The Technology Challenge is an annual state-wide competition among high school students in Louisiana. Every high school in Louisiana can enter a single team composed of up to 15 students under the guidance of a designated Team Coach. On the morning of the competition, during regular school hours, each school team meets at a reserved computer lab at their respective high schools. Each team needs an Internet-accessible computer to complete the challenging tasks. This event is a virtual field trip, without the costs of travel.

This competition recognizes and acknowledges students interested in demonstrating their creative use of technology and teamwork skills. As Louisiana prepares for a brighter future, our schools need to encourage students to apply skills that will help them to productively contribute in a modern and progressive society through teamwork. The main purpose of this competition is to demonstrate how our students can use technology creatively, in a team, for productive life-long learning

Mission Of The Technology Challenge

The LA High School Online Tech Challenge was started by The University of Louisiana of Monroe with the mission to promote enthusiastic support for more active involvement of students in active learning opportunities.  The challenge also helps:

• instill a passion for learning through teamwork
• actively recognize and share excellent student work
• celebrating outstanding student achievement
• promoting community, school, and business partnerships that support learning with technology.
• promoting meaningful achievement
• attracting more students, particularly females and minorities, to professional and technical careers dealing with technology.

Registration Deadline

The registration deadline is Friday, February 10, 2012. Any high school in Louisiana is eligible for free registration in this online state-wide competition. This annual online technology competition encourages high school students to prepare for Louisiana's future through a competition of technology-based teamwork activities.  Every high school in Louisiana is welcome to participate in this educational event by registering a student team. Since 2006, well over 3,000 high school students have participated in this annual online event held during regular school hours in a high school's computer lab.

And what do you do with it all when the semester's over? You did well in classes, so you don't need the textbooks any more, and it's going to be really hard to fit that fridge in the car for the drive home. There are always used-textbook stores or “book exchange” storefronts around big schools, but they peel off a percentage of your selling price for overhead. The amount of money you get back makes you wonder if it was all worth the bother.

Some schools (like the University of New Orleans, once upon a time in the dark ages, when I was an Education major there) will set up non-profit book-exchange programs, run by student government or other organizations. This is 2012, however, and that means there ought to be an Internet-based solution, right? You bet.

GivePals.com home page

Enter GivePals.com, developed by a group of folks who attend or graduated from the University of Houston. The site kicked off in October, 2010, and now has over 2000 users.

What's the idea? GivePals.com goes back to a business model that Facebook used but abandoned years ago: keep a lid on “user communities” within the site. When Facebook first got started, a prospective was required to sign up for the site with an email account from a school. For example, if you go to University of New Orleans, you'll use your uno.edu email to register. Don't have one? You can't sign up.

This sounds like a simple concept, but it's important. Sure, there are other sites where you can buy and sell stuff—it's what makes the Internet go around. There are a number of problems with the more-public sites, such as Facebook, eBay, and Craigslist.

Textbook confusion – different schools have different policies with respect to textbooks. The Math Department at Univ. of Houston may choose totally different books for first and second semester Calculus than Texas A&M, for example. Advertising your books beyond your school's immediate community isn't going to help.

Shipping costs – Nobody's going to pay to ship your used dorm-room fridge from Houston to New Orleans. By the time you both sorted that out, the buyer just as soon have gone to Target and bought a new one.

Cashless transactions – Trading stuff online is always problematic. The issue is trust. You have three books you want to trade. Somebody else needs those books. They're short on cash, but they've got an iPhone you'd take in trade. Sounds like a good deal, if you could just check out the merchandise. With a localized community focusing on your school, you can make an appointment to do the deal in person, each side inspecting the other's goods.

Privacy – Limiting who knows your information is essential for many college students. For many, this is their first time living on their own, away from home. Many folks want to limit how much personal information they give out.

Crazies – An extension of privacy concerns, many of the public sites have issues with stalkers and other brands of crazy people. Nobody wants what they consider a simple transaction like selling last semester's math textbook to turn into a situation involving restraining orders. Sure, this can still happen inside a limited community, but you lower the odds dramatically when you restrict the user base.

That's the bottom line of the “limited-community” business model. You only connect with people on your campus. It's clear the guys behind GivePals.com get this, because they hint at the potential of on-campus connections beyond just textbook sales. They're right, buying/selling/trading textbooks could very well lead to more interesting relationships, both business and personal.

GivePals on Facebook

Yes, both business and personal. When people say “meet someone,” or “start a relationship,” they immediately think dating. There is so much more to the people you meet in school than dating! The folks at GivePals.com recognize this and encourage community-building.

GivePals.com

is still considered “in beta,” meaning, “we still have bugs to work out.” They're the beginning of a trend to return from the macro-sites like Facebook and Craigslist to more manageable (and more-secure) online communities.

Stanley Bostitch Level App – Free

[Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.]

The Stanley - Bostitch level app has the same great accuracy and functionality for everyday use - like the real world Stanley and Bostitch tools - in virtual form. This handy and popular app is great for hanging pictures or mounting shelves. Special features include: helpful tips to ensure accuracy, fast and easy calibration.

Happy Measure – Free

[Compatible with Android devices. Requires camera with autofocus and internet access to gather the latest information in our about section, SD read/write access for storage of user generated 3D models.]

This app is really cool. Not only can you measure any object and capture its visual appearance, but you can virtually place the object anywhere to see if it fits! Happy Measure provides a visual perception of how large furniture is in 3D on your Android device. Want to know if your large desk will fit in the study? Want to see if your sofa will look good in your blue living room? This app gives the perception of precise appearance and size so you will get a good feel of how much space is occupied (and how the furniture looks in the room) by a piece of furniture.

If you have a different mobile device, such as the BlackBerry Montana, I recommend downloading Measuring Tape ($2.99)

Localicious – Free

[Compatible with Android. Requires 2.1 and up.]

Want to find out what’s good in your neighborhood? Localicious auto detects the neighborhood you’re in and instantly finds the best businesses, real-time tips and trends, and reports back.  This is especially helpful if you want to quickly decide where to grab a bite to eat or get your car’s oil changed. Foursquare users can pre check-in before arriving.

Every Block – Free

[Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.2 or later.]

This app lets you explore news that's happened recently in your immediate area.

Examples of the information published: Business licenses (new businesses in your neighborhood), Crime, Fire alerts, Foreclosures, Local deals/coupons, Media Mentions (places in your immediate area that have been mentioned in the news or blogs), Real estate listings, Restaurant inspection results. Information availability does depend on the city.

Do you have additional mobile apps to recommend that are great for exploring your new neighborhood? Share them with us in the comments section!

Lyndsey Rabon is a freelance writer for the Prepaid Reviews site, a site that provides information about prepaid phones coupled with over 17,000 consumer reviews of 30+ service providers such as Straight Talk. She is a technology enthusiast with a special interest in mobile apps.

Prospect.2 is the third time (after Prospect.1 and Prospect.1.5) Prospect New Orleans has brought important contemporary artwork to New Orleans as a means of revitalizing the city and drawing attention to its vibrant art community.  They plan to continue doing so every two years. 

Dan Cameron Introduces Prospect New Orleans from Newgray / Hakan Topal on Vimeo.

Prospect New Orleans has done great job of setting up an interactive web presence.  In addition to flickr, facebook, vimeo, and twitter pages, they have a comprehensive website which details every artist, gallery, and museum involved.  You can also find a map of venues, list of events, ticket information and much more.  The closing party, Throwdown.2, is this Friday, January 27th but the artwork will continue to be exhibited through January 29th.  If you’re unable to get out and support Prospect this weekend, be sure to follow them online as they plan their next biennial for 2013-2014.

http://www.prospectneworleans.org/

Sol iPhone App

Juggleware today announced that their new conceptual weather utility and alarm clock Sol: Sun Clock is now available exclusively for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Among the unique features of Sol: Sun Clock is a spin-able dial that lets you look at different parts of the day, which are color-coded to represent daytime, nighttime, and twilight periods. Surrounded by clouds, sun, and the stars, it's a fun way to look at the day beyond just a chart of sunset and sunrise times.

The user can also change his/her location and calendar date to see what the day will look like 6 months away or halfway around the world. For example, looking at northern Norway in midsummer will show how the midnight sun leaves no time for darkness in the day.

According to Juggleware staff, one of Sol: Sun Clock's most unique features is its flexible alarms which can be tied to any interval from any event. Some examples: 10 minutes before sunrise, at solar noon, an hour before sunset, or when the sky is dark enough to see the stars.

"I created the app because I like to ride my bike in the evening." said Alec Vance, Juggleware's founder and lead developer. "I wanted an alarm to remind me on weekdays when I had an hour left of daylight, so I could take my bike ride on the levee before it got dark and catch the sunset on the Mississippi River."

Co-designer Josh Warren envisions this app will be useful for photographers and cinematographers. "It's great to be able to scout a location's daylight times, and in particular the all-important Golden Hour, even if the shoot is months away and in a different city or country."

Other people that might find the app useful, Vance added, include gardeners, hunters, fishers, wedding planners, joggers, and vampires.

"In the last case this app could save a life," he joked. "If vampires can be counted among the living."

Sun Clock is available world-wide at Apple's App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch or by visiting sol.juggleware.com

Juggleware, an independent app developer based in New Orleans, was formed by Alec Vance in 2008 for the purposes of creating fun and unique mobile and web apps.

There are plenty of websites dedicated to giving you tons of moving advice, but what happens after you shut down your computer and disconnect your modem? Having an app on your mobile device will keep your move organized and at your fingertips. Below are my picks for mobile apps and other resources used to help the pack and move process run smoothly.

A moving checklist is important because it will remind you of all those little things you need to do prior to the big moving day - collecting keys, setting up utilities, submitting a change of address at the post office. Moving Checklist is an app that will make sure you won’t forget anything.  This nifty app is $1.99 and available for BlackBerry users. Not all BlackBerry devices are supported, so check to make sure you don’t own a Bold 9900 – 9930 model, a.k.a. BlackBerry Dakota, before purchasing this app.

Moving List

If you’re not a BlackBerry user, then the Moving List is a handy app for your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Moving List comes with 95 pre-populated to-do list tasks items that you can edit or add to.  Organize everything by categories or due date.  Task categories include DIY, friends & family, good-byes, job relocation, movers, new address, packing, transport, and other.  The bonus feature – which may make the $2.99 price tag worth it – is the Packing Decider. It’s meant to add an element of fun to your move, but it does come in handy if you can’t decide whether it’s time for you to dump an item or pack it. Just shake your device when you can’t decide what to do with that guitar you haven’t played in 10 years.

Moving Checklist

Moving Van - Moving Van allows you to easily identify the contents of every box you pack when moving or putting items into storage. As you pack each box, use this mobile app to detail the contents, take photos of the items in the box, and assign each box with its own tag, unique name, or number.  This feature can be useful for insurance purposes. Moving Van is $1.99 and is available for download on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (requires iOS 3.1.3 or later).

Moving Van

Lyndsey Rabon is a freelance writer for the Prepaid Reviews site, a site that provides information about prepaid phones coupled with over 17,000 consumer reviews of 30+ service providers such as Straight Talk. She is a technology enthusiast with a special interest in mobile apps.

Tools and Gadgets

Talking with my mother the other day, I learned that the technology we take for granted today, such as ultrasounds, was new or used very infrequently not that long ago and still is, in some cases today. So far, I've spied on my kid every 4 weeks, in contrast to my mom, who only saw me a couple times before my grand entrance. As a technophile, I'm sure many of you agree with me when I say I am glad for technology to be so accessible today. Below are some items that I particularly enjoy or look forward to owning that  are musts to consider for any type of technology nerd who is expecting. You could always surprise your favorite geek parent with one of these at the next baby shower.

RITMO Pregnancy Sound System : This innovative item is both a sound system and all-to helpful back/belly brace. The sound system can plug into the headphone jack of any MP3 player of choice, playing tunes for the baby to enjoy (and maybe enrich their mind), while mom can enjoy some much savored relief from the back brace supporting the growing weight of her womb. It weighs in at a hefty price, but I think this is a great investment for anyone with back issues or looking to have more kids in the future.

Itzbeen Baby Care Timer: This beautiful gadget does something few parents figure out they'll need to do before its too late: put the baby on a schedule. This helps! It keeps a record of every time you feed, change, bath, or put your little one down for a nap. Most parents come up with a way to keep track that involves some personal solution like a weird bracelet for feedings or a dry erase board. Ditch those fallible methods for something that you and your partner can both use with ease.

4moms Goodnight Sleep Trainer : Now, contrary to the product's manufacturer, this product is for everyone in the company of a 4 month on up. Use this device's built in training system to try and train your baby to sleep more peacefully through naps and at night. The system offers comforting steps that inform users when it is appropriate to soothe a crying child or how long they have left to wait it out before it is time to intervene. I recommend reading the manual well, and advise readers to understand that every parent's methods are different. This is simply a tool, not a guaranteed solution. Nevertheless, I'm not taking any chances on having to read Go the F**k to Sleep to my kid, so I'll be trying this one out by the next Saints season.

In addition, other normal items have gotten tech upgrades. Strollers now offer built-in sound systems that play music for both baby and parent. Baby monitors now come with unlimited range, as well as text, voice, or email alerts when the baby sets the monitor off. They have wipe warmers, special waste baskets for the biohazard kind of waste, bottle warmers, tracking devices, personal little people MP3 players (for the more frugal parents not so keen on the iPod Touch), digital bath thermometers, and even digital-readout ear thermometers for the little sick one so you don't have to visit the vestiges of ancient technology upon their rectum. (For our younger generation readers, a baby's temperature used to be taken from their rear end with a glass thermometer. Not a pleasant experience for anyone involved.)

Applications

One could on forever about apps and their seamless integration into our lives. Search for "children" on the App Store and the list is long. In the meantime, while your touch screen devices are devoid of peanut butter smears and sticky, sugar spots, here are some apps I've found for you to enjoy while your phone is still your own. (My niece could use an iPhone by two years old; enjoy it while you can.)

BabyCenter's My Pregnancy Today : This was the first app I downloaded that related to my pregnancy. If anyone has done any reading up on what's happening in the mysterious womb, BabyCenter is a definitive resource of knowledge. Well, now all of that is packaged in their neat little app. This app is available on iOS and Android devices.

Sprout Pregnancy Essentials: I love this app. Not only does it provide information on what's going on, it gives you a great image of what your baby looks like right now. It is very interactive, using points you touch on the image of the fetus to display information about development, growth, and the baby's capabilities such as sight or hearing. Different milestone weeks give a 3D view of the fetus, as well as playing an example of a fetal heartbeat. Other useful features include a weight tracker, a kick counter, contraction timer, timeline, and a delivery checklist for your hospital visit. The app also smartly uses Facebook integration so you can share your pregnancy developments with your social circle. No Twitter or other share features so far, but a small negative in a giant list of positives. This app is available on iOS and Android devices.

WebMD Baby App: Hot off the Apple Approval Committee presses yesterday comes WebMd Baby. Hypochrondriacs rejoice! We can now match our babies' symptoms to a myriad of diseases at the swipe of a finger! All joking aside, when your child is up at 2am with a raging fever of 102°F and your pediatrician has turned their phone off, anything that will give you an answer on whether you need to rush to the nearest emergency room or not is helpful. Moreover, the app also comes packing some great features, aside from the wealth of diagnosis information and how-to's. The Journal tab gives you the ability to chart your kids' growth, monitor feedings and keep your baby on schedule, as well as journal about them in the BabyBook feature. You can also add multiple kids, but unfortunately, you can't add a child before they are born. I postulate that this minor inconvenience might change once the app gets some user feedback. This is certainly an app I am looking forward to using. This app is not available on the Android market yet.

Services

Registering for items for you and your new baby is like a rite of passage for new, or old, parents. Many stores now offer an online registry service, and typically, there is a better selection online. Babies 'R Us, Target, Pottery Barn, Walmart, and Burlington Coat Factory are examples of stores that offer an online registry for users to access and purchase items to send to their favorite new parents.

However, my favorite options are services provided by sites that collect items into your registry from all over the web, such as Amazon. On the upside, Amazon offers a program called Amazon Mom, which allows registrants to discounts, shipping waivers, and notifies them of deals from partners. If you'd like to see an example of the Amazon Universal Registry in use with their Baby Registry option, you are welcome to view my registry.

No matter how much we do, nothing can prepare us for the arrival of our life-changing moment. When push comes to shove (pun intended), most important thing in your world, and mine, will arrive and technology won't be there to put a bandaid on their knee or hold them when they cry. In the end, technology is just a tool, and thankfully we can use it to make us better, more sane, parents. Are there any technologies you have found yourself using or looking forward to?

(Featured photo courtesy of Natalie Wells Photography - copyright Samantha Barnes and Natalie Wells-Crone. Please do not alter, distribute, edit, or use for any purpose, private or commercial.)

From a more local perspective, the city’s Innovation & Information Technology department understands how important public data sets can be and quietly released a new website called Data.NOLA.gov. Data.NOLA.gov is a catalog of data sets once stored on computers and servers in city hall now made public for citizens.

Why Is This Data Important?

Let’s pretend for a second that you are a baker. Your baking has always come from things you’ve learned, but nothing ever documented. One day, you find a box of old family baking recipes. Not only will they be helpful to you, but the recipes also afford you the opportunity to venture into creating a website and putting those recipes online. Others can use this public information to create software programs, mobile apps, or rich web apps all using this data. In a sense, this is what public data sets from the city can do for New Orleans.

Frequently asked questions by many citizens are, “How can I search the crime stats in my neighborhood?” “Is there map with houses that are up for foreclosure?” or “Where can I get New Orleans census data?” Based off of these questions, the city is continuously working to get this type of information cataloged and put on their website in hopes that it’ll be useful for others and allow developers to create apps using this data.

Data NOLA Gov

Features Of The Website

The website is powered by Socrata—developer and provider of Open Data Services—which is cloud-based solution that governments can use for their public information assets. Data.NOLA.gov gives you the option to search or browse through a variety of datasets. The different types include charts, maps, calendars, form, files/docs, datasets, and external datasets. If you cannot find the data you’re looking for, or have an idea of what should be on the site, you can even suggest a dataset. Some of the most popular data are a listing of the city’s commercial and residential addresses, the Office of Performance & Accountability meeting calendar, post-Katrina damage assessment, code lien foreclosure maps, and 2010 census data. The datasets even have a social networking aspect to them, allowing people to discuss, embed, or visualize the data.

Hopefully, citizens will be able to find more useful information as new datasets are added onto the website. Developers should also be able to use the Socrata platform to build mobile apps or web apps based on the city’s data.

Nestio

Nestio – This bookmarklet will help you organize apartment listings from any site and save them all in one place. This app will give you a reason to use Craigslist again. My favorite feature of this app and its companion site is that it allows for easy sharing and collaboration on listings between roommates. Bye bye long email threads! Nestio recently launched the first version of their iPhone app and plan on implementing support for additional mobile devices in the near future. It is free and available for download on iPhone.

Rent.com – Simple and straightforward. Some basic features include the ability to add notes & photos, contact the property owner, and “favorite” properties.  The Rent.com mobile app is free and available for download on iPhone, Android, and most BlackBerry devices (including Tour, Bold, Touch, Curve, and the new Torch 9850 – 9860 models, a.k.a. BlackBerry Monaco)

Zillow – This app was created with every user in mind and so it is the crowd pleaser out of the bunch. Whether you are a home buyer, renter, home seller, or homeowner, Zillow offers something for everybody. Another huge plus is that Zillow is compatible with a wide variety of mobile devices and tablets.  It is available for download on iPad, iPhone, Android, Android Tablet, BlackBerry, Kindle Fire, and Windows Phone.

PadMapper – This free app is my personal favorite. PadMapper makes apartment hunting less dreadful, almost fun. It does this by plotting the apartments on a big map, letting you set filters to find exactly what you want. The neatest feature is the overlays that help you learn about the different areas and neighborhoods with property for rent. Available for download on iPhone and Android.

If you’d like to recommend more mobile apps used for apartment and house hunting, please share them with us in the comments section!

Lyndsey Rabon is a freelance writer for the Prepaid Reviews site, a site that provides information about prepaid phones coupled with over 17,000 consumer reviews of 30+ service providers such as Straight Talk. She is a technology enthusiast with a special interest in mobile apps.

Chaz Townes, AT&T Vice President Antenna Solutions

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome has a listed football seating capacity of 76,468 (expanded) or 69,703 (not expanded), a maximum basketball seating capacity of 55,675, and a maximum baseball capacity of 63,525.  These number of course don’t reflect the  crowds gathered outside of the arena.  Network engineers  probably have nightmares about the challenges of bringing mobile broadband coverage to so many people in such a confined space.  With the help of DAS those network engineers can breath a little bit easier and sports fan can get back to cheering on there favorite teams.  In describing the abilities of the system Chad Townes had this to say “ The DAS system has 205 carrier sectors of traffic with each carrier able to handle 100 call or more at any given time.”

Mercedes-Benz Superdome Exterior Antenna

The installation of the DAS system was completed in just under three months.  The project from beginning to end went from September, 2011 to being fully deployed on December 23, 2011, in time for the Saints win over the Atlanta Falcons.  (WHODAT!) Crews worked on the deployment of the DAS around the clock and every effort was made to ensure the system was not obtrusive or bothersome to spectators. The installation was completed by two contracted firms one being  Optical & Telecommunication Solutions, INC. and the other  Peak Power Service INC.   The equipment was provided by CommScope.  

Full Press Release Below:

AT&T ENHANCES MOBILE BROADBAND COVERAGE AT

MERCEDES-BENZ SUPERDOME AND CHAMPIONS SQUARE

New Distributed Antenna System Provides Additional Wireless Capacity for Customers

NEW ORLEANS, LA., JAN, 5, 2012 - As part of its continuing network investment to support growing
demand for advanced wireless devices and services, AT&T* today announced that it has expanded its
mobile broadband coverage at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome by completing the installation of a new
Distributed Antenna System (DAS) to serve customers and visitors throughout the facility.

A DAS installation consists of several strategically-placed antennas that distribute AT&T's wireless
network coverage throughout the Superdome and Champions Square, providing for more efficient
management of wireless capacity in heavily-trafficked areas. DAS has the ability to provide enhanced
wireless coverage to customers in indoor or outdoor spaces where geographical limitations - terrain,
building construction, etc. - or crowd density might otherwise prevent an optimal wireless experience.
The additional capacity is expected to help improve call reliability and enable more consistent network
access to help customers make the most of their AT&T devices.

"We want our customers to have a great network experience whatever they're doing - whether that's
making a call, checking e-mail, downloading apps or surfing the Internet," said Joe Larussa, AT&T Vice
President and General Manager, Gulf States. "We're committed to our investment in the local wireless
network, and providing enhanced wireless coverage at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is just one way
that we're investing in New Orleans and Louisiana."

AT&T is an industry leader in delivering the benefits of mobile broadband networks, devices and
applications. With the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities for an amazing wireless voice and data
experience.

AT&T's mobile broadband network is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) family of
technologies that includes GSM and UMTS, the most widely used wireless network platforms in the
world. AT&T has the best international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, providing access to
voice service in more than 225 countries and data service in more than 200 countries.

AT&T also operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network** with more than 29,000 hotspots in the U.S. and
provides access to nearly 190,000 hotspots globally through roaming agreements. Most AT&T
smartphone customers get access to our entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional cost, and Wi-Fi
usage doesn't count against customers' monthly wireless data plans.

For more information about AT&T's mobile broadband coverage in Louisiana or anywhere in the United
States, consumers can visit an AT&T Coverage Viewer.

For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit our AT&T network news page.

Find More Information Online;

Web Site Links:

AT&T Web Site

AT&T Wireless Web Site

About the AT&T Mobile Broadband Network

Related Media Kits:

Wireless Networks

AT&T Wireless Network News

Related Releases:

Related Fact Sheets:

AT&T Coverage Viewer
Rethink Possible

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**Largest based on company branded and operated hotspots. Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device
required. Other restrictions apply. See  www.attwifi.com for details and locations.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the
United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T I DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss  Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.