News to know: Obama's speech, Ubuntu, Android, Sprint

President Obama's speech, a new netbook experience with Ubuntu, the rise of Android over the iPhone and details of AT&T's exclusivity deal with Apple top today's headlines. Get the day’s rolling posts via Twitter,RSS, or email.

Here are the key themes for Tuesday, May 11:

Has technology turned information into a distraction? President Obama ruffled some techie feathers when he said as much - but he may have a point. Information today comes in snack-sized bites, a reflection of the changing face of media.

Canonical is looking to enhance netbooking with a new interface, called Unity, as well as light editions of Ubuntu, aimed at the dual-boot-instant-on netbook market. Unity will likely first surface in the netbook edition of the next Ubuntu version 10.10.

For those who doubted the Android as an iPhone competitor, NPD reports that Android jumped ahead of iPhone in retail sales last quarter. What is Google doing right to become a contender so quickly?

Speaking of the iPhone, the exclusive contract with AT&T may - or may not - expire in 2012. It's been indirectly confirmed that the original exclusivity deal was for five years, which would take us to 2012. But there's also a theory that the terms were renegotiated when Apple over the iPad. Bottom line: no one really knows for sure.

Sprint's change-of-heart about selling the Nexus One follows Verizon's decision to do the same not too long ago. What does that say about the future of Google's direct-to-consumer mobile phone business?

With the forthcoming arrival of Office 2010 and Sharepoint 2010, keeping up with different pricing structures for enterprise customers with volume licensing can be hard to figure out. Worry no more. The straight scoop on pricing is here.

Today's gallery. Check out the new lineup of desktops from Lenovo.