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Leap Free AVI FLV MP4 WMV to HD Video Converter offers a simple solution for converting video files into high definition video. With a simple layout and fast results, this is a great tool for video quality buffs.

The program's interface is impressively simple, thanks to its onscreen instructions and easy-to-use commands. We never felt lost and were always in control. The program allowed us to track down as many AVI, FLV, MP4, and WMV files as we wanted and place them in a queue. From there, it was a simple one-step process to convert these files and send … Read more

Leap Free MP3 to Amr Mobile Ringtone Converter offers to let users convert their sound files into ringtone files. By slicing the process down to the smallest number of steps and providing a simple layout, this program is a winner.

Its interface was so simple we instantly felt comfortable, thanks mostly to the excellent onscreen instructions. The command icons were clearly labeled and easy to navigate. The entire process was broken down into three easy steps. We simply selected an MP3 from our collection and chose whether to save it as an Amr or an OGG file, which are preferred … Read more

AT&T launched a prepaid wireless broadband service on Monday, following the lead of competitor Verizon Wireless.

Pricing for the new AT&T DataConnect Pass plans are the same as what Verizon Wireless is charging. Customers can pay $15 for a daily pass with a data usage cap of 75 megabytes. A weekly plan costs $30 and allows for 250MB of data usage. And the monthly plan is $50 and offers 500MB of usage.

While AT&T and Verizon Wireless have offered prepaid cell phone service for years, up until now the companies have required customers sign … Read more

Leap Free Download YouTube Video Converter provides a simple though lengthy process for watching YouTube videos offline. While there were things about it we didn't like, overall the program was a gem.

The converter's interface had an amateurish look with clip-art-style icons, but it proved to be simple and intuitive to operate. We did have to consult the Help file during the opening stages of saving online videos to our desktop. We were disappointed that we couldn't just take a YouTube video and save it to any file type we pleased. Instead, there's an intermediate step … Read more

Leap Free All to MP3 AMR AAC OGG WAV Converter provides a simple platform for converting music files. Its simple commands and excellent performance ensure that practically anyone can convert audio files in a snap.

The program's interface has a slightly amateurish feel, with icons that look like clip art, but the boldly colored buttons still manage to make navigation simple. We were able to drop any audio file type into our queue of files quickly and efficiently. The same went for choosing a new file type, which was showcased in a drop-down menu featuring seven different formats. Leap … Read more

Big Internet service providers don't seem to be interested in applying for federal stimulus funds, but smaller players like Leap Wireless are looking at the grant program as an opportunity to provide wireless service to underserved populations.

Prepaid wireless carrier Cricket Communications, which is owned by Leap Wireless, on Monday filed an application with the nonprofit organization One Economy for $8.6 million to help it expand a program called Project Change Access. This project, which launched last fall in Portland, Ore., has helped low income residents get online to improve their access to education, job training programs, health … Read more

After having just modified its stance on cell phone exclusivity deals last week, Verizon Wireless said it is also willing to compromise on roaming service agreements with smaller mobile providers.

Currently, carriers are not required to offer roaming services to competing providers in areas where the rivals own spectrum but have not built out network coverage. However, some of the smaller carriers, such as Leap Wireless, say this only hurts customers and they need roaming service while they build out their network. As a result, they have lobbied for lawmakers to address this home roaming issue.

Hoping to appease government … Read more

When we first saw the TXT8026 at the PCD (Personal Communications Devices) booth at this year's CTIA, we thought for sure it would be a successor to the Verizon Wireless Blitz--they're both square and slightly chubby, with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Now it appears regional carrier Cricket has first dibs at the little messaging phone, and they've dubbed it the TXTM8, pronounced "textmate"--get it? Features include a 1.3-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, voice recognition, a music player, and a microSD card slot. You can get it now for $159.99 without a contract.… Read more

q&a Leap Wireless is finally in the right place at the right time.

The company, which sells its prepaid service under the Cricket and Jump Mobile brands, has been in the wireless service market since 1998, when it was spun off from mobile chipmaker Qualcomm. It filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2003 and was restructured and emerged from bankruptcy protection a year later.

Now the company is strategically expanding its network into 14 new markets with spectrum it won in two recent Federal Communications Commission auctions. It now operates in 29 states and holds licenses in 35 of the top 50 U.S. markets, including Chicago and Philadelphia, where it recently launched service, and in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, where it plans to launch soon.

And all of this happening as Americans are getting fed up with lengthy and expensive wireless contracts from national carriers, such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless. And as finances tighten, people are looking to reduce their monthly expenses by finding cheaper options for phone service. Prepaid service plans, which allow customers to pay in advance for service without signing a contract, provide a good alternative. Low-cost unlimited plans, from Leap and others, make it an easy choice even for wireless subscribers who talk and text a lot.

I recently chatted with Leap CEO Doug Hutcheson to get his take on the prepaid wireless market and get his thoughts on the future of the industry. Below is an edited version of our conversation.

Q: Prepaid cell phone plans are getting a lot of attention lately. Why do you think that is? Hutcheson: The prepaid cell phone market is in its third or fourth phase of development right now in the U.S. And it's at the same phase that the European market entered about five or six years ago. Prepaid really started to take off in Europe as wireless penetration started to reach 100 percent. And of course the economic realities of today are also a factor. For a number of people, prepaid wireless is the best value.

Do you think prepaid carriers, such as Leap Wireless, are in a position to threaten the nationwide incumbents, such as AT&T or Verizon Wireless? Hutcheson: I don't think we are a material threat to either AT&T or Verizon Wireless. They have built great, broad franchises with 80 million customers. What we are trying to do is focus on our customer base, which tends to be younger and more ethnically diverse with people at the median to below median household income level. We serve this market really well. And this is a customer base that others aren't as interested in serving or aren't able to focus on. These operators have their own prepaid products, but I think AT&T's primary focus is on selling iPhones and two-year contracts. And Verizon is focused on its 4G rollout and combining those services with its Fios fiber network.… Read more