Carrying a Sprint Evo phone used to make you feel special, in a geeky way.

It was the first true 4G wireless phones when it debuted in 2010, showcasing the Clearwire-powered WiMax network.

With a huge screen, sleek black case and powerful processor, the Evo was the baddest phone on the block. As long as the battery held out.

Now Sprint's releasing a more powerful version that I've been testing, the HTC Evo 4G LTE.

You feel special carrying this Evo, too, but for different reasons.

For one thing, it's contraband.

Imports of the new Evo were blocked this month by U.S. Customs, delaying its May 18 launch. The phones are being reviewed to see if they comply with a court ruling in a patent spat between Apple and HTC.

The Evo -- and an HTC One phone for AT&T that's also held up -- are casualties of Steve Jobs' going "thermonuclear" on Google's Android software.

I think the late Mr. Jobs is doing Sprint customers a favor by delaying the Evo's release.

The Evo's biggest selling point is that it uses fast, new 4G LTE network technology. LTE is becoming the new standard for smartphones in the U.S. and soon every major network will offer it.

Sprint plans to have LTE across its network in 2013.

The problem is, Sprint doesn't yet offer LTE coverage anywhere. It's promising coverage by "midyear" in six cities -- Dallas, Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, San Antonio, Kansas City -- but won't say where it's coming next.

Yet it began selling LTE phones in April.

These phones also work on Sprint's 3G network, which is being upgraded, but there's no comparison to LTE speeds. Current LTE phones also won't work with the LTE capacity-boosting service Clearwire is providing Sprint next year.

This is like selling color TVs limited to black and white content. It's infuriating if you're already used to the newer technology.

I began testing the Evo the day President Obama was in town. Downloads were so slow I wondered if the Secret Service had jammed the network.

I tried watching a high-def YouTube trailer for "The Expendables 2." It was maddeningly slow, so I tried it on the free Wi-Fi at a McDonald's. It still froze and buffered more than a dozen times.

I tried the same video on the bus ride home, over Sprint's 3G network. The sound of gunshots roared out of the Evo's "Beats" audio system so I pressed the volume button, and the phone completely froze.

After a reboot, the video "loading" icon spun for another mile. Finally it began playing as I stepped off the bus, then paused to buffer 25 seconds later.

Network aside, I found the Evo to be a nice phone with an 8 megapixel camera, good call quality and far better battery life than the 2010 Evo.

Despite a massive 4.7-inch display, the $200 Evo feels light and easy to hold.

From the front, the case is plain but handsome. The back has an odd combination of shiny and matte plastic, divided by a red aluminum kickstand. It's not as striking as the original Evo or as svelte as the HTC One series (T-Mobile's One at left).

The first Evo's battery barely made it past lunchtime. I could use the new one lightly for well over a day without recharging. Sprint claims 7.5 hours of talk time, but the battery is "embedded" and can't be replaced by users.

There are many layers of capability in the Evo, which runs the latest "Ice Cream Sandwich" version of Android.

Especially prominent is an assortment of preloaded media apps. This profusion of digital storefronts is a little confusing.

Google's "Play" store and service get a home-screen icon and appear in the corner when you scroll through multiple screens filled with apps. "Play Movies" and "Play Music" also link to Google services. "Music" opens a folder with other music apps and "Watch" launches HTC's video store.

Another app, called "Media Share," is designed to connect the phone to a Wi-Fi network and share media files. I thought it would be cool to rent a movie from HTC and play it back through my home network, but I couldn't connect the phone. This was probably a user error, but it should be easier.

The Evo also has the ballyhooed Google Wallet and NFC capability. Wallet lets you load credit-card info, which is permanently linked to your Google account. Wallet also stores retail-loyalty cards, and Google will use it to send you coupons and offers.

With near-field communications hardware, you can wave the phone near special credit-card readers at some stores to make a payment.

That may appeal to some, but to me the convenience isn't worth giving Google my credit information. It's like giving Cookie Monster keys to the Keebler factory. If Google wants that access, it should provide a free phone and wireless service in return.

Others may also be excited to have a truly next generation phone like the HTC Evo 4G LTE.

It's a fine phone, but users will be paying $80 per month to use it on a last-generation network for a significant part of their two-year contract.

Here are the phone's specs, via HTC:

Network: LTE (Band 25) and CDMA 1xRTT EVDO Rel. 0, EVDO Rev. A
Dimensions: 5.31" (L) x 2.72" (W) x 0.35" (T)
Keyboard/Form Factor: Virtual QWERTY
Weight: 4.73 ounces
Operating System: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with HTC Sense
Display: 4.7-inch 1280x720 HD with IPS technology (In Plane Switching); Capacitive touch screen
Battery: 2000 mAh
Camera: (Main): 8MP color CMOS with auto focus; (Front): 1.3MP color CMOS Front Camera; Back Side-Illuminated (BSI Sensor); HTC ImageChip
Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB ROM, microSDHC compatible
GPS: GPS/AGPS
Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0+, 3.5mm Stereo audio jack, Micro USB connector with MHL, NFC, WiFi: IEEE 802.11 A,B,G,N
Processor: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon Qualcomm MSM8960

Here's a photo taken with the HTC Evo 4G LTE, of the site of Amazon.com's forthcoming office towers:

Garet Martin is ahead of the curve.

The Portland resident experienced the future of 4G wireless service last week, and it wasn't pretty.

Martin gets wireless home broadband and phone service from Bellevue-based Clearwire.

She's generally pleased with the $63-a-month package, even though she has to move her modem when a particular tree gets leafy in the summer and interferes with the signal coming across the Willamette River.

It was all fine until earlier this month, when she lost access to her voice-mail box. She called me after she had been stuck for nearly two weeks, only getting a recorded message saying her voice mail "is temporarily unavailable."

A series of calls to Clearwire's customer-service numbers went nowhere. Visits to a Clearwire outlet in Portland led to more dead-ends, but she did learn others were having the same problem with their voice mail.

Martin's situation was a little unusual, but I'll bet customer service will be a growing challenge over the next year or two for wireless companies.

A storm is brewing: Phone companies are rushing to build-out fourth-generation wireless networks better able to handle the crush of data from smartphones, tablets and other mobile-computing devices.

Consumers have become dependent on wireless devices, and most are upgrading to smartphones that are more complex.

To cover the cost of their network upgrades, phone companies are making some changes. They're moving toward more complicated pricing plans that meter data service.

At the same time, phone companies are diverting resources away from customer service and toward network upgrades. As we've seen over the past month, this has led to huge layoffs at call centers.

T-Mobile USA last week said it's closing seven centers, cutting 1,900 jobs so it can afford a $4 billion upgrade to 4G LTE technology. Verizon earlier said it's closing three centers, including one with 850 employees in Bellevue.

These follow a string of layoffs at other companies, including Clearwire.

In some ways Clearwire is a bellwether. It was the first company to offer true 4G wireless broadband, but the expensive network project led to sweeping layoffs and restructuring in 2010.

Clearwire's shifting strategy led to the problems Martin encountered this month. But she didn't learn that from the company she's been supporting for several years.

Customer-service reps were stumped with her problem, and her extended waits on the phone ended in frustration.

"Frankly, all the people I reach in the Philippines and India ... they all say how sorry they are, but they can't really do anything -- they can't or won't give me a supervisor or tell me where I can call in the United States," she said.

The reps told Martin "they know there's a problem and they told me there are a lot of people who are calling, but they just can't help me."

Martin isn't your ordinary frustrated customer. She said she used to head the Better Business Bureau's complaint department in San Francisco. After moving to Portland, she became a community activist.

"I love handling disputes," she said.

It makes you wonder what a less-motivated customer would have done. I'd have thrown my Clearwire modem out the window after those calls.

Instead, Martin drove to a Clearwire retailer in Portland. A person there gave her a number for a corporate office, which was always busy when she called, and for a regional office in Portland that turned out to have been vacated.

The sales outlet had a Clearwire sign but stopped selling Clearwire service and now sells other plans. Still, an employee told her other Clearwire customers had come to complain about the voice-mail problem.

Finally Martin began calling reporters.

I contacted Clearwire last Tuesday and asked if there were any service problems in Portland or Seattle. The initial response was that there were no network problems, outages or service disruptions.

Martin was still stuck, so I tried again with Clearwire, explaining that some customers were apparently unable to access voice mail.

A spokesman then replied that Clearwire is shifting the operation of its home-phone service to a third-party vendor. Customers who try their voice-mail password repeatedly during this process could get locked out.

Clearwire no longer sells this phone service to new customers. It's now mostly focused on providing wholesale service that larger companies use to supplement their networks.

Still, it continues to support 1.3 million retail customers, including perhaps 100,000 using the home-phone service.

"The service didn't really make sense as a long-term product for us," spokesman Mike DiGioia said.

Most customers didn't notice the back-end provider changed, he said. But some were caught in the migration and had their mailbox PIN codes locked up.

I guess that's understandable, but Clearwire dropped the ball by not informing its call centers of the issue. After our exchange, it set up a process for call centers to resolve it, DiGioia said.

But after I passed this on to Martin and she tried again with customer service Thursday, it still didn't work. DiGioia noted the fix could take 24 to 36 hours to take effect, but offered to intervene.

"We're sorry it happened, but we're working to make it right for them," he said.

Martin opted to have me share her name with the company, rather than wait another day. That afternoon she was on the phone with Geoff Levy, Clearwire head of customer care, and a product manager, who immediately fixed the problem.

"I'm getting two months of free service, but I still gave him hell," Martin said. "I told him I can't believe you treat your customers this way and you weren't more proactive."

Even so, Martin will keep using the wireless service she's grown to depend upon.

"I'll probably stick with them for quite a while, unless I have more problems," she said. "There really isn't anything competitive now."

Any lingering questions about whether smartphones are going mainstream should be put to rest by T-Mobile USA's newest offering - a 4G Android model that's debuting next week at Wal-Mart for $29.99.

That's after a $50 rebate and with a two-year contract. T-Mobile's also going to offer the Samsung Exhibit II 4G contract-free for $199.99.

Wal-Mart's getting first crack at the phone starting Oct. 27. It will be available in other stores starting Nov. 2.

The Exhibit II 4G has a 1 gigahertz Snapdragon processor and a 3.7-inch touchscreen. Costs were cut on the camera - it uses a 3 megapixel sensor. There's also a front-facing camera for video chat and a spiffy "marine blue" case.

It's also not getting the fastest wireless radio. It's billed as a "4G" device because it will connect to T-Mobile's HSPA+ network, which is capable of download speeds up to 42 megabits per second. But the Exhibit II will have maximum download speeds of 14.4 Mbps.

Bus riders in the greater Seattle area have a friend in Switzerland.

That would be Brian Ferris, the University of Washington computer-science student who graduated in the summer and now works for Google, in Zurich. (He's pictured below in his UW office in May.)

Ferris built and ran One Bus Away, a collection of phone apps that inform riders when buses are expected to arrive at their stop, using data shared by transit agencies.

His hobby morphed into a Ph.D. project and a job with Google's Zurich office, where the search giant does much of its mapping and navigation work.

That was great for Ferris and Google, but it left One Bus Away's users in limbo. They continue to use the service more than 50,000 times a week, accessing it via smartphones, browsers and a dial-in system at 206-456-0609.

Fortunately, the UW has continued to run the system -- on servers in the Computer Science & Engineering Department -- while the school and regional transit agencies hashed out a plan.

It could have gotten sticky earlier this month. King County Metro did a major restructuring of its network Oct. 1, changing dozens of routes, adding a new rapid line and rerouting others to deal with the Alaskan Way Viaduct project.

Those changes introduced glitches in One Bus Away that needed to be fixed, even though the agencies were still negotiating who would pick up the tab for the service.

So Ferris went ahead and updated the system himself -- just as he had for years at the UW -- except this time he did it from Zurich.

"He's not getting paid for it. He's just doing it because he believes in it," said Alan Borning, a UW computer-science professor who worked with Ferris on transit information research.

A slightly longer-term solution will be announced soon, perhaps in the next few days.

Metro, Sound Transit and Pierce Transit are working with the UW to fund One Bus Away for a year. Funding will enable the UW to hire someone to manage and update the service.

"We wanted to keep it going," said De Meyers, a Sound Transit information technology manager who is researching and developing rider-information systems.

It's unclear what will happen beyond the one-year contract, but Seattle-area agencies are apparently interested in a similar system being developed by a group in New York.

Called Open Trip Planner (OTP), it's an open-source project that started in 2009 and drew in part on the work that Ferris did at the UW.

The OTP software is freely shared, but several groups charge agencies to customize, host and support the system. OTP is being tested in Portland, where the TriMet transit agency helped develop the system.

In July, OTP held a user meeting in Portland attended by Meyers, another Sound Transit representative and a King County Metro manager, according to the group's attendance list.

An OTP presentation on its website also lists Sound Transit and King County as "prospective users" having "early conversations."

So is One Bus Away simply being extended until OTP is fully up and running?

"We don't know really right now," Meyers said, adding that "we're still in the assessment phase."

Meanwhile, Borning and his students may continue to use One Bus Away as a platform for research purposes.

One Bus Away users may also be asked to help out.

Borning envisions a sort of crowd-sourcing approach. People with knowledge of particular routes could become "transit ambassadors" and help run the system.

(That would be a cousin to a crowd-sourced voters guide -- at livingvotersguide.org -- that he and students are developing.)

Demand for One Bus Away continues, and it's likely to grow over the next few years as massive road projects strangle Seattle-area traffic and put more pressure on transit agencies.

The system is also uniquely accessible, enabling even basic phones to access the same information as fancy smartphones.

Crowd-sourcing may help keep the service going, Borning said.

"On the other hand," he added, "I don't have another Brian Ferris who can put in 10- or 20-hours a week."

Sprint's going to offer unlimited data consumption with the iPhone 5 it will begin selling in October, Bloomberg's reporting.

Sprint would be the only U.S. carrier to offer an unlimited data plan for the device, since AT&T and Verizon offer it only with tiered data plans.

The companies declined to comment for the article, which cited "people familiar with the matter."

Pricing of Sprint's iPhone 5 plan wasn't specified but the company offers a $100 per month plan that provides unlimited data and voice usage.

Sprint's been rumored to be getting the next iPhone for some time but hasn't confirmed the arrangement with Apple. Sprint is holding a high-profile press event in New York on Oct. 7, which suggests the timing in the Bloomberg story is correct.

The story also said that Sprint postponed the release of a new 4G device that was planned for September to clear the way for the iPhone.

I wonder if it cost Motorola $6 million to build the Droid Bionic, which raises the bar for smartphones when Verizon Wireless begins selling it Thursday.

The specs suggest that it really is better, stronger and faster than the Droid was before.

The Bionic is Verizon's first dual-core phone that runs on its LTE mobile broadband network. Verizon says users should see 5 to 12 Megabit per second download speeds and 2 to 5 Mbps uploads.

The Droid has a 4.3-inch Gorilla Glass screen, 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video capture, front-facing camera for video chat and HDMI out for playing 1080p videos on a larger display.

Inside there are dual-core 1 Gigahertz processors, 1 gigabyte of RAM and 32 gigs of memory, including a 16 gig memory card.

It runs the "Gingerbread" version of Google's Android software - version 2.3.4. While working with Motorola on this device, Google decided to buy Motorola outright for $12.5 billion.

The phone costs $300 with a two-year contract. Its mobile hotspot feature costs an extra $30 per month, and a "Lapdock" that converts the phone into a laptop-like device with an 11.6-inch screen and keyboard costs $300.

Engadget's first take:

"Early impressions are those of a very nice phone. The styling is a bit drab, to say the least, but it's a sophisticated looking thing, and seemingly quite solidly built, too. The Gorilla Glass up front has a bevel around the edge that does give a bit of flare, but also succeeds in being an exceedingly effective lint trap after just one trip into a pocket."

Mark Smith at the Detroit Free Press said it's a great phone with all-day battery life during regular use, but he was cool toward the industrial design:

"It's an undeniably great phone, powered by the fastest wireless network in the air today.

For those who have been waiting out the 4G smartphone race this summer, hoping for a hit with the Bionic, your wait has been rewarded. This one is worth buying."

It sounds like a Steve Austin special:

Reuters added to the growing pile of rumors about upcoming Apple hardware with a report today on a cheaper version of the iPhone 4 that could launch "within weeks."

The report said Asian suppliers have begun manufacturing a model with reduced memory - 8 gigabytes instead of the current entry-level 16 gigs.

It's unclear how much the cheaper iPhone would cost and where it will be distributed, though it may be headed for emerging markets.

The report, citing "two people with knowledge of the matter," said Apple will also launch an upgraded version of the iPhone 4 around the end of September. It's been dubbed the iPhone 5, though it's basically the same chassis as the iPhone 4 but with a larger display, better antenna and 8 megapixel camera, the report said. That would bring its specs closer to carriers' flagship Android and Windows Phone 7 devices.

Other sources have been reporting that Apple's testing an LTE version of the iPhone but it apparently won't go on sale until sometime in 2012. That's to be expected since the two largest wireless companies are now operating LTE networks and Apple's a major phone manufacturer. What would be surprising is if Apple weren't yet testing LTE technology.

There's also a very thinly sourced report out of Japan about Apple releasing new Macs by the end of the year. There's speculation that it's a refresh of the MacBook line.

It also seems likely that Apple will eventually offer touchscreen PCs that can take better advantage of touch apps developed for the iPhone and iPad.

My guess is that Apple will time the phone launches to take the wind out of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango" launch and the debut of the first Nokia Windows phones, which may surface by October.

Similarly, it could time the unveiling of new Macs to steal thunder from Windows 8 and the new generation of Windows PCs running Microsoft's new operating system. The full unveiling of Windows 8 is expected at a developer conference beginning Sept. 13.

Both Windows 8 and "Mango" phones will be highlighted at the Microsoft conference, which is a major event for the company's new mobile platforms. So you can expect the flow of disclosures about exciting new things from Apple and Android will increase in the coming weeks.

Verizon Wireless today provided a mid-year update on its infrastructure spending in the region, calling out its investment in its new 4G LTE network.

In Washington state, the company spent $94.4 million on infrastructure upgrades through the first six months of the year. For comparison, it spent $114 million in the region during all of 2010.

"It's clear we're going to outpace 2010 this year," spokesman Scott Charlston said.

In Oregon, spending was $69.7 million in the first half of this year, passing the $60 million spent in all of 2010.

Washington projects this year included the launch of LTE service in Spokane, Tacoma, Everett and Olympia and expansion of the 3G network statewide, the company said in its release.

It said the company has spent more than $1.3 billion improving coverage in Washington since 2000, and more than $65 billion nationwide.

For half of that, it could have bought T-Mobile USA and maybe Clearwire to boot ...

At least one investor has faith that Clearwire's bet on ultrafast LTE technology will pay off.

That would be Executive Chairman John Stanton, who oversaw the company's shift toward LTE while serving as interim chief executive over the past five months. Stanton stepped aside on Aug. 11 when Erik Prusch was named chief executive of the Kirkland company.

Between Friday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 16, Stanton bought 2,755,000 shares, including 103,035 shares for his family trust. At today's closing price those shares are worth $6.4 million.

That brought his Clearwire stake to 3,431,352 shares as of Tuesday, according to a disclosure report filed that day. That's almost double his Clearwire stake disclosed by the company in April, when he had 1,796,685 shares.

The disclosure of Stanton's purchases boosted confidence in the stock, which soared 27 percent Wednesday, closing at $2.33, up 50 cents for the day. It was the second highest gaining stock, on a percentage basis, on Tuesday.

That nearly recouped the stock's loss since a big plunge Aug. 3, but it remains well below its $8.82 high for the year. Stanton paid between $1.78 and $1.89 for his recent buys.

The last plunge came after the company used its earnings report to announce plans for an "LTE Advanced" network that will provide wireless download speeds over 100 megabits per second. It was a turning point for a company built on WiMax, a different wireless broadband technology that's being eclipsed by LTE.

The catch -- that Clearwire needs to raise up to $900 million to pay for the LTE project -- overshadowed the company's recent growth in subscribers and progress towards profitability. The day after the earnings report, CLWR fell from $2.47 to $1.76.

Stanton must have confidence the company will find a way to pay for the LTE upgrade -- he and Clearwire founder Craig McCaw always seem to find ways to fund their wireless ventures -- but he declined to comment on the topic this afternoon.

Here's a look at some of the ways pundits are dissecting Google's bodacious $12.5 billion bid for Motorola Mobility.

Regulators will be all over this deal, wrote Arik Hesseldahl at All Things D:

"Whatever happens, it's going to take Google some time to get this deal done, and if it does get approved, you can expect some significant regulatory concessions."

Motorola Mobility gives Google a deterrent for its nuclear patent war with Microsoft, Apple and others, wrote Tim Bradshaw at the Financial Times:

Patent battles are a little like nuclear war: for there to be peace, each side must have armaments equally assuring mutual destruction.

Motorola has more than 17,000 active patents, dating back to the earliest mobile-phone technology, and another 7,500 going through the mill.

Google may have just acquired an instant nuclear deterrent - and that's something that the companies who have come to rely on Android may welcome in spite of the new tension the deal creates.

Google's wasting $12 billion on weak patents, Andrew Orlowski at The Register wrote (headline: "Has Google wasted $12bn on a dud patent poker chip?):

"These radio and design patents of legacy manufacturers such as Motorola or Nokia really aren't worth quite as much as their owners think they are.

Google has paid $12.5bn for a negotiating chip that appears to be almost impossible to redeem. In this light, the acquisition looks like panic, rather than a calm and carefully deliberated strategy."

The deal's not about patents as much as Google's evolving business model - and other phone companies should be scared, wrote Florian Mueller at Foss Patents:

It would be a mistake to look at this as just (or primarily) a patent deal. We're looking at a deal that would fundamentally change Google's Android-related business model ... The likes of Samsung, HTC and LG obviously don't have any other choice than to say at this point that they welcome the deal. They will continue to say that for some time. They obviously weren't going to bash the deal in public. But there's no way that they can compete with a Google-owned Motorola Mobility on a level playing field.

Google TV will be a huge beneficiary, since the deal gives Google the leading set-top box maker, Ryan Lawler and Ryan Kim wrote at GigaOm's NewTeeVee blog:

Until now, most set-top boxes have run proprietary operating systems. As a result, offering up Google TV as the underlying OS could simplify and accelerate the rollout of new applications on cable systems, which could improve the overall user experience on the set-top box. And by pitching Google TV as the underlying OS for Motorola set-top boxes sold to TV operators, it could very quickly create a large install base for developers to build applications for. The one question is how open that set-top box will remain if Google shifts from a consumer- to a carrier-based model for Google TV.

Even Google's Larry Page weighed in on his company blog:

The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences. I am confident that these great experiences will create huge value for shareholders.

I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.

But the deal could be a debacle for Page, thrusting him into "a crappy, low-margin commodity business," wrote Henry Blodget at Business Insider:

Google deserves credit for a big, bold move. But let's be real: This deal could end up being a disaster. How? Well, for starters, the deal creates major channel conflict: Google is now competing with its partners. And hardware manufacturing is an entirely different kind of business than Google's core business. And hardware manufacturing is a crappy, low-margin commodity business. And Motorola is massive--Google has just increased the size of its company by 60%. And the deal appears to be purely a defensive move, not an offensive one. And so on.

If you're not among the crowd waiting for the next iPhone, Research in Motion today announced the first three BlackBerry smartphones based on its new BlackBerry 7 operating system.

Simultaneously, Qualcomm announced new branding for its Snapdragon mobile hardware, which could make it easier for people to choose between the flood of new smartphones and tablet devices coming to market. Its new branding will also likely help people shopping for Windows 8 devices next year.

Qualcomm's S1 category will have single-core processors with speeds up to 1 gigahertz, according to a writeup at EE Times.

The S2 will also be single-core, up to 1.4 GHZ and support 720p video and stereoscopic 3D displays.

The S3, used in the HTC Evo 3D and HP TouchPad, will go up to 1.5 GHz and have dual-core options.

The upcoming S4 line will be dual or quad-core, run at up to 2.5 GHz and support LTE networks.

I'll bet the S4 will be used in upper-end Windows 8 tablet PCs when they appear next year. Qualcomm has been a key partner for Microsoft on both Windows Phone 7 and the development of full versions of Windows that will run on mobile hardware.

The EE Times report said 20 companies are developing Snapdragon-based tablets, among 375 current and future devices using the hardware.

RIM reportedly used Snapdragon for its new BB7 devices, but it's not using the new branding or even calling out the chip manufacturer in its release today. That may be because the devices were delayed when RIM made a late switch to Qualcomm's platform.

Still to come -- next year perhaps -- are phones based on RIM's QNX operating system, which is used in its PlayBook tablet.

The new phones announced today all have touchscreens and two have hard keypads. They include the Bold 9900 -- at 10.5 millimeters, the thinnest BlackBerry yet -- plus two Torch models. The Torch 9810 has a slideout keypad and 3.2-inch screen, and the Torch 9850 has a 3.7-inch touchscreen (and a little curve like the HTC MyTouch phones ...).

RIM claims that the phones' browsing is up to 40 percent faster than BlackBerry 6 phones and 100 percent faster than BlackBerry 5 models, because of their faster hardware, new OS and improved WebKit browser engine.

They're supposed to be available from wireless companies later this month.

Here's a cool graphic showing the history of Android and the distribution of its various flavors, created by developer services company [x]cubeLabs, which I found via Mashable.

All it needs is an overlay with the Android patent disputes ...

Infographic by Android Developers at [x]cubelabs

Here's a quick video showing the photo-sharing feature on the HTC Status, the new phone that HTC developed with Facebook. It goes on sale Sunday for $50 with a two-year AT&T contract and a minimum $15 per month data plan.

The device has a dedicated Facebook button below the keyboard that you press to post or share photos on the social networking site.

It's billed as "one click" sharing, but it actually takes more than one press -- the blue "F" button starts an application where you can compose a message and post with another tap on the touchscreen.

The button's best trick works if you're using the phone as a camera. Once the camera is activated, you can press the F it works like a shutter button. When you take a picture, the screen shifts to "upload to Facebook." You post with a tap on the screen, or use drop-down menus to decide where on the site the photo should be posted and who can see it, and add tags and a description.

It has a few new Facebook applications built into HTC's Sense interface.

A Facebook window streams updates onto the phone's screen, just below the HTC clock. There's also a Facebook Chat application that shows which friends are available to chat, and a "FriendStream" app pre-loaded on the phone. Plus its "share" button includes Facebook and other sites by default.

There's no Facebook Skype application yet.

Facebook aside, it's a nice phone, especially for the price. It has a horizontal screen and qwerty keypad, with about the same proportions as a BlackBerry.

The hardware is smooth and curved plastic, with rounded corners above the screen that look like they were lifted from the Nexus. From the side, the phone has the kicktail that first appeared on the G1.

If you're used to the big 4-inch screens on smartphones the 2.6-inch touchscreen on the Status feels a little small and it's harder to read text on a Web page. On the other hand, it doesn't feel like you're carrying a small TV set.

HTC originally called the device the ChaCha and the name flashed on the screen during setup. It's a better name than Status, which fortunately doesn't appear anywhere on the case.

The phone is white and silver, or mauve if you buy a special version available at Best Buy.

The phone is AT&T's first to use Google's Android 2.3.3 "Gingerbread" operating system and has Google apps including Talk and Places.

It also has a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and video capability; a front-facing camera for taking self-portraits; and a 2 gigabyte memory card pre-installed. It weighs 4.3 ounces and is 4.5 by 2.5 by 0.4 inches.

The device claims to have 6.5 hours of talk time and 26.6 days of standby time on a single battery charge.

Bellevue-based T-Mobile USA today unveiled the myTouch 4G Slide, a new flagship Android phone for its HSPA+ network.

The phone will go on sale in July with a khaki or black case. UPDATE: T-Mobile disclosed the price - it's $200, after a $50 rebate and with a two-year contract and data plan.

It's positioned as a phone for photography enthusiasts, which may help it compete with new photo-friendly models offered by Sprint and coming soon to AT&T that take 3-D photos and videos but don't have as many 2-D photo capabilities as the Slide.

The myTouch 4G camera has an 8 megapixel sensor and a new "zero shutter lag technology." The latter that begins recording as soon as you push the shutter button and stores the content in a memory buffer, T-Mobile explains in the release.

"When you snap the camera button, rather than waiting for a mechanical shutter, it looks at the time stamp of when you pressed the button and pulls the photo from the cache," it said.

Other camera features include a backside illuminated sensor and wide aperture lens for improved low-light performance. It also has a "sweep shot" feature for taking panoramic shots with one click, and a burst mode for taking multiple shots simultaneously.

The phone also functions as a 1080p video recorder and can be used to edit video on the device. It also has a front-facing camera for video chats, full HTML browser, support for Adobe Flash and Swypte text input.

Inside the phone has the HTC Sense 3.0 interface on top of Android 2.3 -- the Gingerbread version. It has a a 1.2 gigahertz dual-core Snapdragon processor, a 3.7-inch diagonal WVGA touchscreen and a slide-out keypad.

A strong voice joined the chorus saying that Apple will release the iPhone 5 in September. Bloomberg's reporting that the device is coming with a more powerful chip and an 8 megapixel camera, up from the current 5 megapixel version.

Apple's also testing a new iPad with a higher resolution screen like the one used in the current iPhone, the report said.

It cites "two people familiar with the product" and said Apple declined to comment.

But the report comes as a wave of competitive new phones are being released, some for the fast new wireless networks that Apple hasn't yet enabled the iPhone to use.

Firmer reports about the new iPhone create uncertainty among phone buyers considering recently released phones, and cast a shadow over Microsoft's Windows Phone launch and new Nokia hardware coming later this year.

The Bloomberg story said the phone will look similar to the current iPhone. It suggests more common hardware between the iPhone and iPad. The iPhone 5 will use the A5 processor that's used in the iPad 2, while the tablet device is getting a display with resolution similar to the current phone.

The report also said Apple's working on a smaller, lower-priced iPhone aimed at overseas markets.

Nokia introduced a gorgeous new touchscreen phone that hints at the kind of hardware that could come with Windows Phone software later this year.

The N9 unveiled at a conference in Singapore is running the Meego software that Nokia is phasing out in favor of Windows, but the real sizzle is its industrial design and specs. It has a 3.9-inch curved AMOLED touchscreen behind Gorilla glass, with a 1 gigahertz A8 processor, 1 gigabyte of RAM and 16 or 64 gigabytes of storage.

It has no physical buttons at all on the face, so you unlock the device by tapping on the screen.

Nokia has also given the device an 8 megapixel Carl Zeiss wide-angle lens that takes 720p video, plus a second camera for video calls. Its HSDPA radio is capable of up to 14.4 Mbps downloads.

Nokia's going to release a mix of Windows Phone models by the end of the year, and it seems a good guess there will be an upper-end version based on this chassis.

(UPDATE: Nokia scheduled a big event for Oct. 26 in London and some are speculating that's when the Windows Phones will debut.)

Meanwhile Nokia will begin selling the Meego-powered N9 "later this year" in black, cyan and magenta. Nokia said availability and pricing will be "announced closer to the sales start." (I wonder if it will appear before or after the iPhone 5, which is rumored to be coming in September.)

The phone also has turn-by-turn navigation for walking and driving and a built-in "Drive" app for automotive use. Microsoft plans to use Nokia's navigation technology as part of their partnership so perhaps this is another preview of what's coming to Windows phones.

A Nokia spokeswoman declined to say whether the N9 hardware will be used with Windows Phone software, saying via email that "we have not provided further information on our first Windows Phone devices at this time."

It also has NFC capability, for wirelessly making credit transactions, which will probably be a standard feature on smartphones pretty soon.

Here's Nokia's demo video:

T-Mobile USA isn't act like a lame duck. The company on Tuesday is announcing that it has doubled the speed of its HSPA+ network, boosting peak theoretical data transfer speeds from 21 megabits per second to 42 Mbps.

The upgrade was largely done with software, but it also leans on the fiber optic lines that T-Mobile has been installing to improve backhaul to its cell sites. T-Mobile is basically multiplexing together 21 Mbps carriers with "dual cell" technology.

New hardware is required to get the maximum speeds, but T-Mobile said other users should see speeds increase, because the upgrade is improving the overall network.

The only way to get the fastest speed possible on the network now is to use a new "Rocket 3.0" USB modem [pictured], which T-Mobile will begin selling Wednesday for $100, after a $50 rebate.

A new phone capable of 42 Mbps will be released "before the end of the year," said Eric Schlumpf, T-Mobile's vice president and general manager for the Pacific Northwest.

"We think that this reflects our continued investment and continued emphasis on speed and affordability in the market," he said.

Its current phones capable of 21 Mbps include the Galaxy S 4G, MyTouch 4G, G2, Sidekick and G2X. The upcoming Sensation and BlackBerry Bold 9900 are also 21 Mbps capable.

T-Mobile began HSPA+ service in late 2009 in Philadelphia and rolled it out in stages starting in March 2010.

With the 42 Mbps upgrade, it's launching 52 markets at once, including Seattle, Spokane, Olympia, Bellingham and Portland. In the Seattle area, T-Mobile claims more than 80 percent of the service area has 42 Mbps coverage.

In its announcement, the company said it spent about $50 milloin on network upgrades and improvements in the Seattle area through 2010 and more than $4 million so far this year.

Schlumpf said T-Mobile's plan is to remain competitive with Verizon's LTE network, which doesn't yet have the reach or variety of phones of Tmo's HSPA+ network.

"Our expectation and our pace is to match Verizon's LTE speed as we roll out our HSPA+ network," he said.

T-Mobile USA is being acquired by AT&T in a deal that's supposed to close in 2012. So why upgrade now?

"The network's not going away; we're going to continue to work together," Schlumpf said.

He added that with the typical lifecycle of cellphones, "the typical consumer will see no change whatsoever."

UPDATE: A spokesman for T-Mobile wanted to be clear that T-Mobile's an "independent competitor" to AT&T until the merger closes.

T-Mobile USA is dropping its unlimited 3G/4G data service, replacing it with a tiered pricing system.

The company simultaneously announced new plans that it's saying are unlimited with no overage fees. That sounds compelling, but it's a little misleading.

Customers will pay for a finite, limited amount of data transferred at regular speed on its 3G/4G network. After that monthly allocation is used up, the data transfers are throttled down to a slow speed -- 2G -- for the rest of the month.

A spokeswoman said it's not really a change: "The previous $30 unlimited plan reduced speeds if the customer reached 5 GB of data in a billing month so the plan is technically the same, just a new name."

T-Mobile is offering these "unlimited" plans with monthly allocations of 200 megabytes, 2 gigabytes, 5 GB or 10 GB at 4G speeds.

The new rate plans "put us in an excellent position to capitalize on the 80 percent of wireless customers in America who want smartphones," Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, said in a release. "We're providing customers with the 4G coverage they need, an exciting portfolio of 4G smartphones, and the value and flexibility to meet the diverse desires of their entire family."

Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless today announced that it's launching 4G LTE service in Spokane on June 16.

Since it began offering LTE service in December, Verizon has extended it to 55 areas -- including Seattle -- and plans to have LTE available throughout its current, 3G service area by the end of 2013.

Verizon charges $20 to $80 per month for LTE data plans that range from 1 to 10 gigabytes per month. After the limit is exceeded, it charges $10 to $20 per gigabyte, depending on the plan.

One of Seattle's least-known secrets is a magical app for your phone.

It can make you more efficient, reduce stress, give you more time, save you money and help the environment.

Best of all, it's free.

You don't even need an expensive smartphone or one of those wireless plans that cost as much as a car payment.

I'm talking about OneBusAway, an app that tells people when their bus is arriving. It started in 2006 as the side project of a University of Washington student and grew into a transit app platform used by software developers, researchers, transit agencies and 50,000 commuters a week.

Brian Ferris, a computer-science graduate student from the Tri-Cities, began hacking it together in 2006 after getting frustrated by the spotty arrival times of the Metro Route 44 bus he'd take sometimes when he missed the 46 commuter route from Ballard to the UW.

This was before the iPhone and the frenzy around mobile apps. Ferris thought you should be able to use a phone any time to find out when the next bus arrives.

With a collection of free software and services, he built a system that lets people with any kind of phone dial 206-456-0609, enter a stop number and get the estimated arrival time.

Ferris kept at it, often writing code on buses. He built fancier versions that blend with Google Maps and run on the iPhone, and collaborators built apps for Android devices and Windows phones.

All the versions and free tools for app developers are available via onebusaway.org.

At the end of 2008, Ferris persuaded academic advisers to let him make this his full-time project, instead of a Wi-Fi location technology he had been pursuing.

Among the research published since was a 2010 paper by Ferris, civil-engineering student Kari Edison Watkins and Professor Alan Borning that found using OneBusAway made riders feel safer and less stressed. They spend less time waiting, ride more frequently and are more satisfied with transit in general.

Ferris, 30, said they also observed that people's sense of time changes when uncertainty about their bus is removed. A 5-minute wait can seem like 10 if you don't know for sure when the bus is coming. If you know it's coming in 10 minutes, the time can seem like it's going by faster, he said.

Knowing when the bus is coming also can make people more productive, because they can do something instead of just waiting. Ferris has favorite places he visits -- coffee shops and bookstores -- when the system tells him he has extra wait time.

OneBusAway gets about 27,000 unique visitors a week who are using iPhones, 18,000 from Android devices and 18,000 from the Web.

Only about 2,000 weekly visits come from the dial-in service, which is surprising since most people don't own a smartphone. About 31 percent of the population had smartphones as of December, according to Nielsen research.

Ferris said people with basic phones probably aren't aware of the service.

The trickiest part of the dial-in system is finding the number of a bus stop.

It's a five-digit number printed at the top of posted schedules or painted on covered stops. But schedules sometimes are missing or the number is obscured.

Ferris has tried to persuade King County to change the way the number is displayed. He rode his bike to 800 stops in the south end of Seattle last summer, discreetly applying vinyl stickers displaying each stop number.

You also can enter your location or a route number by punching through the phone menu. The system remembers your number and can bookmark regular stops.

Arrival information isn't exact. Accuracy depends on information provided by the bus system.

OneBusAway works with Metro Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and Community Transit.

King County uses an older system that calculates arrival times as buses pass certain points along their route. This information is sent over bus radios to Metro.

Several earlier UW projects exposed this location information over phones and the Web, and Ferris built on top of their work.

Metro is upgrading bus radios and adding new location-tracking technology, including GPS. It intends to give developers like Ferris access to data from the new system after it's fully installed in 2012.

Transportation apps are hot nowadays.

Search giants, app developers and transit agencies are working on new tools for mapping and tracking different means of transport, drawing on government's newfound enthusiasm for sharing streams of data such as bus locations.

Metro holds workshops for app developers, about 100 of whom have asked for access to its data.

It's all part of an explosion of creativity ignited by mobile devices and fast wireless networks.

But what's refreshing about OneBusAway is that it's a pure service, created simply to make life better for commuters of all stripes. It's not trying to sell you anything, ping your friends, track your whereabouts, deduce your buying patterns or point you toward a nearby store.

It just tells you when the next bus is coming, so you don't have to stare down the road, wondering and hoping.

Bus ridership is growing. Metro provided an average 375,000 rider trips per weekday last month, up 3.5 percent from a year ago.

Meanwhile, Seattle's outrageous combination of tunnel, bridge and viaduct projects, road diets and other construction is making bus schedules elastic and tracking systems more important than ever.

The timing couldn't be worse, but now the future of OneBusAway is in limbo.

Ferris will finish his Ph.D. next month then work for Google at its Zurich, Switzerland, office, with a team that works on transit and direction services.

Local supporters are looking for ways to keep the project going. King County is talking to companies about contracts to support and extend the project.

At the UW, Borning hopes to raise enough money from transit agencies and others to hire a part-time developer to maintain the system.

"An extremely high priority is to make sure it keeps running -- we need to figure it out," Borning said.

In a way, the project will continue in Zurich, where Ferris hopes to keep working on it while building more tools to help people find and use all kinds of transportation.

"My goal," he said, "is to go to Google and do this worldwide."

We've known since February that Verizon's first Windows Phone would likely be the HTC Trophy, a 1 gigahertz slab with a 3.8-inch touchscreen.

Today, the company's made it official and said the device will go on sale online May 26 and in stores June 2 for $150, after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a new two-year contract. Buyers will need a Verizon Wireless voice plan, starting at $40 per month, and a data plan starting at $30 per month.

This is despite Verizon brass pooh-poohing Microsoft's new phone platform, saying it's not as important as Apple, Android and RIM.

Microsoft, Verizon and HTC are putting more emphasis on the device's connections to Xbox Live. Buyers before July 15 get a free Xbox 360 game -- either "Halo Reach," "Kinect Sports" or "Lode Runner."

Specs include:

-- 1 GHz Snapdragon processor
-- WVGA 3.8-inch touchscreen
-- Surround sound through SRS WOW HD
-- 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
-- 720p HD video capture
-- 16 GB on-board storage
-- Wi-Fi connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n

Putting a new spin on mobile devices, Seagate today announced an external hard drive for iPads and smartphones.

The palm-sized gadget has 500 gigabytes of storage capacity, a wireless radio to sync with mobile devices and a claimed five-hour battery life.

"With the growth of the tablet and iPad markets and the larger volumes of high-quality media now being consumed, there is a clear need for access to content that is not plagued with the challenges of streamed video over the Internet," Seagate Vice President Patrick Connolly said in a release. "The unfortunate fact is that these popular new mobile devices are hampered by their limited storage capacity while one of their primary functions is that of media consumption."

Seagate will begin selling the GoFlex Satellite drives in July for $200. That's more than double the price of a standard 500 gig external drive, which lacks the wireless capability and battery.

Maybe it pencils out for iPad users racking up data overage fees or paying for big cloud storage lockers.

Seagate's device might be perfect for the family that travels with a car full of iPads. It streams to three devices at once, so the family could take a huge collection of movies and music along and not have to worry about preloading a selection to each device. If you've already dropped $1,500 to $2,500 on three iPads, the $200 price probably isn't a big deal.

But for individual smartphone and iPad users, the device seems like a step backward, mobility-wise. I guess they're already toting around chargers so they may as well stuff a hard drive in their pocket as well.

Prepare for a return of the fanny pack.

Microsoft buying Skype is like Seattle buying Italian streetcars.

On the surface, it seems like an outrageously expensive indulgence.

But if you can ignore the insane amount of money being thrown around and focus only on how it will help a few businesses, it makes some sense.

Microsoft already has powerful and widely used software for making phone and video calls and communicating over the Internet. Its messaging systems are among its crown jewels and used by far more people than Skype.

Similarly, Seattle is served by a vast and reliable bus system and is building up a light rail network.

But it still decided to spend $60 million - not counting priceless right-of-way - on streetcars that duplicate several bus routes. Sound Transit's going to spend another $132 million more more streetcar service.

Some people think the streetcars are neat, and they add flair and freshness to the mix of infrastructure in Seattle. But they'll never carry as many passengers as Metro and they'll probably never pay for themselves.

The trolley is largely an amenity, increasing the appeal of commercial property mostly owned by Paul Allen.

City leaders who took flak for this quasi subsidy may now feel vindicated by Allen's success redeveloping South Lake Union. The area along the trolley route has transformed into a vibrant, active neighorborhood anchored by Amazon.com's new headquarters.

You can't say the area blossomed because of the trolley but it helped.

With Skype, Microsoft now has a groovier, Web-native service that complements its established, industrial-strength communication systems.

Skype and particularly its video calling capabilities will be a focal point for the bundle of online services Microsoft will offer to consumers and businesses. Having one killer app in the bundle is enough to get people to enter Microsoft's online realm, or at least prevent them from logging into a competing suite of online services.

My guess is that Skype and video messaging will also be a cornerstone of Windows 8 or whatever the next version of Microsoft's flagship operating system is called. It's designed to work well on portable devices running the tiny processors used in smartphones, where video calling is coming to be expected as a standard feature.

Apple and Google have already developed video calling services for mobile devices and PCs but they don't yet have the critical mass of Skype. Microsoft has struggled to build a critical mass in search and now it has a head start as the next phase of online messaging is developed on fast, new 4G wireless networks.

Meanwhile Microsoft's going to use Skype to boost the appeal and reach of its Xbox, phone, Web mail and communication software products.

In its release, Microsoft noted that Skype has acquired the intellectual property powering its network. Perhaps that's a signal that Microsoft will assert its ownership of the patents, which could limit what competitors can do in the space or require them to send royalties to Redmond.

Skeptics expect Microsoft to fumble Skype somehow. To avoid this, Microsoft took the unusual step of creating an entirely new, autonomous group for Skype, giving the relatively small business organizational stature comparable to that of the massive Xbox, Office and Windows groups. Skype Chief Executive Tony Bates will be president of the Microsoft Skype Division, reporting to Steve Ballmer.

Microsoft actually has done pretty well with its messaging acquisitions. Key elements of Outlook were acquired, and it's now the most widely used email system in the world and an essential tool for most business PC users.

Microsoft also spent crazy money buying Hotmail in 1997 for around $400 million, when it was competing with AOL and Yahoo and was building out its suite of dotcom-era online services.

Microsoft's anxiety about falling behind Apple and Google no doubt led the company to overpay for Skype. But if the team in Redmond can avoid crashing their new trolley and it helps deliver a few big hits, the cost won't matter in the long run.

Spreadsheets and word processors persuaded people to buy early PCs. Messaging and mobile browsers did the same thing for smartphones.

If you haven't bought an iPad or tablet computing device yet, maybe it's because you're not yet hooked on "Angry Birds."

The addictive slingshot game is the killer app for these touch-screen gadgets filling the gap between smartphones and portable computers.

People buy tablets thinking they'll use them instead of computers, but most don't. They end up playing "Angry Birds."

Last week a Nielsen survey said most tablet owners are using their PCs as much or more than they did before buying their tablet. Earlier, the firm said games are the most downloaded mobile application, and the best-selling app, is "Angry Birds."

The game, made by a small Finnish company called Rovio, has been downloaded more than 140 million times, and at least 40 million people per month are playing. They're collectively spending more than 200 million minutes per day tapping and flinging birds across the screen, trying to knock down a series of structures built by obnoxious pigs.

"Angry Birds" was originally designed for the iPhone in 2009, but it's best on a tablet, where you can see more of it and have more room to control the aiming.

"It's certainly the most dominant game on tablets. There's nothing close to it, I believe," said Rich Wong at Accel Partners, a Silicon Valley venture firm that backed Facebook and invested in Rovio in March.

It makes you wonder if Microsoft hooked up with the right Finnish company to resuscitate its mobile business. Maybe it thought Nokia was behind the birds.

After handling more tablets than an Egyptian librarian, I've come up with a shopping guide, for those willing to spend $250 to $800 for the best "Angry Birds" experience.

Motorola Xoom, $599-$800

"Angry Birds" is prominently featured on the Xoom packaging, and the game works well on the device.

The Xoom's 10-inch screen is a good size for displaying both the launch area and target structure, even on upper levels with passages, outbuildings and stashed explosives on the far right side of the screen.

Although it's the first Android tablet with a dual-core processor, there wasn't a noticeable difference in loading. Nor did it reduce the wait time between levels.

On a bus, the Xoom's considerable heft steadies the device enough to play on bumpy roads.

The Xoom did cause one embarrassing birds incident.

During a discreet session Friday, before my deadline, the app abruptly froze. When I restarted it, it launched with the mute button off. There was no warning of this changed setting, and I was busted by the loud theme music.

Frantically tapping the screen and pressing the power button didn't stop the telltale flute. It took forever to power off, and paused to ask "are you sure?" before it stopped.

Otherwise, the Xoom scored well in the "quick exit" test. I could close the game and pretend to be working with a single click.

Barnes & Noble Nook Color, $249

After updating the Nook's operating system, you can download the original version of "Angry Birds."

The Nook market offers only the original "Angry Birds," for $2.99. Later versions and the free, ad-supported ones aren't available yet.

The Nook is the most economical option for tablet birding and doubles as a browser and electronic book with a 7-inch touch screen.

It also fits in a large pocket and weighs just less than a pound. However, this portability made it difficult to hold the device steady on the bus, where I experienced a number of misfires and errant shots.

Resolution on the Nook didn't seem as crisp as on higher-end tablets. I could see jagged edges on the blades of grass.

The Nook fared the worst in the "quick exit" test, requiring six clicks to exit in the middle of a game.

Apple iPad 2, $499-$829.

The iPad's big, bright screen is terrific for "Angry Birds" and provides plenty of room to aim.

Action is crisp and Rovio seems to put extra sparkle into the iPad version, highlighting edges of structures, for instance.

Both free and paid versions are available from iTunes, where the latest version of the game is the best-selling paid app. Two earlier versions are in the top 10.

There are a few niggles, though. The iPad version takes it upon itself to adjust the horizontal scroll mid-game, which gets annoying.

Also, every time you start a game, the iPad suggests creating or signing in to an account with Apple's "Game Center" service. There isn't an obvious way to disable this nagware, so you have to hit "cancel" every time. Then you get a message saying that "Game Center" is disabled, and you have to hit "OK" to start playing. This reminds me of Windows Vista.

It takes one click on the iPad to exit a game, return to the home screen and appear to be working.

BlackBerry PlayBook, $500 to $700

The PlayBook is a pocketable, 7-inch touch-screen device that's widely available. But "Angry Birds" is not yet available on the BlackBerry market. An emulator that will run Andoid apps is being developed.

T-Mobile G-Slate, $530.

The G-Slate has an unusual 9-inch widescreen display format that's particularly well suited for "Angry Birds."

However, the screen also partly cuts off the information displayed on the Android Market, including the "more" button listing additional version of "Angry Birds" available from the store.

Like the Xoom, the G-Slate is based on Google's new Android 3.0 software.

Currently, only free versions of "Angry Birds" are available for Android but paid versions are expected later this year.

Loading the game via T-Mobile's 4G network was significantly faster than it was on the Xoom over Verizon Wireless' 3G network, but the Xoom should be upgradeable to 4G before new "Birds" are released.

It takes a single click to exit a game and return to the home screen of the G-Slate.

Dell Streak 7, $200-$450.

The Streak has a 7-inch screen that's just a hair smaller than the Nook, but overall the device is smaller and fits easier in a pocket for portable play.

It's more like a computer than a Nook, and both its launch area and target can be displayed at a reasonable size. That makes the game more enjoyable than on a smartphone with a 3-inch or 4-inch screen.

However, the Streak resolution isn't as crisp as the larger tablets and the device would re-size the game between levels, requiring a tedious extra pinch to get the game properly aligned in the screen.

The re-sizing isn't a game-breaker, but these little design decisions lead to wasted time that adds up fast.

Seriously, how do they expect us to get any work done with these things?

Android devices are now the most preferred choice among people shopping for a smartphone, according to a Nielsen survey released today.

Google's phone platform is the preference of 31 percent of U.S. consumers shopping for a smartphone. Or at least it was when the surveys were done between January and March.

Apple's iOS was the preference of 30 percent of those surveyed. Another 11 percent are interested in RIM BlackBerry devices and 20 percent are unsure of what to choose next.

That's changed from surveys last summer, when Apple was the clear choice, Nielsen said in a blog posting today. Surveys done from July to September found 33 percent of smartphone buyers wanted an iPhone and 26 percent and 13 percent wanted a BlackBerry.

Poor Microsoft. Just 6 percent of buyers are interested in Windows smartphones. Their interest has actually fallen since the Windows Phone 7 launch last October, before which 7 percent were intrigued by the platform.

A few charts from Nielsen's release:

Hooking up with Nokia will help Microsoft overtake Apple's iPhone and Research In Motion's BlackBerry within a few years, according to a new report from research firm IDC.

The combination should boost Windows phones to second place among smartphone platforms worldwide by 2015, IDC said in its latest Mobile Phone Tracker report.

For now, the big story is Google's Android software. IDC expects Android will become the most-used smartphone platform this year, after zooming up to second place in 2010.

"For the vendors who made Android the cornerstone of their smartphone strategies, 2010 was the coming-out party," Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst, said in the release. "This year will see a coronation party as these same vendors broaden and deepen their portfolios to reach more customers, particularly first-time smartphone users."

Overall sales of smartphones will continue growing but not at the same pace as 2010, it predicted. Smartphone sales are expected to grow 49.2 percent this year - to 450 million units - as consumers and business users continue upgrading their devices, it predicts.

Llamas said the Nokia deal will reverse Microsoft's phone slide.

"Up until the launch of Windows Phone 7 last year, Microsoft has steadily lost market share while other operating systems have brought forth new and appealing experiences," he said in the release. "The new alliance brings together Nokia's hardware capabilities and Windows Phone's differentiated platform. We expect the first devices to launch in 2012. By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android."

The chart from the release:

Every time you turn around nowadays there's another huge tech trade show, at which a bunch of new phones and tablets are announced.

Here's a sample of the cool new gadgets surfacing at the CTIA wireless conference this week in Orlando. Some of the devices were already announced, and some still don't have prices and specific ship dates yet.

Sprint was the first to offer a 4G phone in the U.S., and now it's offering a 4G phones with glasses-free 3D displays, available 2U this summer for a price to be announced later. It's an Android-based device built by HTC, with the "Sense" interface designed in Pioneer Square.

The HTC Evo 3D has a 4.3-inch, 960 by 540 pixel 3D display. Inside it has dual-core 1.2 gigahertz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 4 gigabytes of internal memory and 1 gig of RAM. It functions as a 3G/4G hotspot supporting up to eight devices at once over WiFi and outputs 720p video via HDMI. On the back it has dual 5 megapixel cameras for taking 3D images and videos.

Sprint's also going to sell a tablet-sized version of the device, called the HTC Evo View 4G. It has a 7-inch diagonal, 1024 by 600 pixel touchscreen (without 3D). The tablet runs on a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor with 32 gigs of internal memor and 1 gig of RAM. It also uses HTC's "Scribe" system for input with a digital pen and works as a hotspot.

Yesterday, Sprint announced that it's also going to sell Google's new flagship Android device, the Nexus S 4G. The Samsung phone has a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, 1 GHz processor, a dedicated graphics processing unit and Android version 2.3 ("Gingerbread"). Sprint and Google also said they're connecting Google Voice, so Sprint customers can use their phone number with Google's calling service. The phone's coming this spring.

AT&T yesterday announced that it's also selling a glasses-free 3D phone, the LG Thrill 4G, with a 4.3-inch screen, dual-core 1 GHz processor and Android version 2.2. The Thrill comes with 16 gigs of memory - 8 onboard plus an 8 gig memory card - and records 3D video at 720p and 2D video at 1080p. It also plays back high-def video thorugh an HDMI port or streams it to DLNA devices.

AT&T's also going to sell a version of the Windows-based HTC HD7, which it's calling the HD7S. It's going to use the HSPA+ network and have the updated software with cut-and-paste when it's released in a few weeks.

T-Mobile also introduced several new phones, including the "G2x with Google by LG," or the G2x for short. It's based on a dual-core 1 GHz Tegra 2 processor and Android 2.2. There's also an 8 megapixel camera that takes 1080p video and front-facing 1.3 megapixel chatcam.

T-Mobile announced that it's boosting the maximum speed of its HSPA+ network in a handful of markets - Las Vegas, Orlando and New York - to 42 megabits per second. To get those speeds, you'll need a new device, though - namely the "Rocket" stick modems announced at the show:

The Bellevue-based company also introduced a "value" smartphone, the Nokia Astound, that will cost $80 (after a $50 rebate) when it goes on sale April 6. It has a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, free turn-by-turn navigation and an 8 megapixel camera that takes 720p video. The Astound is based on Nokia's Symbian operating system that's going to be displaced starting next year by Windows.

Unbelievable stats for wireless usage were released today by the CTIA trade group at its conference in Orlando, Fla. It makes you wonder if Americans now have mobile phones grafted to their hands.

A sample of the 2010 survey results, thrown out by CTIA Chief Executive Steve Largent:

-- Wireless companies had 302.9 million subscribers last year, up 6 percent from 285 million in 2009. That equates to a wireless pentration rate of 96 percent, up from 91.2 percent the year before.

-- Subscribers used 2.241 trillion minutes, down from the 2.275 trillion minutes the year before.

-- Instead of talking, they're texting and browsing. Data traffic was 226.5 billion megabytes, up 110 percent from the 107.8 billion megabytes transmitted in 2009.

-- SMS text messages jumped 31 percent -- 2.052 trillion were sent last year, up from 1.563 trillion the year before. MMS messages rose 64 percent, to 56.6 billion.

-- The average wireless bill fell to $47.21, down from $48.16 in 2009.

-- The number of smartphones in active use jumped 57 percent, to 78.2 million.

-- Wireless tablets, laptops and modems grew 14.2 percent, to 13.6 million.

To handle all of this, wireless companies spent $24.9 billion on capital projects last year, up 22 percent from 2009. That puts AT&T's $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA in perspective.

The companies are making big money, too. Annual wireless service sales rose 4.8 percent, to $159.9 billion, and wireless data revenue grew 31.4 percent, to $50.1 billion.

A few charts from the report:

The iPhone has a tough new competitor on the shelves at Verizon Wireless stores.

Starting Thursday, Verizon will sell the first phone to use its new 4G LTE network -- old school 4G, from the days when 4G meant either WiMax or LTE.

Called the ThunderBolt, it's a 4.3-inch slab made by HTC, running Android 2.2 on a 1 gigahertz Snapdragon processor.

Verizon said customers should expect download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second and uploads of 2 to 5 Mbps where there's LTE coverage.

Verizon launched its LTE network in December, but so far it's been available only for use with modems, such as the LTE USB stick that gave me stunning 16 Mbps downloads in Seattle when the network was wide open.

The ThunderBolt also works as a mobile hotspot that shares its 4G connection with up to eight devices.

It has an 8 megapixel camera that takes 720p video, a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera for video chats and 40 gigabytes of memory -- 8 GB of onboard memory, plus a 32 GB memory card.

Preloaded apps include EA's "Rock Band" and Gameloft's "Let's Golf! 2."

It's not cheap, though. Verizon is selling it for $249.99 with a new, two-year contract. Unlimited LTE data plans start at $29.99 a month.

Here are a few pictures of the new Sidekick 4G that T-Mobile USA and Samsung are unveiling Tuesday. Black and magenta models will go on sale this spring, at a price the companies will disclose later.

It still has the flip-up screen and five-row keyboard, and now has a 3.5-inch touchscreen display.

The Sidekick no longer has the Danger software inside. Instead it's running Google's Android operating system (version 2.2), with a few special applications.

They include "Sidekick Group Text" -- for starting and managing reply-all group text conversations and "social planning" -- and "Cloud Text" for texting friends or groups across platforms and from PCs as well as Sidekicks.

Preloaded on the devices are Twitter, Facebook and "Media Room," a media player, radio and store.

A front-facing camera can be used for video chat with the Qik application. Inside, the device has a 1 gigahertz A8 Hummingbird processor. Using T-Mobile's upgraded HSPA+ network, it has a theoretical peak download speed of 21 megabits per second.

Google's Android operating system topped the U.S. smartphone market in January for the first time, with 31.2 percent of the market, according to a new comScore report.

The firm said Android's market share grew 7.7 percent from October through January, while Research In Motion fell 5.4 percent and Apple was nearly flat at 0.1 percent growth. Microsoft's share fell 1.7 percent.

Among handset makers, Samsung led the U.S. market with 24.9 percent of the market in January. The market leadership didn't change much; Samsung was followed by LG, Motorola, RIM and Apple.

The report's based on a survey of more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers.

Here are the charts from the news release:

AT&T held a press event today to call out the big investments it has been making in its wireless network and business operations in the Seattle area, where the company's wireless business originated.

Over the past two years AT&T spent more than $200 million in its Seattle-area network and $1.3 billion in Washington state.

The company wouldn't specify upcoming local investments, but it will apparently spend at least that much again in the next couple of years as it builds capacity for the flood of data traffic from smartphones and mobile devices. Nationally it's spending $19 billion this year on capital projects, including the rollout of an LTE network, which will reach the Seattle area in 2013.

"We're continuing to expand America's fastest mobile broadband network," said Mike Maxwell, vice president and general manager for the Northwest. "Our level of investment will continue."

This year the company will boost backhaul connections to two-thirds of its Seattle-area cell sites to boost speeds. It's also adding new capacity to more than 400 cell sites and additional antenna systems in crowded areas such as stadiums and office buildings.

AT&T employs more than 4,500 people in the state. Its regional headquarters are in Redmond and the largest of its three national data centers in Bothell.

While AT&T was talking up its investments in the region, its nemesis, Verizon Wireless, announced that it was the top-ranked wireless provider in the Northwest in a new J.D. Power and Associates wireless call quality survey.

The survey of 27,250 wireless customers was done between July and December.

If you stuck with a T-Mobile Danger Sidekick phone after the 2009 data crash, it's probably time to shop for a new phone.

Danger data services for Tmo Sidekicks will stop working after May 31, the carrier announced tonight.

Microsoft has run the services since it acquired Danger. It's been rocky for Sidekick customers, some of whom suffered through the 2009 system crash and were compensated with $100 gift cards.

T-Mobile set up a tool on its website to help Sidekick users export personal data, such as photos, contacts, calendar items and bookmarks to a new device, a computer or an e-mail account.

The company's also going to provide special offers to Sidekick holdouts. Details about the offers will be provided in a few weeks.

I'm guessing T-Mobile is going to encourage the customers to upgrade to the new Android-based 4G Sidekick that the company's releasing this spring, if it ever comes.

Microsoft has run the Danger Sidekick services since it acquired Danger in 2008.

Remember those rumors about a Facebook phone?

It turns out HTC and Facebook spent several years developing two of them that are being announced today in Barcelona.

HTC worked with Facebook to integrate the social network into the phones, adding a dedicated Facebook key with the "F" logo that pulsates when you're doing something shareable on the phone.

When taking pictures, you can press F to upload them to Facebook, for instance, or when using Google Maps, you can press it to share your location.

"HTC has brought Facebook to these two new devices in an innovative way enabling people to connect and share easily whenever they want, wherever they are," Henri Moissinac, head of Facebook's mobile business, said in the release.

Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC North America in Bellevue, said Facebook's logo appears on the special key but "we will not brand this as the Facebook phone or anything."

Mackenzie said the "ChaCha" model with a 2.6-inch touchscreen and exposed keyboard will compete with the BlackBerry Curve.

The second model is a touchscreen-only phone called the Salsa, with a 3.4-inch screen.

They'll be available in the second quarter, at prices to be announced later.

UPDATE: AT&T is going to carry the phones, perhaps exclusively, according to Ina Fried.

Both are based on version 2.4 of Google's Android software and have Facebook integrated into the HTC Sense interface.

When calling or receiving a call from a Facebook friend, the software displays friends' latest status and photos and alerts you if their birthday is coming up.

HTC's also announcing a tablet computer, the "Flyer," that will go on sale in the second quarter. It's intended to be a high-end device, with an aluminum housing, a 7-inch diagonal touchscreen, a 1.5 gigahertz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 32 gigabytes of RAM and HSPA+ wireless capability.

It's launching with Android 2.4 but will be upgradeable to the upcoming "Honeycomb" version of Android that's optimized for tablets.

HTC designed a new version of its Sense interface for the larger screen of a tablet, with a carousel for navigating icons and widgets.

The Flyer also comes with a stylus for taking notes on the device. Mackenzie said this is needed in part because it's a more polite way to take notes than typing on a tablet or laptop during a meeting.

HTC is playing up the Flyer's media capabilities. It will feature HTC's new "Watch" video download service and come preloaded with the OnLive streaming game service, taking advantage of a $40 million investment HTC is making in the Palo Alto, Calif.-based startup.

The Flyer also has a 5 megapixel camera plus a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for videoconferencing.

The price of the Flyer and bundled services such as OnLive will be announced later, Mackenzie said.

Also being announced is a new version of HTC's Desire model, with an aluminum unibody design; the Incredible S with a 4-inch screen (up from 3.7-inches on the previous Incredible); and a lower-end Android phone called the Wildfire S that's intended to be a more affordable smartphone sold for $100 or less by wireless carriers.

The Desire S, the Incredible S and the Wildfire S in four flavors:

If you haven't upgraded to a smartphone running Qualcomm's 1 gigahertz Snapdragon processors yet, there's no rush.

Dual-core models are just arriving, and Qualcomm just announced a quad-core, 2.5 gigahertz beast to arrive in early 2012.

The capabilities of the new APQ8064 processor blur whatever's left of the line between mobile phones, tablets and PCs.

They also preview what's coming to smartphones and tablets shown at next January's Consumer Electronics Show:

-- 12 times more power and 75 percent lower power usage than the first Snapdragon.

-- Quad-core graphics processor "for a console-quality gaming experience." (Qualcomm's chief executive hinted at this during HP's WebOS launch last week).

-- Support for cameras with up 20 megapixel resolution.

-- 3-D stereoscopic photo and video capture and playback.

-- Full 1080p HD and 3-D video output to large screens, via HDMI.

-- Integration with LTE/3G radio modules.

-- Support for PC-type DDR3 memory, plus PCIe interfaces and multiple USB ports.

-- Support for near-field communication.

Snapdragon processors are used in many of the latest smartphones, but the quad-core model seems aimed at tablets and other mobile computers as much as phones.

Qualcomm's announcement said it will provide computer makers with a platform "that can meet all of their design configuration needs for tablets and next generation computing and consumer electronic devices."

This hardware hints at the sort of mobile computers that will use Windows 8, or whatever Microsoft calls its next major operating system. Microsoft announced in January that it's designing the software to run on this kind of system-on-chip hardware.

With a 2.5 Ghz chipset the size of a matchbook, your next PC may be the size of your phone, and your phone may be more powerful than your current desktop.

Images of Nokia concept phones running Windows Phone 7 were posted this afternoon by AOL blog Engadget, and they look pretty credible.

They also look a little bit like the Samsung Focus Windows Phone 7, at least from the back, with the subtle taper on the back.

I wonder if this was a deliberate leak to build enthusiasm among gadget fans who weren't captivated by this morning's business-heavy announcement by Microsoft and Nokia.

Here's a screengrab of the page:

The top executive at HTC's U.S. headquarters said he's not too worried about Nokia hooking up with Microsoft and the deal validates HTC's approach to the smartphone business.

After getting an early boost from Microsoft, HTC has emerged as a leading producer of advanced phones, claiming higher-end market share that Nokia's hoping to win back with Windows-based devices.

Mighty Nokia is actually following the same path HTC took to its success, said Jason Mackenzie, (left) Bellevue-based president of HTC for North America and Latin America.

Mackenzie said Nokia's partnering with Microsoft is "a validation of what we're doing."

"Nokia's following a similar lead to what HTC's been doing, in not investing in our own platform, taking solid platforms and filling the gap to deliver a solid experience to the end user," he said.

As for the competition HTC will face from Nokia phones running Windows, it's "one more competitor," he said.

"I feel confident in what we're doing," he said. "We've got a fresh brand that's resonating with consumers."

HTC emerged in the late 1990s as the first manufacturer of Microsoft Pocket PC devices and early Microsoft smartphones that appeared starting in 2002.

In recent years the company invested heavily in software and hardware design studios in Seattle and San Francisco to differentiate its phones. It developed a polished software interface that it layers over the underlying operating system.

HTC continues to make phones based on Windows -- including five Windows Phone 7 models so far =- but it's now selling more phones based on Google's Android software. It released the first Android phone in 2008.

Mackenzie said HTC will continue to produce Windows Phone 7 devices, despite the Nokia announcement. It won't be announcing any new Windows models next week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona but several will be announced later in the year.

"Obviously Windows Phone 7 is a platform we've invested tremendously on" and "we'll continue to support that," he said.

Asked if the Nokia deal will improve the momentum of Windows Phone 7, Mackenzie said: "It broadens the ecosystem, which is good for everyone. We'll see."

Lots of people think they're overpaying for wireless service, and they're right, according to a new report from BillShrink.

The billing analysis website studied more than 230,000 people's wireless plans last year and compared them with actual wireless usage.

It concluded people overpay an average of $336 per year because they're confused about all the different plan options.

"Despite the best efforts from the FCC and the carriers to create transparency in wireless fees, we've found that people are becoming even more confused about how to right-size their cellphone plans," Schwark Satyavolu, BillShrink chief executive, said in a release. "While tiered pricing creates more choice, it makes it paramount for people to accurately assess their phone usage. Even though data usage is surging, the majority of wireless customers are still throwing away money by getting plans with too much data capacity."

Highlights from its analysis:

-- People estimate that they need 711 wireless anytime minutes per month, but in actuality, the average person uses 651 anytime minutes per month.

-- People estimate that they use an average of 2,566 text messages a month. However, the average person uses 1,555 text messages a month.

-- People assume that they need 54MB of data per month, but they are actually using 81MB, which is still considerably less than current tiered data options, which start at 150 MB.

The company simultaneously released another one of its charts comparing different phone plans:

It's hard to tell what's really going on with iPhone network coverage in the Seattle area.

AT&T coverage problems in New York and San Francisco are magnified because of the concentration of media outlets in those cities.

Some reports have suggested AT&T is actually better in the Seattle area than Verizon, but you wouldn't know it from the attention the Verizon iPhone is getting.

So i've got to ask iPhone owners - is your AT&T coverage that bad, and are you going to switch to Verizon? (Especially now that word's out that Verizon may throttle heavy data users ...)

(UPDATE: After getting a lot of response I've upgraded this account so the poll should run faster. I'll post the tally Friday.)

(UPDATE 2: The poll closed after 24 hours and the results are posted here. Thank you for participating)

Seattle startup Swype has another Guinness World Record involving its text input technology.

A Texas man paralyzed by a hang-gliding accident used Swype with a special head-tracking device to set the record for fastest hands-free typing by someone paralyzed from the shoulders down.

Hank Torres, who was injured 30 years ago, used the setup on a Windows 7 PC.

He took 83.09 seconds to enter the standard Guinness phrase used for these record attempts, "The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human."

Torres is an engineer who uses Swype to write down his inventions, including several patented wheelchair products, according to Swype's press release today.

The record was announced Friday in Orlando, Fla., at the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference. It follows a record for standard texting set last year by a Swype employee.

Swype now bundles a free beta copy of its software with the TrackerPro head-tracking device, which was invented by Swype co-founder Randy Marsden.

Here's a video of Torres setting the record:

Here are a batch of screenshots that Google posted of "Honeycomb," the new version of its Android operating system designed for tablet computing devices.

It looks like Android 3.0 is a big step toward a PC operating system, if your next PC will be a tablet.

The first Honeycomb tablet to go on sale will be the Motorola Xoom, which was unveiled at CES and will be available in late February. It has a 10.1-inch diagonal touchscreen, dual-core Nvidia Tegra processor and a camera that takes 5 megapixel stills and 720p video.

By summer there should be all sorts of Honeycomb tablets fighting for shelf space at wireless stores with the new iPad, Windows 7 tablets and Hewlett Packard's Topaz WebOS device.

Google's Honeycomb screenshots show new features of the system, but device makers may customize things so the final product may look different. The screenshots were released with a developer preview and tools released Wednesday.

Here is the new user interface designed especially for tablets:

The new tabbed browser, with improved zooming and a log-in feature to automatically sign into Google sites and sync bookmarks with Google's Chrome browser:

New camera controls; there's also a "gallery" application for viewing albums:

Developers can build better home screen widgets, with tools for flipping through 3D stacks of content, and touch gestures to scroll and flip through content:

Google redesigned the Android keyboard for the larger screens of tablets (versus phones, which Android initially targeted). The system also lets users select words by pressing the screen, then dragging little handles ("bounding arrows") to highlight a text block:

Here's the Xoom image Motorola released a few weeks ago. Word on the street is that this will cost $800, without a phone plan attached:

Lastly, here's the Google Honeycomb preview video released earlier:

Sony fans are on the edge of their seats waiting for tonight's announcement about the next generation of the PSP handheld device that the company is expected to announce at an event in Tokyo.

Some details have already surfaced. A report in Japan's Nikkei newspaper said the device will have a touchscreen and connect to NTT DoCoMo's 3G network in Japan, finally giving the PlayStation Portable truly mobile, connected gaming, according to Kotaku.

What I'm curious to see is whether Sony releases a single device tonight -- the PSP2 -- or several devices, a PSP 2 plus the long-awaited Sony PlayStation phone.

I've heard from someone who has already received one of the Sony Ericsson PlayStation phones. It's based on Google's Android operating system with game controls.

One interesting tidbit shared during our chat: The PlayStation phone will connect to AT&T's wireless network in the U.S.

Whether this gives Sony enough to compete with Nintendo's hot 3DS handheld remains to be seen. But it will definitely make Android a more interesting gaming platform.

A PlayStation spokesman declined to confirm any of the details, saying people have to wait for the press conference. It's taking place at 3 p.m. in Tokyo, so word will emerge this evening.

Lots of news came out of an investor meeting T-Mobile had in New York today.

T-Mobile USA Chief Executive Philipp Humm said sales growth should resume this year, in part because of aggressive moves to court the 150 million Americans interested in upgrading to smartphones.

The strategy includes offering smartphones for under $100 and $10 data plans, according to Bloomberg's account of the meeting. (The company now offers a 200 megabyte data plan as a $10 add-on to voice plans).

Humm didn't announce plans to carry the iPhone. He did say about 10 percent of customers that leave the carrier are going to companies that carry Apple's device; I wonder what's drawing the other 90 percent.

Executives said the company has enough resources to develop a 4G LTE network, which may cost $1 billion to $2 billion and come online in a few years. It could raise capital by selling its cell towers, then renting back space on the towers that it needs, Reuters reported.

But it doesn't have enough wireless spectrum for the LTE project. Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray told investors the company will need a partner by 2014 or 2015, Bloomberg reported.

Kirkland-based Clearwire is an obvious choice but it apparently wasn't specified by Ray or Humm.

It sounds T-Mobile won't be buying Clearwire outright, at least not for cash.

"We won't be pursuing large-scale cash acquisitions," Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Rene Obermann said, according to Bloomberg.

Simultaneously, the company announced that it's going to carry the Samsung Galaxy S Android smartphone later this year. It's the first phone capable of the 21 megabits per second "theoretical peak download speeds" of the company's current network. Pricing wasn't disclosed, but it would be surprising if this one costs less than $100.

T-Mobile USA today announced that it's offering a new application for preventing people from driving while texting, which dramatically increases the risk of accidents.

The app may draw parents concerned about their teens texting in the car. But it's only available on one phone so far and the full version is pretty expensive - $4.99 per month for all lines on a family account. The phone also requires a data plan.

There are many similar apps already available for most smartphones. Some cost less and don't have recurring charges, such as the Otter application developed by a Seattle parent that I wrote about last April.

Here's another story that covers some of the apps available and challenges they face.

Google also offers sample code to help develop your own texting safety app for Android phones.

T-Mobile chose to resell an app developed by Location Labs, a well-financed San Francisco startup that counts Intel and Qualcomm among its backers and provides services to major wireless carriers.

"This one allowed deeper levels of integration into the phone itself," T-Mobile spokesman Matt Wakefield said.

Location Labs' "DriveSmart Plus" app blocks most texting and calling capabilities on a phone when it senses that the user is driving, using the phone's GPS system, and sends incoming calls to voicemail.

The app doesn't totally lock things down. Users can override the block. Parents can set up the phones so they receive a notification if the service is overriden.

T-Mobile has been preloading a barebones version of the app - "DriveSmart Basic" - on the LG Optimus T phone since Nov. 3. That version requires drivers to manually initiate driving mode and doesn't include parental notifications.

The company said it will also be available on additional devices being launched soon.

T-Mobile 's announcement may help build awareness among parents of the risks of texting while driving - which increases collision risk 23 times, according to a 2009 Virginia Tech study - and the availability of applications to improve safety.

But there's a better way for T-Mobile to stand out as the best option for parents with teen drivers.

Instead of asking parents to buy a particular phone and pay a hefty monthly charge, T-Mobile ought to build or buy its own version of the full application and make it a free or nearly free feature of its smartphones.

The clever mobile payment system that Starbucks has been testing in a few stores in Seattle, New York and Silicon Valley is going national.

Starbucks is announcing that it has expanded the "pay by phone" program to 6,800 of its stores, plus more than 1,000 outlets inside Target stores. It began testing the system at a few stores in September 2009.

To use the system, Starbucks cardholders load an application onto their iPhone or BlackBerry smartphones. The application displays a barcode that's scanned at the register to pay for drinks. Users can also manage Starbucks accounts and find nearby stores with the application.

With the launch, Starbucks claims to be operating the largest mobile payment program in the country, giving millions of cardholders a fast way to pay for their jolt and a muffin.

One in five Starbucks transactions is now made with the store cards, and mobile payments "will extend the way our customers experience and use their Starbucks Card," Brady Brewer, vice president of card and brand loyalty, said in a release. "With mobile payment, the Starbucks Card platform further elevates the customer experience by delivering convenience, rewarding loyalty and continuing to build an emotional connection with our customers."

Customers apparently like using Starbucks Cards. They loaded more than $1.5 billion onto the cards last year, up 21 percent over 2009.

They also like smartphones. Starbucks said more than a third of its U.S. customers use the devices, and nearly three fourths of the smartphone-toting Starbucks customers have either an iPhone or a BlackBerry.

A version of the Starbucks application for Android-based phones is being developed. There's no word yet on plans for a Windows Phone version.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Palm wasn't big enough to compete with Apple, Google, Microsoft and others with its fledgling webOS operating system, former Chief Executive Jon Rubinstein said at Dive Into Mobile.

Rubinstein explained why the company sold to Hewlett-Packard for $1.2 billion in April. He's now senior vice president of its Palm business unit developing mobile devices based on webOS.

"The world moved a little faster than we expected and we ran out of runway," he said. "That's where being acquired by HP is really positive. We bring that innovation and they bring the ability to scale."

As part of the integration, the Palm business group merged with more than 200 employees from emerging business group.

Rubinstein wouldn't say exactly when HP will release a new phone based on the software, but said phones and "radically new" tablets will be released in 2011.

Rubinstein predicted HP will be among the top three to five players in the smartphone market.

In response to a question from host Kara Swisher, he said it's still undecided whether the Palm name will continue to be used.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Less than two years after it launched its mobile-social service, Foursquare has sorted out its product development system and grown to 40 employees.

The New York-based startup has 40 employees, 4 million users and $20 million in funding -- enough to make it until the end of 2011, co-founder and Chief Executive Dennis Crowley said at the Dive Into Mobile conference.

Crowley said the game mechanics the service is based upon -- rewarding users with virtual badges for checking into various places -- were initially "designed to keep people enthralled for maybe a month or so," to get users to join the company's social network.

"We didn't think it would blow up into what it is now," he told host Kara Swisher.

Now the company's looking into different game mechanics it can introduce and feeding its data to developers building their own applications, such as a service that sends e-mails when the mix of males to females at a bar or club tilts in the user's favor.

The company's also refining the tools it offers to enterprise customers such as Starbucks and Sports Authority.

"Under the hood it's like a stats engine," Crowley said.

Crowley said the company is also looking at ways to provide users with real-world rewards, creating a digital version of the bartender who recognizes regulars and gives a free drink or the restaurant owner who comes over to shake loyal customers' hands.

"There's an opportunity to reproduce some of that with software," he said.

Foursquare isn't profitable yet. Crowley said the company wants to first sort out how it's going to work with local merchants "and then pull levers" to start making money.

Crowley's probably not in a big rush. He sold his last company, Dodgeball, to Google in 2005.

Swisher suggested that he call his next venture Tetherball.

It's funny timing with today's Verizon LTE announcement, but Dell today is finally launching the Venue Pro, its first Windows Phone 7 device.

The BlackBerryish device has a hard-button keyboard that hides behind a 4.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen that slides up vertically.

The groaner release quote from Michael Tatelman, general manager of Dell consumer sales and marketing:

"No matter how you slide it, the Dell Venue Pro with Windows Phone 7 brings a fresh new approach of doing more with less."

I've talked to a few people who were holding out for the Venue Pro, which looks like the most enterprise focused WP7 device yet. It runs on T-Mobile's network and is being sold directly by Dell and through Microsoft stores.

An 8 gigabyte version costs $100 with a new, two-year contract and data plan. A 16 gig model is $150. Upgrading to the phone will cost existing Tmo customers $200 or $250. It's also available without a contract for $450 or $500.

The phones have a 5 megapixel camera that records 720p video, a 1 gigahertz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, WiFi (b and g), Bluetooth and radios capable of network downloads up to 7.2 megabits per second.

Dell lists the dimensions as 2.5 by 4.8 by 0.6 inches and the weight as 6.8 ounces.

After all the anticipation about Verizon's LTE network, consumers may balk at the price.

The ultrafast mobile network will cost $50 per month to transmit up to 5 gigabytes of data and $80 per month for 10 gigs. If users go over, they'll pay $10 per gigabyte.

LTE phones won't be available until mid 2011 and no current phones will be able to use the faster network. For now Verizon's service will only work with two laptop USB modems tha will cost $100, after a $50 rebate and with a two-year contract.

Verizon announced the details at a press conference in New York this morning. It's launching the service on Dec. 5 in 38 U.S. markets (shown on this map) and 60 airports, but pledged to have nationwide LTE coverage matching its current 3G network in 2013.

Seattle - where Verizon has been testing the service - is among the first markets served, as is Sea-Tac airport.

The company had said it would launch the faster network by the end of the year. AT&T is launching its 4G network in mid 2011, and T-Mobile and Clearwire - the first carrier to offer true 4G service - are testing the same technology.

Pricing and coverage are the key questions for people interested in 4G data plans. At this point Clearwire's 4G service seems to have the edge, with 68 markets covered and unlimited data plans ranging from $25 to $55.

Upgrading to Verizon's 4G service may make the most sense for Verizon's existing mobile broadband customers. Those connecting tablets, mobile hotspots and laptops are already paying $50 per month for 5 gigs and $80 for 10 gigs over its 3G network. Going to a 4G plan will give them the same service, plus 4G speeds where available.

The LTE USB modem service is actually cheaper than Verizon's 3G USB modem plans, which cost $60 for 5 gigs, and the same price as its prepaid mobile broadband plans. Here's Verizon's mobile broadband plan chart if you want to sort it out yourself.

Verizon's LTE launch could help clarify what's really 4G, a term that's been muddled by phone companies striving to present their products as the latest and greatest. LTE and Clearwire's WiMax network are technically "fourth generation" wireless networks, thus the 4G designation.

T-Mobile has boosted the speed of its 3G network to achieve comparable speeds and recently began describing its network as 4G. Apple added to the confusion by calling its latest iPhone "4"; it's the fourth-generation iPhone, but doesn't have 4G wireless technology.

LTE can theoretically handle dazzling speeds - up to 100 megabits per second - but Verizon today said its subscribers should initially expect real-world download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second and uploads of 2 to 5 Mbps. It characterized the speeds at 10 times that of its current 3G network.

Clearwire's Wimax network - which provides the 4G service sold by Sprint and Comcast - offers downloads that average 3 to 6 Mbps with bursts over 10 Mbps.

AT&T sniped at the Verizon announcement in a blog post by its chief technology officer, John Donovan, saying that LTE is going to evolve slowly. In the meantime consumers will be more affected by the performance of 3G networks, where AT&T has been investing to boost performance.

"It's not sufficiently appreciated that LTE stands for Long Term Evolution. It will take a long time for LTE to be deployed broadly," Donovan wrote.

Expect to hear more details of LTE phones in early January, when Verizon's boss is a keynote speaker at the Consumer Electronics Show. If the company's going to carry a true 4G iPhone sometime in 2011, that's an opportunity to make the announcement.

The two LTE modems now available are also compatible with 3G networks, which they'll use when out of 4G service areas.

Here's the list of the 38 metro areas receiving at least some LTE coverage to start. (Click here for an LTE map and Web application with more precise coverage information; street-level coverage maps are coming Dec. 5):

Akron, Ohio
Athens, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Baltimore, Maryland
Boston, Massachusetts
Charlotte, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, Dallas, Texas
Denver, Colorado
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Houston, Texas
Jacksonville, Florida
Las Vegas, Nevada
Los Angeles, California
Miami, Florida
Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota
Nashville, Tennessee
New Orleans, Louisiana
New York, New York
Oakland, California
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Orlando, Florida
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phoenix, Arizona
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rochester, New York
San Antonio, Texas
San Diego, California
San Francisco, California
San Jose, California
Seattle/Tacoma, Washington
St. Louis, Missouri
Tampa, Florida
Washington, D.C.
West Lafayette, Indiana
West Palm Beach, Florida

In case you missed them the first time around, Microsoft and Verizon are once again selling the Kin phones.

But these Kin aren't as smart. Verizon's selling them as feature phones with monthly contracts, instead of as smartphones that require data plans.

Kin phones sold poorly after they were launched in the spring and Microsoft pulled them off the market in June. But the weak launch may not have been as much of a factor as internecine squabbling between the Kin team and the group working on the higher profile Windows Phone 7 platform.

The phones now have an "m" after their name. Verizon's selling the compact Kine ONEm for $20 with a two-year phone plan or $120 without. It's selling the Kin TWOm slider for $50 or $220 without.

For awhile this summer, you could buy one from Amazon.com for a penny. Maybe Verizon bought those up and is reselling them itself.

We'll have to see if Miley Cyrus is sporting one Saturday in Bellevue.

Here's Sunday's "Up Front" show with Robert Mak on King 5, which has some guy talking about Windows Phone 7, near the end of the show (when it shows about 5:20 remaining).

Local iPhone owners grousing about AT&T and pining for Verizon may want to check out the latest report from Root Metrics.

The Bellevue company charts real-world performance of the major 2G and 3G wireless networks, using "crowdsourced" data pulled from a network test application Root offers for mobile phones.

AT&T's service in the Seattle area -- where the company's wireless business originated -- fared well in Root's latest report, covering the period from February 2009 to October 2010.

It actually provided better coverage than Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile USA, posting the best "RootScore" based on voice service, signal strength and data rates.

T-Mobile also fared well in the report, probably reflecting the Bellevue company's push over the past few years to upgrade its network. T-Mobile and AT&T both showed better-than-average data download and upload speeds.

The report is based on 450,408 samples on AT&T, 457,239 on T-Mobile, 453,189 on Sprint and 475,053 on Verizon. The samples were from apps running on BlackBerry and Android devices, plus some Windows Mobile samples in 2009.

Skeptical iPhone users may want to check out Root's new app. The company is releasing a version for the iPhone 4 that displays AT&T's signal strength and data transmission speed where they're standing. It also displays Root's network mapping service in real time.

For comparison, the app also displays how other major networks are performing at the user's current location.

Here are excerpts from Root's latest report showing average carrier performance:

Another excerpt, with more details for Seattle coverage:

If you think Microsoft is withering away because it can't figure out how to make a decent phone, you should spend a little time with one of the new Windows Phone 7 devices.

They won't lure iPhone fans over to the dark side or revive Microsoft's stagnant stock price.

But the Windows Phone 7 platform is a strikingly nice system with a refreshingly different design that shows the team in Redmond still has enough vision and talent to be a serious contender.

The software is elegant, fast and battery efficient. A set of Web services connect to the phone and extend its usefulness, but some still have kinks to be worked out.

Windows Phone 7 devices go on sale in some European markets Thursday and in the U.S. on Nov. 8. AT&T and T-Mobile USA will carry five models made by HTC, LG, Samsung and Dell in the U.S., each priced at $200 after rebates (T-Mobile's HD7 has a $50 rebate to get to $200, AT&T's devices are $200 on the shelf). More phones and service from Verizon and Sprint are expected next year.

Microsoft is late to the game, after stumbling with its previous phone systems, and may not catch up to phones based on software from Google and Apple. But Windows Phone 7 gives Microsoft a strong chance.

Remember, it's still early days for smartphones. Despite all the buzz around the iPhone, Android and the market's dramatic growth, most people are still using basic phones. Only 19 percent of the phones sold in the second quarter were smartphones, according to research firm Gartner.

That means most of the world is up for grabs. So winning over gadget enthusiasts who are already on their second or third smartphone wasn't as important to Microsoft as making a phone that's accessible and appealing to everyone else.

That's why Microsoft's phone ads make fun of annoying smartphone users who are always staring into their tiny screens.

It also helps explain the design of Windows Phone 7, which is built around large square "tile" buttons that fill the primary screen. Microsoft calls them hubs, and uses them to organize what you'll do on the phone. Tap one to make a call, another to check your e-mail or send a text message. Some are dynamic, with Outlook listing the number of new e-mails, for instance.

The home screen shows seven tiles at once, but you can move them around and change the selection by pressing and holding the top of a tile for a few seconds, then sliding it around the screen.

You can slide the tiles away by brushing a finger sideways across the screen. Then you'll get a vertical list of icons for applications and services loaded on the phone.

By Microsoft's design specifications, all Windows 7 Phones must have three physical keys below the screen - for "home," "back" and "search." Also required is a dedicated camera shutter button on the case that wakes the phone, if needed, to take a picture.
Cameras also must have at least 5 megapixel resolution. An AT&T Samsung Focus that I tested took nice pictures (sample below, of the 520 bridge) and its 720p camcorder would easily replace a Flip camera. They all have a nice on-screen keyboard, good phone capabilities and gesture controls like "pinch" and "swipe."

This is subjective, but I think having a back button is a big advantage for Windows and Android phones. Apple uses a single home button, plus on-screen buttons that may appear in applications. Apple and Microsoft have been going different ways here since the dawn of the PC, with one- and two-button mice, but I think new smartphone users used to PC controls will like having a physical back button.

My preference for the back button was highlighted when it acted fritzy and stopped working on the Samsung Focus. It came back after I temporarily removed the battery. Otherwise I loved the Samsung's ultra-bright screen and slim case (it's 9.9 millimeters thick, compared with the iPhone's 9.3 millimeters). At first a Microsoft spokesman said it was the first time he'd heard of such a problem. But a contact at a wireless phone company told me I wasn't the only one to see a hardware issue on early devices.

A Microsoft manager, Greg Sullivan, later told me that the phone was a "pre-production" model and the company has seen a "very low single digit percent" of devices with issues.
An AT&T spokesperson didn't have an answer before deadline.

I didn't have button problems on the HTC phones I tried. They were thicker and heavier but had more multimedia features, including fancy speakers and, on one, a machined kickstand for propping it up to watch videos.

One thing that works well - almost too well - is the integration of Facebook. When you log in to the social network, it populates a "people" tile with your Facebook friends and pulls their info into your contact list. Tapping the "people" tile calls up a unified stream of their updates and photos. Their photos also stream into the "pictures" tile.

The phones come with a mobile version of Office, including Word, Excel and the OneNote note-taking application. They can also run PowerPoint, but you can't create a presentation from scratch on the phone and have to import one from e-mail or by connecting to a corporate SharePoint collaboration server.

There are places on all smartphones where the software maker's business objectives butt into the experience. The Office suite does this by pushing SharePoint and OneNote.

Another trick of the Windows Phone is automatic synchronization with "cloud" services, such as Microsoft's SkyDrive online storage service.

If you're signed in to the service, you can have the phone automatically send slightly compressed versions of photos to SkyDrive, where you can share or download them. Microsoft gives everyone 25 gigabytes of free space on SkyDrive but only 5 gigs can be used for phone storage.

Another service tied to the phone is Xbox Live, the online network developed for the Xbox console. There's an Xbox Live tile on the phone that connects you to a game store and Xbox Live profile. Microsoft is still working on the phone features, so I can't say for sure how they'll work. I was able to buy one game over the phone network, but another required me to connect via Wi-Fi or a PC cable.

Most phone shoppers will care more about search and mapping capabilities. Bing shines on the phone, with maps that zoom into aerial photos of your location and provide driving and walking directions. Bing search will be good enough for most users, and its daily home-page image looks great on the phone. But I wish the on-phone search tool wasn't so minimalist. I couldn't search just apps in the marketplace, for instance, so my search for a particular app returned a long list of songs with similar names.

Bing lacks a few killer features of Google's map service on Android devices, including free turn-by-turn navigation that audibly tells you where to drive. AT&T and T-Mobile are making up for this by loading TeleNav's similar service, but it has a recurring fee.

AT&T is also loading a mobile version of its U-verse cable TV service - basically cable TV on the phone. A few shows are free but you'll have to pay $8 per month for a fuller selection. T-Mobile is also offering a pay TV service based on the MobiTV, and preloading a Netflix application that streams movies and TV shows to the device.

To load music and other videos, you connect to Zune software on a PC or an application Microsoft developed for Macs. The phones have a Zune tile that calls up their music, videos and FM radio. It's a very nice media player.

Applications are offered through the Zune marketplace, similar to the way iPhone apps come through iTunes. There are a lot of apps and more coming, but not as many as Apple and Google have now. If there are particular apps you must have, be sure they work on the phone you're buying.

A bigger concern is the raw state of the PC software you use to manage the phones. On the Zune console, apps you purchase won't appear in the console's "apps collection." Zune also wouldn't let me load some of my own music onto the phone because it couldn't find copyright protection information. I paid for the music, except for an album distributed free with no copy protections, by an artist who was working for Microsoft at the time. Grrr.

Microsoft's Live.com offers to let you manage your phone on the Live.com portal. But the "manage" button is a dead-end to basically nowhere. It makes you wonder if the Live team lost a turf battle with Zune over who would run the phone console.

Updates are in the works. Microsoft's promised improvements and new features such as cut-and-paste in the first half of 2011. We'll have to see what's in that service pack but Microsoft has already turned the corner with Windows Phone 7.

Apple and Verizon are pouring jet fuel onto the crackling rumors about an upcoming Verizon iPhone.

The companies today announced that Verizon will sell Apple's iPad in its network of retail stores starting Oct. 28.

But Verizon's not handling the 3G wireless capability built into upper-end iPads. That service is still provided by AT&T, which also has the apparently dwindling exclusive U.S. rights to carry the iPhone.

Verizon instead will sell the iPad in bundles with its MiFi wireless hotspot device. They'll be priced from $630 to $830. Verizon's also offering an iPad data plan for the MiFi that costs $20 per month for 1 gigabyte of data, $35 for 3 gigs and $50 for 5 gigs, plus $10 per gigabyte overage fees. Verizon will also sell WiFi-only iPads.

"We're thrilled to be working with Verizon Wireless to get iPad into the hands of even more customers this holiday season," Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer, said in the release. "iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before, and together with Verizon Wireless we're offering an easy way to stay connected wherever you go."

Simultaneously, AT&T announced that it will begin carrying the iPad in its stores on Oct. 28 as well. Cook's apparently not quite as thrilled by that deal, though. His comment in the AT&T release:

"We look forward to expanding the reach of iPad allowing even more customers to experience the magic of iPad for themselves. As we approach the holiday season, we are very happy that customers will now be able to buy iPad Wi-Fi + 3G at AT&T stores."

Apple's been making lots of deals lately to extend the reach of its tablet device, which will face intense competition this holiday season and in 2011 from new tablets running Google's Android software and Windows devices. Apple recently made deals to sell the iPad in Target and Wal-Mart stores, although apparently it won't be discounted in them.

Verizon's not just another retail outlet because of the intense speculation and anonymously sourced stories coming out about Apple working to develop a Verizon version of the iPhone in early 2011, ending the exclusive deal AT&T had since the phone's debut in 2007.

Verizon and AT&T will also soon be selling an Android-based tablet made by Samsung.

The tablets may draw more customers into their stores this holiday season, although the iPad is on its way to becoming as prevalent on store shelves as the iPod.

At the very least, Verizon's probably thrilled to have a way to sell its MiFi units for $130 (that's about how much more the iPad costs when bundled with a MiFi unit).

Verizon gives the puck-sized MiFi units away to people who sign up for two-year data plans, and the device is facing lots of competition from similar mobile hotspots available on faster networks such as those operated by Sprint/Clearwire and T-Mobile.

Motricity's recent talk about international expansion wasn't smoke and mirrors.

The company today announced a major deal with Reliance Communications, one of India's largest mobile operators, which will use the Bellevue company's mCore mobile data platform.

Motricity's stock soared on the news this morning. At last check it was up $2.37, or 18 percent, to $15.35.

The company simultaneously announced a new "mobile as a service" offering that delivers a suite of services including mCore.

Founder and chief executive, Ryan Wuerch, said in the release that it's particularly appealing to mobile operators in developing countries that have limited resources and "exploding demand for mobile data services."

(UPDATE: It's now at $16.45, a 27 percent gain ...)

AT&T may be the carrier on stage with Steve Ballmer at Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 launch, but T-Mobile's got a bigger WP7 phone.

T-Mobile today is unveiling the HD7, a Windows Phone 7-based touchscreen phone with a 4.3-inch diagonal screen.

T-Mobile is calling it "the largest screen available on a Windows Phone in the U.S."

The HD7 also has a 1 Gigahertz processor, 802.11n WiFi, GPS navigation, 16 gigabytes of internal memory, FM radio and an HD camcorder. It comes with pre-installed media services, including Netflix and the new T-Mobile TV. The latter provides live and on-demand TV content from ABC News, Fox Sports, PBS Kids and other channels.

It weighs 5.71 ounces and comes with a "kickstand" for propping it up to watch video.

Also premiering on the HD7 is T-Mobile's new "Family Room" application for families to connect and coordinate activities. It includes a virtual chalkboard where family members can share notes, a shared calendar and automatic notifications when family members post something.

Pricing and the exact ship date isn't available yet but T-Mobile said the HD7 will be available by mid-November and the price will be comparable to its other high-end smartphones.

You could say the HD7 is the WP7 triple-play phone for Seattle. It's made by HTC, which has its U.S. offices in Bellevue across Interstate 90 from T-Mobile USA, and not far from Microsoft's headquarters (and offices along I-90).

T-Mobile's also going to be the carrier for Dell's new Windows Phone 7 device, the Venue Pro, that will be sold thorugh Dell.com and some retailers. It has a slide-out keypad, a 4.1-inch screen, 5 megapixel camera and 1 Gigahertz processor.

A few pics of the Dell:

Verizon's new president, Lowell McAdam, has a way with words. He can speak volumes with a brief phrase.

In an interview with Cnet at the CTIA conference, he politely eviscerated Microsoft, saying it's no longer a contender in the U.S. mobile business and has lost to Apple, Google and RIM. He also said Microsoft has to innovate if it's going to get products into Verizon stores.

Mee-ow McAdam also likes Verizon's current relationship with Microsoft. That would be cold and distant?

Maybe he's just trying to cozy up to Steve Jobs.

Here are a few bits from the Cnet interview:

What about Microsoft Windows Mobile 7 phones? Microsoft is launching new Windows Mobile 7 phones next week on AT&T's network. Will Verizon offer some new Windows Mobile 7 devices on the LTE network?

McAdam: I can't really say which phones we'll offer yet. We like our relationship with Microsoft. But clearly in the U.S. there are three major mobile operating systems: RIM, Google, and Apple.

So you don't view Microsoft as a major player in mobile anymore?

McAdam: No not at the moment. Microsoft is not at the forefront of our mind.

Does this have anything to do with the short-lived Microsoft Kin? That was kind of a mess.

McAdam: This really goes back to what I said earlier about how innovation in wireless devices and applications is moving so quickly. Our device suppliers have to demonstrate to us that they will be developing leading edge products. And if they are not leading edge, then we can't afford to carry them in our stores. But if they are innovative, we'll offer them.

A reader submitted a pretty broad take on wireless options, in a comment on today's Verizon LTE-4G story.

Anyone else care to share their experience and expectations?

Apparently Cdbtx928 in Monroe isn't a big fan of Clearwire:

The realities -- I've been a customer of all the major provides and to sum it up.

T-Mobile and Sprint require me to walk outside to use the phone. AT&T works well with voice but limits me to the brutally slow GPRS (Non-functional). VZW 1mbs > 50% of the time.

More details are coming out about Verizon's LTE (4G) rollout and the rumored arrival of the iPhone on the company's network.

For starters, don't count on an actual 4G iPhone from Verizon anytime soon.

The company's LTE network will go live in Seattle and 37 other metro areas by the end of the year but will only work with laptop wireless cards and USB sticks to start. Verizon won't be selling LTE phones until the middle of 2011.

It doesn't sound like Apple's iPhone will be the debut smartphone on the network. Verizon today said Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt will be on stage in January when the first batch of LTE devices are announced, according to Tricia Duryee's writeup of Verizon's CTIA press conference today.

That means Android phones will be the first on Verizon's LTE network.

At the same CTIA event, Verizon President and Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam tamped down the latest rumors of a Verizon iPhone, a story in the Wall Street Journal saying a Verizon iPhone will be available in early 2011.

McAdam said the story "is something that rolls out every few weeks," Tricia reported.

The key McAdam quote suggests Apple may be aiming toward the LTE network, but that would mean mid to late 2011 at the earliest:

"Apple has to be the one that makes that announcement. I expect at some point in time our business interests will align and I think LTE is a reason why they'd want to have a device or tablet on our network."

In the meantime, Verizon's LTE network will bring superfast mobile speeds but incomplete regional coverage. The company's announcement said service will extend from Lynnwood to Fife and Issquah to Seattle's waterfront, but a spokesman told me Vashon will also be included.

Kitsap County will have to wait, as will much of Pierce and Snohomish counties and the rest of Washington.

"This is just the first phase. Each year we'll be adding substantially," spokesman Scott Charlston said.

The Journal story on the iPhone quoted anonymous "people briefed by Apple" saying it was developing a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 for Verizon, to sell in early 2011. That means it would be another 3G phone with a misleading "4" in the name, but maybe switching to CDMA will fix the antenna flaw.

You've got to wonder if the leak to the Journal was perhaps intended to keep Apple stock's momentum going. Otherwise it could have been a rough week, heading into Monday's launch of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.

On Tuesday Apple lost a $625 million patent suit, for infringing on a Yale professor's work.

The same day, Nielsen reported that Android phones overtook the iPhone in smartphone sales over the last six months. That lead's probably going to continue with the new Android G2 and MyTouch phones announced recently by T-Mobile USA, the first to use the fast HSPA Plus service.

AT&T is also preparing HSPA Plus service, promising 4G-like speeds until its LTE network is ready, but the faster speeds will require a new phone.

Meanwhile, AppleTV's arrival late last week was underwhelming, and may be overshadowed by GoogleTV announcements today and Tuesday.

Quick, someone float the Verizon iPhone story again!

Tech blogs are apoplectic today over word that Facebook's working with a Chinese company to develop new phones designed around the social network.

It turns out Facebook is working on a software layer that will run on top of Google's Android phone software on the phones, which are coming to Europe in the first half of 2011 and the U.S. later in the year, perhaps on AT&T.

Here's the statement Facebook provided to Bloomberg, which today nailed the story that TechCrunch floated Saturday:

"We've been working with INQ for a couple of years now to help them build a deeply integrated Facebook experience on their devices. While we can't speak for their future product development plans, we can say that our view is that almost all experiences would be better if they were social."

GigaOm provided a few more details. A sample:

Facebook ID's are used for contacts and the call list:

"A consumer's Facebook ID becomes more important than the phone number itself. Login with Facebook ID, and your social network auto-magically syncs up with the phone. (Android users have seen their Google phones do this since day one...)"

The phone's content also syncs automatically with a user's personal Web page, in this case Facebook, GigaOm noted:

"For instance, Facebook photos will communicate directly with the camera and become the repository for photos, with almost no difference in the cloud and the local photo storage. Take a picture and save it to Facebook."

In other words, Facebook is resurrecting the Kin, the Facebook-centric phones that Microsoft sold for about a month before killing the line in June because almost nobody bought them.

Kin phones were notable for a few things. They were designed with a "social" interface, in which Facebook profiles were more important than the phone number itself. You'd call or message people by tapping on their profile picture, which was displayed in the Kin's contact list.

Facebook profile pictures covered the Kin home screen, which displayed friends' Facebook updates.

Best of all, the Kin came with a companion personal Web page that communicated directly with the phone and its camera, and became the repository for photos, with almost no difference in the cloud and the local phone storage. Take a picture on a Kin phone and it's saved to your Kin page.

Maybe Facebook will have better luck than Microsoft with this one, unless people decide that they don't want their phone dominated by a company that makes its money selling targeted advertising.

But instead of haggling with Chinese manufacturers over new hardware, Facebook could probably get a great deal on a warehouse full of unsold phones somewhere in Redmond.

(UPDATE: Facebook's having a major outage today, just after confirming its phone plans. Hmmm ...)

You don't usually look to Intermec for blingy smartphones, but the Everett company's going a new direction with the CS40 handheld it's launching today.

The Windows Mobile 6.5-based device is a high-performance industrial barcode scanner that happens to look a lot like one of the newer BlackBerry smartphones. It also has a 3 megapixel camera and "3.75G" voice and data communications.

But the biggest difference is the heavy-duty construction, which makes the CS40 sort of like an armor plated BMW.

Intermec's calling it the "first rugged mobile computer with the size and styling of a smartphone." It claims the device is sealed against dust and liquid intrusion and can withstand multiple four-foot drops onto concrete on all corners and sides.

That blend of durability and design is Intermec's pitch to business customers who might be considering less-rugged consumer devices with scanning apps.

Intermec's release says the CS40 "enables an all-encompassing business process transformation for mobile workforces in pre-sales, merchandising, field service, long haul and truck load transportation."

For a list price of $1,795 in the U.S.

Maybe they should also make a lower-priced one without a scanner, for people who tend to drop their pricey smartphones a lot ...

You can only read so many tech blogs "surprised" by Stephen Elop's move to Nokia, opining that the Finnish phone giant really needed someone like Steve Jobs.

For more perspective, check out this analysis in the British tech pub The Register. A few excerpts:

So modest is Elop's resume, that he lists his tenure at fast food outlet Boston Chicken Incorporated twice on his LinkedIn profile. (To be precise -- Boston Chicken Inc and Einstein Brothers Bagels.)

It's amazing just how widespread is the perception that Nokia has been left behind. For example, today the BBC, reporting on the change of CEO, tells us that Nokia has "struggled to break into the smartphone market". This must hurt; Nokia effectively created the smartphone market and has (numerically, at least) led it for a decade. But Nokia's smartphones really aren't used as data devices. They're expensive phones, and the end-user experience has been horrible and getting worse.

Elop's biggest challenge is that Nokia is more than capable of restoring its fortunes. This was pointed out by Junhani Risku in his recent book on the company. It still has the clever designers and boffins to bring innovations to market. What the CEO needs to do is cut through huge layers of corporate bureaucracy to allow this innovation to flourish. And since Nokia is something of a state institution, this isn't going to be easy.

Here's a video of the mobile demonstration of Google Goggles for Android phones, with Google's Jason Freidenfelds showing the product at Pike Place Market.

Following the success of its iPhone application released last September, Starbucks tonight is announcing a new version for BlackBerry smartphones.

The app lets users check their Starbucks card balance, reload cards using a credit card and pay for drinks by displaying a barcode on the phone at some stores.

BlackBerry users also get a new Starbucks store mapping feature that will be added to the iPhone app soon.

Starbucks may eventually offer apps for Android and Windows phones, but BlackBerry was the most-requested platform "by far," said Chuck Davidson, category manager of Starbucks Card Innovation.

The card is having a banner year, with about a fifth of store purchases now made with one, according to Ryan Records, Starbucks Card director.

Records expects more people to use their phones to make purchases because it's fast and convenient, but he's not expecting the actual plastic cards to go away.

"We know plastic can be inconvenient sometimes," he said. "People forget their wallets, people forget their keys, but they never forget their cellphones."

The BlackBerry app is available via Starbucks.com or by texting the word "GO" to 70845. It works on the following models: 8800, 8820; Bold 9000, 9650, 9700; Curve 8300, 8310, 8320, 8330, 8350i, 8520, 8530, 8900; Storm 9530; Storm2 9550; and Tour 9630.

People with the apps on their phones can use the barcode payment system at Starbucks cafes in more than 1,000 Target stores across the country and 16 Starbucks stores,, including eight in the Seattle area that have special scanners to read the codes.

The eight Seattle stores are:

Key Tower 700 5th Ave
Columbia Center 701 Fifth Ave
First Interstate / Wells Fargo 999 Third Ave
40th Floor Columbia Tower 701 5th Ave
7th & Stewart 1700 Seventh Ave
7th & Pike 1524 7th Ave
University Village II 2650 NE 49th St.
Madison Park 4000 E. Madison Ave

It was hard to resist Google's blatant pitch for publicity.

The search giant was asking if I wanted to roam around downtown Seattle, starting at Pike Place Market, for a mobile demonstration of the Goggles application for Google's Android platform. (Here's a video of the demo)

Goggles, which has steadily added new capabilities since it debuted last December, conducts searches based on images taken by a phone's camera.

Point it at a building or a sign, and Goggles will call up information about what you're seeing. It worked well when aimed at the sign for Pike Place Fish but that was a relatively easy one. Google has lots of images of that place for reference, and the location is marked on Google Maps, which Google checks against the phone's location.

Goggles takes advantage of the powerful processors in today's smartphones and faster cell networks to offload the processing to its datacenters.

The app appears to be slowly scanning things, with a wavy blue line moving across the screen like a copy machine, but that's just a visual cue that something's happening somewhere on Google's network.

"It's not realy an app on the phone so much as this is a conduit into a massive, mobile supercomputer," said Jason Freidenfelds, manager of global communications and public affairs.

If you're in a foreign country, you can use Goggles to translate signs or menus. Point the camera at a block of text and in a few seconds Google returns a translation.

It worked well on German and French foreign magazines at the First and Pike News stand, but stumbled over a Danish magazine with the crown princess (a former Microsoft employee) on the cover.

Over at Left Bank Books, Goggles scanned the cover of a book and offered to display a scanned preview of the book, in case we didn't want to put down the phone and leaf through it in person. It also listed other places we could buy the book for a lower price.

Before we could fool around much more, an employee asked us to leave, even though Goggles runs on the open-source Android platform.

Goggles is still an experimental application -- released as a Google Labs project. When it works, it's really cool, but it can give wildly incorrect results.

Freidenfelds several times said Goggles makes your phone like a device from "Star Trek." But I wouldn't trust Goggles for mission critical searches, at least until the system has been refined.

Maybe the inaccuracy of the fledgling technology is why Microsoft hasn't released any applicaitons as ambitious as Goggles, even though it began working on the same sort of technology before Google.

In 2007 Microsoft researchers revealed a project called Lincoln, which conducted searches based on images by comparing the image to a database. Two years ago Craig Mundie, the company's research boss, demonstrated a prototype handheld device that could scan around an area and provide details about businesses in the vicinity.

The Lincoln project contributed to a Bing search app released for the iPhone in December and Android phones last week. Apparently there won't be anything similar to Goggles available when the Windows Phone 7 platform launches this holiday season.

Image recognition has become more useful now that so many people are taking and sharing digital photos, explained Larry Zitnick, a research in Microsoft Research's Interactive Visual Media Group who worked on Lincoln.

"The end result that eveybody's trying to do is link up the real world to the Internet through imagery," he said.

Goggles is part of Google's broader effort to build a universal image index, a massive collection of imagery that it can use for reference when people conduct visual searches in the future.

The bigger the index, the better the results will be. A challenge right now is figuring out how to scale up the index. Google's largest index has 50 million objects and now needs to grow to 100 million or 200 million.

To build a truly universal index, it will need to recognize perhaps a billion objects, according to Hartwig Adam, who is developing the system at Google's Santa Monica, Calif., office.

Adam was previously employed by Neven Vision, a company that grew out of military-funded research at the University of Southern California into facial recognition technology. Google bought Neven in 2006 to improve its Picasa photo service.

Now the group is working on a much broader application.

Within three years, the technology could become a tool that people use regularly in their daily lives, pointing phones at a real-estate sign to call the agent, for instance.

"Basically I hope that we can in a few years give you answers about anything that's in front of you that you would like to know more about," Adam said.

It may take longer for Goggles to work with faces. Not because of technical challenges, but because of privacy issues. Adam is especially sensitive to the topic, having come from Germany.

"There seems to be an interest, but it has to be done in a way that people can feel comfortable, that their privacy can be preserved," he said.

"If there's a way to make it happen, then we would look into it," he said. "At the moment we treat it with the utmost care."

Here are a few screenshots of Goggles - first taking an image, then returning a search based on what it saw:

If you're interested in the different flavors of Samsung's hit Galaxy S phones -- including the new Epic 4G that Sprint is releasing Tuesday -- here's an infographic from BillShrink.com comparing features and costs.

Microsoft chose the huge Gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany, to unveil the first batch of Xbox Live games that will be available for Windows Phone 7 devices when they go on sale this holiday season.

The company also confirmed that it's building up a mobile games studio in Redmond dedicated to the Windows Phone platform.

As Microsoft takes on the iPhone and Android juggernauts this holiday season, a key weapon is going to be its Xbox business, including games, relationships with developers, game-building tools and the Xbox Live network.

Meanwhile, Apple has been pushing hard to raise the profile of games on the iPhone and iPad, and Google has been investing in mobile game companies as it grows its Android platform.

Leaders of Microsoft's new mobile studio wouldn't say whether the company is going to start buying or backing mobile game developers. But they did say Microsoft is developing new games internally to showcase the technical capabilities of the Windows Phone platform.

The overall effort is similar to the buildup of Microsoft Game Studios prior to the Xbox console debut, according to Matt Booty, the former chief executive of Midway Games, who was hired in March to start building a mobile studio.

An Xbox Live tile has been shown on the home screen of Windows Phone 7 devices since Microsoft rolled out the platform in February, but until now the company hasn't detailed specific games. Word of the special mobile studio just surfaced last week in job postings.

Today, it's announcing more than 50 games that will be available for the phone at launch. They include a few mobile counterparts of console games such as "Assasins Creed" and "Guitar Hero 5," plus some familiar titles such as "Bejeweled" and "Frogger." The company wouldn't say yet how much the games will cost or whether any will be preloaded on the phones.

There will be two categories of games for Windows Phone. One includes games that connect with Xbox Live, using the online service's achievement system and networking features. Those games will go through extra review by Microsoft, which will publish them.

Games without Xbox Live will also be available through the Windows Phone app marketplace.

During a demo in Seattle last week, a standout was a "Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst" from Microsoft Game Studios.

It's a simple tower defense game in which you use cannons mounted on a building to repel attackers.

The twist is that you can set the cannons up on any building captured by Bing's satellite imagery. You can pretend to be defending the Space Needle, the White House, Qwest Field or even your house, so you'll be blasting attackers marching up your street.

At left is a screenshot showing the game overlaid on the conference center in Cologne.

A player's Xbox Live avatar gets special treatment on the phone. The animated, cartoonish character waves and peeks out through the Xbox Live tile on the phone's display, like a sprite inside the device.

Tapping on the tile, an avatar can be enlarged to fill the screen and poked and manipulated with the touchscreen. It can also activate applications. Instead of launching a flashlight application, for instance, you can choose a flashlight from a list of gadgets available to the avatar, which then picks up the light and shines it outward.

Microsoft's new mobile studio will create some original games. But much of its effort will be working with game developers inside and outside of Microsoft, to get their titles onto the Windows Phone platform.

Booty wouldn't say how big the mobile studio will become, but he said Microsoft is making a major commitment to the group and "we've got huge resources."

Still being worked out is the path game developers might take with a game developed for Windows Phone and then extended to upcoming Windows tablets. On slates or tablets, Windows is the primary platform and it has extensive resources for developers, Booty said.

"We want the developer to have a number of avenues to expose their content," he said.

Here's the list of Xbox Live games available at launch:

A new tool for communicating using American Sign Language over video phones is being field tested in the Seattle this summer by University of Washington researchers, who plan to expand the program this winter.

The "MobileASL" system compresses the video signal so it uses an estimated 10 times less bandwith than video chat programs like Apple's FaceTime.

(Here Josiah Cheslik, a UW junior, demonstrates the MobileASL project with Pete Michor, another participant, in a photo by the UW's Mary Levin)

By using less bandwidth, the tool may be more accessible than video chat services that require expensive plans and devices. It may also work in areas that don't have ultrafast mobile broadband service.

"We want to deliver affordable, reliable ASL on as many devices as possible. It's a question of equal access to mobile communication technology,'' said Eve Riskin, a professor of electrical engineering who led the project.

Riskin said it's the first study of how deaf people in the U.S. use mobile video phones. A more extensive study will be done this winter.

MobileASL was developed by Riskin and Richard Ladner, a computer science professor, and their graduate students. It was tested by participants in the UW's Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Computing, a nine-week program for academically gifted deaf and hard-of-hearing students planning careers in computing, the school said in its release.

The second phone to take advantage of Clearwire's 4G network will be the Samsung Epic 4G, a special version of the Samsung Galaxy S going on sale Aug. 31 for $250.

It follows the Evo 4G that debuted in June. Both use 4G where available and 3G everywhere else, and work as mobile hotspots for an additional fee.

Sprint's release billed its new Android slider phone as "A Movie Theater in Your Hand." Samsung's preparing a "media hub" service with a video store to buy or rent movies and TV shows via the device, which has a 4-inch Super AMOLED display.

The phone's also going to work with Samsung's "AllShare" service that wirelessly shares music, photos and HD video with TVs, cameras, printers and other devices with DLNA certification.

Inside it's running Android 2.1 on Samsung's 1 GHz processor; Apple uses related processors from Samsung in the iPad and iPhone 4. The Epic 4G has a 5 megapixel camera that takes 720p HD video and a front-facing camera for video chat.

The price is after a $100 rebate and with a two-year commitment to plans starting at $70 per month. Pre-orders begin Friday.

Sprint's announcement coincides with a new report from Gartner saying that Android has overtaken Apple's iOS to become the world's third-most popular mobile operating system, behind Symbian and RIM, during the second quarter. In the U.S., Android's now ahead of RIM, the report said.

Samsung, meanwhile, is the world's second-largest phone maker behind Nokia and ahead of LG.

A few people have asked me about Dell's Streak, the minitablet/maxiphone that surfaced in Seattle in May.

You could say it's the latest version of the Origami ultramobile PC that Microsoft and Intel began developing about five years ago, but it runs Android software on Qualcomm hardware.

The company Tuesday finally announced that the Streak will be available to the general public on Friday for $549, or $300 with a two-year AT&T contract. It's a few weeks late and $50 more than Dell said in June.

Like most big phones today, it's based on a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm with 3G, Wi-Fi (b, g and n) and Bluetooth radios. It works with HSDPA networks (such as T-Mobile's) that provide up to 7.2 Mbps downloads. It has a 5 megapixel still and video camera with a dual LED flash, plus a front facing VGA camera.

Here's a Dell video showing it in action:

Today's jaw-dropper is the amazing growth of Android-based phones - up 886 percent in the second quarter, according to research firm Canalys.

The surge also made Android the largest smartphone platform in the U.S., where it took 34 percent of the market in Q2.

Crazy growth in the overall market for smartphones continues as mobile phone buyers, especially in the U.S., upgrade to the more capable devices. Canalys reports that smartphone sales grew 64 percent in the quarter.

Worldwide Nokia still leds with 38 percent of the smartphone market in Q2, with its shipments growing 41 percent year-over-year to 23.8 million in the quarter, Canalys reported.

RIM's BlackBerry grew 41 percent, holding second place with 18 percent of the global market, while Apple's iPhone sales grew 61 percent after the iPhone 4 launch and it now has 13 percent of the smartphone market, according to Canalys.

"Expect to see smart phones accounting for a growing proportion of the wider mobile phone market as they become increasingly affordable to more customers," Canalys Senior Analyst Pete Cunningham said in the release. "By 2013, smart phones will grow to represent over 27% of shipments worldwide, with the proportion in some developed markets in Western Europe surpassing 60% and 48% in North America."

The chart - with U.S. and China stats only - included in the Canalys release:

Microsoft today confirmed that the coolest feature of its Kin phones is still alive.

That would be the companion website that Kin phone buyers get for viewing and sharing photos and other files on the device. Photos taken on the phones automatically show up on the website, where they can be viewed, saved or moved around.

Today the company confirmed, via the Windows Phone Blog, that similar pages will be provided to people using devices based on its upcoming Windows Phone 7 software. The post appeared as Microsoft executives were pitching the phone and other products at the company's annual partner conference in Washington, D.C.

Microsoft is calling them Windows Phone Live companion sites. They'll give people "a central place to see pictures they've published, view their Windows Live calendar and contacts, exchange OneNote files and access other information shared between the phone and the Web," according to the post by Aaron Woodman, a director on the mobile team.

Here's an image from February a Windows Phone 7 device and its "Picture Hub" desktop.

A Microsoft distinguished engineer, Mike Toutonghi, developed a similar automatic photo synchronization system at a Seattle startup called Vizrea starting in 2004. It closed in 2007 and sold its technology to Microsoft and Toutonghi returned to the company.

The companion sites announced today will have more than just photos. They'll extend the phone activity to computers and bigger displays, and connect to other services like Microsoft's free SkyDrive online storage service and "Find My Phone," which helps people map their phone's location if it's lost or make it ring so they can find it around the house.

These sites also differentiate Microsoft's phones from those running Google's Android software and Apple's iPhone, which requires users to sync up files by connecting to a computer running iTunes.

Windows Phone 7 devices will also connect to Xbox Live and the Zune service for music and video content.

Woodman's post also previews how Microsoft will emphasize the quality and usability of its software and services when pitching its mobile platform this holiday season.

"The bottom line is that we believe it's not enough to have exciting games, intuitive email, rich music, extensive social networking tools or even beautiful hardware to house it all. The magic comes when all of these things work together to bring the people and things you care about closer, while smoothing out your everyday tasks so that your day is a little bit easier."

During Chief Executive Steve Ballmer's speech Monday, a slide was shown listing companies that will offer "7" series Windows phones later this year. They include HTC, Dell, Samsung, LG, Toshiba and Sony Ericsson. Also listed was "Garmin-Asus," suggesting a Windows version of the Garmin navigation phone is coming as well.

Apple's iPhone 4 is a beautiful device, one of the nicest in the growing field of amazing smartphones on sale this summer.

The software gives its touch-screen controls a buttery smoothness, plus a few handy new features.

Inside is a snappy processor and a new battery that keeps the phone going all day with moderate use.

Apple gave the phone a new case that's more blocky, masculine and Teutonic. It looks like a robot's ice-cream sandwich â€" two slabs of glass with a stainless steel middle.

The iPhone 4 also works better than its predecessors as an actual phone, with dual microphones that help cancel out background noise.

Overall it's a great upgrade for the standard-bearing smartphone.

Which makes it too bad there's an elephant in this elegant, ultra modern room. The iPhone 4 has a glitch that can lead to its wireless signal abruptly dropping if you hold the phone a certain way.

HTC's big bets on software, branding and Android are paying off. The company today announced sales during June were up a record 67 percent. Sales for the entire second quarter were up 58 percent to $1.9 billion.

HTC's smartphone business began on the Windows platform, but it's now the largest manufacturer of phones based on Google's Android software.

The company is based in Taiwan -- where its stock hit a 52-month high today -- and has its U.S. headquarters in Bellevue and software development center in Seattle.

Maybe now's a good time for HTC go ahead with its plans to list its stock in the U.S.

Microsoft is dropping its Kin phone after poor sales, reassigning the team and shifting its focus to the upcoming Windows Phone 7 platform.

The surprisingly decisive move comes just three months after the Kin phones were unveiled, a month after they went on sale and a few days after Verizon Wireless slashed the phones' prices.

It's also a big step toward sorting out the confusing mix of phones Microsoft is developing in its desperate competition with Apple's iPhone and Google's Android platform. Kin had been positioned as a phone for younger consumers, families and social-network enthusiasts while the Windows Phone is being cast more as a business device.

Kin failed to catch on despite its twangy name and a few technical advances, including a unique, Facebook-inspired interface and a system for synchronizing photos and messages with free Web pages that Kin users received.

Microsoft and Verizon will sell out the remaining stock of Kin phones in the U.S. where they went on sale May 13. Microsoft is also dropping plans for a fall launch in Europe. No more Kin phones will be produced.

Verizon on Monday cut the price of the unusual compact-like Kin One from $50 to $30 after a $100 discount, and the Kin Two -- a more standard slider phone -- from $100 to $50.

Andy Lees, the senior vice president in charge of Microsoft's mobile business, announced the decision internally earlier today. He told the group that initial sales didn't meet expectations and they should focus on the Windows Phone 7 platform launching this fall.

The Kin team -- which includes people who came through Microsoft's $500 million acquisition of phone maker Danger -- will be folded into the Windows Phone team.

Microsoft released a statement explaining the move, initially to Gizmodo:

"We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our Kin team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from Kin into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current Kin phones."

A Verizon spokesman provided a statement via e-mail: "The Kin phones remain an important part of our portfolio."

Here's a Microsoft video from the splashy Kin launch:

Don't tell the thousands of people who lined up at Apple stores around the world to buy the iPhone 4 today - or the 14 (!) Associated Press reporters covering the story - but a few early glitches with the device are being reported.

One of the top searches today on Google is for "iPhone 4" problems, displacing the Droid X that appeared on Google's hot list yesterday. But who knows, maybe Google, Microsoft, HTC, Nokia and RIM assigned hundreds of thousands of employees to spend today Googling that term.

The issues include a yellowing of part of the display that may be the result of a glue used in its assembly, according to the word surfacing on AppleInsider.com. New Jersey Twitterer Jasmine LeChelle said the "screens have jaundice." That sounds like something that can be sorted out in the factory and addressed with warranty coverage; AppleInsider.com called it a "temporary" problem.

Another - acknowledged by Apple after spreading on Web comment threads - is a possible hardware design issue that reduces wireless signals when a user's hand touches the bottom-left side of the phone. Some are saying this degrades the signal by interfering with the antenna built into its metal frame. MacRumors.com posted a users' YouTube video demonstrating the signal drop and how it can be remedied with an add-on plastic case:

UPDATE: Apple spokesman Steve Dowling acknowledged the antenna issue, telling the New York Times that it can be an issue with any cell phone. An excerpt:

"Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, depending on the placement of the antennas," Mr. Dowling said. "This is a fact of life for every wireless phone."

Dowling declined to say whether Apple experienced the issue during testing of the phone and suggested that users not hold the phone in a way that covers both sides of a small black strip on the lower left side. Alternatively, he said, they could use one of many available cases.

You've got to love the spat between Apple and Google. Especially if you're shopping for a new phone.

Today, the day before Apple launches its iPhone 4, Google, Verizon and Motorola announced their cutting edge smartphone -- the Droid X -- with a noisy press event in New York.

Apple's phone is more svelte, has a new high resolution display, dual cameras and more available apps. (The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg loved his early review unit - "It has some downsides and limitations ... But, overall, Apple has delivered a big, well-designed update that, in my view, keeps it in the lead in the smartphone wars" - and the New York Times' David Pogue thinks his is "beautiful, and since there's no more plastic, it feels solid and Lexus-like.")

But the Droid X has a better camera, a bigger screen and supports Adobe's Flash platform.

Both of them add tethering -- so you can use the phones as wireless modems for your computer -- but it costs an extra $20 per month.

They both have 1 gigahertz processors, start at $199 and require data plans.

Most people won't be able to get either one for a month or so.

Apple doesn't have a lot of iPhone 4's ready to sell yet. It will have a limited supply at its stores starting Thursday, and AT&T stores will have some on June 29. Both companies are pointing customers to the Web where they can order iPhone 4s to be shipped by July 14

Verizon is going to start selling the Droid X on July 15.

Meanwhile, smartphone shoppers can decide whether they want a Chevy or a Ford, a Whopper or a Big Mac.

Or they may consider something more cutting edge, like the HTC Evo from Sprint, which is still the only phone available with 4G mobile broadband service.

If they spend enough time shopping, instead of leaping at the launch, more options will become available.

Rumors are circulating about a coming version of the iPhone for Verizon's network, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 phones are coming this fall, and more 4G phones beyond the Evo are just around the corner.

Here are some specs of the Droid X:

Talk time: Up to 480 minutes
Standby time: Up to 220 hours
Band/Modes: CDMA 800/1900, EV-DO Rev. A
OS: Android 2.1, update to Android 2.2 late summer
Weight: 155 g / 5.47 oz
Dimensions: 2.6 x 5.0 x 0.4 (z) inches
Browser: Webkit HTML5 based browser; Adobe Flash 10.1 after update, pinch-to-zoom
E-mail Support: Gmail, Push E-mail, Corporate Sync, IMAP/ POP3
Connectivity: Stereo Bluetooth2 Class 1.5, Version 2.1+EDR, 3.5mm, USB 2.0 HS, OTA, HDMI, Over the Air Sync, PC Sync, DLNA
Display: 4.3" WVGA (854 x 480)
Display Resolution: WVGA display houses 400,000 pixels
Video: 720p HD Capture, HD Playback via HDMI or DLNA, H.263, H.264, MPEG4, WMA v10
Camera: 8.0 megapixel, Digital Zoom, Auto Focus, Dual LED Flash and image editing tools
Memory: 8 GB onboard, 16 GB microSD pre-installed, supports up to 32 GB micro SD - total memory expandable up to 40 GB
Location Services: aGPS (assisted), sGPS (stand alone), Google Maps, Google Maps Navigation, Google Maps with Google Latitude, Street View, and eCompass

AT&T clarified how it's going to roll out the iPhone 4, which is going to appear in its stores five days later than expected.

AT&T stores will have the phone starting on June 29, but it expects the supply to be limited. It's also fulfilling orders for customers who pre-ordered the phone on June 15.

Pre-orders were 10 times higher than they were for last year's iPhone "so we are working hard to get these devices into customers' hands as soon as possible," the company said in a release.

Even so it's a relatively jumbled launch, suggesting Apple pushed hard on the release schedule.

AT&T is starting to call customers this week who pre-ordered for store pick-up, to let them know when their phones are ready.

On June 29, AT&T will sell its inventory on a first-come, first-service basis and then take orders for delivery or store pick-up.

Meanwhile, some people are starting to receive pre-ordered phones shipped early.

Apple stores will have a "limited" quantity of the $200 to $300 phones available on Thursday, June 24. Its Web site says phones ordered online today will ship by July 14.

That's all despite news that users of the new iPhone won't be able to turn off Apple's location tracking capabilities.

It's a tough day for Microsoft to be talking up its new Windows Phone 7 platform, but Paul Bryan, a senior director on its mobile communications business, gave it a shot on the official Windows blog.

In a post keyed to Microsoft's TechEd conference in New Orleans this week, Bryan explained the company's portfolio of phones and how the WP7 devices coming out later this year are aimed largely at business users.

This kind of thing won't sway the people who can't wait for an iPhone 4, but it may help corporate IT buyers and developers thinking about if and how Microsoft phones fit into their plans.

A few excerpts from Bryan's post:

"By adding Windows Phone 7 to our portfolio, Microsoft is well positioned to address the needs of customers with active personal and business lives who desire a single device that delivers rich end-to-end experiences and navigates seamlessly between work and play. Demand for Smartphones that play as hard as they work is fueling the continued growth for new devices, with IDC projecting 31% growth in Smartphone units in 2010 and another 22% in 2011."

The customer:

"More than 90% of our target customers for Windows Phone use their Smartphone for business purposes and 61% use their phones equally or more for business than personal use. This is why we designed Windows Phone 7 to combine a smart new user interface with familiar tools such as PowerPoint, OneNote, Word, Excel and SharePoint into a single integrated experience via the Office hub."

But the phones won't look like tiny Windows PCs:

With Windows Phone 7, rather than attempting to replicate the experience of the desktop, we focused on delivering end-user experiences that are uniquely optimized for the phone through tighter integration with Exchange and Office, the addition of SharePoint and our Silverlight development platform for delivering new user experiences.

The Windows lineup, and why some companies may still want Windows 6.5:

"Windows Phone 7 is the newest addition to the Windows Phone portfolio that includes Windows Mobile 6.5, more specialized CE based devices for ruggedized or task-worker scenarios, and the new KIN phones targeted at social communicators. We understand that while Windows Phone 7 will bring a new level of business productivity to a broader range of customers than we've ever reached before, for more highly managed corporate scenarios or where customers have made significant investments in applications on Windows Mobile 6.X, Windows Mobile 6.5 may remain the best choice in the near-term."

A companion post today provides new details of Windows Phone Marketplace, Microsoft's response to the iTunes App Store and Android Market.

It said developers will pay an annual registration fee of $99 that allows unlimited paid app submissions and five submissions of free apps, after which each one is $19.99.

Microsoft's also giving developers 70 percent of the revenue from their apps and providing services such as a push notification service and a trial API for offering trial versions of apps to customers.

This picture may show the last HTC Evo 4G phone being sold at a Sprint store in Washington during today's launch sale. I took this about an hour ago at the store at Westlake Center, where the guy in the vest is getting the last one ready for a customer.

A worker told me that all the stores in Washington are sold out after the morning rush but they're hoping to get more soon. Westlake ran out during lunch and the store a few blocks away on Union ran out at around 11 a.m. I've asked Sprint for an official update. (I also heard that Radio Shack may still have a few ...)

Meanwhile, there were still a few cookies left from this morning's launch event at the Westlake store, where I briefly talked to one customer who said he'd buy an Evo if the store had any more in stock.

Here's my review of the Evo 4G, the first phone to use Clearwire's 4G network. I said that it has "network capabilities that may change the way people think about buying wireless and broadband service."

One update: After the review was filed, Qik, the video chat application provider, clarified that the basic video chat features will be free. Premium features, including video archiving and the ability to upload videos to the service, will cost $4.99 a month starting July 15.

A chart that Qik posted, explaining the pricing tiers:

Here's a picture of a speed test of the 4G service at my desk -- it was faster when I held it higher and closer to the window:

RANCHO PALSO VERDES, Calif. -- Peter Chou's hunch was right. His Taiwanese phone company, HTC, was founded in 1997 to pursue the vision that smartphones would be transformative.

HTC went on to produce the first Windows smartphone in 1999 and later the first phone based on Google's Android software. On Friday, it launches the first smartphone running Clearwire's 4G network.

Chou showed Walt Mossberg the 4G Evo that HTC's making for Sprint during his appearance at the All Things Digital conference.

Mossberg asked Chou to discuss how his company is building phones based on both Google's Android software and Microsoft's Windows phone platforms.

"Different people like different things," Chou said. "What we try to do is have the best mix of technologies and design and give people a choice."

What's the difference between Android and Windows, Mossberg asked.

"Windows has a lot of Windows users -- legacies -- and they are very familiar to the Windows experience."

Asked about the challenges Windows Mobile has had, Chou said "Windows has a lot of value" and noted that HTC is making phones based on the upcoming Windows Phone 7 software.

Android appeals to people who do more social networking, and it has good applications, like maps, Chou said.

HTC -- which has U.S. headquarters in Bellevue and a software center in Seattle's Pioneer Square -- is moving from a somewhat invisible manufacturer of phones for other companies to a consumer brand with more prominent logos and a proprietary software interface.

Chou said its recent brand campaign is working and customers are now asking for HTC phones by name, he said.

Mossberg questioned whether consumers will get confused by all the brands appearing on phones now -- the manfucturer, carrier and software provider.

"There's a lot there," Mossberg said.

"We are trying to minimize that a little bit, so there are some of those on the back and not everyone on the front like right now," Chou said.

Smartphone sales are surging, but they're still expensive to produce -- about $400 apiece wholesale -- and are complicated for some users, Chou said.

The company is working on a lower-priced alternative, the HTC Smart, that will cost phone companies about $150, run apps and be based on Qualcomm's Brew platform.

Asked about the fragmentation of Google's Android platform, Chou said the proliferation of different versions "causes a little bit of problem" but that's the nature of a modular product.

During audience questioning, Chou was asked about the short battery life of the Evo. He replied that the battery works longer if the phone's more advanced features aren't being used, but he said battery life is something that needs to improve on smartphones.

"The battery technology is one area that innovates very slowly," he said, adding that he spends a lot of time talking to battery suppliers.

"I don't have a lot of good news, but I hope one day we don't need a battery to run the device," he said.

In response to a question from an interested investor, Chou said he hopes to have the stock listed in the U.S. as well as on the Taipei market.

A week after Michael Dell let slip that his company's new Streak mini tablet/smartphone devices will go on sale in June, I spotted a batch of them being tested in Belltown.

Network techs had a bank of the Android-powered gadgets aimed up Second Avenue and connected to a set of laptops during the lunch hour today. They were just around the corner from the now-defunct Brasa restaurant.

I asked if they were working on network upgrades, but the techs said they were testing the devices' performance with e-911 services for AT&T.

They told me a little too late that I couldn't take pictures of the Streaks, which were on clear display on a public sidewalk anyway.

Streaks have been glimpsed here and there, but I hadn't seen a red one before. The hardware design reminded me a bit of Dell's latest Studio XPS desktops.

AT&T hasn't yet announced the Streaks and a spokeswoman didn't have an update today.

Here's a Streak video demo that surfaced last fall:

Phone sales grew 19 percent in the first quarter, according to a new report from ABI Research, which noted that sales of 3G handsets overtook those of 2G handsets. The company is predicting 1.3 billion phones will be sold this year.

Nokia is still selling the most phones, followed by Samsung. Apple has 2.9 percent of the world market, but grew the number of phones sold by 130 percent in the quarter.

Sales grew the fastest -- 20 percent -- in the Middle East and Africa, followed by the U.S., where they were up 11 percent, according to a summary provided by ABI.

Hewlett-Packard may have the oomph to revive Palm, which it bought today for $1.2 billion, but it's going to cost the company some good will with its No. 1 software partner.

HP is jumping into the mobile OS business as Microsoft gears up to launch its great hope for the same market, Windows Phone 7, along with its own line of consumer "Kin" phones.

HP has also been a loyal customer of Microsoft's mobile operating systems used on the iPaq line of handheld computers, the latest versions of which are smartphones running Windows Mobile 6.5. (Here's the new iPaq "Glisten" for AT&T).

In its announcement, HP Executive Vice President Todd Bradley made it clear that HP's going after Palm's operating system to "create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices."

In other words, it's spending $1.2 billion for an alternative to Windows on its mobile devices.

Do I hear the wind howling outside, or is that the sound of yelling in Redmond, traveling across the lake to Seattle?

Maybe it's a Gulfstream warming up at Boeing Field, to take Steve Ballmer and his checkbook to RIM headquarters in Ontario.

When I asked Microsoft for comment, a spokesman provided this statement:

"HP is a strategic partner and will continue to be so for Microsoft."

Here's Bradley's full quote in the release:

"Palm's innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP's mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices. And, Palm possesses significant IP assets and has a highly skilled team. The smartphone market is large, profitable and rapidly growing, and companies that can provide an integrated device and experience command a higher share. Advances in mobility are offering significant opportunities, and HP intends to be a leader in this market."

How many leaders will there be in the smartphone market?

(Note: HP said it's paying $1.2 billion for Palm, but some are calling it a $1.4 billion deal. That's because HP factored in Palm's cash to come up with an "enterprise value" or purchase cost of $1.2 billion. The $1.4 billion figure is derived by multiplying HP's $5.70 per share offer by the number of Palm shares.)

Here's a quick primer on some of the new interfaces coming to PCs and consumer electronics. It's from today's column that drew on the Bluetooth SIG's "all hands" meeting in Seattle last week.

Bluetooth 4.0

What it does: Enables companies to add Bluetooth wireless technology to "low energy" devices such as watches and health, fitness and environmental sensors. The devices are intended to run for at least a year on a single watch-type battery.

Status: The specification was introduced in December and should be finalized by July. Devices with 4.0 should go on sale by the end of 2010 or in early 2011.

Caveats: Bluetooth 4.0 "low energy" devices will require new hardware. Phones and PCs will be available with dual-mode radios that work with both "classic" Bluetooth and version 4.0. (Here's a Bluetooth FAQ with more details).

HDMI 1.4

What it does: Sets standards for HDMI cables to support 3D and "4K" ultrahigh-definition video, with 4,096 by 2,160 pixels. Enables some HDMI cables to carry Ethernet network signals as well as audio and video content, for connecting TVs, video players and other A/V gear. Also specifies new mini HDMI plugs for camcorders and automotive use.

Status: HDMI 1.4 emerged last June, but its 3D specification was finalized just last month. TVs, receivers and other products with HDMI 1.4 are now on sale. It should be used by all major brands by the fall. Sony, for instance, is now using HDMI 1.4 in products that it's calling "3D enabled."

Caveats: I asked the HDMI licensing group if 1.4 is absolutely necessary for 3D. Sony's PlayStation 3, for instance, doesn't have 1.4 but is supposed to support 3D movies.

The response from Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing: "Source devices, such as the PS3 and many set-top boxes, will be able to be firmware upgraded to accommodate the frame compatible 3D formats. So, in effect, these devices will be able to be updated from 1.3 compliant devices to 1.4 compliance with the 3D specification."

Venuti expects to see HDMI 1.4 appear on PCs and video cards this year.

USB 3.0

What it does: Computer and electronics connector technology that moves data at up to 5 gigabits per second, or 10 times faster than the widely used USB 2.0 technology.

Status: Since January it's been starting to appear in consumer devices, including external hard drives. By 2012, 45 percent of mobile computers will have USB 3.0, research firm IDC predicts. Meanwhile, more peripheral products are appearing.

Caveats: Getting USB 3.0 incorporated into the core architecture of PCs is taking longer than expected and won't happen until 2011, according to In-Stat analyst Brian O'Rourke.

The parade of "leaked" phones to Gizmodo and Engadget is getting ridiculous. Do they have a deal with PR Newswire?

Anyway, the latest instalment is a batch of images and specs for upcoming Dell phones. Engadget's touting it as "the mother of all Dell leaks" but it's still no iPhone bar edition.

It does give an apparent early peek at several Android phones and the "Lightning" Windows Phone 7 coming to market in the fourth quarter, if Engadget's info is correct.

Lightning has the standard 1 gig processor, FM radio and Flash support, plus a 4.1-inch OLED display that slides up to reveal a qwerty keypad. The info said a 3G Lightning is coming to AT&T and T-Mobile first and an LTE version will be available in fourth quarter 2011 (which seems like a long wait for 4G ...).

A screen grab from the page:

With some 45 million people expected to buy automotive navigation devices this year - not to mention upgrading to a smartphone - T-Mobile USA saw a new opportunity.

The Bellevue-based wireless company is preparing to launch its first "Garminfone," combining an Android-based smartphone with a Garmin voice navigation system.

"It's really about getting both of those in one," said Saj Sahay, T-Mobile's director of product marketing and innovation.

A price hasn't been set yet for the phone, which will go on sale in late spring.

Made by Asus, the 3G device has a 3.5-inch screen, 3 megapixel camera, GPS, dash mounting bracket and driving, walking and public transit maps for North America stored on the device.

Because maps are on the phone, rather than streamed over the Web, the navigation system will work even in areas where there is no wireless signal, using GPS, according to Sahay.

That also differentiates the phone from other Android devices that come with Google's Web-based navigation system.

There won't be additional service fees for the Garmin service but the company will charge for additional maps, and more frequent updates of the U.S. map than the one annual free update provided with the phone.

Unchecked by Apple's patent lawsuit, HTC is rolling out some slick new Android 2.1-based smartphones, including the Droid Incredible announced today.

Verizon will start offering the Incredible on April 29 for $200 (after a $100 rebate) with a two-year voice and data contract starting at $70 per month.

The Incredible has a "topographic" design with ridges on the back that are intended to reflect the stuff inside. Verizon's press release said it "demonstrates the powerful engineering just beneath the surface."

Maybe the ridges will make it easier to grip than some other smartphones. But I'll bet bigger selling points will be the red speaker grill and accent ring around the camera lens.

That powerful engineering includes the now obligatory 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, plus an 8 megapixel camera, a digital compass and a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen.

Verizon's also releasing exclusive Skype and NFL apps "shortly after the phone becomes available."

Here's the list of features:

Watching his 3 year-old daughter nearly get run over by a texting driver inspired a Seattle landscape contractor to jump into the phone application business.

Erik Wood, 43, was walking home from Queen Anne's Coe Elementary with his daughter last fall when a woman in a black Volkswagen shot out of an alley while texting with both hands, passing within a few feet of the girl.

The driver drove on without ever seeing the pedestrians, but Wood was so shook up he started researching safety issues around texting drivers. Then he decided to create an application that could help.

"People live in this false reality that 'I can get away with texting and driving,' " he said. "The problem is they don't know what they're missing, they don't get the wake-up call until it's a T-bone, violent crash."

He and his wife tapped their children's college fund, withdrawing more than the cost of a new truck, and spent seven months working with software developers to produce an application called Otter that was released on the Android phone platform April 5.

"I think we realized that we had survived our first nearly fatal text-and-drive encounter but with two little girls growing up, the statistics proved this wouldn't be our last brush with this," he said. "That's what inspired us to do something about it.''

The Otter application interrupts text message notifications when the phone's GPS radio detects the device is moving at least 10 miles per hour. It doesn't block the messages outright, but sends an automatic reply to the sender, saying,"Otter says BTH (Break the Habit)."

Otter -- which stands for one touch text response -- also has parental controls so parents can activate it on their children's phones.

Wood is joining a growing number of companies producing applications and other systems to block or prevent texting while driving. He said Otter has a cost advantage because it doesn't carry recurring monthly fees like some competing applications. It's a one-time $3.99 download from the Android Market.

Versions for the Windows and BlackBerry phone platforms should be done in three to six months. Wood would like to do an iPhone version but its new software apparently won't provide access he needs to the phones' notifications or SMS services.

It's a moneymaking venture, but Wood said he had to give it a try no matter what.

"You know when you come to those forks in the road where you don't have any other choice?" he said. "This was definitely one of those."

Microsoft made some bold decisions with the "Kin" phones it unveiled today.

The groovy handsets coming out in May are aimed at avid users of social networks, the kind of people who live in Facebook and would rather text their closest friends than call or -- God forbid -- e-mail them. It's also the first phone with the Zune entertainment software built in, giving it the ability to play and stream content.

In designing a phone/message/Web device for this set, Microsoft created a radical interface that wallpapers the screen with profile pictures of users' contacts. The screenplay constantly changes as the contacts update their social networks and share information.

To share photos or Web snippets with contacts, you click the item and drag it to a green button called the "Kin spot" on the bottom center of the screen. It's a nice concept, but it took some getting used to. During a brief tryout at Microsoft this morning (for reporters who didn't attend the big launch event in San Francisco ...), the button I used the most was the hard key to return to the homescreen and start over.

It also took me a bit to figure out how to move backward in the menu, and to move away from the contact wallpaper to the "normal" list of phone features. It turned out I only had to swipe my finger to the right to call up that list, and tap the home button to move back.

I made a phone call and it sounded fine. Although the Kins have physical Qwerty keyboards, you dial with the on-screen keypad, which buzzes the phone a bit with each tap.

Kins also have a signature key on the keypad, with the winking ";)" symbol. Pressing it pulls up a list of emoticons for inserting into messages.

Of the two models shown today, the small Kin One is more striking. It's the size of a makeup compact with a slightly textured back and well-designed buttons that blend into the case. It's also remarkable to have such a small device with so many capabilities. It's not only a 3G phone, but also a Web browser, social media manager, news reader, camcorder and a 4-gigabyte music and video player with streaming capability.

The Kin Two has a 720p camcorder and 8 gigs of storage, but it's more of a standard slider phone.

Where the Kin may have the biggest influence on other phones may be the companion Web service, the Kin Studio. It's basically a personal Web page provided for each phone, where users can bring their Kin experience into a computer's browser, and the Kin content and activity is automatically synchronized with the online service.

The Studio pages can be used to see, store, download and manage photos and videos taken with the Kins' primo cameras. They also display contacts' information and a timeline to browse what's been done with the phone.

Buyers of Kin automatically get the Studio service -- plus unlimited online storage -- when they go through the mandatory registration process with Windows Live and enter the world of personal cloud services.

No software has to be donwloaded to a Kin users' computer to access Studio -- it's all through the browser -- and it's equally accessible to Mac users.

Although the phone is aimed at younger buyers, a Verizon executive let on that the device could also appeal to parents who take and share lots of photos and videos of their kids. The Kin's video quality is "better than the Flip," John Harrobin said during the launch.

Strangely, Microsoft and Verizon declined to reveal the price at today's launch. Maybe they're waiting until they figure out what Apple and AT&T will charge for the new iPhones expected to surface this summer.

Other questions remain unanswered. For instance, there is:
-- No word on if or how developers can produce Kin applications.
-- No word on how the Kin might work with Xbox Live.
-- No word on whether the Kin will work with Verizon's upcoming LTE wireless service, which would help when streaming music and video to the devices.
-- No word on whether there will be bundles and discounts for Zune Pass and Xbox Live subscribers.

Kin buyers who subscribe to the $15 per month Zune Pass music subscription service will do so directly with Microsoft, and billing won't be combined with their wireless plan.

Microsoft was also bold when it came to naming the device. The good ol' boys in Redmond may have outdone themselves this time.

Product manager John Starkweather said the name was chosen because it refers to family and close friends -- the sort of people you'll stay in constant contact with using a Kin device. "Kin is the kind of family or friends you would shed blood for," he said.

If you're wondering, the Kin does not come preloaded with a selection of banjo music.

Here's Microsoft's video of the launch, including the initial demo:

Seattle has to have a few contenders for a new contest Nokia is running. It's offering a $1 million investment in the best mobile business idea submitted to its Growth Economy Venture Challenge.

That's a lot of Finnish cheese for a phone app.

But it can't be another mobile game or Twitter client -- Nokia wants to hear from people thinking globally. It's looking for:

-- An idea that could truly change the way people use Nokia mobile devices.
-- An idea that demonstrates how mobility improves the lives of millions of people in emerging markets worldwide.
-- An idea that recognizes a good business opportunity can also contribute to "doing good" -- and making a dramatic difference in the lives of people in developing nations.

Here's the judging criteria, from the contest Web site:

-- It must include a clear mission statement; and provide a product or service plan that will undeniably raise the standard of living, and/or enhance the lives of people living in emerging market countries today.
-- The initial target market must be located in a region with per capita income significantly lower than what is found in industrialized nations today (e.g., sub-$5 per day).
-- It must include a viable business model that has a high likelihood of providing a strong return on investment for the venture funding provided.

Submissions are due June 10.

As if Apple needed any more buzz the week before its iPad goes on sale, the Wall Street Journal today is reporting that a new iPhone is coming this summer and Apple's preparing a CDMA version of its hit phone for Verizon Wireless.

It credits "people briefed on the matter" and received no comments from the companies.

After spending a few days with the latest phone that Steve Jobs doesn't want you to have, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

I'm talking about the HTC HD2, a striking gray slab with an enormous 4.3-inch display - the largest touch-screen of any phone now available in the U.S.

The 4G phone race is on. Sprint and HTC announced a 4G-3G combo phone they'll begin selling this summer.

"Not only is this feature-rich device incredible on our Sprint 3G network, but Sprint 4G speeds will take mobile multimedia, including live video streaming, gaming and picture downloads, to a whole new level," Sprint Chief Executive Dan Hesse said in the release, issued from CTIA.

Pricing of the HTC EVO 4G will be released later, but you can take a leap by pre-registering for the device today at Sprint.com.

The EVO has a 4.3-inch touchscreen 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8 megapixel autofocus camera with HD-capable video camcorder, plus a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera.

It also has a built-in hotspot feature that lets up to eight WiFi devices share its 4G connection. That could make it a great accessory to devices like the WiFi only version of the iPad, or help make friends at a coffee shop or bar with a poor connection.

Spring and HTC poked at Apple in the release, mentioning that the EVO's support of Adobe Flash "ensures that rich Internet content, such as embedded video and animation, are displayed the way they are meant to be seen."

The EVO has the HTC Sense interface, plus features such as a "Friend Stream" that aggregates updates from social networks and a "polite" ringre that quiets a ringing phone when it's picked up, the release said.

News of the device follows Clearwire's announcement that it's bringing 4G service to more cities, including Los Angeles, and will reach 120 million people by the end of the year.

T-Mobile's also talking up improvements to its 3G network, the majority of which will be upgraded to near 4G speeds with HSPA+ technology by year-end, reaching 185 million people.

A few images of the EVO:

Here's a video of Franklin Page, the Swype employee who broke the Guiness World Record for text messaging on a touchscreen phone on March 5, showing his technique on a Samsung Omnia II.

A Norwegian holds the record for typing the same prescribed 160-character text message without a touchscreen phone. Sonja Kristiansen texted the message in 37.28 seconds at Oslo City Shopping Centre on Nov. 14, 2009.

The record for fastest typing on a smartphone is held by Pedro Matias of Portugal, who typed a prescribed 264-character text on a QWERTY mobile phone in 1 minute and 59.8 seconds during the LG Worldcup World Championship at Gotham Hall in New York on Jan. 14, according to Guiness.

Here's the Samsung ad featuring Page that's appearing this week:

Two weeks after being sued by Apple for patent infringement, Taiwanese phone maker HTC is responding with a formal statement defending itself against the allegations.

The company's statement is a prelude to a legal response, still being drafted, that challenges the patent suit Apple filed in federal court, as well as a complaint it made to the International Trade Commission.

An HTC executive at its U.S. headquarters in Bellevue said the company has the support of partners such as Google. That reinforces the notion that Apple's suit is part of a bigger feud under way between tech giants that are all building roughly similar touchscreen smartphones.

"HTC strongly disagrees with Apple's actions," said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America in Bellevue. "We plan to use all of the legal tools that are at our disposal to both defend ourselves and set the record straight to the general public."

Mackenzie noted that HTC introduced touchscreen smartphones long before Apple's iPhone appeared in 2007.

"We started working on the first touchcscreen smartphone way back in 1999," he said.

That work led to the Pocket PC phone launched in 2002 with Bellevue's VoiceStream Wireless, which is now T-Mobile USA.

Since then, HTC has released more than 50 smartphones and worked with all U.S. phone companies, "vs. one single product at one single carrier," Mackenzie said, in another dig at Apple's iPhone business.

"We would not have achieved what we've achieved today -- including the partnerships weve developed with people like Microsoft, Google, all the U.S. operators, Qualcomm -- if we were a company that did not respect intellectual property rights."

Apple accused HTC of making and selling products that "incorporate, without license, many technologies developed by Apple and protected by patents issued to and owned by Apple and its wholly owned subsidiaries, including NeXT."

It asked the trade commission to block the importation of a number of phones, including the Nexus One that HTC makes for Google, the myTouch 3G sold by T-Mobile, the Droid Eris sold by Verizon and the new HD2 based on Windows Mobile.

Apple's suit specifically calls out phones running the Android platform backed by Google. A Google spokesperson referred by HTC, Jill Hazelbaker, didn't say whether the company would participate in HTC's legal defense, but provided a statement praising HTC for helping to make Android a success.

"The Android platform has seen tremendous adoption all over the world, and we are proud of all our partners who have made it such a success," she said via e-mail. "In less than a year and a half since HTC shipped the first Android device, there are now 26 devices with 60 carriers in 49 countries and 19 languages powered by Android."

Mackenzie wouldn't comment specifically on the lawsuit but said Apple's responding to HTC's success.

"We are experiencing more success than we've ever had in the U.S. market today. We've got great products at all the major operators," he said. "We're obviously having this conversation because of that and because of those successes we've had."

So far the lawsuit hasn't had an effect on HTC's business or plans for upcoming phones.

"I haven't seen any impact to our business since this case,'' he said.

London-based mobile app seller GetJar created a stir today by releasing a study saying the mobile apps business will grow to $17.5 billion by 2012.

With 4 billion-plus mobile phone users around the world, that suggests an average of $4 per user generated by mobile apps.

Downloads of mobile apps will grow from 7 billion in 2009 to nearly 50 billion in 2012. The value of apps sold would then be greater than sales of music CDs, the study said.

Also predicted is a continuing shift away from "on deck" apps distributed by phone companies toward downloads from app stores, such as GetJar. The study predicted that on-deck applications' share of sales will fall to 23 percent, from 60 percent in 2009.

By 2012, Europe will be a bigger market for apps than the U.S., spending $8.5 billion versus $6.7 billion.

Asia now accounts for the most downloads, but consumers there spend far less on them than North Americans -- they're spending an average of 10 cents per app, vs. the $1.09 spent in this region.

The study predicts the overall average selling price of apps will fall 29 percent, from its current level around $1.90, but ad revenue from apps is expected to stay flat.

GetJar also predicted a shakeout in the number of app stores, which grew from eight to 38 last year and will continue growing this year.

"This report signifies a battle for survival of the fittest among app stores worldwide -- with app revenue and growth opportunities growing significantly," Chief Executive Ilja Laurs said in the release. "There is no way that this many app stores will survive in the long term and while the value of the global app economy is set to be astoundingly high by 2012, we think only a few app stores will share this revenue."

The study was done for GetJar by Issaquah mobile consultant Chetan Sharma. GetJar has other local ties; its vice president of sales, Bill Scott, is a Seattle native who used to work at InfoSpace.

Microsoft's loving Gizmodo lately.

Steve Ballmer displayed Gizmodo's gushing take on the upcoming Windows 7 phone during his speech at UW today.

Meanwhile, the gadget blog has an early glimpse of Microsoft's "Pink" phone, which its sources say is coming to Verizon in April and built by Sharp. Here's a screenshot from the blog:

The long-awaited consumer phone is geared toward avid social networkers, apparently aiming for the spot the Sidekick had early on. Pink is the product of the Sidekick development team, which Microsoft acquired in February 2008.

Also coming with Pink is a more horizontal version (his and hers?) called Pure. Gizmodo's report says they're based on a version of Windows CE.

I wonder if the next Google phone -- the Nexus Two -- will use the same industrial design as the Android-based "Devour" phone that Motorola unveiled this morning.

Motorola's said it's going to build a Nexus and Google has hinted that it will sell one with a keyboard, so how about Devour hardware with a faster processor and better camera? I've asked both companies if this is the case (ha ha) and will update if they clarify.

Update: A Google spokeswoman said: "All I can say publicly is that the Nexus One is the first in what we expect to be a series of products, which we will bring to market with our operator and hardware partners." Moto's rep said "We can't comment on rumor, speculation or future plans."

The Devour announced today is a slider with a keyboard plus a 3.1-inch touchscreen, full HTML browser, 3 megapixel camera and 8 gig memory card.

Verizon is going to start selling the phone in March, but announcing it today gets ahead of the herd of new phones that will be announced this month around the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona.

Devour specs:

Microsoft's great hope for the phone business - Windows Mobile 7 - will be released to phone companies in September and could appear on devices by Christmas, according to a report in Taiwan's DigiTimes, which has sources at phone manufacturers.

It's no secret Microsoft will talk up WinMo7 at the Mobile World Congress conference starting in Barcelona on Feb. 15, but the actual release date has been vague - perhaps because Microsoft is giving itself wiggle room to get everything done.

But DigiTimes reports that Microsoft's sharing a roadmap for the software's release with partners.

The software's expected to have an entirely new interface and, as noted in the DigiTimes piece, will incorporate Zune, Xbox Live and the Silverlight presentation platform - implying the phones will support music, movies and games available through Microsoft's online services.

From DigiTimes:

Based on the roadmap, WM7 will be available to Microsoft's handheld hardware partners in September 2010, allowing them to roll-out WM7-based devices in the fourth quarter 2010 or early first-quarter 2011, the sources indicated.

However, only English and common European languages will be available initially, with the availability of the Asian localizations slated for 2011, said the sources, noting that the late availability of the Asian versions has been interpreted by some market watchers as a delay.

Companies building Windows Mobile 7 phones include Samsung, LG, Toshiba, HTC, Asustek and Acer, the report said.

I wonder if any of them will use it for a tablet-sized media/browsing device ...

T-Mobile this morning said Eric Clapton's lending his name to the company's new myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition - the one with a sunburst wood-grain, guitar like design.

Clapton's appearing in the company's ads and his songs "Layla," "My Father's Eyes," "Rock 'N' Roll Heart" and "Wonderful Tonight" will be preloaded on the HTC device. Also included are songs from Wyclef Jean, Avril Lavigne and Brad Paisley and the "Guitar: Solo" and "Musical Light" applications.

T-Mobile is also contributing Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, which benefits a drug treatment center in Antigua. I wonder if they thought it would be held at the shopping center near T-Mobile USA's Bellevue headquarters?

The phone goes on sale for Jan. 20 for $180 with a two-year service plan.

It's the second Eastside company to lasso a celebrity spokesperson this week.

On Tuesday Nintendo - which has its U.S. headquarters in Redmond - said Beyonce will do more promotion of the DS and its "Style Savvy" fashion game.

Beyonce last year pitched "Rhythm Heaven" for the DS. For "Style Savvy," she's providing downloadable designs from the Dereon clothing line she and her mother, Tina Knowles, created.

BillShrink.com updated its handy dandy phone cost comparison chart, adding Google's Nexus One.

Bottom line: It'll cost you $2,579 over two years, a hair more than a Palm Pre but less than an iPhone or Droid.

A big batch of information about mobile phones and carriers is appearing in the January issue of Consumer Reports, including results of a survey ranking the top carriers in 26 U.S. cities.

Verizon is tops -- nailing customer support, voice and data service -- "but it tends to be costly," with one in five saying high cost is their top complaint, the mag's release said.

T-Mobile USA was the next highest rated provider "in overall satisfaction, and worth considering as a good value for some. However, the carrier received lower marks in voice, messaging, Web and e-mail services."

Sprint and AT&T were ranked lowest, taking hits for customer service. "While AT&T's main weak spot is voice connectivity, they also scored below average in every attribute except Web access and texting," the release said.

"America is in love with the cellphone, but they are lukewarm about cellphone service," said Paul Reynolds, electronics editor at Consumer Reports. "They're especially concerned about its cost in these tight economic times."

Yet the magazine and its survey respondents are still huge fans of the AT&T exclusive iPhone. Here's a summary of its phone picks, by carrier.

On Verizon: The $100 LG enV Touch is "an impressive phone and multimedia device enhanced with touch-screen navigation and a Qwerty keyboard for easier e-mailing and texting." The $40 LG VX8360 "is a very good, straightforward cellphone at a bargain price."

Verizon's $147 Samsung Jitterbug has "large buttons, free directory assistance and a comfortable earpiece. Negatives include pricey service and a thick phone that lacks common features."

Among Verizon's smartphones, the mag likes the $200 HTC Touch Pro2 and $50 BlackBerry Storm 9530.

On T-Mobile: Consumer Reports especially likes the $200 Samsung Memoir with its 8 megapixel camera and the $130 Samsung Comeback "with a keypad that facilitates phoning and a 2.6-inch screen and keyboard to satisfy texters."

Among Tmo's smartphones, it called out the $150 myTouch 3G as "the best choice for multimedia use with intuitive navigation, easy access to main functions and direct downloading of music, games, applications and services."

(I'm partial to the T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 2 9700 I began using a few weeks ago, and found out yesterday that its power cable -- which I'd misplaced -- uses the same connector as Amazon's Kindle.)

On Sprint: Consumer Reports calls out the $80 Samsung Exclaim as "a good bargain" with a "dual-slider design that slides up to reveal a keypad for phone calls and slides right to reveal a keyboard for e-mail and text messaging." Sprint's $150 Palm Pre "is a good bet for multitaskers with the ability to link contacts, calendars and messaging."

On AT&T: The magazine recommends the $150 LG Xenon, $125 Samsung Impression and $100 Samsung Solstice, which all have "large touch-screen displays and are compatible with AT&T's Video Share, which streams live, one-way video to a compatible phone."

The magazine said the $200, 16 gigabyte iPhone 3G S and $100 iPhone 3G from AT&T "ranked highly for multimedia use, with the best MP3 player Consumer Reports has seen in a phone to date." Its survey found a "staggering 98 percent of iPhone users were satisfied enough that they would buy the phone again, despite below-par ratings for AT&T."

Only 54 percent of readers it surveyed were completely or very satisfied with their mobile phone service, and 38 percent had switched carriers in the past two year to get a specific phone.

Relief is coming to iPhone users and others using AT&T's heavily used 3G wireless network in Seattle.

The company today announced a "substantial upgrade" of its network in the Puget Sound region from Everett to Tacoma, using additional wireless spectrum in the 850 MHz band.

"While specific benefits of the additional spectrum will vary by location, AT&T 3G customers should see improved quality and coverage throughout Seattle, Tacoma and surrounding markets," the release said.

The company said the upgrades are happening in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Renton and Auburn and Pierce and King Counties.

This comes as AT&T faces new competition in the region, where Clearwire is on track to roll out its faster, 4G network starting next month, and Verizon Wireless has been testing a new 4G service in Seattle with plans for service by next year.

The company's also in a spat over Verizon ads poking fun at AT&T's smaller 3G coverage in the U.S.

Meanwhile, AT&T's wireless traffic has quadrupled in the last year, driven by the iPhone and other smartphones used for Web access as well as calling.

The company's also providing 3G access to other devices such as the electronic books sold by Amazon.com and Sony.

Seattle-area upgrades have been made to its current 3G network using the 850 spectrum. They begin next year on a faster, HSPA 7.2 version that will be done in 2011.

The company's simultaneously adding nearly 1,900 cell sites nationally and new backhaul connections to support the mobile data traffic.

With one of AT&T's former lawyers now the incoming mayor of Seattle, the company may not expect much trouble getting permits for the new towers around here.

As mentioned in today's column on the Motorola Droid and the new book "Googled," I'll be interviewing author Ken Auletta tonight at the downtown Seattle library at 7 p.m.

Auletta has also talked to KUOW and Microsoft employees during his visit.

We'll post a video of tonight's talk afterward.

In the meantime, here's a picture I took of the Droid when it told me to walk and transfer to catch the bus that was approaching my stop in front of Harborview:

Here's a great chart from BillShrink.com comparing total cost of ownership for the Motorola Droid versus the iPhone, Palm Pre and MyTouch 3G.

Something to think about while Christmas shopping -- the cost of smartphones smarts.

The bottom line: Ouch.