Siri co-founder Dag Kittlaus has left Apple, AllThingsD reported on Monday. Kittlaus is said to have moved to Chicago to spend time with his family and to take time off from working. The report also notes that there are rumors Kittlaus is considering a new start up, though no details on the possible project were noted. Apple purchased Siri in April of last year and the software made its debut in iOS 5 during the iPhone 4S unveiling earlier this month. Siri allows users to interact with their iPhone to schedule appointments, check the weather, surf the web and more using voice commands. Reportedly, Kittlaus decided to leave Apple shortly after the iPhone 4S was launched while other members of the Siri team are expected to remain with Apple.

In May Linux finally saw the release of kernel version 3.0, an evolutionary update to the popular open-source platform that was nearly 15 years in the making. Today, version 3.1 is making its debut, once again primarily offering small tweaks like better support for Intel's Ivy Bridge and Cedar Trail chips and improved power management. But there are some new features getting baked in, including support for NFC and drivers for Wiimotes. The brave amongst you can download the sources from Git now (it hasn't been posted to Kernel.org just yet), but we suggest you hold out until your distro of choice releases an official update.

Sprint announced that it will offer the Motorola ADMIRAL, the first Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) PTT handset with support for its new CDMA-based Direct Connect network, on October 23rd. The phone will cost $99.99 with a new two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. The ADMIRAL meets Mil-Spec 810G ratings for dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, low pressure and high and low temperatures. It is equipped with a 1.2GHz processor, a full QWERTY keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p video, support for sharing its 3G connection with other Wi-Fi devices with Mobile Hotspot, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and 4GB of internal storage. Read on for the full press release.

First Android-Powered Smartphone with Sprint Direct Connect, Motorola ADMIRAL, Available Oct. 23 for Under $100

Motorola ADMIRAL delivers the gold standard in push-to-talk to the Sprint Network; Boasts Android 2.3, a 3.1-inch touchscreen display with
QWERTY keyboard and military spec toughness

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Oct. 20, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE: S) and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today announced the availability of Motorola ADMIRAL™, the first smartphone that boasts Sprint Direct Connect® speed, powered by Android™. It goes on sale in Sprint direct ship sales channels, including Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Web Sales (www.sprint.com) and can be ordered at Sprint Stores beginning Sunday, Oct. 23, for $99.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1. It will be available Sunday, Nov. 13, through all Sprint sales channels.

Motorola ADMIRAL features Android 2.3, Gingerbread, a 1.2GHz processor, 3.1-inch VGA touchscreen display and QWERTY keyboard. It will use the Sprint 3G (EVDO Rev. A) network to provide the gold-standard push-to-talk capabilities of Sprint Direct Connect.

Ready for the toughest conditions, Motorola ADMIRAL is designed to meet Military Standard 810G for dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, low pressure and high and low temperatures. Plus, with Corning® Gorilla® Glass®, Motorola ADMIRAL’s touchscreen display is scratch-resistant.

“Motorola ADMIRAL will be the flagship smartphone of Sprint’s all-new Sprint Direct Connect portfolio,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “We know our customers will appreciate this tough Android-powered smartphone that combines 3G data speeds with push-to-talk capabilities. It is designed to offer mobile professionals instant communications and mobile broadband data access when it matters most while being able to withstand the toughest environments.”

“Motorola is excited to bring the first Android-powered smartphone to the Sprint Direct Connect portfolio,” said Jeff Miller, corporate vice president of sales, Motorola Mobility. “With Motorola ADMIRAL, Direct Connect customers can enjoy the instantaneous connection they have come to expect from a push-to-talk device, along with the speed, durability and security needed to get the job done, wherever the work day may take them.”

Built with business in mind, Motorola ADMIRAL supports Microsoft Exchange and other email systems. It is easy to push delivery of Microsoft Exchange email tailored to the needs of specific users, and with robust calendar capabilities, employees can access the corporate Global Address List to create, edit and share meetings.

Motorola ADMIRAL also has the security features IT departments demand and protects sensitive company data with enhanced on-device security features that can be managed via the existing Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync Server, including password support, remote wipe and data encryption, as well as more than 30 other security policies. It offers standard PIN and password lock support, but goes above and beyond to include an alphanumeric requirement, complexity standards, expiration, history and recovery capabilities that are considered best-in-class features for Android-powered smartphones in the industry. Data encryption at rest on the device and microSD card also helps ensure that sensitive company data remains confidential.

Key features of Motorola ADMIRAL include:
1.2GHz processor to unlock full multi-tasking possibilities, including instantaneous page downloads and seamless document editing
Quickoffice® to view and edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as Adobe® PDF documents anywhere, anytime
5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video capture, flash and 4x zoom
Full suite of Google mobile services, including Google Maps™, Google Talk™, Gmail™, Google Voice™ and YouTube™
Android Market™ for access to more than 250,000 applications, widgets and games
Adobe® Flash® Player to enjoy games, interactive web apps and websites with technical or training videos
3G Mobile Hotspot capability supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously
Wi-Fi® – 802.11 b/g/n
4GB internal memory with option to increase with up to 32GB micro SD card
Connected music player with access to all your favorite artists, including live, personalized recommendations for songs and videos, as well as news and event updates from the world of music

Sprint Direct Connect is a portfolio of push-to-talk services that allow individuals and groups to get more done – quickly and easily with just the push of a button. Among the initial Sprint Direct Connect services:
Sprint Direct Connect – Instant, one-to-one push-to-talk calling nationwide on the Sprint network, with any other Direct Connect subscriber. Direct Connect is the core push-to-talk feature and is designed for interoperability across Sprint and Nextel network platforms.
Guaranteed Talk Permit – The assurance that when you hear the push-to-talk “chirp” that your call was successfully transmitted.
Call Alert with Text – Send an audio alert with an optional text message to let another Direct Connect subscriber know you are trying to reach them and why.
Group Connect® – Communicate with up to 20 other Sprint Direct Connect subscribers all at once – nationwide, at the push of one button.
TeamDCSM – Communicate with up to 200 other Sprint Direct Connect subscribers at the same time nationwide2.
NextMail® – Send a recorded message to any email worldwide or mobile handset via text message by using the Direct Connect button.
Availability Notification – Request the availability status of another push-to-talk member and, if they are busy, request a notification when they are free.

With more than 18 years of expertise, Sprint is the industry leader in push-to-talk, serving the world’s largest push-to-talk community with millions of Direct Connect subscribers. Direct Connect from Sprint has set the industry standard for push-to-talk worldwide.

A pioneer in push-to-talk technology, Motorola Mobility has been providing devices for the push-to-talk community since the network’s inception. With the introduction of Direct Connect from Sprint, Motorola Mobility continues to innovate and provide reliable and compelling products that utilize the latest push-to-talk solutions.

Motorola ADMIRAL requires activation on a plan with unlimited data. Sprint Business customers may be eligible to activate Motorola ADMIRAL on a Sprint Business Advantage Messaging and Data plan, starting at just $59.99 per month plus required $10 per month Premium Data add-on for smartphones. Business Advantage Messaging and Data plans include Any Mobile, AnytimeSM for unlimited calling to and from any mobile in America, plus unlimited web, texting and Direct Connect.

For consumers, Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 per month Premium Data add-on for smartphones and $5 Direct Connect add-on. Simply Everything delivers unlimited web, texting, calling and Direct Connect for $99.99 per month plus required $10 per month Premium Data add-on for smartphones.

The Mobile Hotspot option is available for an additional $29.99 per month supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously with up to 5GB of data while on the Sprint network3. (All pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).

For more information about Motorola ADMIRAL and Sprint Direct Connect, visit www.sprint.com/sprintdirectconnect.

Global media tablet shipments in the third quarter ballooned 280% over the same quarter last year to reach 17 million units. Boston-based research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics found that Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s Android OS combined to capture a combined 94% of the global market, leaving Microsoft, HP and RIM fighting for scraps. Apple shipped 11.1 million iPads to take 67% of the market according to Strategy Analytics, and Google’s Android platform accounted for 27% of the market. ”Demand for tablets in developed and developing markets remains high,” Strategy Analytics director Peter King said in a statement. “Apple shipped a record 11.1 million iPads and registered a healthy 67 percent global tablet market share during the third quarter of 2011. Apple iOS remains the world’s dominant tablet platform with the most established services ecosystem.” Strategy Analytics’ full press release follows below.

Strategy Analytics: Apple & Android Capture 94 Percent Share of Global Tablet Shipments in Q3 2011

Boston, MA — October 21, 2011 — According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global tablet shipments reached 17 million units in the third quarter of 2011. Apple iOS and Android dominate the worldwide market with a combined 94 percent share.

Peter King, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global tablet shipments reached 16.7 million units in Q3 2011, surging 280 percent from 4.4 million in Q3 2010. Demand for tablets in developed and developing markets remains high. Apple shipped a record 11.1 million iPads and registered a healthy 67 percent global tablet market share during the third quarter of 2011. Apple iOS remains the world’s dominant tablet platform with the most established services ecosystem.”

Neil Mawston, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Android captured 27 percent share of global tablet shipments in Q3 2011, rising twelve-fold from 2 percent a year earlier. Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Samsung, Acer and others have been driving volumes. Industry eyes will next turn to the commercial launch of the Amazon Fire. Amazon’s strategy of minimizing its hardware price is set to ignite the entry-level tablet segment and attract more mass-market consumers.”

Other findings from the research include:

• Microsoft captured a niche 2 percent global tablet share in Q3 2011. The future release of Windows 8 cannot come quickly enough for Microsoft, so its hardware partners can start competing more effectively in the tablet space;
• RIM and its QNX platform captured 1 percent global tablet share in Q3 2011. The next-generation PlayBook 2.0 model will need to offer a much improved ecosystem for messaging and consumer apps if it wants to take off.

Exhibit 1: Global Tablet Operating System Shipments and Market Share in Q3 2011 [1]

Global Tablet OS Shipments (Millions of Units)	Q3 ’10	Q3 ’11
Apple iOS	4.2	11.1
Android	0.1	4.5
Microsoft	0.0	0.4
QNX	0.0	0.2
Others	0.1	0.5
Total	4.4	16.7
Global Tablet OS Marketshare %	Q3 ’10	Q3 ’11
Apple iOS	95.5%	66.6%
Android	2.3%	26.9%
Microsoft	0.0%	2.4%
QNX	0.0%	1.2%
Others	2.3%	2.9%
Total	100.0%	100.0%
Growth Year-over-Year %	N / A	280%

The full report, Global Tablet OS Market Share: Q3 2011, is published by the Strategy Analytics Tablet & Touchscreen (TTS) service, details of which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/3gyw3hz.

[1]  Shipments refer to sell-in. Numbers are rounded. The definition of tablet does not include e-book readers.

Vertu's first foray into the heady modern world of touchscreen phones has arrived, and it still looks KIRF-ably premium. But what's surprising is that the Constellation's feature ensemble is actually half-decent -- at least relative to its predecessors. Wearing an exclusive 3.5-inch AMOLED screen coated entirely in sapphire crystal, the Constellation completes the look with a "ceramic pillow" (we'd call it an 'earpiece') and a black alligator skin back cover. Last seen skulking around Bluetooth product listings, it's now back in the public spotlight with a confirmed eight megapixel camera, flanked by a twin LED flash and HSPA+ connections. There's no word on what OS this starlet is working with, though it's likely to be Symbian -- appropriate for all those oil barons, F1 drivers and other anachronistic rich types who can (send staff to) pick up their new Vertu from stores now.

Google worked for a long time to get a music store/service up and running with the blessing of the big music labels. Last spring, all of that broke down, so Google launched a cloud-based music locker on its own.

But Google is finally close to launching a music service with help from the labels, Android boss Andy Rubin said today, confirming earlier reports for the first time. When? “I think we’re close,” Rubin said onstage at the AsiaD conference in Hong Kong.

Both Amazon and Apple already sell music and offer cloud lockers, but Rubin promised that Google’s version “will have a little twist – it will have a little Google in it. It won’t just be selling 99-cent tracks.”

Still, Google needs all of the big labels on board, and the most recent reports said only EMI Music was close to a final deal. So, “close” could be a relative term.

Meanwhile, about those earlier label deals. Why did they fall apart, anyway?

Rather than accuse the labels of taking an unreasonable stance, as Google executives have previously done, Rubin takes a new tack — he says media companies in general haven’t been able to figure out what Google is up to. Just like Steve Jobs’s company used to be called “Apple Computer” and evolved into “Apple,” he says, Google is morphing, as well.

“Google is in the very, very early phases of adding consumer products to our portfolio,” he said. “The media industry didn’t see us as that. They saw us a search company.”

You can connect some dots here and make an educated guess: Rubin is probably referencing media companies’ insistence that Google help them fight piracy by making some sites harder to find. And the search giant has complied, to some degree. But there’s likely more to the story than that.

Due to the BlackBerry outage last week RIM has stepped up to the plate (Go Rangers!) by offering 12 paid applications for free until December 31st. Today they are offering DriveSafe.ly Pro! What apps are they givingaway? Here is the list:

• SIMS 3 – Electronic Arts
• Bejeweled – Electronic Arts
• N.O.V.A. – Gameloft
• Texas Hold’em Poker 2 – Gameloft
• Bubble Bash 2 – Gameloft
• Photo Editor Ultimate – Ice Cold Apps
• DriveSafe.ly Pro – iSpeech.org
• iSpeech Translator Pro – iSpeech.org
• Drive Safe.ly Enterprise – iSpeech.org
• Nobex Radio™ Premium – Nobex
• Shazam Encore – Shazam
• Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant – Vlingo

Thank you for choosing and supporting BlackBerry®. In appreciation, DriveSafe.ly Pro is free of charge for a limited time (a $19.99 USD value), compliments of BlackBerry. DriveSafe.ly 2.0 speaks txt (SMS) and email messages aloud so you can concentrate on the road. Eliminate temptation to drive distracted-let DriveSafe.ly read txts (texts) and respond by voice with Pro.

DriveSafe.ly 2.0 Pro lets you chat by sending text responses by voice and use voice commands like: repeat message, or call back sender. Drive safe listening to messages without texting while driving or reading emails in car. Drive – respond by voice, hands-free. DriveSafe.ly stops texting while driving (TWD).

• Play incoming txt (text) SMS/email messages
• Play messages on demand
• App does not slow down your phone
• Customizable auto-response and timeout duration
• Text to Speech and voice recognition powered by www.iSpeech.org Mobile TTS, ASR API for Developers
• 7.0 support and now support all Countries
• Support for the following languages

US English Female,US English Male,UK English Female,UK English Male,AU English Female,Latin Spanish Female,Latin Spanish Male,Chinese Female,Chinese Male,HK Cantonese Female,Taiwan Chinese Female,Japanese Female,Japanese Male,Korean Female,Korean Male,Hungarian Female,BR Portuguese Female,EU Portuguese Female,EU Portuguese Male,EU Spanish Female,EU Spanish Male,EU Catalan Female,EU Czech Female,EU Danish Female,EU Finnish Female,EU French Female,EU French Male,EU Norwegian Female,EU Dutch Female,EU Dutch Male,EU Polish Female,EU Italian Female,EU Italian Male,EU Turkish Female,EU Turkish Male,EU German Female,EU German Male,Russian Female,Russian Male,Swedish Female,CA French Female,CA French Male

How to use DriveSafe.ly:

1. Download DriveSafe.ly from BlackBerry App World or www.DriveSafe.ly from your BlackBerry Browser
2. Install and Run. REBOOT IF PROMPTED.
3. In your Downloads or Applications folder, click on the DriveSafe.ly icon DriveSafe.ly will launch
4. Agree to DriveSafe.ly TOS after reading, and if you agree
5. DriveSafe.ly is now on and will read your text and emails when they arrive
6. To turn off DriveSafe.ly, click the On button, which will change to “Off”
7. Adjust settings by clicking on “Settings”

Note: regular carrier billing SMS charges will apply for both outgoing and incoming messages. Use DriveSafe.ly to chat and listen to SMS, TXT messages, Text messages, Email messages,incoming SMS, auto-reply or auto respond with outgoing SMS. Doesn’t work with BBM (BlackBerry Messanger), MMS, or other IM clients (AIM, Gtalk, Live, Yahoo messenger, Facebook). Will read Facebook and Twitter sent by txt (SMS) message.

You can download Drive Safe.ly Enterprise by iSpeech.org in App World for FREE!!

Well, what do we have here? RIM has just posted a video outlining its new BlackBerry Packager for Android, just a few hours ahead of today's DevCon event. The tool, which received brief mention in RIM's conference schedule, essentially allows Android developers to port their apps to the PlayBook platform by converting their APK files to BAR files. As explained in the clip, developers should first obtain their signature keys from BlackBerry's Developer Zone before undertaking any porting or development. From there, they can check their existing app's compatibility with the PlayBook. If everything checks out, all they'd have to do is simply click "repackage and submit," and the system will automatically sign and package it away. We're expecting to get more details on RIM's new Packager in the very near future, but you can catch a sneak peak in the video, after the break.

In an interview with Financial Post, Research In Motion’s co-CEO Jim Balsillie, touched on a few things for RIM’s future. Jim was quoted as saying:

In the interview, Balsillie also said we can expect to see the new platform labeled as BlackBerry X (BBX) as we previously heard rumor to.

RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis has already apologized for last week's widespread BlackBerry outage, but apparently, that wasn't enough. Today, the manufacturer announced that it's offering customers a full slate of "premium apps" for free, in the hopes of earning back some of the goodwill it lost following that mysterious blackout. In a statement, the company said the gesture is "an expression of appreciation" for the patience that many BlackBerry users demonstrated during the incident, with Lazaridis adding that his company remains "committed to providing the high standard of reliability" that consumers have come to expect. For now, the company's offering a total of 12 apps (collectively valued at around $100), including SIMS 3, iSpeech Translator Pro and Shazam Encore among others, though more will be added at a later date. The offer kicks off on Wednesday and will last for a month, so head past the break to see which goodies are up for grabs.