In March the CEOs of Sprint, Verizon and AT&T took the stage at CTIA in Orlando for a lively discussion about the state of the mobile ecosystem and its future. The keynote was affable with an undertone of drama, coming two days after AT&T announced that it was acquiring T-Mobile for $39 billion.

The CEOs returned to the stage today at the CTIA Enterprise & Apps conference in San Diego. A lot has changed from March. Sprint has sued AT&T to prevent the T-Mobile merger and is fighting for its livelihood as a major U.S. carrier. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse took a couple swipes at AT&T head man Ralph de la Vega but overall the carriers spoke about working together and how they are pushing the bounds of mobile innovation in the United States. Check out our Storify of the keynote below.

At this point, "unlimited data" is a clever marketing ploy. Carriers are constantly learning how to upgrade their networks to handle data convergence better and then offload data use to local broadband networks. At the same time, the average consumer does not use as much data as they think. So, Sprint, it is great to keep your data options open (no throttling, no cap), but how much of this really means anything anymore?

AT&T Buying T-Mobile for $39 Billion

"Brazenly Anticompetitive": Sprint Sues to Stop AT&T From Gobbling Up T-Mobile

AT&T + T-Mobile - The DOJ's Case for Almost-Not-Quite-Price-Fixing

Lawmakers Take Their First Whack at AT&T/T-Mobile Merger

Can AT&T Grab T-Mobile Plus Qualcomm's 700 MHz Spectrum?

Speaking at GigaOm's Mobilize conference in San Francisco, Sprint CTO Stephen Bye acknowledged that the carrier would indeed keep its network uncapped. According to CNET, Bye said that there are hidden costs with customer care and "support related to tiered data plans" that offsets the benefit reining in users data use.

Verizon and AT&T are both throttling users in addition to various tiered data plans. T-Mobile is throttling users after a set data threshold. Sprint is the standout from that trend and to a certain extent it will cost them dollars on their margins. The company hopes that the marketing program associated with unlimited data will offset what they lose on the margins by adding new users.

Sprint's network is in a state of flux. It owns a significant portion of WiMax provider Clearwire and it needs a significant upgrade to its 3G network infrastructure. One of the reasons that Sprint went with Clearwire in the first place was to offset data along its 3G network. There is hope for a significant network infrastructure boost through its partnership with bandwidth wholesaler Lightsquared to create an LTE "4G" network, but that is going to take time to build and implement, let alone add a significant number of devices offered through the carrier that will support LTE.

The CEOs of Verizon (Dan Mead), Sprint (Dan Hesse) and AT&T (Ralph de la Vega) on stage with Jim Cramer at CTIA in Orlando this spring.

Really what it comes down to is that Sprint has to scratch and claw its way to keep abreast with Verizon and AT&T. Watch how CEO Dan Hesse rails against the AT&T/T-Mobile merger and you understand the position that Sprint is in trying to compete. According to CNET, Bye acknowledged that the company is under pressure to keep its network open and free vis-à-vis the competition.

Unlimited Data: Worth the Cost?

When AT&T announced its data throttling, it said that it will only affect the top 5% of users. At the time, the guess was that a user will bump against that threshold near 2.5 GB of data used per month. The fact of the matter is that most users will never reach 2.5 GB a month. Sprint's margins do well by offering unlimited data for a flat rate and then users not actually using enough data to justify the plan. Granted, those margins are then in turn offset by the heaviest users, but not by that much. I have rarely met a person who exceeds 3 GB of data used on a device per month (let us know in the comments if you are one of those people and how you use your phone to consume data).

Sprint is known for its posturing and pushing the limits of acceptable marketing practices. It was the first to rollout a "4G" network with WiMax, but the fact of the matter is that WiMax is not "4G" but rather an "advanced 3G" network that Sprint is allowed to market as 4G because it is considered a precursor to actual 4G. Confused yet? AT&T does the same thing with its HSPA+ network, which is also not technically 4G.

Unlimited data falls into the same marketing category. Sprint will no doubt be able to get some politicians and federal regulators to buy up their marketing magic when it comes to the AT&T/T-Mobile acquisition, but the fact of the matter is that Sprint's network is in no better shape than AT&T's.

Will it stop Sprint executives and their marketing department from touting their supposed benefits over those from their competitors? Certainly not. But, digging through Sprint's claims, we know that they are not as altruistic as they would have us believe.

In the future, Serve will also be used for redeeming offers on goods and services, too, by way of a Groupon-like program.

Currently, Serve supports both Android and iOS and is being developed for RIM's BlackBerry and Microsoft's Windows Phone mobile operating systems. On Sprint, Android phones will be supported expect for the Nexus S 4G and the Samsung Moment, which don't offer the Sprint Zone application.

Serve Gaining Momentum

In April, American Express invested in mobile payment startup Payfone in order to combine Payfone's mobile authorization and payment services with the Serve platform. This allows customers to pay for both digital and physical goods using just their phone number. The move was expected to help strengthen AmEx's position outside the U.S., where Visa and MasterCard typically dominate.

Payfone is unique in that it leverages the security built into mobile operator networks, like Sprint's, to aid in payment authorizations. With Payfone, the customer's SIM card, device ID and location are tied to each customer's account, which helps to cut down on fraud.

Later this summer, American Express announced a partnership with Patch, AOL's hyperlocal news and content outlet. Serve will power the Patch Deals platform, a Groupon-style discounts program with local merchants on the AmEx network.

With this partnership, deals could be loaded onto customers' American Express cards, allowing them to take part in the discount without printing out physical coupons. Serve customers, too, will have the same option - and will be able to use their phone to redeem offers at local merchants on AmEx's network in the future.

All this adds up to a quickly growing digital payments platform from American Express, but it will not be without its challengers. Visa, too, has its own plans for digital payments, and will be launching its platform this fall. There's also competition on the mobile wallet front from Google, via its Google Wallet service, and from the operators themselves with Isis, a coalition between AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

The company has just announced that Google Voice will be fully integrated with Sprint. This means that all Sprint phones and all Sprint users will be able to tap into Google Voice's features without needing a special app.

Google Voice will also replace Sprint's voicemail service, enabling customers to receive the (often hilariously inaccurate) transcribed voicemail messages online, via email or text.

Today's partnership may be good news for Sprint users. But it's also good news for Sprint. The company unveiled the new Nexus S 4G today, and all of this helps give the carrier some ammo as it makes its case to customers that it's a viable alternative to Verizon and the soon-to-be-merged AT&T/T-Mobile. If nothing else, Sprint is sure looking like the carrier of choice for Google.

What's an "ID Pack?"

There are three different types of packs available: branded, non-branded and personalized.

Branded ID packs feature a company's own applications and services, like Yahoo's new pack which offers easy access to Yahoo content like the homepage, Mail, Messenger, News, Sports, Finance, Flickr, Fantasy Football, Search, Movies, Weather and omg!.

Non-branded packs are more like curated selections of content. Sprint offers a few of these with focuses on Entertainment, Social Networking, Health and Fitness and Business Productivity.

For example, the "Entertainment" Sprint ID pack contains apps for music (Shazam, Pandora, Rhapsody), movies (IMDB) and TV (TMZ) as well as entertainment-related news (E! News, Express News, Horoscopes), Games (Guitar Hero 5, Super KO Boxing 2, WSOP Hold'em), social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Wertago) and YouTube.

Finally, users can create their own packs by customizing an available packs with their own apps and content. Only five different ID packs can be stored on a device.

A Clever Solution to App Overload, Blurred Boundaries Between Work and Play

Although Hesse touted the ID packs as an improved way for users to customize their phones, find apps and change the phone's settings, assuming this is just another nifty homescreen customization tool is selling it short.

People's phones are now extensions of their lives - they're used for business, for keeping in touch with friends, for playing games, listening to music, streaming video and so much more. But organizing our varying personas and needs is becoming increasingly difficult. We're now close to the "overload" point with our phones becoming inundated with apps. (For app addicts like yours truly, it's getting ugly, I tell you).

Different vendors are attempting to solve the problem in different ways - Apple introduced folders for apps, Windows Phone 7 is using attention-grabbing "hubs,"
and Android users have customizable homescreens that can contain both widgets and apps.

Sprint's ID solution may or may not be the answer - we'll need to test its functionality and performance, first - but at least it's a new take. You can learn more about Sprint ID from the new homepage here.

That little twist of language (is it 4G or isn't it?) comes on the heels of AT&T chiding T-Mobile earlier this year after T-Mobile called its own network 4G when in fact it's a revamped kind of 3G. Big carriers having a spat over marketing language? Or genuine disagreement over what those networks really are?

T-Mobile, the nation's fourth largest carrier, is in the middle of upgrading its existing 3G network to what's called HSPA+ - a faster version of 3G. So what's 4G? That term, like 3G, refers to each generation of cellular wireless standards. According to the ITC, the fourth generation (4G) has to have download speeds of at least 100 mbps. Companies using technology that's faster than 3G (Sprint, using WiMax) or that will be using it in the near future (Verizon and AT&T using LTE) advertise that they're "4G" - but none of them offers that kind of speed.

Whatever category they fall into, at this point there isn't a huge difference between T-Mobile's HSPA+ and Sprint's 4G network. Limited studies done earlier this year found that T-Mobile had a slight edge on downloading speeds and a significant advantage when it came to uploading.

But speed isn't the only issue: 3G networks are already burdened to the point that users are subjected to caps on monthly data usage. To catch up to the other carriers, T-Mobile could build its own WiMax or LTE network - or invest in an existing one. Last week The Wall St. Journal reported that T-Mobile is interested in a relationship with Clearwire, the Sprint-backed company that provides WiMax 4G service.

As each carrier races up its network's speed, there's one thing to keep in mind:

"Next generation technologies like pre-4G and 4G with their promise of greater speed and spectral efficiency become all the more appealing to the players involved in [information and communication technologies]," wrote the authors of a recent Business Insights report. "However, the reality is that 80% of mobile connections are still on 2G networks and 3G connections are only available in some areas, even in developed countries, with the exception of a few leading countries."

With the recently introduced Sprint HTC Evo 4G, the first 4G phone, Sprint will need more service areas for it to be a compelling offering.

The locations where Sprint's 4G is currently available includes Atlanta, Honolulu, Chicgo, Baltimore, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Portland (OR), Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth and Seattle.

Despite the anticipation for 4G, ReadWriteWeb has reported on a study that indicated its speed may not be what was expected.

Today, however, Sprint is saying its original report was in error. Sales numbers were actually in line with the number of Instinct and Pre devices sold over the first three days on the market combined, not greater.

In response to both the announcement and further research, BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk told Reuters that he was cutting his estimate of first weekend sales to 150,000 units from the earlier estimate of 250,000 to 350,000. He also said that calls placed to 20-plus stores indicated inventory shortages, so that number is not expected to rise much further during the first week of sales.

New Number: Not Bad, but Not Breath-Taking...

Still, 150,000 isn't a bad number - it just might not be as earth-shattering as once thought. To put it in comparison with other recent smartphone launches, it's better than the Droid, which sold 100,000 units its first weekend, and far better than the Palm Pre, which sold an estimated 50,000 units its launch weekend. It even holds up fairly well against the launch of the original iPhone, which sold an estimated 270,000 units, which was similarly on one carrier in one country (the U.S). However, the iPhone's number didn't include Sunday sales, which were on the start of a new quarter. Counting those too may mean that Apple sold as many as 400,000 units when the original iPhone launched. Later iPhone revisions, including the iPhone 3G, sold more than a million units during their first weekends, but those sales included additional countries outside the U.S. and multiple carriers, so it's not as fair of a comparison.

That being said, the new EVO has already attracted its legion of fans, thanks not only to its rich feature set but also its base operating system, Google Android, a mobile OS which offers several features the newly renamed Apple mobile OS, iOS, does not. Still, the EVO may not be the so-called "iPhone killer" many had hoped for, mainly due to battery life concerns that even has high-profile tech bloggers like TechCrunch's Mike Arrington and Gizmodo's Matt Buchanan recommending against its purchase.

Phone Scoop found that Sprint's 4G network is currently slightly slower than T-Mobile's HSPA+ (High-Speed Packet Access) network - an upgraded form of 3G. After testing each service in Philadelphia (where both networks are currently available), the study determined that T-Mobile's network has a small edge in download speeds, and a large advantage in upload speeds.

While Sprint boasts speeds "up to ten-times faster" than 3G, T-Mobile's upgraded 3G network was often faster in many of the more than 300 tests run by Phone Scoop. Download speeds were roughly the same, averaging at just under 3 Mbps, but with an upload average of 1.28 mbps, T-Mobile's HSPA+ doubled that of Sprint's 4G, which managed just 588 kbps. Sprint's 4G, based on these tests, was less than five-times faster than its own 3G network, not ten.

The advantage T-Mobile has over Sprint is that its HSPA+ network was an upgrade to an existing in-place system, while Sprint's 4G network requires new equipment, creating a slower roll out. This was exemplified in the study by Sprint's dreadfully slower speeds in suburban areas. While T-Mobile managed a speedy 5.4 mbps down and 1.8 mbps up, Sprint's "4G" could only muster 748 kbps down and 60 kbps up - closer to their 3G speeds.

Phone Scoop, while admitting that the testing is just one city's results, is still confident the numbers reflect nationwide trends between the two networks. So before you buy into Sprint's "4G speeds," it would be wise to investigate the coverage in your area and determine if it is truly worth it at this time.

Another factor to consider is the number of devices available on each network. Currently, the Evo is the only Sprint device on the 4G network, while T-Mobile offers nine devices that can use HSPA+. Also, users more dependant on upload speeds (which affects media sharing, gaming or video chatting) may want to seriously consider T-Mobile over Sprint due to the networks blazing upload speeds. Either way, picking a phone is nearly as important picking a car, so smart shoppers should investigate the networks carefully before choosing.

Using the popular Qik mobile application, EVO owners will be able to chat with other EVO owners and, eventually, with any smartphone user whose phone sports a forward-facing camera.

Are we on the precipice of a whole new form of communication? Or is mobile video chat going to be just for fun?

Qik is not the first company to launch video chat, neither here in the U.S. nor overseas, where similar services have been available for some time. On Windows Mobile, for example, niche solutions like iVisit and camfrog are available now, but don't kick yourself for not knowing they existed. In the U.S. at least, no large video chat brand has ever attempted to do what Qik is doing now - launch a consumer-friendly video chat service on this scale.

Oh, and it's free, too.

Pre-launch, there was some confusion as to whether Qik would be yet another nickel-and-dimed upgrade from Sprint, when leaked news seemed to point to a $5/month upgrade for its use, but now that the service has officially arrived, we at last have full details on what's free and what's not.

The $5/month upgrade plan brings EVO users additional, premium features, but most can get by with the basic, free service without any issues.

A comparison chart on Qik's website highlights all the differences between the two plans, but the most notable valued-added features include video conferencing at higher video resolutions, unlimited video archiving, specialized video access permissions and "priority" support. In other words, this package is aimed squarely at business users whose needs will be greater than the everyday consumer.

The premium features will be offered to all new users until July 15th, at which point the upcharge will kick in if you want to keep the premium service.

Another interesting feature available in the new Qik for EVO application is its "video mail" capabilities. If you want to send a video to a non-Qik user, you can send it out as an SMS message. This isn't just a useful feature for unshackling video communications from being limited just to EVO handsets, but it also has the benefit of raising awareness about mobile video chatting services in general. Every SMS video message sent is like an ad for Qik...or maybe for EVO itself.

Beyond Qik: Skype, Fring, More?

Video chatting won't be limited to Qik/EVO pairings, though. If the stolen iPhone prototype is any indication, the upcoming iPhone 4G will include a front-facing camera as well and likely a mobile version of Apple's iChat to take advantage of the feature.

Fring is another up-and-coming company which began offering mobile video calls late last year on various Nokia devices. They're now doing the same on all capable Android phones - in fact, they even beat Qik to the punch by a matter of days.

And of course, there's Skype, the grand-daddy of video chat solutions, who is launching an Android app later this year. Although Skype won't officially say whether a mobile video calling feature will be included, an accidental blurb released from Skype PR seemed to confirm the company's plans in that area. ("We intend to set the bar on mobile video calling, and it's something we're going to do this year," a spokesperson had said before they took it back.)

Are we on the verge of a mobile video chat revolution? It appears so. How useful will these types of service be? Time will tell, but our guess is: very. Video chatting is already popular on the desktop and laptop, both for business and personal use. Remote workers, virtual teams, work-from-home staff, helpdesk professionals and others take advantage of video chat capabilities while at work and individuals use it to connect with families and friends when far from home, too.

Now with mobile video chat, the opportunity to reach another segment of the market - those whose primary "computer" is their mobile phone - is ripe. Not everyone slaves away behind a keyboard where traditional video chat programs reside. Now they don't have to - mobile video chat brings this new avenue of communications to all owners of modern-day phones.

Now if we could just get it on our wristwatch, we'd be all set.

Arriving June 4th on Sprint, the EVO comes with a loaded spec sheet that includes everything you could possibly want in a smartphone and then some: 4G, a built-in mobile hotspot, dual cameras, HDMI output, FM tuner and more.

But is the EVO being over-hyped or is it worth the price? We examine the pros and cons.

But the reality is here, and by reality, we mean pricing plans. And the EVO is not cheap.

Pros

The pros list is easy - it's a list of what the EVO offers:

• 4G (via WiMAX)
• 1 GHz Snapdragon processor
• 1 GB built-in memory
• 512 MB RAM
• Wi-Fi
• 4.3-inch screen
• microSD card slot
• 720p video recording and playback
• HDMI out to your HDTV
• 8.0 megapixel camera
• 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera
• Mobile hotspot capability for up to 8 Wi-Fi enabled devices
• Visual voicemail
• Live video sharing via Qik
• FM tuner
• Social networking integration and access to Android Market's 30,000 plus apps
• Sprint apps (Sprint TV, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile)
• GPS, compass, proximity and motion sensors
• Option to pick either the HTC Sense UI or the stock Android experience

Cons

As for the cons, there aren't many when it comes to the phone's specs. Some may find the phone's built-in kickstand (which allows you to prop up the phone to watch video) a design flub. It may also be a part that could easily break. But mostly, liking or not liking the kickstand is a point of personal taste.

Others will cheer for EVO's ability to run Adobe Flash, a capability Sprint touts as "a full, no-compromise Internet experience." However, this feature could also be seen as a detriment, potentially eating up battery life and overworking the CPU. Plus, Hulu, one of the major holdouts when it comes to Flash, isn't switching to HTML5 video anytime soon. And Hulu is blocked on mobile devices anyway. That means no Hulu on the EVO, sorry.

But the biggest con may be the way Sprint has chosen to price the EVO's data plan and services.

According to Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, who finally revealed pricing at a special event last week, the phone will be available for $199.99 (after a mail-in rebate) with a two-year contract.

Pricing

To use the data service on the phone, you'll need Sprint's "Everything Data Plan," which starts at $69.99 per month.

However, if you want to use the 4G data, you have to pay an extra $10 on top of your data plan. Those who do so have access to unlimited 3G data, too, but it still feels a bit like nickel-and-diming to charge extra for what's arguably the key selling point of the phone. Why not just build it into the base price?

What's more, if you want to share your phone's data connection via the EVO's Wi-Fi hotspot feature, that's another $29.99 per month.

Given these prices, the EVO is not the cheapest option among today's smartphones ($69.99 + $10 + $29.99 = $109.99), but it's not the most expensive either. One thing to note, though, is that the $69.99 "Everything Data Plan" only includes 450 Anytime Minutes. If you want more minutes, you can choose the next step up - 900 minutes for $89.99. Now the phone is starting to get a little pricey ($89.99 + $10 + $29.99 = $129.99). Can you still afford it?

4G Coverage

Then there's the fact that many are still without 4G coverage. (You can check Sprint's 4G cities list here.) Clearwire, a Sprint partner who's building out the 4G service, recently announced that 18 more cities would be getting 4G by the summer, but some of the larger cities (including N.Y, L.A., San Francisco, etc.) are still waiting. (You can see the complete list of Clearwire cities here). Is the price still worth it if you don't have 4G?

Getting the Rebate

Another con: a mail-in rebate if you buy directly from Sprint. A better option is to head into a Best Buy or Radio Shack store instead where you can receive the $199.99 price immediately. Radio Shack even offers a free $20 gift card which can be used towards buying accessories when the phone arrives on the June 4th. (OK, that could be a pro).

Worth It?

Given the expense of owning an EVO, it's now less of a sure thing for those looking for a new smartphone plan with the most minutes. The EVO offers a lot of great features, but they're not coming cheap by any means, although that's true for most smartphones.

And there's one more concern, too. How is Sprint handling the Wi-Fi hotspot plan when this very feature is rumored to be included in the next version of the Android OS? Will they cripple the phone's ability to upgrade?

We asked a Sprint representative this question and they simply referred us the phone's spec sheet. When we followed up to reiterate the question, we received no response, not even a "no comment." That's a bit concerning.

Still, all this being said, the EVO looks like it will be a great device...but maybe just for those that can afford it.

Beyond that, everything else about the news appears to be speculation, including the phone's supposed June 2009 launch date. However, we're inclined to believe the rumor about the phone's form factor (or perhaps we just want to believe it). Some sources report that the new phone will resemble the Samsung Instinct, a currently popular touchscreen phone that features Power Vision Services, Sprint's over-the-air TV offering. Other rumors point to the phone being a closer match to the Omnia, a phone initially made available in Asia and Europe, and is now with Verizon. Either way, the rumors point to the device being a touchscreen with no slide-out keyboard.

That seems plausible enough to us since the keyboard-equipped G1 is already already available on T-Mobile, one of the carriers which would sell the new Samsung device. The company probably wouldn't want to launch a phone that was too similar to the other Android phone. It's also likely that they would want to capitalize on the success of their previous models, too.

If any of the rumors are true, there's a good chance that the new phone will be introduced at next month's Mobile World Congress, the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry, held in Barcelona. Until then, we'll just have to cross our fingers and wait.

• Martin Atkins
• John Bradley
• Johannes Ernst
• Snorri Giorgetti
• Eran Hammer-Lahav
• Dick Hardt
• Mike Kirkwood
• Brian Kissel
• Scott Kveton
• Chris Messina
• Peter Nixey
• David Recordon
• Eric Sachs
• Nat Sakimura
• Luke Shepard
• Joseph Smarr
• Allen Tom

Current members of the OpenID Foundation are encouraged to visit the OpenID Foundation, log in with their respective OpenIDs, and cast votes for up to seven candidates. For those who have not yet joined the Foundation, registration is open, starting at $25 for an individual account.

The elections will remain open until December 24, 2008. The new Board will be announced before December 31, 2008. Board members begin their term on January 1, 2009.

We'd like to continue the discussion in the comments - and also tell us how you listen to podcasts these days. I usually listen to them while walking the dog. But everyone is different, so tell us your preferred podcast listening method.

Richard MacManus

• NPR: All Songs Considered, plays all the latest music; check out their review of the top music of '08, it's must-listen for music geeks
• Live in Concert from All Songs Considered
• ReadWriteTalk (iTunes link), our own podcast channel, hosted by the awesome Sean Ammirati
• RWW Live, ReadWriteWeb's bi-weekly podcast show hosted by Sean, featuring a few of the RWW authors and special guests
• The Semantic Web Gang, Paul Miller and his Semantic Web crew

Marshall Kirkpatrick (walking the dog while listening to podcasts is a common theme here at RWW)

• StackOverflow (and many other things on ITConversations)
• TWiT: This Week in Tech
• Gilmor Gang
• NY Times Backstory
• RedMonk Podcasts

Sarah Perez

• CNET's Buzz Out Loud ("my hands down favorite")
• Diggnation
• CNET's Loaded
• TWiT: This Week in Tech
• The Social Geeks (featuring Sarah)

Frederic Lardinois

• Slate Gabfest with @jdickerson
• NPR On the Media
• Nature Podcast
• FLOSS Weekly (Free Libre Open Source Software)
• New Yorker Out Loud

Lidija Davis doesn't listen to podcasts, but she participates in one - The Drilldown.

10 Favorite Podcasts From the RWW Community

We got a great response from our friends on Twitter (follow @rww on Twitter if you want to participate in future polls). A number of podcasts were mentioned multiple times. Here are 10 of those that randomly caught our eye:

• This American Life, presented by Chicago Public Radio
• For Immediate Release, a show about PR and tech
• TED Talks, brain food
• You Look Nice Today, "an audio-based Journal of Emotional Hygiene"
• Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, NPR quiz show
• KEXP song of the day, Seattle radio station which has a selection of great podcasts
• Six Pixels of Separation, podcast of Twist Image, a Digital Marketing agency
• MacCast, Mac fans computer show
• BBC Friday night Comedy, "a satirical take on the week's news with the cream of UK comedy talent."
• Strange Love Live, which @dieselboi described as "a fun, insightful and sexy podcast"; our own Marshall Kirkpatrick was on it recently.

Below is the full unstructured list from friends of RWW! Sorry there are no links, but generally you can copy and paste an item into Google to find out more...

Kate LaFrance: Stephen Pierce's blog dtalpha.com.

Roger Harris: Nature magazine, Scientific American, NPR

Terri Ellman: This American Life and Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me.

Kenny Hyder: the maccast & atomfilms

Mike Billeter: Marvel's own Mighty Marvel Podcast and The B.S. Report with Bill Simmons (ESPN).

Rob Inskeep: Killer Innovations - http://bit.ly/killer and, on a lighter note The Instance - http://bit.ly/Instance

Mike Keliher: You Look Nice Today, On the Media, Shill, Inside PR, For Immediate Release

eco2oh: Cool Hunting Video (brilliant art/culture/design snack) Tiki Bar TV, Eban's Lounge Podcast Selection, Dishy Mix

Joseph Miller: This American Life, TWiT, Stanford Entrepreneurship.

Simon Young: http://forimmediaterelease.biz, http://jaffejuice.com/, http://twistimage.com/blog, and of course http://ijump.tv :)

ipevo: Inside Mac Radio

itamarw: The Bugle (Times Online), BOL

Mike Robinson: BBC Friday night comedy http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/... TED Talks, always interesting... http://www.ted.com/index.ph...

kitalooclef: More Hip than Hippie, You Look Nice Today, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Real Time with Bill Mahr, The World's Tech podcast

Paul Laroquod: ill doctrine; Cult of UHF; Quirks & Quarks; Art & Story; Sessler's Soapbox.

Andrew Korf: Ian Masters on KPFK.org: http://www.ianmasters.org/

Rob Cottingham: For Immediate Release, Lullabot, Six Pixels of Separation, CBCRadio Comedy Factory, Manager Tools

Kevin Marks: RadioLab; In Our Time; This American Life; BBC Friday night Comedy; On The Media more at my last.fm account kevinmarks

Daniel Howe: The Father Bob Show - He's a disgruntled elderly priest from Melbourne who likes to speak his mind http://is.gd/bQ92

Iben Rodriguez: WNYC-RadioLab, VODcars, PBCC-Sunday-Sermons, ScienceFriday, and Berkeley-Groks.

chase squires: Marketplace ( http://marketplace.publicra... ) and the Stuck in the 80s podcast ( http://blogs.tampabay.com/80s/ )

Adam Ritchie: sound opinions from american public media, nyt popcast, npr all songs considered, boston globe page one, rocketboom

Erin | Books in 140: This American Life, CBC's Writers & Company, New York Times Book Review, New Yorker podcasts

Steve O'Hear: TWiT, phonesshow (prev smartphoneshow), mobile with the guru

Charles: "The Lew Rockwell Show" http://lewrockwell.com/podc...

Kim Gaskins: Savage Love http://is.gd/2rG0

Ethan Watrall: iFanboy, Quirks & Quarks, Wormwood, Leviathan Chronicles, OnBoardGames

Kevin Pedraja: This American Life, Fresh Air, NPR Morning News Summary, KEXP Song of the Day, Beautiful Places in HD

Kiran Max Weber: Future Tense, Core Intuition, gdgt, StackOverflow and TWiT. Gillmor Gang would have made it but think it died.

Andrew Korf: http://ecorner.stanford.edu...

Mike Maney: "Open Sources" podcast from @mjasay and @daveofdoom at http://www.opensources.com/

mike dunn: http://www.podiobooks.com, http://www.somethingtobedes, http://www.thebitterestpill, http://www.evilgeniuschronicles, http://www.deltaparkproject.

Hanna Wiszniewska: Changesurfer Radio http://bit.ly/OF7d, Pop!Casts http://bit.ly/liEk, TEDtalks http://bit.ly/vUTq

Tony Bain: venture-voice

alexislyon: Coffee Break Spanish!

McMatt: Sci. Am's "60 Second..." series. Informative, leads to other info and very chipper. http://tinyurl.com/5vgr79

Shaun Trennery: Twit, No Agenda, ZA Tech Show, Tech 5

Sarah Wood: Diggnation, Totally Rad Show, The Stealth Mac, We Need Girlfriends, KEXP song of the day

aussiesasha: social blend @ mixxingbowl.com :)

Sea-Fever Consulting: For Immediate Release, Six Pixels of Separation, No Agenda, You Look Nice Today, Just One More Book

Will King: TEDTalks, FastCompany.TV, MacCast, NPR Planet Money, KRCW LeShow

Sherif Mansour: 1) The Scoop (Aussie) http://tinyurl.com/594dwx 2) Instantiate Podcast (Aussie) http://instantiate.platform... , 3)TWiT (US)

arikhanson: For Immediate Release; Marketing Over Coffee

Chris from Germany: http://www.podcast.de/podcast/8995/Sci_xpert_-_Leschs_Universum
it's in German, a Munich university professor, over 30 parts, 15mins each

Steve Spalding: You Look Nice Today - Merlin Mann's podcast, Buzz Outloud, TWiT

Aaron Hockley: TWIP, TackSharp, Hanselminutes, .NET Rocks

Bram Pitoyo: strangelovelive

Chris O'Rourke: StrangeloveLive, Webb Alert, The Microsoft IT Manager Podcast

Chris Judson: FOSS Weekly, Reduced Shakespeare Co, YouLookNiceToday, Speaking of Faith, Wait, wait...don't tell me (last two are NPR types)

Michele: The Moth, Splendid Table, This American Life

dieselboi: Strangelovelive is a fun, insightful and sexy podcast

Brett Roberts: TED, Ask a Ninja

dekkerd: GDGT weekly, TwiT, loaded, Buzz out loud, geekbrief.tv

Shelley O'Connor: www.polyweekly.com

Jon Burg: FIR, Six Pixels of Separation, Cranky Geeks, NBC News, Naaleh

Finally, if you're wondering who is the guy who got a podcasting RSS tattoo, it is Drew Olanoff!

The usage capped broadband, meanwhile, is going to be tested sometime in the next quarter in Beaumont, Texas. So for the time being, the two services won't overlap.

According to Time Warner, the reason for the trial of usage based billing net access, is because the growing popularity of online video is causing congestion on their network. Why, then, introduce a service at the same time that will only serve to increase the amount of online video being downloaded over your network? Of course, by tying the HBO service to the Road Runner broadband service, Time Warner is essentially passing the cost of a "free" product to consumers by raising rates elsewhere.

If Time Warner wants to encourage users to stream more video over its network, it can't also penalize users who stream more video over its network.

As Ars Technica points out, the whole thing is short-sighted. Per usage billing won't fly with consumers who have unlimited use broadband options elsewhere, and competition is only going to get stiffer for the cable industry. Verizon, for example, has no plans to try usage caps with its DSL or FiOS services, and on the horizon we can look forward to 4G wireless broadband, a possible wireless broadband service on the 700MHz spectrum being auctioned off starting this week, and Sprint's Xohm WiMAX network. Not to mention continued roll-outs and improvements of Verizon's FiOS and AT&T's U-Verse services.

"Instead of developing plans designed to discourage consumers from feeding at the bandwidth trough, cable companies would be better served in the long run by making investments in new technologies like DOCSIS 3.0 and the kind of infrastructure improvements necessary to meet bandwidth demands," writes Ars Technica's Eric Bangeman. It seems likely that in the face of competition and potential consumer distaste over proposed usage limits and practices like bandwidth throttling, cable companies may be forced to make just that type of investment, even though it might be unpopular with shareholders.