Apple unveiled the new iPhone 5 and their new connector cable, Lightening. What Apple today called “the biggest things to happen for iPhone since iCloud,” eager Apple fans are calling, “meh.” Apple unveiled the official iPhone 5, which does not appear to be much different from the iPhone 4S. The phone was introduced as being, “designed and built to an exacting level of standard unlike anything we, or anyone in our industry, have made before.” Except the last iPhone, apparently.

T-Mobile USA is bending over backwards to keep their dwindling customer-base by offering a new unlimited data plan. The new plan will roll out in September and is hoped to rival their competitors, who have started putting a cap on data use. T-Mobile’s new plan will run users between $70-90 per month, depending on which smart phone you choose, and will allow unlimited voice, text and Internet usage.

Sprint and ATT have provided their official responses to Senator Al Franken’s inquiry about Carrier IQ, (also known as CIQ) the commercial customer tracking software included on the sly on their customers’ cell phones, and their response is, essentially, “our customers agreed to it.” ATT admits that they have CIQ installed on “900,000 devices, with 575,000 of those collecting and reporting wireless and service performance information to ATT.” They also admit that they were capturing the content of SMS text messages sent and received while a voice call was in progress. This they blame on a “programming error”, and that may be, but it illustrates the capabilities and danger of Carrier IQ. But one of the biggest bombshells may be that through Carrier IQ, they can – and do – remotely turn on your wifi! Think about that for a minute.

As any jilted lover would, Sprint has rebounded, and has gotten into bed with Google voice. And, frankly, we think they make a better couple anyways. The sweet sound made by a direct connection between your Google Voice account and your cel phone is music to the ears. As mentioned earlier today, Sprint and T-Mobile USA’s courting didn’t stand a chance once AT&T cut in and swept T-Mobile off the dance floor. But Sprint had a friend with benefits up their sleeve, and it was announced today that Sprint has integrated Google Voice into their offerings.

Why yes, we did, not two weeks ago, tell you of a possible T-Mobile merger with Sprint Nextel. However, it seems that AT&T had other ideas, and has made a flat-out aquisition bid for T-Mobile USA, to the tune of $39 billion. You just know that the resulting love child – IF the deal is allowed to go through, as it creates one hell of a monopoly – will have to be called, even if not officially, AT&T&T-Mobile, or, just, AT&T&T.

News of a possible merger between T-Mobile and Sprint / Nextel has been met with reactions ranging from apathetic to negative. Talks between Sprint and Nextel, and T Mobile, have been going on for the past few months, and are now at the point of determining the appropriate valuation for the respective companies. While “valuation” may sound more like a purchase than a merging of the two companies, the actual transaction would have only shares of the merged company, not cash, exchanging hands, with T-Mobile assuming a majority stake-holder position (in other words, essentially acquiring Sprint Nextel).

A massive Internet outage, loss of telephone service, and even 911 emergency service communications were the result of an intentional act of sabotage against five different fiber optic cables in the Silicon Valley Bay area of California today, according to authorities.