We’ve seen a few articles in passing lately about how Microsoft is planning on unveiling a new mobile device. A lot of these articles are pointing toward it being a combination of Microsoft’s Zune technology with acquired Danger’s Sidekick technology. CNBC even goes as far as to give out a code name of “Pink”. Other articles point to it being powered by Nvidia technology, which we find hard to believe. But the Nvidia technology rumored to be used would “theoretically give the Microsoft device 720p video playback and advanced 3D visuals that are absent on other phones” (via). Details of course are still sketchy, but we’re hearing people talk of a announcement at the 3GSM conference in February 2009. No word on a release date though, and what carriers it would be available on. At this point we’re putting this high on the rumor list, as there aren’t many details.

According to AdMob, a mobile advertising network, the Sidekick II is still in the top 20 handsets in the United States. This stat is based on ad impressions, so take it with a grain of salt. However it’s still interesting to see it ranking so high over 4 years after it’s release! Of course the iPhone has taken the number one spot, but we’re not sure why more recent Sidekick models aren’t showing up. If you want to check out the full report, you can grab the PDF.

via Washington Post

Who said nothing comes for free? Tomorrow, Saturday Nov 15th, pop over to your favorite T-Mobile store and tell them to hook you up with some free minutes. It’s a “Customer Delight Day” so you’ll be able to score 100 free minutes. Bring a friend and T-Mobile will double that to 200 free minutes. Get a friend to sign up for a T-Mobile contract and you can get $25 credited towards your next bill too. Here’s the details:

T-Mobile’s Customer Delight Day
Saturday, November 15
At your local T-Mobile Store:

Drop in and be rewarded!
* Get 100 FREE bonus minutes just for stopping by — a $40 value
* Get 200 FREE bonus minutes if you bring a friend — an $80 value
* Refer a customer to T-Mobile and get a $25 credit on your next bill
* Sign up for T-Mobile @Home and get the first month free — a $10 value!

Limited time offer. Participating locations only. See store for details. Offers are valid for qualified T-Mobile postpaid and FlexPay customers who are in good standing. Limit one offer per qualifying line. Offers can not be redeemed for cash or other value. Referral Credit Offer: The referred customer must activate a qualifying T-Mobile voice data postpaid or FlexPay plan at a participating T-Mobile store. The credit may take up to 2 billing cycles to appear on the referring customer’s bill. T-Mobile @Home Offer: Qualifying rate plan, credit approval and two-year agreement required. $10 monthly fee will be credited to account. The credit may take up to two billing cycles to appear.

via BGR

Got a broken Sidekick that’s not covered by insurance? Maybe you dropped it and now you need to fix your Sidekick LCD screen. Or maybe your trackball is just incredibly dirty and you want to pull it out and clean it. Well if you’ve got nimble fingers and are good with a tiny screwdriver, you’re in luck. We came across a site called Fix My Sidekick which has a number of tutorials including photos on how to take apart your Sidekicks. Here’s a sampling of some of the articles:
* How to Replace the Sidekick LX Faceplate and LCD Lens
* Fix a White LCD Screen on Your Sidekick
* How to Remove and Clean Sidekick 3 Trackball
* Fix The Backlight on Your Sidekick
* How to Replace a Sidekick 3 Screen
etc.

Check them out if you’re suffering from the broken Sidekick blues and are still holding out for a 3G Sidekick before buying a new one. You can also get replacement parts (or a new Sidekick if the repair fails) from SidekickShopper.com.

image via FixMySidekick

Uh oh, better hurry up and get that Sidekick before November 16th. T-Mobile
is planning on raising the data plan prices for several phones, including the Sidekick. Here’s the breakdown for the Sidekick:

For those wanting just Data and SMS:
Unlimited Data with 400 SMS: $44.99
Unlimited Data with unlimited SMS: $54.99

For those adding the Sidekick Plan onto a Voice plan:
Unlimited Data with 400 SMS: $24.99
Unlimited Data with unlimited SMS: $34.99
Unlimited Data only (if you have SMS via another plan): $24.99

If you want the full rundown, hit the chart above. For those of you that are existing customers (or if you sign up before November 16th), chances are you’ll be grandfathered in with your current plan prices and won’t see an increase in price.

via TmoNews who has additional increases for all the other devices.

Since most people have a Sidekick that plays video these days, one of the most asked questions is how to get video converted so you can actually watch it on the Sidekick, especially YouTube videos. CubanitaStylez (the same one that puts together those awesome themes) has recorded a video walking you through the steps to download a YouTube video to the Sidekick. You’ll need to use a website to download from YouTube and the video encoding program eRightSoft SUPER. Here’s the video walking you through it:

This should work for converting videos for the Sidekick LX, Sidekick Tony Hawk, and Sidekick 2008. For more details and other handy videos, check out cubanitastylez.blogspot.com

The Providence Journal has a great article up about cell phone robberies that continuously mentions the Sidekick. Apparently the Sidekick Slide is the most popular Sidekick and the one most commonly stolen. We kind of wonder how much research the author of the article actually did. Some great quotes from the article:

Martinez, 18, of Warwick, a self-described cell-phone addict, now counts herself a casualty of the urban cell-phone culture. More than one-third of the robberies in Providence this year are cell-phone robberies, and Police Chief Dean M. Esserman said “a good number” of the robberies last year were the same.

A band around the LX model glows blue to signal an incoming message.

“This is why they steal the phone, because it lights up,” Martinez said. “It’s amusing to people …”

Standing on the sidewalk on Hamilton Street where she was attacked, Nathalie described what happened on that day last winter.

“I thought it was one of my friends playing around with me” at first. “When I looked back, I hit him with my purse. But I had my nails done [that day], so I couldn’t, really, like, fight with him and stuff … I was scared. I was really scared.”

Martinez had a big bill to pay — about $500 — after the Riverwalk mugging. She did not get through right away to T-Mobile, her service provider, to report the loss. In the 13 hours the robber had her phone before she gave notice, he ran up the bill by downloading wallpaper and ringtones — each time for a fee — and making interstate calls and calls to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. T-Mobile wouldn’t waive the charges.

She now stays up late at night on her fourth cell phone, a Sidekick LX, which she keeps taped to a living room end table when it’s not in use so that when friends come over to her house, their light-fingered companions don’t lift it.

Read the full article

Looks like the Sidekick iD is rising from the grave! We all thought the SKiD was gone, but apparently there are still some in stock that they need to get rid of.
Umm, T-Mobile… y’know the Sidekick iD is kind of old. It’s also kind of ugly. Why are you selling Sidekick iDs again? Why would anyone want an iD instead of a Sidekick 2008? Oh, I guess if you knock it down to only $50 there might be some takers. That’s even cheaper than what you can get one on eBay for! But seriously guys, why not just knock the price down on the Sidekick 2008? Please?