Angry Birds players tend to skew Republican, while Words with Friends players tend to make more money. That’s according to a recent study by JumpTap, which provides targeted mobile advertising and collects trending data. Another finding: the new iPad has exceeded sales expectations, even if its traffic levels are lower than prior versions of Apple’s …

AT&T is putting some heavy cash behind its push to sell the Lumia 900. The telecommunications giant plans to spend $150 million on its campaign to sell the Nokia smartphone — more than its budget for the iPhone, according to Ad Age. Related stories Lumia 900 review: My favorite Windows Phone yet li> HTC Titan II (video) Should I break …

T-Mobile USA and Leap wireless said today they plan on exchanging spectrum in several markets in the U.S. to better improve the potential coverage. The spectrum swap also includes T-Mobile, Cool Inlet/VS GSM VII PCS, a joint venture in which T-Mobile has a non-controlling majority stake, as well as Savary Island Wireless, which Leap has a non-controlling majority stake in. …

AT&T is getting rid of its advertising and directories business for $750 million in cash, the company said today. The Dallas-based telecommunications giant is offloading the assets to Cerberus Capital Management but will retain a 47 percent stake in the new YP Holdings venture created from the deal. It also gets a $200 million note from Cerberus, a private investment …

The Lumia 900 is off to a nice start — at least on Amazon. Nokia’s flagship smartphone sits atop Amazon’s cellphone bestseller list. In fact, the black variant is the top seller, followed by the blue version. They were both outselling the Droid Razr Maxx by Motorola Mobility and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. That’s a solid early indicator for a …

For developers looking beyond iOS and Android, the timing may be right to jump on the Windows Phone bandwagon. Nokia has a lot to do with that. The Lumia 900 launch signals the potential rise of the Windows Phone platform, with Nokia, Microsoft, and AT&T looking to make a big push for the phone. Nokia brought New York’s Times Square …

Microsoft wants consumers to really get its pitch that Windows Phones are more efficient than rival smartphones and can thus create more free time for consumers. To drum up attention for the recently launched Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II, Microsoft has set up “free-time machines” in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. They are essentially offering freebies for …

Don’t expect HTC to pack Beats headphones or earbuds with the Evo 4G LTE — or any of its smartphones for the time being. HTC is shelving the idea. One lesson the company learned from last year’s Sensation XL and the Rezound: customers don’t really choose smartphones based on the headphones — even headphones with a brand as recognizable as …

commentary A few months into the gig, Research In Motion CEO Thorsten Heins has shown he’s not afraid to pull the trigger. On the heels of several high-profile departures, including that of former co-CEO Jim Balsillie, a number of other senior-level executives are also getting shown the door, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required). The …

When it comes to the One series of smartphones, HTC is hoping to follow Google’s playbook for its flagship devices. HTC wants One to be synonymous with Google’s Nexus, which represents the latest and greatest that Android has to offer. Similarly, the One is supposed to be HTC’s best combination of design, music capabilities, and camera technology. “The One brand …