File this entry under Convergence in the Home, subfile It's (Almost) About Time.  Or file it under home convergence or telco to the home convergence or Android convergence. 

Wherever you file it, pat yourself on your back---and the backs of your CTC colleagues because over a year ago CTC hosted a panel on the Open Handset Alliance and Android and we discussed some of what is now hot news.  OK, before you fall off your chair in anticipation:

Android in Your Home

It has been revealed that T-Mobile will in 2010 start selling a home phone with a tablet PC (probably the equivalent of a netbook) to be used in the home.  Now this is convergence-at least convergence that may make some sense.  Why?  Because it is a telco, someone who is somewhat accustomed to being in your home.  Oh, sure, Apple has a pretty good application or two for your home but you have to have the technical savvy or near-total geekiness to make it work and never mind the PC world:  That requires a PhD (I just had one here to sort out the office networking and it cost me the equivalent of a mortgage payment).

It is unclear just what the tablet & phone will actually do---which is pretty important.  However, central to the news is that T-Mobile will be using Android as the operating system.  The imagination runs wild.  Well, how about "runs frisky."  If T-Mobile has any sense, they will develop an "apps" store, much like iTunes or all the other wannabes now developing competing models.

Actually Using It in Your Home

But first, what is most important for T-Mobile to succeed is that the tablet will be able to do what we have been promised since the 90's---control of lots of home systems, HVAC being the most obvious (and important).  Think about "green" controls---learning more about your power consumption.  And your TV, not to mention porting programs across platforms.  You don't care where your favorite movie comes from; you care that you can see it on the platform of your choice at the time of your choice in the room of your choice.  And that long-promised link between programming and online ordering might---just might---become a reality through this tablet.  T-Mobile need only program the tablet accordingly or enable the app store to be created.  Yeah, I know:  Pollyanna is my patron saint.

Android will have to be adopted by a broad range of appliance and systems manufacturers (just how old is your thermostat?) for this converging reality to occur.  But it's a start.  And besides, Pollyanna is not a bad muse.