Hasta La Gadget!

We were expecting something big to come out of Cellular South this coming Monday, but we definitely didn’t anticipate the company going all Diddy Dirty Money on us. Letting the cat out of the bag a few days early, the regional carrier is re-branding itself as C Spire. The name is apparently inspired by the company’s dedication to customized wireless services, and will become official Monday with a new website: cspire.com. The new service includes an app recommendation program, known as Scout, a rewards program called Percs, “social media integration,” and customer service initiatives known as Pulse and Circle. This new name also ushers “personalized plans” with “infinite data,” which C Spire’s CEO, Hu Meena, points out is actually unlimited, with no nights-and-weekends-style restrictions — except when it comes to streaming data (which will carry its own unique charges). He went on to say that the new services will come at no charge to existing Cellular South C Spire customers. And the whole shebang looks like it’s going to be an opt-in affair. More details await you in the very lengthy press release after the break.

Continue reading Cellular South renamed C Spire Wireless, becomes Puff Daddy of regional carriers

Cellular South renamed C Spire Wireless, becomes Puff Daddy of regional carriers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Personalized Wireless  | Email this | Comments

Does America need another wireless operator? Is the MVNO boneyard really due for another? Are you eager for a carrier that adapts to your needs, and magically delivers “stuff” that matters to you? Have you watched Napoleon Dynamite with your closest friends within the past week? We can’t promise that “Personalized Wireless” (or whatever it ends up being called) is destined to answer all of those inquiries, but it’ll at least strive to formulate a logical response to one of ’em. A newly-aired teaser clip promises a network of a different color here in the States, and the company’s product page (captured above) leads to believe that all will be revealed come September 26th. We’re surmising that this has something to do with either Comcast or Clearwire given the token “C” logo at the end, but we’d be happy hear other opinions of the origin down in comments below. Vid’s after the break, vaquero.

Update: We have it on good authority that the launch here relates to Cellular South’s recent buyout of a number of southern cellular shops, with this being the merger of those. There aren’t any details yet on what it’ll mean for prospective customers in that region, but it seems — at least for now — that this won’t be a national rollout.

Continue reading ‘Personalized Wireless’ launching September 26th (update: it’s Cellular South, and it’ll be regional)

‘Personalized Wireless’ launching September 26th (update: it’s Cellular South, and it’ll be regional) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Personalized Wireless  | Email this | Comments

It may not have live TV streaming yet, but Comcast has been at the forefront of expanding the cable TV experience to phones and tablets with its Xfinity app and pushed further recently, updating the iOS version and releasing an edition for Blackberry phones. On Blackberry it brings the usual set of features, including Comcast.net email access, remote DVR scheduling and trailers for VOD selections. On iOS, v1.60 adds a “previously played” button that can return the TV to previously watched channels, or start playing VOD content on the mobile devices right where you last left off. Check the official blog for more details or just download from iTunes or Blackberry App World.

Comcast’s Xfinity app debuts on Blackberry, updated on iOS originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 06:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iOS, Blackberry  | Email this | Comments

‘Tis the season for patent disputes and wireless industry takeovers, or so a recent glut of moves would indicate. Shedding a little light on Clearwire’s recently announced allegiance to LTE, Bloomberg is reporting that the company’s currently in talks to sell its business to Sprint, and perhaps secure the funding it so desperately needs for a network build out. According to several insider sources, the third place wireless carrier’s considering a joint investment (amongst other options) with Comcast, Cablevision and Cox, that would give the cablers a bundled high-speed, wireless broadband competitive advantage, and Sprint an LTE boost in its battle against AT&T and Verizon’s rival 4G networks. None of the players in this rumored takeover have yet to comment on the purported transaction, although the business gossip has had quite an uplifting effect on Clearwire’s shares. While we can’t speculate as to the veracity of the claim, we know one thing for sure — that LTE network’s not gonna build itself.

Sprint in alleged talks to acquire Clearwire, cablers huddle ’round for some LTE pie originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mobile Burn  |  Bloomberg  | Email this | Comments

Gizmodo wants to fix your cable. All this week, we’re going to take a long-hard look at the cable industry, and how to improve it. We want to fix cable, and we need your help to make it happen. More »