When it comes to using mapping APIs on mobile, it’s hard to think about any name other than Google Maps. However, the truth is that Google Maps doesn’t fit the needs of every developer and/or company. Thankfully we live in a country that allows competition and choice (even though large companies continually try to squash it). There is, in fact, a broad number of mapping solutions available to developers, and with Apple and others recently abandoning Google Maps, we’ve seen a spark of interest in these alternatives. One that’s been working hard to provide a viable option to its customers is deCarta.

The device that coined the term “phablet” is officially on its way to T-Mobile. The 5+” Samsung Galaxy Note will be available from T-Mobile in “coming weeks” and will launch with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Samsung’s Premium Suite. The Galaxy Note has risen above ridicule to become a top selling Samsung device that will soon have T-Mobile customers clamoring for a stylus.

Now here’s something to get excited about. A landing page has gone up for the Verizon Galaxy S III “Developer Edition.” It’s a 32GB, Pebble Blue Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III that comes with a special treat: an unlockable bootloader! At this point in the game, an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S III is as sweet as it gets.

In celebration of Nexus 7 shipments, Google has posted the full changelog of Android 4.1 to show us just how sweet their latest iteration of Android is. This way when someone asks you, “what’s different in Android 4.1?”, you’ll have an arsenal of bullet points to toss at them. Everything from the buttery smooth performance to Google Now is can be found in the long list of improvements. Now all we need is for the manufacturers and carriers to get moving on pushing this sweet treat out (yea, I know — we’re still waiting on ICS).

Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE customers will be happy to know an update is being pushed out to not only fix the ongoing Google Wallet issues, but to also fix a variety of other pesky bugs. The Google Wallet fix is refreshing, especially considering Sprint has been the only carrier to official endorse Google’s mobile payment system.