript execution using just-in-time compilation. With the Nitro JavaScript engine, Safari provides an even better mobile browser experience working faster to support the interactivity of complex sites you visit on a daily basis.

New iTunes Home Sharing allows iOS 4.3 users to play music, movies and TV shows on an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch® from their iTunes library on a Mac® or PC over a local Wi-Fi network. With a simple tap you can enjoy all the media in your iTunes library wherever you are in your home. You can stream a movie from your Mac in one room to your iPad in another or stream an iTunes mix to your iPod touch from the office to the kitchen. With Home Sharing on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch you’ve got your entire iTunes library in your hands wherever you are in your home.

iOS 4.3 includes enhancements to AirPlay, the breakthrough wireless technology that allows users to stream music, photos and video to Apple TV®. With iOS 4.3 you can stream additional content including video from third party apps and web sites, videos from the Photos app and previews from the iTunes app to your TV.* AirPlay also allows you to bring photos to life on the TV screen by using one of the stunning new slideshow transitions, or shoot a video on your iPad 2, iPhone or iPod touch and stream it directly from the Photos app to Apple TV.

The new Personal Hotspot feature in iOS 4.3 lets you bring Wi-Fi with you anywhere you go, by allowing you to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection with up to five devices in a combination of up to three Wi-Fi, three Bluetooth and one USB device.** Joining a Personal Hotspot is easy and once the feature is enabled a status bar displays how many devices are currently connected. Every connection is password protected and when not in use Personal Hotspot turns itself off to save battery life.

More than 10 billion apps have been downloaded from the revolutionary App Store℠ and more than 350,000 apps are available, including more than 65,000 native iPad apps, to consumers in 90 countries. Users of the more than 160 million iOS devices around the world can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.

Availability
iOS 4.3 will be available to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users as a free software update on Friday, March 11. iOS 4.3 is compatible with iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (GSM model), plus third and fourth generation iPod touch. For more information please visit www.apple.com.

Apple Launches iPad 2

 All New Design is Thinner, Lighter & Faster with FaceTime, Smart Covers & 10 Hour Battery

SAN FRANCISCO—March 2, 2011—Apple® today introduced iPad™ 2, the next generation of its magical device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading ebooks and much more. iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime® and Photo Booth®, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. Though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers up to 10 hours of battery life* that users have come to expect. iPad 2 is available in black or white, features models that run on AT&T’s and Verizon’s 3G networks, and introduces the innovative iPad 2 Smart Cover in a range of vibrant polyurethane and rich leather colors.

“With more than 15 million iPads sold, iPad has defined an entirely new category of mobile devices,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “While others have been scrambling to copy the first generation iPad, we’re launching iPad 2, which moves the bar far ahead of the competition and will likely cause them to go back to the drawing boards yet again.”

With the new front and rear cameras, iPad 2 users can now make FaceTime calls to millions of iPhone® 4, iPod touch® and Mac® users so they can see family and friends anywhere there is Wi-Fi. Photo Booth lets you apply fun visual effects, including eight photo special effects like Squeeze, Twirl and Kaleidoscope, to photos captured by either camera.

iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, with new features including faster Safari® mobile browsing performance; iTunes® Home Sharing; enhancements to AirPlay®;** the choice to use the iPad side switch to either lock the screen rotation or mute audio; and Personal Hotspot to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection over Wi-Fi.*** Additional iPad 2 features include a built-in gyro for advanced gaming; HSUPA support for enhanced 3G upload speeds on iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G on AT&T, and HDMI Video Mirroring that lets users mirror their iPad screen on an HDTV using an optional adaptor.

The innovative new iPad 2 Smart Cover provides protection for the iPad screen while maintaining its thin and lightweight profile. Designed with a unique self-aligning magnetic hinge that makes it easy to attach and remove, the new iPad 2 Smart Cover automatically wakes iPad 2 when it’s opened and puts it to sleep when it’s closed, and has a soft microfiber lining to help keep the screen clean. The Smart Cover also folds into a stand for typing or viewing videos and is available in vibrant polyurethane for $39 or rich leather for $69 in a range of colors, including a (PRODUCT) RED one which helps support the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Apple also introduced two new apps: iMovie® and GarageBand® for iPad, both available on the App Store℠ for just $4.99 each. With iMovie, iPad 2 users can shoot and edit videos right on their iPad and post their movies to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and their MobileMe℠ gallery; watch them on their iPod®, iPhone or iPad; as well as view them on their HDTV using AirPlay and Apple TV®. GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of touch instruments and 8-track recording studio, allowing you to perform with onscreen keyboards, guitars, drums and basses using multi-touch gestures–even if you don’t play a musical instrument.

iPad 2 runs almost all of the over 350,000 apps available on the App Store and there are more than 65,000 native iPad apps available from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iTunes Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 14 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 10,000 films including over 3,500 in stunning high definition video. The iBooks® app for iPad includes Apple’s iBookstore℠, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device.

Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G compatible with the Verizon network will be available in the US only for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iMovie and GarageBand for iPad apps will be available on March 11 for $4.99 each from the App Store on iPad or www.itunes.com/appstore.

iPad 2 will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25; and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.