Many an unwitting shopper can be lured into a store with an enormous "50% OFF!" sign strung across the storefront. Even more so when the closure of a chain of stores is highly publicized like the recent closure of Circuit City. Unfortunately, the entire process of liquidating the stock of a store is rather deceptive. Walking past the "Everything must go!" signs and picking up a box marked 50% off could actually mean paying full retail.

First, a brief summary of what liquidation is. When a company is facing dire straits or has already hit the wall of bankruptcy they will— either voluntarily or by legal order—try to convert as much of their assets into cold hard cash as possible to pay off debts and hopefully return some money to their stockholders. The process is usually handled by an external company whose sole goal is to turn the pile of assets into profit—and minimize their risk in the process.

What does this mean to you, the consumer? It means that for the first portion of a liquidation sale you'll likely be ripped off. Let's use an HDTV from a fictitious company to illustrate how you're not actually getting the deep discount you think you are.

Last year SuperPow television company released the SuperPow H9000 HDTV. The manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was $2500. It was sold at HappyBox electronics stores for $2200 when it first came out and as newer models arrived it was eventually sold for $1250. HappyBox has a bad run and ends up filing for bankruptcy. Their inventory is now controlled by a liquidation company. The company responsible for the liquidation advertises that products in the store are deeply discounted, some things are even 50% off already! You walk in to check on the SuperPow H9000 and see that the price is $1250. You remember the TV was really expensive and that seems like a great deal for a nice TV, after all it's 50% off! The only problem is that you're getting 50% off the MSRP, which nobody paid even when the TV was the hottest model on the market. It may be a month or two into a large liquidation before that TV is actually marked down 50% from the actual street value to a wallet-friendly $625—and most likely someone not realizing they aren't getting a very good deal would have bought it well before that. Photo by mobil'homme.

How can you make sure you're not the sucker that the liquidators count on to reap their profit? With a little knowledge and some handy tools, you'll get the most for your money.

Know The Market

Don't go shopping blind. If you're heading to a going-out-of-business sale, take a few minutes to do some cursory research on whatever it is you're looking to buy. Compare prices with price comparison engines like BeatMyPrice and make sure to check out deal-tracking forums like SlickDeals and FatWallet—both were reader favorites for finding the best deals online. You may not even know the exact model you're going to find at the store, but checking deal sites like FatWallet will give you an idea what the general price ranges are for things and what deals can be had on them. A 40" HDTV "marked down" to $1500 won't look so appealing when you know that similar models are going for half that thanks to a little research. Photo by Refracted Moments.

Use Your Phone as a Price Checker

If you have an internet-enabled phone with you, it's easy to compare prices right in the store. The quickest, if least specific, method is to plug the product name or model number into the mobile version of Google Product Search. If you're without internet access but you can text message, you can take advantage of the Amazon/eBay price-comparison mashup provided by MobSaver. Text the ISBN or UPC code of an item to save@mobsaver.com and it sends you back the current prices on Amazon and eBay. When you're really in a bind you can use—as I've often done—the most analog method and call a friend to run a quick price search online for you. A few minutes pecking on your phone or making a call can save you hundreds. Photo by gabofr.

It's never a good sign when companies are shuttering their windows—for the economy or for the displaced workers—but that doesn't mean you should pay extra for their bad luck. Armed with the tips above you'll never be the sucker paying MSRP for 2007's castoffs. If you have your own learned lessons about liquidation sales, sound off in the comments below and help save your fellow readers some cash.

The Financiapocalypse can't stop Christmas, but it can sure as hell suck some of the joy out of it. At the very least, it's probably making you reconsider just how much you wanna spend on toys for yourself and others this holiday season. You're probably looking to cut corners here and there, on dollar-store Christmas lights, iPod knockoffs and the like. That's all fine and dandy, but we've made a list of things you can't afford to cheap out on, because doing so will bite you in the ass later. Still, since we like you, we're also sharing how to save a bit of money in the process, so the whole not-cheaping-out thing doesn't hurt as much.

Graphics Cards

When you're configuring a laptop online, you get a ton of options unless it's a Mac (ooooo burn). Anyway, the popular wisdom is that juicing the processor is always the best way to allocate your dollars to boost performance, since more megahertz is more betterer, right? Wrong. Take this Dell Studio configuration here. Spending $75 on the discrete ATI Mobility Radeon is a way better buy than $50 200MHz upgrade to the processor.

The performance difference those couple hundred megahertz buys you is negligible, while a discrete graphics card from ATI or Nvidia will deliver serious performance benefits over Intel's integrated graphics crap. This is especially true if you do even light 3D gaming, HD video playback or anything else mildly graphically intensive like running Vista's Aero interface (oooo another burn). Also, if you plan to keep a laptop for more than two years, buying the graphics card makes it more future-proof, since Windows 7—and many resource-intensive apps—will grab hold of graphics cards for extra computing muscle, too.

Memory

Memory (aka RAM) is another place to sock your computing dollars instead of blindly bumping up the megahertz. Adding RAM almost always gives your computer a more noticeable performance boost for the same price (especially if you're going from like 1GB to 3GB), allowing you to multitask more and run crazier programs without dragging your computer down. And really, you shouldn't even try to run Windows Vista on anything less than 2GB. (If you can get 4GB and run Vista 64-bit, that's really magical.)

There is a trick to this, however. You don't buy the extra RAM as part of the computer configuration process, since your computer maker of choice will charge you by the arse-hairs for it. Instead, if you're comfortable doing an at-home installation, buy a laptop with the lowest amount of RAM, then buy it separately from Newegg, who even has a helpful tool to pick the right RAM that won't blow up your computer. Crunch the numbers first, of course, but chances are, in big RAM jumps, you will save money.

Another memory tip for those taking the not-as-hard-as-it-sounds cost-cutting step of building their own desktop PC: DDR2 memory is significantly cheaper than DDR3 memory ($60 vs. $120), and at equivalent speeds, the performance difference isn't very noticeable. Your best bet—following our not-skimping guidelines—is to get twice as much DDR2 memory for the same price.

Camera Lenses

The secret about DSLRs that Nikon and Canon don't wanna tell you in the middle of their arms race is that what really matters is the glass—the lens. A Canon 20D—or hell, an XT—with an awesome lens will take better pictures than a 40D with a crummy lens every single time. Besides, if you really want to maximize your DSLR's potential, you're going to need to expand beyond the kit lens that came in the box. It's literally like getting new glasses after a decade of avoiding the eye doctor. Unfortunately, like glasses, camera lenses are one of those things where price really does tend to be commensurate with quality. Don't expect fire sales.

Don't go crappy, instead go used. A used or refurbished lens is always cheaper than a brand new one. Of course, you should always buy from a reputable retailer with a good warranty and return policy, in case there's something wonky with it. (That applies for new lenses too, really.) Here's a list of places to buy used Canon glass. With older lenses, there might be a few caveats like the lack of autofocus, but as Charlie at Gadget Lab notes in his account of using some more "antique" Nikon glass, the experience with those limitations can actually be rewarding, and help you learn about more photography in the process. (And isn't learning why you got a DSLR in the first place?)

If the used route frightens you, another approach is to go with a cheaper camera, and spend the extra money on quality glass. And guess what? Just because a new camera model pops out every six to nine months, it doesn't magically make the older models take less excellent pictures.

Portable GPS Navigation Devices

What? The GPS navigation in your phone isn't enough? Okay, it probably isn't if you actually get behind a wheel to go places. There are lots of GPS navigation devices, and some of them look pretty good for pretty cheap. We're gonna get real specific with our advice here: Get a Garmin Nuvi. Every. Time.

We've road-tested pretty much every navigation device out there, from the smartest cellular connected machines to the dumbest WinCE systems falling off the truck from China, and time and again, we come back to the Nuvi. That's not to say you have to spend $200 more on a navigator. Maybe you could track down last year's top models that are now on sale. The maps wouldn't have changed that much in 12 months. Regardless, even if the Garmin is $25 or $50 more than the TomTom or Magellan on the shelf next to it, get the Garmin. The product will last longer and be more simple to use, resulting in your happiness and the happiness of the people stuck in the car with you. It's worth the extra scratch.

Headphones

Like liquor, strippers and accountants, when it comes to headphones, you get what you pay for. In this dimension there's no such thing as good $2 headphones. You might tolerate them because you know don't any better (or you are simply a knowing masochist) but I guarantee you, they sound like the Tin Man's rusty ass.

You may recall that our amazing, extensive no-BS headphones battlemodo breaks down the best and the worst in every price category worth considering, and is a great place to start. The trend of the piece, you might notice, is that you can't go wrong with Shures, which don't cost as much as some audiophile earphones, but generally have list prices starting at $100. Good news, my favorites for the money, Shure's E2c sound-isolating headphones, now can be had for $60 easy, or as low as $40 on sale. Some people prefer those to their current replacement the SE110 (the E2c's are slightly bassier), that list for $100 but sell for $75 at Amazon at the moment. I know that a few editors at Gizmodo prefer the SE110s, but either way, the "hundred dollar" headphones stomp the cheap-skate models.

That's the real point: The extra $40 for a good pair of headphones delivers such a fantastical world of difference—especially to those commuters and workout buffs who spend a decent amount of time wearing them—that it is very much worth the extra cash. The only "catch" is that you will finally hear how bad your MP3s sound if you ripped them at a super-low bitrate. MP3s under 192Kbps might need to be re-ripped, since you will hear actually, at long last, hear the compression.

Your Turn

Alright, that's five from us. Surely you guys have got advice on other gear and accessories you should never skimp on. If so, though, you better be prepared to share ways to buy them cheaper than list price. Retail is for suckers! Come on, let's hear from you in the comments.

More Advice for the Black Friday Fray:
• The aforementioned Ultimate Survival Guide.
• 5 Gadgets You Can't Skimp On (And How to Save Money Buying Them)
• Best of Black Friday Deals Complete Roundup">All the best deals in one place
• Plus these late breaking ones from Cupertino: Apple Black Friday Deals Include Some Decent Third-Party Discounts
• Warnings: 7 Crappy Black Friday "Deals" That Aren't Really
• How To Choose an HDTV on Black Friday (or Any Day)
• How to set up that new HDTV you just got.

Photochop Contest:
• Brutally Honest Black Friday Ads Showcase Retailers on the Brink

Why You Might Want to Avoid Shopping on Black Friday, altogether:
• 10 Reasons We're Doomed: Black Friday Edition
• WalMart Worker Trampled to Death by Deal-Crazed Black Friday Shoppers

[Complete Black Friday Gadget Coverage at Giz]

The economy sucks. But like Warren Buffett, you should be greedy when everyone else is skurred. If you've got the extra scratch, this is probably the best holiday season ever to buy an HDTV, since retailers don't want a pile of them going obsolete in their warehouse. But what should you look for in an HDTV? HD Guru Gary Merson—a dude who's reviewed 125 TVs at once—uses sophisticated gear for his own studies, but told us the five most important things that all the rest of us Joe the Plumber types can look out for when buying an HDTV.

You can't exactly load up a bunch of test signals and spectrum analyzers to carry into Best Buy to check out their TVs (though Gary has been known to do this). Still, there are some basic things you can look for beyond the specs, which are at times intentionally misleading. Once you've swept the reviews from the likes of HD Guru, CNet and Home Entertainment, giving you an approximate idea of the best performers in your price range, find out where they are and visit them in person. Obviously, the sets on the shelf aren't always properly tuned, but if the store is committed to making a sale—and they are more now than ever before—they should produce a remote and let you mess around to properly vet it for your living situation.

Contrast

The contrast ratio is the most important thing to look for in today's HDTVs. But don't be fooled by crap like a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio—it's truly meaningless, since there's not even test equipment to provide documented proof of the retardedly high numbers they throw out. What you can do, though, is check out the blacks. Bright whites aren't a big issue today—most TVs now perform admirably on that side of the spectrum—so blacks are the most important.

Take a dark scene, and cup your hands around a black area of the screen, blocking out all the ambient light from your view. What it's look like? Does it glow? Or is it really black? Next, how does it flow from dark to light? Is it a smooth gradation or is it a harsh step up? You want really deep, dark blacks and bright whites, but you want a nice even gradation between the two. Historically, plasmas have been better at blacks, but LED-backlit LCDs are catching up. Since the latter are ridiculously expensive, you'll probably find a better deal on a plasma.

Angle of View

This test is pretty easy. Stand in the center of the TV. Then move off to the right or left. How quickly do the colors start to turn unnatural or seriously lose saturation? If colors shift or fade quickly, you will have problems. You want the widest viewing angle possible—that is to say, you want the picture to look as good as far off to the side as possible—so people stuck on your sofa's netherparts aren't left out of the I Am Legend suckfest. As you can see here, even LCDs from the same maker can have different viewing angles:Vertical viewing angle is less important because you will generally place your TV level with your eyes while seated, but if you watch TV while doing other things, and don't have a fancy swivel wall mount, you should try to see how colors shift or fade as you crouch down or tiptoe up above the TV screen.

LCDs tend to have more problems than plasma in this regard—the costly, otherwise awesome LED-backlit LCDs are especially known to have reduced viewing angles. Microdisplay projection TVs, like the Mitsubishi LaserVue and other DLPs, are also subject to viewing-angle issues, mostly a reduction in brightness.

Static Resolution

Static resolution is a little difficult to comprehensively evaluate without test signals, but you can kind of eyeball it by looking at fine detail on a set. If you're watching a Yankees game—one of Gary's favorite examples—can you make out the pinstripes cleanly? On a close-up of a head of hair, can you see every strand? It's all about the details. On a crappy set, you just can't see 'em.

Motion Resolution

Motion resolution matters a lot if you're a sports or action movie fan. It's also fairly easy to test, just have them put on a baseball or football game. Remember the Yankee pinstripes? Sure they might look clean when a pitcher is chilling on the mound, but how about when he winds up? Or when a football player is dashing down the field, can you see his legs, or are they a total blur? On a set with good motion resolution, you wouldn't lose those details. Again, plasma traditionally has the edge here, though 120Hz LCDs do make up for LCD's inherent motion-blur weakness.

Overall Impression

This is probably the most subjective, though ultimately what really matters. Do you like what you see? On a great set, the picture will be crisp, the colors will be vibrant and rich (aka saturated) and it'll have a nice pop to it. As much as personal taste matters, the most "objective" way to evaluate this is to look at faces. Do they look real, with natural, smooth transitions from lighter to darker areas, or are there severe discrepancies between one area and another? Some older HDTVs gave standard-def faces a waxy look. Just take a step back and think about what you really think looks fantastic (within your budget, of course).

That should cover most of the basics of eye-on-the-tube picture quality evaluation—it's not the only thing to look for in an HDTV, but definitely the most important after price. And speaking of price, stay glued to Giz for heads-ups on the best TV deals to put all this new insight to use. And if you've got any other TV buying tips, let 'em loose in the comments. You can also get more in-depth info about plasma and LCD TVs here and here.

Something you still wanna know? Send any questions about TVs, Scientologists or Satan Clawz to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

Special thanks to Gary Merson!

The Apple Tax is a popular term for people who believe Macs are overpriced. It's usually screamed at the top of lungs (or the blog-commenter equivalent), but it's rarely been dissected. The truth about the Apple Tax is straightforward on one level—you will pay more for the same specs on a Mac—and surprisingly complicated on another. It definitely exists, but it's not a flat tax. Even avoiding build quality and OS differences by looking only at Apple products, a Mac's price tag is justified in some configurations while in others, it's downright punitive. If you're a PC user thinking about switching, or just a Mac user looking to upgrade, our comprehensive look at the Apple Tax is for you. It's what you really get for what you pay.

In the case of Macs vs PCs, you could argue that customer support, the Leopard OS and design elements such as the new unibody construction and glass trackpads are what make up the Apple Tax. The only problem with this logic is that, when you compare Apple computers alone with no PCs in sight, the tax still swings wildly.

Click on the chart for an even larger view

Here we've compiled for you two massive tables of raw specs. One covering the lower-end MacBook, new and old, and its best PC equivalents; the other covering MacBook Pros in the same manner. Each is organized by price, lowest to highest, in order to show value tradeoffs. While they're broken into two charts for readability, really you can think of them as just one—prices and capabilities of the MacBook line bleed into those of the MacBook Pro now more than ever before. Just because they're easy to read, doesn't mean they're easy to read, though.

Click on the chart for an even larger view

As you can see, in a purely spec-based, part-to-dollar fight, PCs win. HP's dv3500t handily beats the new cheap MacBook in specs—same Intel chip, more RAM, discrete graphics for over $100 less. Similarly, HP's dv5t essentially matches for the high-end MacBook Pro's specs for $1,000 less, and you can add Blu-ray playback and a 400GB hard drive—features not available on the Pro—and still save more than $600. Asus's m50V stacks up similarly for an even lower base.

Interestingly, Dell fares pretty poorly in comparisons. Pricing isn't terrible, but the chipsets used to get the prices are last-gen; we're still waiting for Dell to join the Centrino 2 party. The end result is that the XPS M1330 is neck-in-neck in performance with the new cheap MacBook—Nvidia says the integrated GeForce 9400M performs comparably to the older discrete 8400M GS—with a similar price. Same situation on the XPS M1530, which gets handily trounced, spec-wise, by Asus and HPs in the same price bracket. The point worth making is that PCs are not generically of better value—it varies from brand to brand. But what you save may cost more later in less measurable things like durability, or even customer support.

When it comes to Macs alone, here's how specs and prices stack up—surprisingly, this where the Apple Tax reveals itself to the be most sinister and disconcerting. Two things make looking at Apple's lineup right now extremely messy—the beefed-up specs (and price) of the new MacBooks against the Pros, and the end-of-life last-generation notebooks that are currently available at steep discounts.

Strictly speaking, the best value right now are the last-gen MacBook Pros—they're so cheap they essentially negate the Apple tax, and destroy the new ones in performance-to-dollar ratio. The older, discounted black MacBook is also a decent alternative to the new "cheap" MacBook model.

The real takeaway is that Apple's lower-end $1,000 models appear to be shitty value propositions. The performance gap between the cheapie white MacBook (available for $150 less at Amazon) and the new $1300 MacBook is significant. Thanks to the faster RAM and graphics upgrade, it's dumb to pay Apple $1000 instead of getting the new one. But its 2GHz processor is not exceptionally fast and it lacks a backlit keyboard, so there's an even more compelling case to step up to the $1600 model, especially when you consider the hard drive bump alone is $100. Like the bottle of wine second from the bottom of a wine list, that $1,300 appears to hold a slightly larger profit margin than its more expensive ilk.

The MacBook Pro situation is worse, especially when you factor in the oh-so-viable option of a $1700 last-gen MBP delivering the same basic performance as the current $2500 model. But even when you consider the $2000 config against the $2500 one, the pricier one holds more value: Double the RAM, video memory, L2 cache and more storage/speed. It's almost dumb to get the $2000 one. Except for the fact you're now talking about a $2500 computer.

The real takeaway about the Apple Tax is that it's regressive—that is, lower-priced models get hit harder. It's like a tax break for the rich, cuz it almost always makes more sense to buy the higher-end product, especially given that build quality, customer support and warranties are all equal here. This is especially galling now, since being able to configure a cheaper model with what you really need—just the better graphics card, for instance—matters more than ever in this crappy ass economy.

Correction: The previous-gen MacBook on Amazon has a combo drive; the current-gen white MacBook on Apple's site has an 8x Super Drive.

If you buy one of four bullshit accessory packages—going for $106 to $234, according to AppleInsider—Geek Squad will set up your phone and email for free. In other words, something they have to do anyway (activate your phone), and another that's complimentary at the Apple Store or easy enough to do yourself. Thanks, Geek Squad. [Apple Insider]

One point where a lot of the international carriers get you is in a lack of unlimited data. You can't be keeping a running total of kilobytes consumed this month when you pull your phone out of your pocket to look up a movie time or find a restaurant—that's just not the way this phone works, especially considering the range of data-consuming applications available. Many of the Euro carriers max out at 1GB before by-the-megabyte charges set in, which you'll suck down before you know it over 3G.

But on top of that, here are three that have found even more creative ways to reach into your pocket and/or piss you off.

Mobistar (Belgium): Ridiculous Unlocked Hardware Prices, With a Contract
Due to Belgian law, all phones must be sold unlocked. That means the iPhone is not eligible for a subsidy, and the 16GB will run you a massive €615 (that's $982). You can buy it without activation of a contract, but if you want to actually use the phone in Belgium with Mobistar service, they've still got you for a two-year contract, the most generous of which has a 1GB data cap and 540 minutes for €60 ($96)—kind of defeats the purpose of forcing sales of unlocked phones, no?

Rogers (Canada): Longest of the Long Contracts
Despite compromising somewhat by offering a discounted 6GB-per-month data plan on top of any of their regular voice plans, Rogers will still have you for three years. Insane. Plus you can only pair the 6GB promotion with any of their standard voice plans (not their iPhone packages), so you'll be paying extra for visual voicemail and SMS. And when you factor in the Canadian-to-US dollar exchange rate being $1=$1 right now, it gets even uglier.

Movistar/Telefonica (Spain): 3G Data Tease
Even though you can walk away with a free iPhone if you get on an expensive enough plan (Movistar hits you up either €15 or €25 per month for their iPhone plans on top of a minimum voice charge per month that ranges from €9 to €90, depending on usage), Movistar's "unlimited" data plans have an evil twist: after consumption of your first gigabyte under the Plus plan (or a paltry 200MB for the standard), your speeds are capped at 128kbps down/64 kbps up. Those are basically EDGE speeds, folks—according to our tests the 3G can manage 769kbps download speeds on AT&T's NYC network, which means for the rest of the month, you may as well save some battery by disabling 3G—you're not gonna use it. [A personal note from a Spaniard with a long experience dealing with Telefónica and Movistar: like always, the greediness and lack of vision of their execs—and by extension of most cellphone companies in this country—defies any description. Their secret mission statement remains the same: "screw the consumer when you don't have to compete with others". Which is exactly why I left my contract with them a long time ago, and I'm sticking to my iPhone classic until I can get the 3G somewhere else. — JD]

So our condolences to you, our Canadian, Belgian and Spanish readers. You're probably not alone though—there are still at least 49 more countries waiting for their iPhone launch, so the worst may yet be ahead of us. If you're getting screwed now or in the future, share below. You'll feel (a little) better.

[Rogers, Mobistar, Movistar/Telefonica]

First dilemma: Apple Store or AT&T?
The Apple Store is way cooler than any AT&T shop, so that's where the zealots, cool kids and attention whores will be lining up. But according to Gary at the ultimate Apple retail blog ifoAppleStore, they're also going to have the most stock (logically). His guess is that, based on the original iPhone's first three days of sales, "each of Apple's 217 stores should be receiving between 750 and 1,000 handsets for sale this time." Happily, you'll be able to check a store's next-day stock every night after 9PM.

If you're getting an enterprise plan, your choice is made for you too: You have to hit an AT&T store. But there may be other reasons to go to AT&T instead of Apple. AT&T's stock per store won't be as heavy as Apple's (Apple's controlling distribution, so they're going to favor themselves, naturally) but Gary says AT&T's allotment will be better than last time. AT&T wouldn't comment on how many per store, but Gary thinks north of 50-75, even in the boondocks, and another source tells us 100-250. Though AT&T wouldn't comment on the spread, logically, stores in more populated areas are going to get more. Our advice here is to plan and scout ahead: Drive by on the night before, or just early in the morning, and see if there are lines. If the AT&T store is surrounded by coffee shops and boutiques and has a line running down the block, maybe try one in a sketchier neighborhood. Oh, and no, you can't just skip the lines and order it online, at least for now. There's no word on when you'll be able to, either.

If you want a white iPhone, you may be out of luck: AT&T confirmed they would have both 8GB and 16GB models, but could not confirm they will have the white iPhone 3G. In fact, based on the fact that UK reports say there isn't a white iPhone in the whole of the British Isles, we're gonna go on a limb and say that either a) the white iPhone isn't available at launch, or b) it's going to be a devil to track down, like those pink iPod minis way back when. Best bet there is to hit the biggest Apple Store you can find, and sweet talk your way towards the front of the line. But there's no guarantee. We asked Apple, but predictably we have not heard back on this matter.

Camping out
If you're deadset on purchasing the JesusPhone 3G under the warm glow of the divine, you might just have to camp it out. Here's Giz's list of essentials:
• Laptop with lots of spare batteries (a solar generator if you can hack it) and a 3G card
• Beef jerky and Cliff bars (compact, easy energy)
• Adult diaper
• A friend you can pay to wait in line for you
• Patience, deodorant (more for us, than for you)

You made it inside!
AT&T has confirmed it's one per customer, period. No official word from Apple, but since they're actually sort of in sync here, we expect it'll be the same. Here's what you'll need when you get to the counter, straight from Apple: credit card, social security number, valid government-issued photo ID and, if you're new to AT&T, your current wireless account number and PIN. That's right boys and girls, no cash. And don't forget to sync your old iPhone one last time before you roll in.

Despite reports suggesting the contrary, AT&T has reiterated to us that you will have to activate in store. Like really, it don't get much plainer: "YOU MUST LEAVE THE STORE WITH THE PHONE ACTIVATED." They estimate it'll take 15 minutes. Apple's page also refers only to in-store activation, which they say will be mercifully over "in just a few minutes." Update: Apple retail chief Ron Johnson confirms in-store activation only at Apple Stores, while shattering our nimbler expectations by repeating the 10-15 minute blurb.

If you get there too late and it's sold out, don't hurt yourself (or others). At least at AT&T stores, you can go ahead and pay for the iPhone 3G, and they'll call you when it comes in. Then you can go to the store and activate it. Last year after the initial stock ran out, most people got their phone by the following Wednesday via 2nd day air, so we expect this year there will probably a fresh shipment pretty soon after initial run.

Don't fall for this stuff:
AT&T has told us they've taken steps to ensure you won't be forced by a rogue manager to buy an accessory bundle to get your iPhone 3G. You never have to buy an accessory pack. If someone pulls that on you, call them on it. If they insist, back out, report their ass to corporate and let us know. It's BS, so don't get screwed. Also, there isn't an iPhone insurance plan from AT&T. If they offer to protect your iPhone 3G for $100, it's a scam. Period.

Something we left out? Let us know and we'll update (they'll be at the bottom). Good luck and godspeed!

Update 1, Re: Family Plans: AT&T tells us that "the person in line who is buying the device must be the person who is paying for the device. If the person in line is buying for a FamilyTalk plan, the people who will get the device must be in line."

Update 2: You'll be able to check an Apple Store's next-day stock every night at 9PM.

Reader Mick received five ink cartridges in five different packages, most of which were ludicrously large for the single tiny box within. This is such an idiotically easy problem to solve that would have a huge impact on the environment. Let's start being responsible, online retailers. It's in your hands.

Have you received an irresponsibly-packed item from an online retailer? Snap a picture and send it to me at adam@gizmodo.com and I'll help you shame them publicly.

The scariest scenario is invasive "packet filtering," where companies look at what you're downloading and punish you for perceived misconduct. Comcast was the poster child for BitTorrent throttling before getting cozy with it to avoid an FCC smackdown, and AT&T infamously broached the idea of filtering its entire network for copyrighted content. Beyond packet filtering, there are two potentially more widespread ways big ISPs can try to bring down the Torrent mad: "Caps," already used by local ISPs such as BendBroadband and Sunflower, are set amounts you can download each month. Anything over that, like cellphone plans, means overage penalties. "Throttling" is the ability of the ISP to, any given moment, put the brakes on your connection when you're being too much of a resource hog. Here's where the ISPs stand on the tactics above and your pipes.

AT&T

We have said consistently that AT&T will not allow itself to become a policeman or enforcement agent on the Internet. We have also made clear that there is nothing inherently wrong with P2P applications like BitTorrent, which are advanced, and legal, technologies that are used and welcomed on our network... We do not block or degrade any P2P application to manage network congestion. At the same time, we feel that any company involved with the Internet should be concerned about illegal activity, whether it is identity theft or intellectual property theft, and should be prepared to cooperate in legal means of addressing such problems while protecting fully the privacy of our customers.

Update: AT&T wrote in with an additional statement: "We can't give you details on our specific network management techniques to handle times of high-volume" citing similar reasons as Time Warner, "but those techniques don't include degrading or blocking traffic."

Comcast:
Here's the statement we got pre-BT chumminess, though we now know that Comcast is moving to a more management style that'll temporarly slow all traffic, whether it's cracked copies of Final Cut Pro from your favorite P2P or YouTube, to a drip during congestion:

We have a responsibility to provide all of our customers with a good Internet experience and we use the latest technologies to manage our network so that they can continue to enjoy these applications. During periods of heavy peer-to-peer congestion, which can degrade the experience for all customers, we use several network management technologies that, when necessary, enable us to delay—not block—some peer-to-peer traffic.

Comcast is not currently using or testing any filtering technologies. We agree that copyright owners have a right to protect their content. We work well with them under existing law and will continue to work with content owners to find solutions to help support their efforts around piracy. We cannot speculate on what AT&T is doing or how its technology works.

Speakeasy
They got back to us after we went to press, but here's what they had to say on network management: "Our position on this is that [we] attempt to manage our network to account for peak usage so that we do not need to throttle bandwidth of customers pending applications in order to keep our pipes unclogged." And on content filtering: "Speakeasy does not currently do any content filtering, and at this time we have no plans to filter content."

The Takeaway
Since BitTorrent became a rallying point for net neutrality advocates (and caught the attention of the FCC) ISPs have made a show of stepping back from P2P hampering to shield themselves from both nerd backlash and FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's steely gaze. Verizon and AT&T, for instance, both pointed me toward their corporation-friendly "P4P" file-sharing development initiatives for more effective downloading (at an unknown cost), and Comcast has touted its R&D with BitTorrent.

All of that's a pretty effective smokescreen for moving to more hardcore capping and throttling, allowing them to cry "We treat all traffic equally, neutrally even!" while nuking all of your traffic without prejudice. Most people downloading the hugest amounts are probably not paying for all that content. And note that everyone except Verizon left themselves plenty of hedge space on the issue. Time Warner says it doesn't talk about it because it's afraid others will use it in marketing; well, Verizon is kinda sorta using their total lack of filtering as an underground marketing thing already, which is especially effective when coupled with FiOS's insane speeds.

Even with ever-higher speeds, bandwidth will remain an issue for ISPs as they try to cram more and more HD content down pipes you're using to download movies, swap music and other increasingly bandwidth-intensive applications. So more management is going to go hand and hand with more bandwidth, make no mistake.

But it doesn't have to be a bad thing, if they're smart about it. They make a genuine movement to smarter protocols and management techniques that don't hose anyone's broadband (like that P4P stuff, if it's really open), but instead help everyone squeeze every last bit out of it as efficiently as possible. We can only hope.

Luckily for Mr. Verizon, the building's super dropped by to make sure everything was cool, and managed to avoid being chop sueyed with his ninja super skills as the knife snapped at him like cobra when he opened the door. When arrested, Eric asked the cops "Did anyone get hurt with my knives? I wish they did." Since they didn't, the court thought it was cool to release this dude on bail. I love this country. [Newsday via Gothamist]

First, the good news: Comcast and BitTorrent are joining forces to "run BitTorrent's technology more smoothly on Comcast's broadband network, and allow Comcast to transport video files more effectively over its own network in the future." Yes, Comcast is going to embrace net neutrality completely by the end of the year, allowing all sites and programs equal access to bandwidth. Hey, that's a change of policy, right? Can't complain about that. That doesn't mean Comcast is now the ISP of choice for heavy BT users, however.

Comcast CTO Tony Warner says that "Rather than slow traffic by certain types of applications — such as file-sharing software or companies like BitTorrent — Comcast will slow traffic for those users who consume the most bandwidth." So feel free to use BitTorrent, just don't use it too much or your speeds will dip down to nothing.

This will probably lead to the end of all-you-can-eat broadband plans and force heavy downloaders to pay extra for all their bandwidth in the near future. But hey, at least everything is on the level now, right? At least we think so. [WSJ via TorrentFreak]

In the fine print that you "agree" to, Amazon and Sony say you just get a license to the e-books—you're not paying to own 'em, in spite of the use of the term "buy." Digital retailers say that the first sale doctrine—which would let you hawk your old Harry Potter hardcovers on eBay—no longer applies. Your license to read the book is unlimited, though—so even if Amazon or Sony changed technologies, dropped the biz or just got mad at you, they legally couldn't take away your purchases. Still, it's a license you can't sell.

But is this claim legal? Our Columbia friends suggest that just because Sony or Amazon call it a license, that doesn't make it so. "That's a factual question determined by courts," say our legal brainiacs. "Even if a publisher calls it a license, if the transaction actually looks more like a sale, users will retain their right to resell the copy." Score one for the home team.

There's a kicker, though: If a court ruled with you on that front, you still can't sell reproductions of your copy, an illegal act tantamount to Xeroxing your Harry Potters. You'd have to sell the physical media where the "original" download is stored—a hard drive or the actual Kindle or Sony Reader. Our guess is that it only gets more complicated from here. What happens when the file itself resides only on some $20-per-month Google storage locker?

For more details, have a look at the original, surprisingly readable legal summary:

The (Potential) Legal Validity of E-book Reader Restrictions By Rajiv Batra, John Padro, Seung-Ju Paik and Sarah Calvert

Many users are unhappy that e-book readers, such as the Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle, restrict the sharing, borrowing and transferring of e-books. While some argue that the "first sale" doctrine should allow users to transfer an e-book in the same manner as a hard-copy book, these contentious restrictions may be valid under current law.

The Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle

The Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle are portable media devices designed to carry and display e-books and other electronic documents. Kindle has a mobile broadband function that allows users to browse online content and download e-books while on the go. Alternatively, the Sony Reader requires users to download and manage their library of e-books via a home computer.

The contentious characteristic of both products is that they bar users from sharing their e-books with other users. For example, Kindle's license agreement grants a "non-exclusive right to keep a permanent copy...solely for your personal, non-commercial use." Consequently, Kindle users may "not sell, rent, lease, distribute, broadcast, sublicense or otherwise assign any rights to...any third party." The Sony Reader has similarly restrictive language in its license, but does allow users to copy e-books to several other Readers as long as they are registered to the same account.

The First Sale Doctrine

Some users have argued that these license restrictions violate the "first sale" doctrine. Under the Copyright Act, the first sale doctrine allows the owner of a particular copy of a work to sell, lease or rent that copy to anyone they want at any price they choose. These rights only apply, however, to the particular copy that was purchased; any unauthorized reproduction or copying of that work constitutes copyright infringement. For instance, you can't give away photocopies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but you can auction your paperback on eBay when you're finished with it.

When it comes to digital works, however, two complications arise: first, consumers might only hold a license to the content, rather than all of the rights that come from a sale; second, without a traditional physical container for each purchased work, consumers may not practically be able to sell their "particular copy" at all.

License vs. Sale

The first sale doctrine only applies to the "owner" of a copy of a work, so end users who acquire content by license do not enjoy the right to resell their copies. Whether a transaction is a license or a sale is a factual question determined by courts—even if a publisher calls it a license, if the transaction actually looks more like a sale, users will retain their right to resell the copy. However, as more commercial transactions involve the transfer of digital content—particularly commercial software—courts have struggled to consistently make the distinction between license and sale. Software is increasingly transferred with highly restrictive licensing terms, but federal case law has not clearly determined whether these types of transfers are licenses or true sales.

Kindle and the Sony Reader are following this licensing trend and creating restrictive licenses that users must agree to upon using the product. If these agreements are found to be enforceable licenses, they could serve as the legal authority to limit users from selling or otherwise transferring the e-books they download.

Amazon vs. Sony

Both license schemes are equally restrictive, but each product limits use in a slightly different manner. Amazon Kindle's use license expressly limits the extent and use of both the device and the digital media. The Sony Reader's restrictions operate in two steps: a license to use the device and a second license to use the e-book library software (created by Sony). In both devices, users are not allowed to circumvent or alter the pre-installed software on the device.

For digital media, Kindle's agreement allows users one permanent copy. The Reader, on the other hand, allows one user to posses multiple copies as long as they are all registered to that user. Both regimes are equally restrictive on the distribution, copying, and sharing of purchased e-books (to other users).

The reason for the differences in these restrictions is a result of their technical characteristics. Amazon's wireless store requires the terms to be agreed on initially, while the Sony Reader's reliance on iTunes-like software allows a separate use agreement. In effect, both agreements accomplish the same level of restriction, but you have a little more leeway with the number of copies with the Sony Reader.

Hard Copies vs. Digital Copies

Another possible complication stems from the inherent difference between transferring an e-book and transferring a hard-copy book. The transfer of a hard-copy book is just that; the physical transfer of one copy. The transfer of an e-book, however, requires the digital recreation or copying of that e-book. Because the first sale doctrine allows transfers of only your particular copy, and not reproductions or recreations, a digital transfer of an e-book is probably impermissible. Thus, users of Kindle and the Sony Reader can only legally transmit works by selling the physical media on which they are stored—be that the e-book readers themselves or the users' hard drives.

While the restrictions on e-books may initially seem inconsistent with the rights granted for hard-copy books, these differences are the consequence of new digital products outgrowing traditional copyright doctrines. Such issues are currently being examined by legal scholars and industry insiders, but only time will tell whether this degree of control over digital media is acceptable to society.

While Monster cables are of good quality and engineering, when it comes to digital signals, specifically HDMI cables, we know that its a better idea to buy a $5 dollar HDMI cable today, and then when bandwidth requirements go up in future specs of HDMI, just buy another $5 cable then. It's a lot cheaper than $100 HDMI cables from Monster. The exceptions come when you are running long runs of cable through a wall, where swapping cables is annoying and the signal can degrade (yes, the digital signal can degrade, as proven here, here and here.)

When it comes to analog cables, like composite and speaker cables, I for one believe you can get a lot out of midrange (Monster is midrange compared to some cables I've seen and used) analog cabling that has a lot of shielding for interference. More than Radio Shack stock cable? I don't know. But I'm sure cable outlets like Monoprice have lower costs for similar cabling. Did you know Monster Cable has a garage with Lamborghini showcars and throws a huge celebrity bash at CES every year? Not cheap.

Not that Monster is alone in this industry. All cable makers who sell through home theater stores are going to have a big mark up.

Q: I chose sides early in the HD DVD/Blu-ray shenanigans and unfortunately, made the right decision and supported HD DVD. What do I do now?
A: Try and sell your HD DVD player or Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on as fast as you can. Go list it on craigslist or eBay already. The mainstream hasn't heard about HD DVD's demise just yet, which means you can find some chump to buy your player and movies on the cheap. How soundly you sleep at night is up to you.

Q: Really? You mean my player is useless? Won't there be any more movies released on HD DVD?
A: A few more releases that are already in the pipeline might trickle out in the next couple months, but just watch as all the studios abandon the format and go exclusively Blu-ray. You're better off just selling off all your stuff unless you want to keep it around to win our retro Gizmodo tech contest of 2028.

Q: But what if I already have a gigantic HD DVD library?
A: It depends on how gigantic it is. If it's not too big, you can re-buy your library on Blu-ray. If it's huge, you might want to buy a combo player, like the one from LG, in order to ease your transition. Either way, you're going to be out a bit of money. You might want to just shoot yourself in the face now and be done with it.

Q: I chose sides early in the HD DVD/Blu-ray shenanigans and chose Blu-ray. What do I do now?
A: Besides calling up your grandmother to rub it in her face, there's not much you need to do. Just sit and wait for your favorite movies to come out on Blu-ray.

Q: Right, but how long do I have to wait, exactly, before I can watch Batman Begins on my PlayStation 3?
A: Beats me. Now that Blu-ray is the de-facto format, the studios should be falling over themselves trying to remaster their already released HD DVD movies onto Blu-ray. If we had to guess, it'd be within the year.

Q: OK, now that the war is "officially over," is it time for me to buy a Blu-ray player?
A: Maybe. It's still relatively early in the technology's lifespan, which means prices for Blu-ray players are still quite high when you compare it to the sub-$100 upscaling DVD players you can find at Wal-Mart. Plus, the BD library is incredibly thin when compared to DVD, so you might not be getting much use out of the player in your day-to-day movie watching. But if you really do want to get into the HD game (and have an HDTV to back it up), it's finally safe to buy a player.

Q: So you're saying that I'm going to be paying more for these movies on Blu-ray? When will the prices drop to DVD levels?
A: That's tough to say. For example, Superman Returns is only $14.98 for the DVD version but $23.95 for the Blu-ray version. It's going to take a few years yet for that 23 to drop to 14. If you had to force us to guess, we're going to say about three years. That's 2011.

Q: I don't buy movies, I rent them. When are Netflix and Blockbuster going to get in gear and stock a bunch of Blu-ray movies?
A: As soon as the major studios start releasing Blu-ray movies in bulk. If you recall the VHS to DVD transition, it took quite a while for VHS tapes to phase out, and this transition will be quite similar. Again, if you forced us to guess, we'd have to say 2010.

Q: Screw it, I'm convinced. I'm going to go out and buy a player today. Which player should I buy?
A: Unless you're morally opposed to gaming or having a gaming device in your living room, you should go with the PlayStation 3. It's software-upgradeable, plus it's relatively cheap even when compared to standalone Blu-ray players. You even get a gaming system thrown in.

Q: Speaking of gaming, what if I already purchased an Xbox 360 and want to be able to watch Blu-ray movies? Will I have to buy a PS3?
A: Maybe not. Even though Microsoft backed HD DVD and released an HD DVD add-on, they weren't staking their entire console on the format (hence, the add-on). This means that Microsoft has a big minus in their column when comparing the 360 to the PS3 in terms of high-def DVD playback. It's a hole they're going to want to patch up right away, so don't be surprised if you see a Blu-ray add-on for the 360 some time in the near future.

Q: Can you sum up what I, the average consumer, should do at this point in one sentence?
A: Wait one more year for the Blu-ray format to mature, for more titles to be released, and player prices to drop before jumping in.

That makes it $15 cheaper than Verizon's full everything plan for $149. (Although you can't compare the limited coverage of AT&T's HSPDA with Verizon's EVDO Revision A. Yet.) What else is rad? One Year contract for new subscribers, and no additional contract for existing customers! For those who DL a lot more than they yap, you can get unlimited data plans without signing up for unlimited voice. The plans will be available on 2/22. iPhones aren't legit for these data plans, since they've already their own $20 unlimited data plan, and the pricing doesn't quite fit. More details below:

Also, data cards and tethering limitations:

This new unlimited voice plan has no impact on our existing data plans. Our data plans are unchanged. The only data plans subject to the 5GB limitation are Laptop Connect plans for data cards and tethering plans, where your wireless phone acts as a modem for a laptop.

[Thanks Yoshi!]

AT&T To Launch Unlimited U.S. Calling Plan
12:47 p.m. 02/19/2008
$99.99 Plan Available Feb. 22 for New and Existing Customers
SAN ANTONIO, Feb 19, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ — AT&T Inc. (T) announced today new unlimited voice plans targeted to wireless users who want the predictability of flat rate pricing for unlimited minutes. The plans will be available to new and existing wireless subscribers for $99.99 a month for unlimited U.S. calling on all devices with no domestic roaming or long distance charges. The plans can be combined with any current wireless data plan to give customers the ultimate in wireless freedom.
The new plans, available Feb. 22, can be ordered at one of AT&T's 2,200 company-owned retail stores and kiosks, at http://www.att.com, or at one of the thousands of authorized AT&T retail locations. Existing customers can choose unlimited calling without extending their contract. New customers have the option of a month-to-month, 12 or 24 month contract.
As with other voice calling plans, AT&T customers can choose from a variety of data and messaging plans to meet their needs. For example, customers with standard wireless phones* can choose a data plan such as $5 for 200 text, picture, video and instant messages or $35 for unlimited messaging and MEdia Net access.
"We are pleased to offer our customers these great new plans that deliver value and simplified pricing," said Ralph de la Vega, president & CEO, AT&T Mobility. "This is a highly competitive market and we're committed to moving fast to meet customer needs."
AT&T customers benefit from the nation's largest digital voice and data network, with 3G broadband available in more than 260 major metropolitan markets. The company recently announced plans to expand its 3G network to 350 markets, including all of the top 100.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit http://www.att.com

* Standard wireless phones do not include smartphones or PDAs or the
iPhone.

Wal-Mart Moving Exclusively Toward Blu-ray Format Movies and Players

Bentonville, Ark., Feb. 15, 2008 - Wal-Mart Stores, U.S. today announces that its 4,000 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores will move forward this year with one hi-definition movie and hardware format: Blu-ray. The change will take place quickly over the next several months whereby the retailer will phase out HD DVD offerings and reorganize shelf space. By June, Wal-Mart stores, Sam's Clubs, www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com will offer only Blu-ray movies and hardware machines, as well as standard definition movies and DVD players, and up converts.

"We've listened to our customers, who are showing a clear preference toward Blu-ray products and movies with their purchases," said Gary Severson, senior vice president, Home Entertainment, Wal-Mart, U.S. "With the customers best interest in all we do, we wanted to share our decision and timeline with them as soon as possible, knowing it will help simplify their purchase decision, increase selection, and increase adoption long term. We anticipate enhancing our selection with continued great values in hi-definition Blu-ray products, so our customers can further enhance their entertainment experience at home."

Wal-Mart will continue to sell through remaining HD DVD product, but in less than 30 days customers will see a more predominant move toward Blu-ray in stores, clubs and online. As the nation's largest retailer, Wal-Mart thoughtfully reviewed all areas and impact in making its decision, and is excited to move forward with one format and share its future plans with customers.

AT&T is promising fatter pipes to boot—a necessity with the certain spike of wireless leechers. If you're not in the privileged classes, monthly subs that work at any AT&T Wi-Fi spot go for $20, while a two-hour hit runs $4. This all hits in the spring.

Am I the only one who finds it strange to suddenly see a Wi-Fi war in 2008, when we should be talking about mobile broadband, 4G—something a little less five years ago? That said, I'm not exactly one to complain about more, free internet access, however it gets to me, and it's good to see AT&T palpably improving its network assets.

More Than 12 Million AT&T, Starbucks Customers to Get Free Wi-Fi Access for a Rich In-Store Experience

New Offering Includes Two Hours of Free Wi-Fi Service Per Day for Starbucks Card Holders Beginning this Spring

All 100,000 U.S.-Based Starbucks Partners to Receive Free Wi-Fi at Starbucks Stores

Seattle, Washington, San Antonio, Texas, February 11, 2008

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) today announced plans to deliver AT&T Wi-FiSM service at more than 7,000 company-operated Starbucks locations across the United States. The initiative brings together two of the most recognizable global brands to create a powerful and convenient online experience for consumers and business customers. Starbucks and AT&T will offer a mix of free and paid Wi-Fi offerings at Starbucks stores to meet the needs of both frequent and occasional Starbucks Wi-Fi customers.

The initiative further expands the AT&T Wi-Fi network, already the largest in the United States, to more than 17,000 U.S. hot spots and more than 70,000 globally.

Beginning this spring, Starbucks Card holders can enjoy up to two hours of free Wi-Fi service per day at Starbucks locations offering Wi-Fi access, while more than 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verseSM Internet customers will have unlimited free access to the Wi-Fi service. In addition, more than 5 million of AT&T's remote access services business customers will be able to access Wi-Fi service at Starbucks locations. AT&T will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers.

"People want to stay connected to their world 24/7, and Wi-Fi hot spots, broadband and wireless make that mobility possible," said Rick Welday, AT&T chief marketing officer, Consumer. "Laptops and smartphones give us the online mobility we crave, and now millions of AT&T and Starbucks customers will get Internet access free from the comfort of their neighborhood Starbucks."

"This is what our customers have been waiting for — free Starbucks-quality Wi-Fi," said Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer, Starbucks Coffee Company. "Through our new partnership with AT&T, we also welcome their millions of current customers who can now come in and enjoy free Wi-Fi as part of their daily Starbucks Experience."

As an added benefit for the more than 100,000 Starbucks partners in the U.S., all Starbucks partners will receive free AT&T Wi-Fi accounts allowing them to use the network in Starbucks company-operated locations offering Wi-Fi access.

"Our new relationship with AT&T gives us the opportunity to expand and enhance the range of digital entertainment experiences for our customers as well as our partners, including the continued rollout of the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks," said Ken Lombard, president, Starbucks Entertainment.

In addition to the free Wi-Fi access for qualifying AT&T customers and any Starbucks Card holder, customers will be able to purchase tiered access to the AT&T Wi-Fi network at Starbucks at attractive price points. For a two-hour period, customers will pay just $3.99 per session. Monthly membership will also be available for $19.99 per month, and will include access to any of AT&T's 70,000 hot spots in 89 countries around the world.

AT&T business customers who subscribe to remote access services can also enjoy unlimited, flat-rate access plans at any Starbucks location offering Wi-Fi service or at other AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots.

Additionally, AT&T is providing Starbucks an enterprise-class network with increased bandwidth and redundancy. AT&T's underlying network technologies will enable a wide range of business applications and help Starbucks stores operate more efficiently.

"Delivering networking capabilities to help a world-class company such as Starbucks achieve greater business velocity is what we do," said Welday. "Our work with Starbucks is collaborative innovation at its finest."

The availability of AT&T Wi-Fi service at Starbucks will take place on a market-by-market basis with store implementation beginning this spring and completed by the end of the year.