AT&T

They say sequels often fail to live up to the original. That's not so with the second generation of Apple's iPod touch. Apple has managed to make the touch look better, work better, and deliver more features -- all for a $229 starting price, significantly cheaper than the previous entry-level $299 version. The changes, while subtle, are so significant that I give the second-generation touch a rare perfect score.

The BlackBerry Storm has been debuting around the world, but rumors are spreading about a possible shortage in the U.S. News reports also indicate Research In Motion discovered a security flaw in the Storm that has left Verizon Wireless scrambling to update the firmware in the final hours before its U.S. release on Friday.

Neither RIM nor Verizon were immediately available for comment. The much-anticipated BlackBerry Storm will be available exclusively from Verizon in the U.S.

AT&T and Samsung on Monday introduced the Samsung Eternity, yet another touchscreen phone. The differentiator is that the phone supports AT&T Mobile TV, and the wireless carrier is offering a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

The black-and-chrome device has a 3.2-inch touchscreen and haptic support that vibrates to confirm selections on the touchscreen.

Microsoft says it has realized several key metrics it set for the Live Search cashback program it launched in May. The program was designed to help merchants maximize their advertising investments and drive more sales by providing consumers with a cash incentive to buy online.

Under the program, the money that participating merchants would otherwise pay to Microsoft for online advertising is instead passed to online purchasers. Microsoft's payoff is the additional search-advertising traffic the program generates.

AT&T and Nokia on Thursday brought the Nokia 6650 to market to compete against other devices launching in time for the holiday shopping season. The small folding device runs on the Symbian-based S60 platform, which lets users personalize their mobile experience with third-party application downloads, themes and profile settings.

AT&T has a board seat on the Symbian Foundation that oversees development of the open-source mobile-phone platform.

AT&T Wireless Services has fired up a new 3G smartphone from HTC that combines a slide-out QWERTY-style keypad with a 2.8-inch touch-sensitive screen and intuitive one-touch access to selected functions. The HTC Fuze will let users navigate from one place to the next by touching, holding and sliding screen tabs.

Before you wake up in the morning, your iPhone downloads your news and tells your coffeemaker to start brewing. Then when you're up and you wave the device at your TV, the news feeds get transferred to your TV.

That's how AT&T's iPhone chief Ralph de la Vega envisions the popular Apple device in the future, according to a public discussion Wednesday at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

Lock Your Door, Start Your Car

AT&T has become the latest Internet service provider to test limits on bandwidth usage, with a trial this month of caps for subscribers in Reno, Nevada.

The company -- the largest Internet service provider in the United States -- said about five percent of subscribers use about 50 percent of capacity.

$1 Per Gigabyte

RIM on Tuesday introduced the BlackBerry Bold smartphone through its carrier partner, AT&T. Analysts say the device is poised to become the mobile-phone maker's flagship corporate product.

The BlackBerry Bold smartphone offers several ways for business consumers to connect, including global 3G capabilities, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi. The phone also comes preloaded with AT&T Navigator, YellowPages.com Mobile, selections from the AT&T Mobile Music service, and popular video clips from its CV service.

AT&T is preparing for a Election Day sales surge on Nov. 4, when Research In Motion's BlackBerry Bold will launch at AT&T's stores nationwide for $299.

RIM's new 3G smartphone, which features a QWERTY-style keypad and trackball navigator, represents another AT&T exclusive for its U.S.-based customers, said AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega.