Dell Streak Tablet pricing set: $549 unlocked, $249 with 2-year deal

Dell's highly anticipated "Streak" smartphone/tablet is scheduled to go on sale soon in the U.S. And we've finally got pricing.

The device is $549 for full retail or $249 with a two-year AT&T contract.

The device, which has a 5-inch screen, will run Android OS.

Dell calls the Streak "the perfectly-sized, go-anywhere entertainment, social connection and navigation device."

The device, according to Dell, features:

* Widescreen display optimally designed for mobile web, video and movies
* Integrated social networking widgets and apps, plus tons of apps through the Android Marketplace
* Crystal-clear damage-resistant Gorilla® glass screen
* Google MapsTM with navigation and text-to-voice, turn-by-turn directions with Street View
* Multitasking Google Android OS

Madden 11 demo now live

The new Madden 11 videogame demo is now up on Xbox Live and should hit PlayStation Store laster today. The game features full five minute quarters and only two teams, the Colts and Jets.

The game has:

· Teams: Colts vs. Jets (as voted by fans)
· Stadium: Jets Stadium, East Rutherford NJ – 1:00pm, clear
· Full 5 minute quarters
· All 4 skill levels selectable – Rookie, Pro, All-Pro, All-Madden
· Build both offensive and defensive gameplans
o Unlock “Master Strategist” achievement/trophy in the retail game
· GameFlow or Conventional play call is selectable
· CoachSpeak audio and text overlays – hear the coach via your headset or see the text overlay on-screen
· Coaching Tips – receive tips in-game to assist you in playing Madden NFL 11
· Audio presentation:
o Play-by-play (Gus Johnson), commentary (Cris Collinsworth)
o Stadium music – hear classic tracks like Crazy Train and more
o Team specific chants

Have you downloaded it yet? What do you think?

Rooting or jailbreaking your cellie is no legal?; and new Madden demo comes tomorrow

Couple interesting tidbits from the tech world today:

1. Cell phone users running the popular iOS (Apple) and Android operating systems may now legally run software applications not approved.

The new ruling will allow users to "jailbreak" or "root" their phones legally. The Library of Congress, which oversees the Copyright Office, reviews and authorizes exemptions every three years to ensure that the law does not prevent certain non-infringing uses of copyright-protected material.

Quoting from the Associated Press story: "Unless users unlock their devices, they can only download apps from Apple's iTunes store. Software developers must get such apps pre-approved by Apple, which sometimes demands changes or rejects programs for what the developers say are vague reasons.

"The new government rules, however, won't stop Apple from continuing its practice of disabling jailbroken phones with software upgrades. That means owners of such phones might not be able to take advantage of software improvements, and they still run the risk of voiding their warranty."

2. Tomorrow, Xbox Live and PlayStation network will host the new Madden 11 demo featuring a playoff game between the Jets and Colts. There will be five-minute quarters and four difficulty choices.

The new Madden debuts Aug. 10.

4 in 5 iPhone users say they'll buy another; Android? Only 1 in 5

Interesting bit of information unearthed by the Yankee Group, a national research firm.

It finds that 77 percent of iPhone users will buy another iPhone, compared to only 20 percent of Android customers.

The Yankee Group says iPhone users net AT&T $50 more per customer each year than other smartphone subscribers and that the iPhone will account for $1.8 billion in sales for AT&T and $9 billion in revenue for the company over the next five years.

That's $750 million more each year than AT&T would make if it had a different flagship smartphone.

Does Droid X suffer from antenna problems too?

Interesting video posted by Apple showing Verizon's new feature phone dropping signal when held a certain way. Thoughts here?

Rumor: Apple in "serious" talks to bring iPhone to T-Mobile this fall

Cult of Mac reports that Apple is in serious talks to bring iPhone to T-Mobile this fall, possibly as early as September.

Cult of Mac quotes a source saying the deal is 80 percent likely. This rumor is interesting because unlike Verizon -- the popular iPhone is coming rumor company -- T-Mobile uses a network chip similar to the one used at AT&T. Unlocked iPhones have run on T-Mobile's network, with slower data speeds, for a long time.

Rumors persist of Verizon and Apple joining forces in January, but a T-Mobile move might be easier.

For the consumer, a move would be good. T-Mobile has cheaper plans than AT&T and any iPhone carrier choice would make AT&T react with better pricing.

Flipboard: One incredible App for iPad (that changes everything)

I don't own an iPad, but I think this is one of the best apps I've seen for it yet. It takes content from your social apps and organizes them into a magazine style layout, and it updates constantly.

You'll never have a moment without fresh content, right?

Click the video below for a demo.