Testing

A quick look at Twitter for BlackBerry: "

Look, we know it’s an early beta and we’re extremely greatful to RIM for letting us try out this app before the masses load it onto their devices, but we’re not exactly impressed with Twitter for BlackBerry. We were intially planning to go all out and review the hell out of this app because a lot of people have been begging us for information on this app, but having tinkered with it this morning we’re ultimately concluded that we’re going to do this point-form style:

Report: MetroPCS hires advisers for possible Leap purchase: "
Prepaid wireless player MetroPCS hired a pair of high-powered investment banking firms to advise it on a potential purchase of longtime rival Leap Wireless, according to a Reuters report. Citing unnamed sources, the report said MetroPCS hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Credit Suisse for advice on the action.

Windows Mobile 7 to be announced at MWC 2010, Project Pink phones to arrive this spring?: "

The Wall Street Journal has chimed in and offered their inside information on the Windows Mobile and Project Pink rumors that have been circulating recently. Though it lacks the details of the earlier leaks,

FCC docs hint at a May launch for an AT&T branded Palm Pre: "

In a series of discoveries that would make Sir Arthur Conan Doyle proud, Pre Central forum member ToniCipriani may have uncovered the release date for the AT&T version of the Palm Pre. Both the Sprint and the Verizon version of the Pre have passed through the FCC with a confidentiality date that ended on or about the actual launch date. Buried within the FCC documents for a third version of the Palm Pre,

Image via CrunchBase

Report: Microsoft pushes 'Project Pink,' mulls RIM acquisition: "
Microsoft's mobile ambitions are still bright, even though its Windows Mobile platform has lost momentum to other players such as Research In Motion's BlackBerry and Google's Android OS.

Google Buzz takes mobile location services to the next level: "

Google just announced that it's bringing some serious location-based integration to its services, all centered around the new Buzz social networking tool built into Gmail. Google's going to do location better than the usual latitude / longitude coordinates -- it's able to snap those to actual place names and then take context-aware actions depending on where you are. The new location services is integrated into the main mobile Google.com search page and the new buzz.google.com page for the iPhone and Android

UK-based Times Online is reporting that Google is developing a mobile phone service that will have the ability to translate speech, from one language to another, on the fly. Google’s hoping to build off of their text-to-text translation engine — which is currently capable of translating 52 languages

Its one of the hardest things to deal with, but its a reality that americans face by the thousands every day...NO JOB.

Its difficult to wrap my head around after working successfully in the wireless industry for almost 14 years, but I am in a way optimistic about what the future holds.

I will use this site as a way to show my progress as I search for my next home.  I think its theraputic for me and possibly beneficial for my readers to see the process and how I network.

For any of my readers looking for a Wireless Retail executive with a massive amount of experience, success, and a reputation for results, please see my resume here or email me.

Chris

Report: Leap looking for a buyer: "
Leap Wireless has hired outside advisers and formed a special committee of its board to consider different strategic options, including selling the company or merging with another carrier, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Rumor Mill: Verizon will still get the iPad: "
Some industry watchers were surprised last week when Apple announced that its latest innovation, the iPad tablet, will launch on AT&T Mobility's wireless network--instead of Verizon Wireless' (Verizon long had been rumored as an Apple partner for the gadget). However, a report from Silicon Alley Insider, citing an unnamed Verizon source, said a Verizon/Apple iPad deal is still in the works and that Apple will announce the partnership later this year.

Nexus One over-the-air update begins today, brings multitouch: "

Good news for early adopters of the Nexus One, you’re getting your very first software update! Aside from some bug squshing, Google has included a few extra, and highly requested, features in the update:

Verizon is finally advertising the Palm Pre Plus. This time around Palm and Verizon decided that rather than give you the creeps directly, they'll give you the creeps by scaring you with visions of the past.

Verizon Finally Advertising Pre Plus ...to your Mom: "

Tracking the latest handset design trends: "
As the handset market regains some of its momentum, what handsets and phone functions are leading the charge? Every month, research firm Strategy Analytics issues a report on the new handsets released during that month, and provides rankings based on the specifications of those handsets.

Steve Jobs disses Adobe and calls BS on Google: "

If you had any doubts about Steve Jobs’ confidence and convictions after returning to Apple from his sick leave, it’s time you leave those at the door. The revered CEO announced a hotly anticipated device last week and followed up by burning the competition.

Image via Wikipedia

So I am thinking, What would I do differently if I owned a major wireless carrier? While I may not be qualified to do so, I have been in the business long enough to give some really good, blunt advice.  So please read below my open letter to each wireless carrier I felt important. I wrote these as though I had a quick paragraph to tell each company what they need to do.  A quick summary if you will.....

Image by Leo Reynolds via Flickr

2009 brought with it a lot of buzz on the streets  with Unlimited Monthly plans by such companies as Cricket Wireless, Metro PCS, Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, and the big four.  At the end of 2009 and this year , the competition for this sector of the business is heating up and has become more competitive than ever before.

As I wrote about in my article Wireless Predictions for 2010, I stated that there needed to be some consolidation in the market for the "Tier B" carriers.  Since then , big carriers like Verizon Wireless and AT&T have reduced their monthly unlimited plans to reach into the little guys pockets.  Here are the points that I feel are important to show just how much this is heating up....

Michael Dell pulls Mini 5 Android tablet from his parka, offers to put one in yours in 'a couple of months' (video): "

Hot on the heels of us thinking maybe the Dell Streak / Mini 5 was possibly due for a name change to the 'M01M,' a roving heckler from TechCrunch managed to catch the man himself, Michael Dell, on the street and get a quick demonstration of the thing -- which he with no uncertain terms referred to as the 'Mini 5.' He swiped through a number of home screens and quickly showed the five megapixel camera on the back, mentioned 3G wireless, and then tucked it away again. No price was given, but the biggest news is confirmation that it's coming out in 'a couple of months,' which is something of a surprise given the company was still calling it a concept just a few weeks ago. Video of this choice encounter is after the break.

Handset market bounces back in Q4: "
The 'year-long recession' in the handset industry is over--at least according to research firm Strategy Analytics. The firm found that handset shipments rose by 10 percent in the fourth quarter to 324.4 million units, up from 293.8 million in the year-ago quarter

AT&T nears record with 2.7M net adds in Q4: "
Verizon Wireless' aggressive holiday ad campaign slamming the quality of AT&T Mobility's 3G network didn't stop customers from signing up for AT&T wireless service. The carrier rounded up 2.7 million net new wireless subscribers during the fourth quarter--the second highest quarterly gain in the company's history.

However, issues surrounding AT&T's wireless network continue to be a sore spot for the carrier, and executives spent much of their quarterly conference call discussing what AT&T is doing to improve it. Specifically, AT&T will spend $18 billion to $19 billion on its network this year, notably above the $17.3 billion it spent in 2009. This includes an increase of $2 billion for improving backhaul capacity.

Microsoft hints at Windows Mobile 7 announcement at MWC: "

Yesterday, on Microsoft’s earnings call, CFO Peter Klein briefly mentioned that Microsoft’s “next mobile operating system” would be announced “in a few weeks.” Conveniently, just a few weeks from now, the Mobile World Congress convention will be taking place — beginning February 15th —