Planet Abell

Oh, to have been a fly in the room when Research in Motion Chief Executive Thorsten Heins briefed the New York Times on the face (and potentially company) saving Blackberry 10, due out Jan. 30 and not a moment too soon for the company which rivals Nokia for top prize in the mobile phone "How Far The Mighty Have Fallen" honors. I flatter myself but also Bits writer Ian Austin by saying confidently that I infer from his report the mood of the room was ... cautiously pessimistic. How else could these seasoned journalists have processed this Money Quote from Heins: "I don't expect things to get much worse." It's right up there with "What could possibly go wrong?" and " This might just do nobody any good " and "The check is in the mail." ( Continued ... )

Verizon, anyone? The Wall Street Journal reports what may be the most convincing rumor yet that Apple is going to stray from long-time companion AT&T. Who are the winners and losers? I talk about it on CNBC's Street Signs. No fair guessing Steve Jobs (who always seems to have a winning hand) and Palm ( which cannot catch a break )

First, the good news: I got to do this interview from a studio-for-hire a couple of blocks from my office, on a workday, so no long trip on a day that I would otherwise have been off (still — not complaining MSNBC!). But these things always seem to end in a 10th of the time you think you'll have. Still, as @samerfarha advised, I said nothing to draw fire from John Gruber. Also, you'll see I have much longer hair than my profile picture, which was taken a year ago almost to the day. My last haircut? Sept. 30, 2008.

From the tuaw.com liveblog at the iPhone line at the 5th Avenue (NYC) Apple store: 4:18. The line goes back to Madison Avenue, all the way around to FAO Schwartz. Stretching from one expensive toy store to another.