3Screens

My World. Delivered....Here's What's Missing From the AT&T Experience Stores

There's the Apple Store and then there is Starbucks.

There's The Ralph Lauren Polo Stores.  And then there is Kiehl's stand alone stores.

Sure, one sells great computers, iPhones, iPods and tons of accessories, while the other services coffee and tea drinks I can hardly pronounce. 

Another sells a clothing lifestyle, while the other sells great skin care.

More than electronics, lattes,  shirts with ponies on them, or eye cream, Apple, Starbucks, Ralph Lauren and Kiel's sell a lifestyle and a form of destination retail theater.

The new AT&T Experience stores are functional, informative, well laid out, and practical.  You can get the latest cell phone, PDA, wireless accessory, learn about IPTV and all that technology jazz.

I buy certain gear at the AT&T store, but it's not a lifestyle destination for me. 

The staff at the Quarry store are great. 

They are nice to me and nice to my kids. 

But they are not engaging - not because they are not interested, but because they don't work in the type of environment that should be promoting social media, disruption, creativity, community building, and being empowered by the world's most extensive telecom networks and a history that makes it one of our country's greatest business icons.

All in all, the  AT&T Experience stores don't have a  soul.  And that's where the AT&T store falls short.

On Monday, I will be listing some specific suggestions as to what I would like to see in a re-vamped AT&T Experience store - and give it some soul.

 

Google Trends Illustrates Searches on AT&T's U-verse vs. Verizon's FiOS

Note search trends on U-verse vs. FiOS....

Firebrand Makes Its Debut As The First 3 Screen, Multi-Platform Network Dedicated to Commercial Culture

Firebrand, a revolutionary new network that programs only the best television commercials, made  its multi-platform debut last night on the ION Television Network at 11 pm ET, and simultaneously 24/7 with streaming video on www.firebrand.com. In addition, Firebrand will be available for mobile on demand and via iTunes’ free downloads.  AT&T has an agreement with ION to carry the network's programming.

Firebrand is claiming to feature the most creative advertising, best video game trailers and special promotions, providing a unique destination for commercial culture. Firebrand programs TV commercials the way music networks have programmed music videos.

As Firebrand premieres on ION Television, consumers will see a line-up of the familiar, funny, sexy, controversial, edgy, poignant, and downright ridiculous. In the first hour on Firebrand, viewers will see spots from renowned directors like David Fincher, catch commercials that feature great actors like Clive Owen, and view a new twist on a Madonna video in a spot all the way from Egypt. Viewers will also be able to enjoy some of the best ads from past Super Bowls.

CJ's (Commercial Jockeys) Are the New V-Jays Of Firebrand
Firebrand will enlist the aid of “Commercial Jockeys” or “CJs” who will guide the viewing audience through award-winning ads, exclusives, director’s cuts and never-before-seen-on-TV commercials. In its first month, Firebrand will feature commercial celebrities like the Dell Dude, Ben Curtis, Capitol One’s angel, Jay Klaitz, and the young star of Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Zach Mills. Each will make a guest appearance on Firebrand, talking about their favorite commercials, setting up spots and sharing their playlists

To kick off the holidays in style, Firebrand will launch its “Twelve Days of Firebrand,” with a daily prize giveaway that gets better each day. Prizes will include X- Boxes, video Ipod Nanos and a grand prize that includes VIP tickets to professional football’s biggest game.

All in all a pretty good idea, but.....

Chris Albrecht over at NewTeeVee has a very good post giving his mixed take on the Firebrand concept.  Read it here.

AT&T Launches 3G Wireless Broadband Network in Pittsburgh

Attention Pittsburgh readers....AT&T has announced the availability of its  third-generation (3G) wireless broadband network throughout your area. 

In addition to the city of Pittsburgh, the coverage area includes Monroeville, Greensburg, Bethel Park, Washington, Beaver, Cranberry Township, Hampton, Shadyside, Carnegie and other local communities.

So What Exactly is 3G?

• 3G enhances your wireless experience bringing you access to video, graphics, pictures, downloads, email and more—all at speeds faster than ever before. Access CV with high-quality video clips from your favorite TV shows, news, sports, and weather, in just 3 clicks.

• Access the wireless internet with the new MEdia™ Net and enjoy richer graphics, pictures and easy-to-use personalization options faster than ever before. MEdia Net details

• Get more done with faster access to email from Yahoo! Mail, MSN Hotmail, and AOL Mail. Mobile Email details

• Multi-task while you are on a call—search for movies times, look up directions, or send messages.

The good thing about having the 3G network, is that it provides the simultaneous delivery of voice and data — a capability not offered by all wireless providers.  A good example of this is AT&T's  Video Share  -  a 3G service that enables users to share live video over wireless phones while carrying on a voice call — providing a new way to share personal moments and key events beyond the capabilities of voice and text. Users can allow others to "see what I see, when I see it." Earlier this summer, AT&T Video Share was launched in 3G markets nationwide.

Customers also can use their 3G handsets to quickly access feature-rich wireless content, including videos, games, pictures and the latest music, entertainment, news and weather, through MEdia Net, the company's mobile Internet portal. With the 3G network, customers also can view razor-sharp clips through CV, an on-demand streaming video service that offers a comprehensive library of mobile video content from some of the top media brands.

The AT&T 3G network also offers AT&T LaptopConnect mobile customers DSL-like speeds for their laptops, with the ability to access the Internet, their company's intranet or corporate e-mail from anywhere within the 3G network. The combination of AT&T's 3G network and LaptopConnect — which simply requires a LaptopConnect card or a laptop with embedded 3G capability, software and an AT&T data plan — is ideal for customers who want to increase business productivity and need to quickly download large files, run corporate applications or access the Internet.

AT&T 3G customers can access the wireless broadband network in more than 220 U.S. major metropolitan areas. The company is expected to expand 3G service to additional markets by the end of the year. The 3G network is also available in almost every major country. Over the past three years, the company has invested more than $18 billion to build and support the scope and capability of its wireless network and to add 3G markets. This initiative ensures quality of service and empowers customers with fast access from their handsets and mobile devices. In Pennsylvania, AT&T continues to invest in its wireless network; it has invested more than $350 million over the past two years to increase wireless coverage throughout the state.

AT&T Introduces New International iPhone Data Plan That is Still Way Too Expensive

As much as I love my iPhone, one of the decisions I had to make was not use my iPhone when I travel overseas, particularly to Israel where I go a couple of times per year. 

AT&T Inc. last week announced a new international plan that gives iPhone users 50 MB of data per month to browse the Web, check e-mail and access other information in more than 29 countries, including Canada, China, Mexico and in areas throughout Europe and Asia.

The new Data Global Plan is available to iPhone customers for $59.99 a month, which is in addition to the domestic voice and data iPhone plan you get during iPhone activation. The Data Global Plan enables international voice and data roaming, as well as international long distance dialing from the United States at standard rates.

So...How Much is 50MB?  Where is MB Bean Counter?

Because of the volume of spam I get, and because of the volume of email, I still can't figure out just how much 50MB 'really" is.  At least with the BlackBerry, I paid $20 more per month on top of my domestic rate plan for global, unlimited email.  I am puzzled what AT&T can't offer the same to its iPhone users.

The plan requires customers to first purchase a domestic voice and data plan for the iPhone and is not available as a stand-alone offer. Normal eligibility requirements for international plans apply. Should customers exceed the 50MB bucket in the 29 countries where the plan applies, they will pay $.005/KB. Outside those countries, consumers will simply pay for their data usage by the kilobyte, at rates starting as low as $.010/KB.

AT&T also offers a 20MB Data Global Plan for iPhone customers for $24.99 a month. The 20MB bucket applies to usage within the same 29 countries, with overage rated at $.005/KB. Outside the 29 designated countries, the data usage rate is $.0195/KB.

You can learn more at AT&T's International Wireless site but for now, until they become more price aggressive, I am just going to have to pass.

Randall Stephenson, CEO of AT&T, is My Homie? Read the Interview at Gizmodo

One of my favorite techie blogs, Gizmodo, has a very good interview with AT&T CEO, Randall Stephenson.

It's more of a personal insights view from the writer's perspective.

One correction (or so I believe).  Supposedly, Randall reads blogs.  According to this profile, he was not sure what a blog is or was or what they do, let alone how they make money.

Read it here....

AT&T blue room to Host Exclusive Webcast of Austin City Limits Music Festival

Starting today, you don't have to  make the trek to Austin, Texas, the "Live Music Capital of the World," to experience front row access to this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival. I went two years ago and had a blast watching Coldplay and many of amazing bands.

For the fourth year in a row, AT&T  will host an exclusive, live webcast of the ACL Music Festival on AT&T's blue room website .

3Screens News Summary:

• From Sept. 14 through Sept 16, 2007, AT&T blue room will feature exclusive performances from some of the 130 bands that are taking part in this year's ACL Music Festival.
• The final schedule of performances for each day will be available at www.attblueroom.com/music beginning Friday, Sept 14.
• Fans can now listen to AT&T blue room radio, a 24-hour streaming online station featuring interviews and performances with past and present ACL performers.
• Following the exclusive webcast, selected archived performances and other unique content from the event will be available at www.attblueroom.com/music for all AT&T blue room visitors.

As part of the sponsorship, AT&T will offer festival attendees an opportunity to experience the wide variety of AT&T's communications services.

Fans looking to cool off can head over to the air-conditioned AT&T Digital Oasis or AT&T Experience Zone, where they can watch the live webcast, make free calls, download ringtones and check their e-mail. Festival attendees with wireless service from AT&T can rely on expanded wireless coverage at the festival site. AT&T has deployed a portable Cell Site on Wheels (COW), which will provide additional wireless coverage and capacity to festival-goers.

Fans can sign up for ACL text messages on www.aclfestival.com or by sending the text message ACL to 21234 to receive late-breaking ACL news, insider info, sponsor freebies and other information to guide them through the festival experience. Fans at the festival can send the text message HUNT to 21234 to participate in a scavenger hunt. Those who successfully complete the hunt will be eligible to win prizes that include an iPhone or a Dell/AT&T mobile broadband computer.

AT&T Reaches 100,000 Customer Milestone; Alan Celebrates With Free Milkshake Offer at The Olmos Soda Fountain

The phone company as we no longer know it,  today announced that its U-verse TV service has surpassed 100,000 customers, marking another significant milestone for the nation's largest deployment of Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) in the US.

AT&T's network currently passes approximately 5 million homes, condos, cribs, and apartments, with service available to nearly half of those households.  So do the math:  there's a current potential of 2.5 million homes they could plug into-   today.

Celebrating With 10 Free Milkshakes at the Olmos Soda Fountain

In recognition of this milestone, I am offering the first 10 AT&T employees who stop by our editorial offices at the  Olmos Soda Fountain , a free milkshake. 

You can be the Chairman & CEO, the CFO, or the guy who does all the legal stuff.

You can be an installer.  You can work at the call center. 

It really does not matter. 

Note:  if you are on the Board of Directors, you can certainly go by and visit Betty, but you'll have to pay your own way for a milkshake.  This is only for real AT&T employees.

But Wait - There's More!

In addition to today's announcement, AT&T outlined plans to enhance the U-verse TV experience by rolling out compelling new interactive features and content beginning later this month.

AT&T U-verse customers will soon begin receiving several new features that further differentiate U-verse TV from cable-based services, including:

    -- AT&T U-bar, which brings Internet-like content to the television screen
       in the form of customized weather, stock, traffic and sports information.
    -- YELLOWPAGES.COM TV, an intuitive new way to search for local businesses and other information using http://www.yellowpages.com.
    -- AT&T Yahoo! Games, available on the television screen, including Sudoku, Solitaire, JT's Blocks, Mah-Jongg Tiles and Chess.

But Wait. There's Even More...

In addition to these new features, AT&T U-verse TV will soon launch new content, including more High Definition (HD) channels. This expanded lineup builds on AT&T's already robust channel offerings. New channels scheduled to be added by the end of this year include Lifetime Movie Network HD, History Channel HD, Animal Planet HD, TBS HD and Versus/The Golf Channel HD. 

Memo to the programming guys at the phone company:  when are we getting Sundance?

Photos by Alan Weinkrantz (c) 2007

AT&T Kicks Off All-America Player of the Week Award

Now that my kids are back in school, football fever has struck the Weinkrantz household.

The phone company as we no longer know it, has announced that, for the fourth consecutive year, college football fans have the chance to vote for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week, a national honor determined solely by fans.

3 Screens News Summary

• Each week, ESPN will choose four finalists based on their outstanding performance from that week. The four candidates are revealed each Sunday at 9 a.m EST on ESPN "SportsCenter," via text message alerts and on the Web at www.espnallamerica.com.

• Fans can register to vote for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week throughout the season by text messaging "VOTE" to "87654"on their wireless phones. They have until 11:59 p.m. EST each Wednesday to participate in the voting. The winner is announced at halftime of the Thursday ESPN College Football Primetime Presented by Applebee's.

• There is no limit on fan voting, and each vote counts as one entry into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the 2008 BCS National Championship game in New Orleans. AT&T customers can visit AT&T's wireless NCAA® Football Portal on their handsets to view video highlights of each week's candidates, retrieve photos, check scores, track their favorite teams and download school ringtones.

• In December, four finalists for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year Award will be announced during a one-hour special on ABC in conjunction with the announcement of the Football Writers Association of America All-America team.

• Fans will then get a chance to say who the best player in the nation is by voting for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year up until the Bowl Championship Series. Voting ends on Jan. 4, and the winner will be announced during the BCS National Championship game on FOX on Jan. 8.

• Last year, University of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn was crowned as the AT&T All-America Player of the Year. He beat out Ohio State quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, Rutgers running back Ray Rice and Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. Voting for the 2006 AT&T All-America Player of the Year was the highest total in the three-year history of the award.

But Wait...There's More!  The New Ma Bell Has College Ringtones
This year, fans can also choose from more than 150 college and university fight song ringtones and download more than 100 college and university color logos on their wireless AT&T devices. For the first time, AT&T is also offering 3-D wallpapers and animated screensavers for more than 100 colleges and universities.

I'm on MN1.com (Internet TV) Today at 2:30 PM CST

Today at 2:30 PM CST, I will be live on MN1.COM

I will be interviewed by Andrew Coffey who I've gotten to know over the last year in my travels back and forth to their studios at InfoMart in Dallas. 

The interview will be based on my insights into being an AT&T three screens customer and this blog, 3Screens.net.

Just log on to MN1 and watch.