As Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled the tablet-style iPad computer Jan. 27, many of his pronouncements were greeted with cheers. In contrast, his revelation that AT&T (T) would be the exclusive U.S. provider of high-speed wireless connections for the Internet-capable device was met with audible sighs.

The reaction reflects dismay with the performance of AT&T’s wireless network and concern that adding the iPad will only add to the strain. AT&T is the exclusive U.S. carrier of Apple’s iPhone, a device that already places heavy bandwidth demands on AT&T’s equipment. Even executives of the phone company concede the network isn’t up to snuff in New York and San Francisco. “Consumers may expect more from their iPad than the network can deliver at this point,” says Shira Levine, an analyst with Infonetics, a telecommunications market research firm. “There’s potential for more consumer dissatisfaction.”


If Cupertino (Calif.)-based Apple (AAPL) has its way, iPad users will consume a lot of bandwidth-hogging media. The iPad lets users purchase and download books, movies, and other large files. Marketers may also find ways to deliver multimedia ads and other content wirelessly to the device. If the iPad is successful, “the volume of data would be the same the iPhone consumes plus another 50%,” says Mike Manzo, chief marketing officer at Openet, a maker of software that helps carriers manage network traffic.

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It’s always a lot of fun for us — and hopefully for you, the readers — any time we can run wild with pictures, news, and even reviews of an unannounced handset. Today, however, RIM spoiled our fun and formally announced the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Things like carriers, release dates and pricing have been withheld for the time being, but RIM has made a statement saying that we should all expect to see the BlackBerry 9700 go on sale “around the world beginning in November.” Spec wise, nothing has changed since our pre-release review, but just in case some of you forgot or weren’t paying a whole lot of attention, here’s a quick refresher on the critical specs:

• BlackBerry OS 5.0
• 624MHz CPU
• 256MB flash memory and support for microSD cards up to 32GB
• Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA (800/850/1900/2100 MHz) or tri-band UMTS/HSDPA (900/1700/2100 MHz)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g with UMA support (carrier dependent)
• A-GPS
• 2.44″ HVGA+ display
• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
• Optical trackpad
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP/AVCRP
• 1500 mAh battery
• 6 hours of talk time and 17 days of standby (3G)
• 109mm x 60mm x 14.1mm, 122g

In short, this is the BlackBerry device of your dreams. We’re expecting pretty much every single major GSM carrier on the planet to pick up the 9700 sooner or later, so we’ll be sure to keep the updates coming. As always, high res pics and a few other odds and ends are available after the jump.

UPDATE: AT&T, Rogers and T-Mobile have announced they will be carrying the Bold 9700 in the weeks ahead. AT&T and T-Mobile’s 9700 will go for $199.99 after a $100 MIR on 2-year deals while Rogers will be asking for $299.99 on a 3-year contract with a monthly minimum voice and data plan of $45. Bell and TELUS have yet to come forward with pricing but have confirmed they will be carrying the device.

A family that texts together, stays together. Or at least it stays in touch better.

Today’s families with minor children are much more likely than any other household types to have cellphones and use the Internet, a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project reports today.

The phone survey of 2,252 adults, between Dec. 13, 2007, and Jan. 13, 2008, also shows that families use those technologies to stay in touch with each other throughout the day.

“It used to be in the old Dick and Jane days, husbands went off to work, wives went off to a different job or else stayed home … and the kids went off to school,” says study co-author Barry Wellman, professor at the University of Toronto. “And not until 5:30, 6 o’clock did they ever connect.”

But now husbands e-mail wives. Daughters call moms. Sons e-mail parents.

“There’s a new kind of connectedness being built inside of families with these technologies,” says Lee Rainey, director of the project.

When Jim Daly, an editor for a Web company who lives in Alameda, Calif., wanted to call his teenage daughter down to dinner, he called her on her cellphone.

He knew she’d answer because “text message and cellphone messages are much more important” to her, says Daly, 48.

Daly is in constant contact with his wife, a freelance editor who works from home, during the day via e-mail and cellphone.

So are millions of other Americans. According to the survey:

• About 89% of married (or partnered) parents with children own multiple cellphones.

• 66% have high-speed broadband Internet connections in their homes (compared with a national average of 52%).

• 70% of couples in which both partners have cellphones contact each other daily just to say hello, 64% contact each other to coordinate schedules, and 42% of parents contact their children daily using a cellphone.

When the Internet arose, some worried that it would pull families apart, Rainie said. But for perhaps the first time, this study indicates fairly definitely that technology is bringing them together by allowing them to have constant contact, Rainie says.

Most families say technology has either helped their communication with other family members or made no difference. Very few say it has made communication worse.

For some kids, that might become a double-edged sword, but Emily Wilson, 15, of New York City loves it. “For me, it’s really easy and it’s been a big benefit. I can always get in contact with (her parents) no matter what. I’m never out of touch with them.”

For instance, when Emily was shopping for sunglasses in Manhattan, she became concerned what her mother, who was in the Hamptons, would think of them. So Emily sent a picture — via BlackBerry — of her modeling the new shades. Within seconds, her mom sent a message back: Approval granted.

Now she says she knows “I can go shopping without my mom and have her approve what I’m buying.”

Her mom, a longtime techie, loves it, too. Her husband, Fred, likes to Twitter. Her whole family stays in touch electronically.

“We’re a very close-knit family,” says Joanne Wilson. “But it takes the connection to a whole other level. There’s a constant connection.”

AT&T announced on Monday that starting with March it would raise the prices of its main broadband Internet services. This decision will affect all of the states where AT&T operates excepting the ones acquired by the company with the buyout of BellSouth. According to AT&T’s spokesman, Michael Coe, the affected customers will be the ones having the slowest broadband tiers, ranging from 768 Kbps to 3 Mbps. So, the 1.5 Mbps service, which is the most common service among the company’s almost 14.2 million broadband clients, will also be affected.

Still, according to Michael Coe, the $5-per-month price hike will not affect AT&T’s new clients who sign up for the slowest broadband Internet service, as well as the ones who signed up under special promotional deals.

AT&T has already started to announce its customers about the price hike via emails or notices coming with the bills. The company’s arguments for taking this decision was that thus, “the value of our broadband service” would be better reflected as demand continues to grow for high-speed Internet services.

On Monday AT&T’s shares ended down 12 cents.