It's cold up here in Bucks County, PA today - so cold that Al Gore's ego froze in the middle of a speech on global warming. Of course, the former vice-president blamed the deep freeze on - you guessed it - global warming.
Thanks folks, I'm here all week. Don't forget to try the veal.
I'm tempted to blame the most recent Yahoo-Microsoft glitch on global warming. After all, if Big Al can, then so can I.
The Yahoo board shocked the tech industry, and Wall Street along with it, when it rejected the Microsoft buyout bid this weekend. I'll have more on that tomorrow, but my best guess is that the merger is inevitable but the Yahoo board is holding out for a bigger offer.
Otherwise, I spent a lot of time indoors this week, watching TV with the kids because of the cold weather. I must have seen 300 commercials on cell phones from Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint among others, and recognized that the next big holiday season ad campaign is on tap this week - no, not Groundhog Day - but Valentine's Day.
Obviously, the mobile phone companies believe that, even in a down economy, cell phones are a big gift item this year from loved one to loved one. So when I saw the following list of the most popular cell phones for this Valentine's Day, I knew I had a column idea, if nothing else.
Apparently, Valentine's Day is a big tech gadget shopping opportunity. According to a survey from Wirefly, an online consumer trends research outfit, the Blackjack II, the Samsung Juke and the Blackberry Curve top the list this week. All three models showcase the popular features lovers and other strangers are craving – converged functionality, form factor and hot colors.
“The top 10 list for Valentine’s Day offers a wide variety of features for all avid cell phone users,” says Brian Westrick, Wirefly’s president. “The variety speaks to the individuality of consumers today. Some want a full keyboard for faster texting, others want the hottest color or even their music integrated into their handset. Each phone that made the list is one of the strongest in its field, demonstrating that you don’t have to sacrifice quality in other areas to get the color or feature you want.”
According to Wirefly, the Top 10 hottest cell phones for your sweetie-pie this year are:
1. Blackjack II – colorful red smartphone with multimedia options;
2. LG Shine – the beautiful slider form factor in a red shell;
3. BlackBerry Curve – most attractive BB available with a full-feature set;
4. Samsung Juke – unique slim music phone available in red, of course;
5. BlackBerry Pearl (Pink) – versatile BlackBerry is compact and stylish;
6. LG Chocolate VX8550 (Maroon) – great music phone with external touch controls;
7. RAZR V3m Red – Classic RAZR is part of the RED campaign;
8. LG Muziq LX570 (Pink) – External dial control with streaming music;
9. Sidekick iD– popular horizontal slider with powerful messaging features for texts and IMs; and,
10. HTC Touch – amazing touch screen phone for the gadget lover.
I guess that if a dinner out and a dozen roses will set you back $150 or more, a cell phone isn't such a bad idea, service plan notwithstanding. Just make sure that, when you buy your lover a phone, make sure your number is the first one he/she calls.
If not, well, St. Patrick's Day and the promise of a day-long, love-lost bender, is only four weeks away.