Thank you. 

You don't need me to tell you that 2009 has been a rough year for many an industry, business, family, and individual here in the U.S. and all over the world. The global economy is fighting its way towards stability, but plenty of people have lost plenty of money and plenty of jobs this year - not to mention those who never had enough on their plates to begin with. 

The world of wireless tech certainly hasn't been immune this year's economic troubles - several big-time companies reported enormous losses throughout 2009, and many smaller technology companies and industry publications have been forced to cut way back or fold entirely. But as a whole, wireless has fared much better than many other industries throughout the financial turmoil. 

So on behalf of the entire PhoneDog Family, I just want to thank you for enabling us to keep doing what we do. Whether you're a phone fanatic, budget-minded consumer, industry professional, or Web surfer just stopping by, without you there'd be no point to our company, our site, or our videos, tweets and Facebook posts. Again, in all sincerity, thanks.

All of us at The Dog are incredibly excited to spend our working hours bringing you our take on the ever-changing world of wireless technology. The growth of our family, both in terms of people (Now there's Aaron and Adriana and Sydney and Carlos ...) and Websites (... On DroidDog! On BBerryDog! On that iPhone site we might launch!), is a testament to our commitment to bringing you the best articles, reviews and videos we can and to your involvement in reading, commenting, posting to the forums, and following us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and elsewhere across the Net.

We work hard, yeah, but it's fun work and we're grateful to have it. I've long worked as a freelance tech journalist (I used to be a teacher, believe it or not, and covered tech on the side), but my time with PhoneDog has obviously evolved into so much more than "a steady freelance gig" over the past three and a half years. I get to work with an incredible group of people within PhoneDog, another incredible bunch of folks across the wireless biz, and perhaps the most diverse and opinionated group of "colleagues" imaginable in you, the readers and viewers. While it's easy to get dazzled by and caught up in the geeky glamour of FedEx boxes full of unreleased smartphones appearing at my doorstep every morning, it really is you guys and gals that make this so worthwhile. Even when you're calling me all sorts of names by way of defending your smartphone platform of choice.

And hey, for as much as we all like to talk about the cool hardware and neat apps that form the fabric of our personal relationships to technology, let's not forget about the vast industry that swirls around wireless communications. Hundreds of thousands of people have jobs and can support families thanks to this business, and millions more use their phones to stay in touch with friends, colleagues, loved ones, and business associates on a daily basis. It truly is amazing.

Thanks to the engineers, software designers, cell tower technicians, retail salespeople, telephone tech support reps, quality assurance testers, fellow journalists and bloggers, and all of those other people who make this industry churn. It's because of them that all of us enjoy and prosper from ceaseless and mind-blowing advances in consumer electronics and wireless technology. Technology alone is never the answer, but when people put incredible tech to good use, that's where the magic happens. And so long as someone keeps building it, we'll keep reporting on it. Then it's up to you to make magic with it.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day, wherever you are and however you spend it. Me, I'll be saying an extra round of thanks to the folks like you who have helped make this a year for all of us at PhoneDog to truly be grateful for.

And may you get through on the first time when you hit your friends and family up on their cellies during the Thanksgiving calling frenzy ;-)