I love this little bit of news from Brian X. Chen about AT&T:
>The company said that its database would initially prevent reactivation of stolen devices on its own network. Later this year it plans to expand the database to work with other carriers.

I am sure the meeting for this went something like: “Hey boss! I’ve a great idea: let’s track phones that have be stolen and block them. This will make current customers happy, and force more users to buy our subsidized phones!” Then the boss slowly turns with a glimmer in his eye and replies: “Genius, what a great, brand new, never heard before, idea. (With a subtle undertone of ‘that’s why I hired you — I’m so smart.’)”

In other words: why hasn’t AT&T been doing this all along?

If that was all that was in the story I wouldn’t have linked to it, but that’s not all in the story, the best bit comes right now:

>Verizon Wireless, the No. 1 carrier, said that unlike AT&T, it has had its own database for disabling stolen cellphones on its network for years.

That sentence is so perfect, on so many levels.