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Alphabet's Loon forms advisory board to score internet balloon deals
Alphabet's Loon knows it needs to land carrier deals if it's going to turn internet balloons into a viable business, and that means tapping industry veterans who know how to make those deals. To that end, it just formed an advisory board that will help it find partners. The initial three members aren't household names, but you'll definitely know the companies they've worked for -- it's almost a who's-who of wireless.
Verizon: we will have multiple Windows Phone 8 handsets
Looks like WP8 is going to get a lot more love from Verizon Wireless than WP7 ever did. Big Red's Chief Marketing Officer Tami Erwin informed CNET that several Windows Phone 8 devices will make their way to the network before the end of Q4 2012. That means that the HTC Trophy will no longer be the sole Microsoft-powered mobile, and according to VZW COO Marni Walden, there might even be a Nokia handset or two on Verizon's network in the future -- no word whether the either of the new Lumias will make the cut. As for the hardware slated to show up in the next few months, Verizon's neither telling who's making them just yet nor when they will officially debut. But, it's good to know that folks will have the option of using Microsoft's new super-speedy OS on Verizon's lightning quick LTE network this year.
Verizon pushes for quick Windows Phone / LTE integration, tugs at Microsoft's pant leg
There's no question that Verizon's making a big push for LTE, but it appears that Microsoft has yet to take notice -- after all, Android continues to dominate Big Red's 4G network, with nary a Windows Phone in sight. VZW hopes that'll change, however, with CMO Marni Walden revealing that the company has "communicated to Microsoft that LTE is critical to us," suggesting that the ball is in Windows Phone's court. Meanwhile, Microsoft smartphone chief Andy Lees had previously confirmed that LTE functionality was on the Windows Phone roadmap, saying back in October that the company and its partners were looking at how 4G LTE support could be integrated. To date, Lees has declined to give any indication as to the actual timing for the first LTE models. In other news, Verizon has offered Microsoft a custom-made promise ring just to make sure its intentions were understood.
