Ah yes ladies and gents, it is what some will call the most wonderful time of the year ... March Madness brought to you by CBS brought to you by Coca-Cola's(NYSE:KO) PowerAde brought to you by General Motors (NYSE:GM) brought to you by New Balance brought to you by AT & T's Cingular(NYSE:T) -- perhaps you catch my drift.

Yesterday was the first time I was home for the opening day of the tournament in five years. Know how many games I watched? Zero. Now how much of it I missed? Zero. Maybe it is because my Cincinnati Bearcats choked royally down the stretch and were left out of the NCAA and NIT, or maybe it is because I find college basketball a bit boring. Whatever the reason, I didn't watch and I didn't miss. Actually, let me couch that statement, I saw snippets of the Butler/LSU game as I waited for the FightBus to get its oil change at the dealership. Thing is, while I was glancing at the TV I saw in-game ads for VitaminWater and General Motors ... what happened to letting the game play? It reminded me of Wednesday night when I was watching my BlueJackets play. Fox Sports was showing the sponsored save of the game, and missed a goal by the Jackets!

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

"I'm like Ma Bell, I got the ill communication." -- Beastie Boys

When considering these two particular companies, it is important to note their roots as offspring of the famous "Ma Bell" network. The Bell System, which has produced the most complex ongoing series of mergers and break-ups in the history of the United States, is the origin of the companies that are now AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), as well as competitor Qwest Communications International (NYSE: Q). A lot has changed since those early times -- remember, after all, that the second "T" in AT&T stood for Telegraph. Now phones are the latest devices to be made supercomputers. AT&T has its exclusive deal with the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone, while Verizon slings the Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) BlackBerry.

Since wireless is the way of the future, the wireless divisions of these companies is the most hotly contested, and the focus of this "Battle of the Brands." It is important to note that despite Verizon Wireless bearing solely Verizon's name, it is not owned by just them, it is a 55%-45% joint venture between Verizon and Vodafone Group (NYSE: VOD). It is also important to note that AT&T Mobility is the service formerly known as Cingular, which was acquired by AT&T in 2006 when it bought BellSouth for $86B.

Nearly three weeks ago, a U.S. District Judge ruled that AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) could replace Cingular logos with new AT&T logos on the #31 car in the NASCAR Nextel Cup. Last week an appeals court judge refused to move the August 18 hearing for an appeal from NASCAR and Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) to an earlier date. According to Scene Daily, Sprint Nextel is arguing that the ruling allowing the new logos has diminished the sponsorship value, which is estimated at $700-750 million.

Sprint Nextel is certainly attempting to protect its investment, but AT&T should not be forced to go to court in order to legalize the company's name change on a car of all things. The Cingular brand is dead, so why should that logo remain on the car? Obviously it is gone because of the first ruling, but if Cingular's sponsorship of that car did not dampen the Nextel logo in the four years it was on there, why would the new AT&T logo change that fact?

We should also remember that when Nextel began sponsorship of the premier NASCAR series it was only Nextel. Since then it too has gone through a merger and become Sprint Nextel. That may have no consequence or bearing on the ruling or any outcome, but AT&T has as much right to be in the sport as Sprint does. After all, they both have essentially bought into the series buy buying and merging with companies already in the sport. No the Nextel Cup will not become the Sprint Cup, but Nextel still "exists." Both companies stocks rose yesterday with Sprint closing at $23.34 and AT&T at $40.90.

Everyone wants to know exactly when the iPhone will be released, and, hey! It's so much fun to speculate. Who knew CNBC, the source of all financial (supposed) fact and opinion, would announce a launch date that was confirmed only by one iPhone store representative.

Talk about having your fingers do the walking. When the AP sought to confirm this fact, they were given estimates ranging between June 11 and June 22 from eight different stores in the New York area. No one in the financial press, popular media, or blogosphere has yet been able to find any more firm news. Is it true?

I, for one, don't believe it for a second -- taking one's information from an AT&T (NYSE: T) store rep (though they're all lovely people) seems about as reliable as getting it off the subject line in one of your spam e-mails. I'm still planning to have my cash socked away by June 11th (the start of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s Worldwide Developer's Conference and, many believe, the real launch date of the iPhone) just in case. If you're an investor, the launch date is only liable to cause an effect on the stock if it's much earlier or later than expected -- and much earlier seems highly unlikely.

Update: The iPhone release date of June 29 has been confirmed as of June 3, 2007.

Click through for our gallery of iPhone release date news and rumors.

AT&T (NYSE: T) announced yesterday that the company has been given the legal go-ahead to rebrand its NASCAR-sponsored car. The #31 Chevrolet featured the Cingular name and brand on its panels since 2001 when the company began its sponsorship of the Richard Childress Racing team. The phone service was created by BellSouth and AT&T in 2001 and with AT&T's purchase of BellSouth last year, AT&T initiated the rebranding.

Jeff Burton, a Virginia-native and driver of the #31 car, currently sits at #5 in the Nextel Cup championship points and debuted with new decals on his car last weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. The former Cingular Wireless decals were replaced with AT&T's globe image. The orange color of Cingular remains.

Over the weekend, when the judgment was made, AT&T's stock remained roughly the same and closed at $24.95 on Tuesday. Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) rose early in the week, despite the "new" sponsor in the NASCAR series it sponsors, closing at $21.46 on Tuesday. With AT&T holding such a high position in the point standings of the Nextel series, this may be a massive blow to the rights Sprint Nextel seemed to hold on wireless service promotion in the series. The race broadcasts have always featured Cingular text polls though, which seem to overshadow the $700 million, ten-year deal Nextel made with NASCAR in 2003.

Companies outsource customer care, human resources and billing services to Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG), which posted solid 1Q 2007 earnings for both its domestic and international units. Revenue for 1Q 2007 was just under $720 million, an increase of 7% from 1Q 2006. Likewise, EPS diluted was $0.31, up 19%. Operating income increased 5% to $65 million. Net income increased 19% to $43.6 million. It remains to be seen if Convergys can continue to post solid gains under its brand new CEO Dave Dougherty, who took over on 17 April 2007. Bets are that the company can and will.

In Convergys' customer care segment, revenue was $469 million, up 8%, and operating income of $56.3 million was up 22%. The employee care segment showed impressive gains of 24% in revenues, to $65 million, Due to careful cost management programs, Convergys slowed operating losses in this segment by 23%, but still showed a loss. Information management segment showed a 2% loss, due mainly to the loss of the Cingular account when Cingular became a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. To compensate for this loss, Convergys has actively expanded its international operations in information management.

Convergys increased its cash flow from operating expenses while simultaneously trimming net expenses due to a reduction in debt interest expenses. During 1Q, Convergys spent over $16 million to repurchase 638,200 shares at an average price per share of $25.60. Based on 1Q numbers, Convergys management is sticking with its FY 2007 guidance of at least $1.20 EPS. At a recent closing of $25.75, up $0.16, Convergys at least rates a look from investors who have yet to spend their tax refunds.

Has the pinnacle of the wireless telephone industry came and gone? Possibly, according to a recent article over at Forbes.com. All things considered, the amount of wireless subscriber market penetration over just the last 10 years has been quite remarkable. The wireless phone industry now has these top-5 players: AT&T, Inc. (NYSE:T) (formerly Cingular Wireless), Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) (Verizon Wireless), Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S), T-Mobile USA (a unit of Germany's Deutsche Telekom AG (ADR) NYSE:DT) and Alltel Corp. (NYSE:AT).

Recently, as the "voice" portion of the modern cellular industry has dropped like an anchor, these carriers (and others) have tried boosting revenue by investing in higher-speed data networks to carry all those pictures, videos, mobile website visits and laptop data usages.

Are all these newer feature sets being used by most wireless subscribers? Nope. Usage percentages remains quite low overall, despite billions spent on newer wireless network upgrades and ferocious marketing on all these wireless multimedia features. Will players like Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Skype start to chuck away at established wireless companies with technologies like almost-free wireless VoIP service and other disruptive services? In a nutshell, probably so.

I know, you're probably sick of hearing me wax rhapsodic about the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone. It's not going to stop anytime soon (at least, not for 105 days or so). Especially not today.

Because today, I was thrilled to see an email subject line from my buddies at Engadget: something about $300 and iPhone. Those two concepts were adjacent to one another, causing me unreasonable joy, and immediately I click-click-clicked away.

Sure enough, a big glossy photo of a leaked Cingular iPhone ad proclaimed that the 4GB version of the most-wanted mobile phone would be offered for $299 with a two-year wireless service contract, starting at $39.99 per month. I have Cingular and I've already called: I'm eligible for "upgrade" starting in March, so I'm definitely going to plead my case for the iPhone when said advertisement becomes reality.

Many critics of Apple's take-over-the-mobile-world strategy have said that consumers won't pay $499 for a new mobile phone. First, I think those critics are largely wrong (I keenly remember paying $495 for a Palm Pilot six or seven years ago, so there), and secondly: $299 is a lot more palatable. The rumor doesn't seem to have had much affect on Apple's stock (and maybe it's just not widely-spread enough, yet): it was down 38 cents, or about half a percent, to $84.83 for the day.

AT&T Inc.'s (NYSE:T) share price gained $1.27 to close yesterday at $36.63, and rose even further after hours, spurred by Cingular's strong earnings report yesterday, its last as an independent entity. Today's AT&T quarterly and year-end report offered more good news for investors, once again clearly based on the strength AT&T's wireless business.

With merger-related costs excluded, Wall Street had looked for 59 cents earnings per share, and AT&T reported that it would have been 61 cents, compared to 63 cents last quarter. AT&T also reported $24 billion in revenue without the merger, compared to consensus estimates of $21.3 billion. With BellSouth in the mix, it was a profit of $1.9 million, or 50 cents a share, compared to $1.7 million and 46 cents a year ago.

Like some analysts I mentioned in my earnings preview earlier this week, BloggingStocks readers were clearly optimistic (and apparently rightly so), as 73% of you polled predicted AT&T would beat expectations. Less than a quarter of you felt it would merely meet expectations.

AT&T also said it expects to see higher savings from the BellSouth merger than originally forecast, and that the newly acquired business would contribute modestly to income growth in 2007.

AT&T's stock started the day near $38.

Also check out some other earnings reports that we're following, and let us know your thoughts on earnings expectations.

With some analysts souring on tech stocks, the question for investors and watchers of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) ahead of its Q4 report on January 25 is whether this telecom chameleon (formerly SBC, formerly Southwestern Bell and others, formerly AT&T) can repeat its strong Q3 results. That showing was based primarily on the strength of AT&T's wireless business. And it's still wireless that provides hope in some quarters, specifically AT&T's piece of the brouhaha over Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s iPhone. Cingular (soon to be known once more as AT&T Wireless) will be the exclusive service provider for iPhones, which is bound to bring in boatloads of new customers for AT&T.

Some wonder whether giants AT&T and Apple can really get along, however. And the other big AT&T news in these days leading to the Q4 report is its new Unity service, a bundling of mobile and land-line services that is widely seen as an effort to stem the tide of customers going over to the cable providers.

AT&T rates a "buy" recommendation, according the Thomson Financial, with estimated earnings per share at 0.59, compared to 0.63 actual for the previous quarter, and revenue of 21.3 billion. The target price is 37.48 (it closed at 35.07 on Friday). MarketWatch and TheStreet.com agree on the 0.59 estimate, but place the target price at 38.50, with a fiscal 2007 estimate of 2.27 and an "overweight" rating.

Credit Suisse analysts recently raised their target price to $39 and fiscal 2007 earnings estimate to $2.54, as well as maintaining their rating of "outperform," based not only on the iPhone deal, but the completion of the merger with BellSouth as well.

What do you think? Are investors in line for another positive surprise from AT&T?

Also check out some other earnings reports that we're following, and let us know your thoughts on earnings expectations.

When Apple, Inc's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone was announced amid a furor last week, many eyes around the world "oohed" and "awed" about how this product could re-invent the mobile telephone. To be honest, it looked like a prop from a science fiction movie more than a real-life device. Credit Apple for such mystique - it's what it does.

The one rather-not-so-perplexing fact about the entire announcement made at the MacWorld tradeshow in San Francisco was Apple's choice of mobile phone carrier: Cingular Wireless of AT&T, Inc. (NYSE:T). Both the heads of Apple and Cingular -- Steve Jobs and Stan Sigman, respectively -- said that the agreement between the two companies happened over two years ago without anything ever being shown. That is how confident Cingular was with Apple.

Now, Cingular Wireless is the largest mobile carrier in the U.S. and uses the GSM global standard for its network. The reasons why Cingular was chosen rests on two things. 1) partnering with the nation's largest provider gives Apple reach it could not get anywhere else. 2) Cingular uses the GSM standard that other global operators use, and not the CDMA standard that both Verizon Wireless, Alltel, and Sprint Nextel use here in the U.S. This makes it easier to deploy the iPhone worldwide for obvious reasons.

Will you plan to change to Cingular to get the iPhone this summer if you're not an existing Cingular customer?

The Apple Computer Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone A-bomb was dropped yesterday at MacWorld. In addition to Apple's rise of over 8%, what is the aftermath now that the smoke has cleared?

• The biggest impact was in the "smart phone" space, with Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) and Palm Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) both getting killed yesterday. RiM dropped 7.85% and Palm dropped 5.69%, most likely because in less than two hours, Steve Jobs proved their phones weren't so smart after all.
• There was a smaller wake left in the traditional handset manufacturer space, with Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) and Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) each dropping a little over 1%. I found this mildly surprising, as the trendy teen market that spends on phones like the Motorola RAZR would seem to me to be the most likely to rush out to buy the iPhone, regardless of its high price point.
• There was absolutely no effect in the telecommunications space. AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), which owns Cingular, rose a meager 13 cents on the news that it would be the exclusive carrier of the phone, and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) also rose slightly despite getting left out. Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) went to hell yesterday, dropping over 11%, but that was due to an unrelated announcement regarding the company lowering guidance. The lack of movement in telecom signals to me the market's belief that Cingular's exclusivity deal will not last that long.
• Apple rival, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) also wasn't affected, rising 3 cents on the day, most likely because if the Microsoft Zune couldn't compete with the current generation of iPods, the iPhone being far superior was irrelevant.

First, the specs: the iPhone 4GB model will be $499 and will ship in June (not, it turns out, January 15th). It will run Cingular and Yahoo! IMAP email. Shivers. This is one phone I'm dying to own.

How will Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s iPhone be different from every other "mobile communication device" out there? How? Just tell us, Steve. It will be done without a keyboard... without a stylus... thanks to the patented power of "multi-touch."


Hmmm. Well, whatever that is, it's certainly lovely. In Engadget's live coverage of Steve Job's MacWorld keynote address, the photos have been rolling out like so much gadget porn.

Yum. But, as they say in the business, "that's not all."

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

AT&T, Inc. (NYSE: T) is the favorite conservative investment for 2007 from technical analyst Richard Sparks. The editor of Trend Maximizer observes, "The matronly telecom icon that was broken apart in 1984 -- and then merged with SBC Communications -- is making noise once again.

"AT&T has agreed to acquire southern Baby Bell BellSouth Corp. (NYSE: BLS) in a deal valued at $67 billion. The new T now boasts more than 49 million access lines in service. Cingular Wireless, the company's wireless joint venture with BLS, is the leading U.S. wireless carrier with more than 54 million subscribers in the fold.

"The firm reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings of 63 cents per share on October 23. These results beat the consensus analyst estimate by five cents. Revenue rose 13.5% on a year-over-year basis to $21.36 billion, versus a consensus estimate of $21.33 billion. This news was met by at least one brokerage firm making positive comments and raising its price target for the stock.

Cingular Wireless, jointly held by AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and BellSouth Corp. (NYSE:BLS), has teamed up with Nokia Corp. (NYSE:NOK) as well as Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) and MasterCard Inc. (NYSE:MA) to try a new phone with embedded MasterCard PayPass in it.

Several Mastercard cardholders who are also Cingular Wireless customers in New York City will be testing the new Nokia phones with the new service. The MasterCard PayPass allows contactless payment (where it is accepted) by simply holding the phone near the card reader. The payment goes through the cell phone bill.

Mastercard PayPass is accepted in the city's subway, McDonald's and AMC theaters, which will now also accept the tested phones. 30,000 locations in the U.S. have the hardware to process contactless payments and 13 million consumers used it. In South Korea and Japan, this technology is already in use.

There have been integration of services on the cell phone side as mobile phones became more than just a phone in recent years. On the financial side, contactles payment cards have been distributed by banks. With this current integration of a payment card with mobile phones, it seems we're going towards a device that might eventually integrate most of the functions we could perceive of needing.

The so called 'mobile wallet' is also developed by Samsung and Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT). If the mobile wallets gain traction, they could drive new growth in cell phone sales, especially in mature markets like the U.S. and Japan.