I’ve been waiting a long long time for mapping software to come to the Sidekick. For many years all that was available was either slow and tedious web-based mapping or the Google Maps developer app that was only available to developers. Finally the cries of many a lost Sidekick user have been answered. MSDanger has released the MS Live Search app (built by Requiem Software Labs) into the catalog on 4.x devices (2008, LX, and Slide) today. It takes care of all your mapping and searching for local businesses needs. You can do street mapping, aerial views, get directions, and even view traffic. You can also search for businesses and types of businesses near an address, movies, and even find the cheapest gas near you. And the best part? It’s totally free and there are no monthly fees!

For all you Sidekick 2009 Blade junkies out there, this is big news too. Remember when I posted about the next Sidekick having “Microsoft Live Local Search and Maps”? Well here it is. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that these maps would work hand in hand with the GPS capabilities of the Sidekick 2009. And the fact that the app is free makes me think it’ll come standard on the Sidekick 2009

Here are some screenshots:

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Ever since Microsoft bought Danger there’s been much speculation on the marriage of the Zune line with our familiat Sidekicks. While there haven’t been any official announcements on whether or not we’ll ever see these two technologies merge, it’s still interesting to think about. In a recent talk with Steve Ballmer he made some comments about the future of Zune and Microsoft’s vision for smartphones:

SB: “We’re going to keep going with Zune”. It’s two things: Service and a device. The Zune service, that’s going to fan out its footprint. Hardware will continue to improve. “The question is whether even if we flog them heavily, is their profit upside”. We’re going to keep going “I won’t say full steam ahead, because that implies acceleration of investment, but we’re going to sustain our investment.” We like it and the future may be the software/ecosystem on other devices.

On to smartphone market:

SB: Smartphones will go from 10% to 70 or 80% of market next few years. So what will people want? Good experience built in, w/out downloading stuff. You want good price range. iPhone is very expensive phone, without a keyboard. Some people can’t afford them. Sweet spot is phones that cost $150 to $200 to make — forget retail price. iPhone is about $500. We want to provide vendors with ability to make Windows phones up and down the price scale.

Unless you assume Apple and BlackBerry are going to sell the lion’s share of most phones, which I don’t, I think the play for us is to provide broad innovation at many price points.

A $500 phone is not going to work for everybody in every market. The most popular phones in China and India cost about $25 to build. We can’t get our software on that.

SA: Do you care about “touch” on phones? The blogs say you are.

SB: Windows Mobile 6.5 has touch on it. The way Apple does touch drives cost. They way they do it on the iPhone is not an inexpensive component. We’ll do it in a way that you can afford to do it on most phones.

My first thought was “No, please don’t replace the DangerOS” but was then it was pointed out to me that the Zune software integrated into the DangerOS, replacing the current MediaPlayer could be a nice change. This is something that we won’t see for the Blade for sure, but it’s an interesting possibility for future devices. Steve comments on the sweet spot for prices on smartphones gives hope that the next Sidekick may not cost a fortune. Here’s hoping! If you want to check out the full Q&A with Steve Ballmer, here’s the article.

via engadget. Thanks Mike!

Do you use Photobucket to share photos? You’ll be happy to hear that there is now a Photobucket application for the Sidekick that will let you send photos directly to the service and manage your account from your device. Rumors about the Sidekick Blade said that this app would be available, and here it is for existing devices (Slide, LX, and 2008).

The application will set you back $1.99 to purchase, and then a recurring fee of $1.99 each month thereafter. So it looks like this is geared more towards hevy users of Photobucket. To get it, just check out the Download Catalog. Here are some screenshots of the app:

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More info on Photobucket’s blog post. Screenshots are via PoweredByDanger’s post.
Thanks to everyone that sent this one in

Want to use the MyFaves interface on your Sidekick to make it quicker and easier to get in touch with your top 5 friends? Well, rumor has it that T-Mobile will be releasing the MyFaves interface to all Sidekick users for free come March 10th. Remember though, that this is just the MyFaves interface, it’s NOT the MyFaves rate plan where you get unlimited calls to your “Faves”. You’ll be charged the same rates for contacting these friends if you don’t sign up for MyFaves. For those of you that don’t know what the MyFaves interface has:

“The Faves home screen provides customers the advantages of a simple and convenient one touch connection for calling, texting, or sending photos to the people they (you) care about most.”

via CellPhoneSignal

…and cue comments about how this isn’t Sidekick 2009 news in 3…2…

We’ve been hoping for an official Twitter application for the Sidekick for a long time now. Those of us with developer keys have enjoyed different Twitter applications on our Sidekicks, but had to endure complaints from all our friends who were stuck with SMS and the browser for their Twitter fun. It looks like in the near future these friends won’t be complaining anymore as an official MSDanger app for the Sidekick appears to be on it’s way.

Clue #1: We’ve seen and heard rumors about an internal Twitter application at Danger that was being developed.
Clue #2: Developer apps for Twitter have not made any progress towards getting into the catalog and several have been made. You would think with a service like Twitter that is growing more and more popular everyday that a cheap application for it would make it’s way into the catalog.
Clue #3: Remember that screenshot from the online survey that mentioned Twitter?
Clue #4: There’s a whole lot of people Twittering from an application that’s only identifying itself as “hiptop”. Several of these people are known to be Danger employees.

So, we’re almost positive you’ll be seeing a Twitter application on the Sidekick LX 2009 / Blade when it drops. We also hope that MSDanger offers a Twitter application in the catalog (or via OTAu) for those users on the older devices. It would definitely round out the social networking capabilities of the Sidekick.

Follow Hiptop3.com on Twitter.

We got the above image in our inbox. The reader sending it in danielle says she was taking a survey about smart phones on QuizPoints and was presented with this one. Here are the specs it lists in the photo:

Social Networking Suite of Apps
- Facebook
- MySpace w/ video upload
- Twitter
- YouTube Mobile Access via browser

GPS Location Based Search
- Turn by Turn Navigation
- Microsoft Live Local Search and Maps

Content Creation
- Blog publishing, editing, and management client
- Photobucket Upload and Management
- Video recorder and upload to MySpace/Photobucket

Communications
- Signature Sidekick IM/SMS/E-mail Experience
- Microsoft Outlook/Exchange synchronization

Hardware
- Large (3.2 inch WVGA) screen with sharp 854×480 resolution
- Thin design
- 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video recording
- Large QWERTY keyboard
- Expandable memory up to 8GB via MicroSD

Everything seems to match up with what a Sidekick LX 2009 would have. It mentions 3G, which is pretty much a given at this point. The introduction of Microsoft Live Search and maps makes a lot of sense since Microsoft now owns Danger. The addition of GPS (finally!) is also a nice complement to the maps and helps the Sidekick compete a little bit with the iPhone and other location-enabled devices. But I’m sure the thing that everyone is freaking out over now is the mention of YouTube mobile access. It’s probably the #1 request for the Sidekick by the majority of the users. It doesn’t seem that out of reach since the Sidekick can play video already, it just needs a way to get it from YouTube. None of the apps are groundbreaking, but they’re things that a lot of us would agree it would be nice to have on our Sidekick.

The hardware looks about right too. A 3.2MP camera isn’t the 5mp camera we hoped for, but it is a god bump up from the 2MP camera in the Sidekick 2008 (not to mention the 1.3MP in the LX). The screen is higher resolution (too early to start working on those new themes?) and of course the familiar keyboard is still there.

Is this the Sidekick Blade that we’ve been hearing whispers about? Hard to tell. We know that “Blade” is a codename and that internally (in software) it’s know as the “m3“. The “m2″ was the Sidekick 3, so one would guess the “m3″ would correlate to the elusive Sidekick 4 and a “large” upgrade in device. (FWIW, the Sidekick LX was the “m2-hd”) Could MSDanger be working on two devices? It’s very possible, but we don’t have anything to back this up or refute it yet.

So is this for real? We think so. At least we think it’s specs drawn up by someone official that is testing the water with consumers to see what they think. Whether it’s what we actually see in a device in the future, I’m not 100% sure. I think it definitely sounds like the next revision of the Sidekick LX. It’s not too ambitious, but does add a few of the most requested features. Seems to be the way that T-Mobile/MSDanger like to do things with the Sidekick.

If you’re like me and tend to get lost, then maps are your best friend. If you’re also like me, it’s a pain to try to fold those maps back up and stuff them in your back pocket. Mike writes in to let us know that Google Maps will now work on your Sidekick. It’s not as great as the developer builds of a Google Maps app that were floating around, but it will do in a pinch to help you find your way. Just follow this link to use Google’s more Sidekick-friendly maps. It’s also best if you switch to (Menu->View) Full-Size layout in the browser.

Want to watch YouTube on your Sidekick? Well you’re out of luck for streaming, but you can convert the videos from YouTube to a Sidekick friendly format on your PC. Dave writes in to our comments about how to convert YouTube videos for watching on the Sidekick:

Guys please listen up closely and read carefully.

Ok, I did a little research and figured out how to Download the videos off youtube and convert them to mp4 so they can be added to your phone.

Follow closely these steps and read carefully, its fairly simple.

1. Download Free Youtube to Ipod Converter
Link: http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/download/FreeYouTubeToiPodConverter.exe

2. Open the converter and Add a Youtube link to it. For Example…This random video I chose!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4UuTiK4a7o&fmt=18

(Now notice, that in the end of the link theres a “&fmt=18″. That is very important and It must be there, If it isn’t then add it onto the link”

Simply place that in the Input URL.

3. Select the Output.
Click Devices, Choose MP4 Mobile Phones, and select The Standard Quality. Then just simply edit where you want the video to be downloaded to and the name you want it to have and just download it.

4. Plug in your phone through the USB connector to your pc, and open the Music Folder. Simply click and drag the video in there.

5. Unplug your USB, and check your Music Player library, and there should be a video in the videos tab. Just click and viola.

Your welcome in advance

Thanks Dave!

When Apple released their App Store for the iPhone most Sidekick users laughed and talked about how the Sidekick has had the Catalog (aka Download Fun) for years. We’ve been buying, downloading, and installing apps before the iPhone was even around. But as it stands now, there aren’t many phones out there that you can do this with. T-Mobile is looking to change that. They’re basically going to take the Catalog model and make it easy for developers to write applications and get them deployed to multiple devices. And when you buy an application, part of what you paid for it will go back to the developer with a revenue-sharing arrangement.

We don’t foresee anything major happening to the Sidekick platform, as it basically has the capabilities that T-Mobile is looking to implement on other phones. What we do think will change is the quality and quantity of applications and games available in the Catalog. With developers programming apps for multiple devices they will be motivated to make them Sidekick compatible as they wil make more money the more devices their application can be purchased on. T-Mobile is also opening things up for anyone to get in on the action. So you won’t have to be some big software firm that’s partnered with T-Mobile. You can be just some guy sitting on your couch writing programs.

Another interesting thing is that T-Mobile will be doing a revenue-sharing model with the developer that’s based on the amount of bandwidth used. With T-Mobile launching their 3G network, we should start seeing more streaming audio and video in the future. Chances are we won’t see any of this streaming (except perhaps low quality audio) on the current Sidekick models as the EDGE network can’t handle it, but we would be very surprised if the next generation Sidekicks don’t have support for it along with 3G capabilities. And no, we haven’t heard any details worth reporting about a Sidekick 3G is coming yet. If you’re debating on whether you should wait for it or buy a Sidekick 2008, Hiptop3.com recommends buying the Sidekick 2008.

T-Mobile hasn’t dropped an official announcement on any of this yet, but as soon as we hear more, we’ll let you know.

T-Mobile’s Developer Site
via

Hola! Looks like T-Mobile is starting to cater to the Spanish speaking users with the newest Sidekick 2008. We already posted about some of their press videos that were in Spanish, and we got the press release below that mentions the new Sidekick will have a Spanish language interface, a first for the Sidekick line. They also brag about the shells and the new shell customization website as well. Rightfully so, as everyone we’ve talked to has been impressed by the customization website. We can’t wait to see what the custom shells look like. If you got a custom shell, send it to us for the gallery!

T-MOBILE TAKES CUSTOMIZATION TO A NEW LEVEL WITH THE LATEST T-MOBILE SIDEKICK

The new T-Mobile® Sidekick® lets customers change the look of their device as often as they change their clothes

BELLEVUE, Wash. – July 30, 2008 – A picture from high school graduation, a favorite sports team logo or a vibrant splash of the hottest fall color – whatever you want to express, you can design it on the new T-Mobile® Sidekick®. Available today, T-Mobile USA, Inc. has added the latest edition to the Sidekick family providing customers with the opportunity to create shells for their Sidekick with the images, colors or designs they choose.

The new Sidekick will ship with two shells: black and metallic green. A variety of pre-designed shell patterns and colors also are readily available for customers to purchase at T-Mobile retail stores or online. Of course, for true individualization, customers can design a completely unique shell unlike any other using a dedicated online Sidekick site via SkinIt at www.sidekickshells.com. Doing so is as simple as uploading a personal photo or graphic design, or selecting your own text, shapes, icons or logos. The final design is custom-printed onto the shell, then shipped. Once the design is complete, customers can share their work of art in a public gallery that will be hosted on www.sidekick.com.

“There is perhaps nothing more important than someone’s individual style and personality. The new

T-Mobile Sidekick, with its customizable shells, lets our customers easily express that unique style directly on their phone,” says Sajal Sahay, director, product marketing, T-Mobile USA. “Providing our customers with options to stand out from the crowd and show a true expression of themselves is what makes this Sidekick such an intriguing, fun device.”

In addition to enhanced personalization, the T-Mobile Sidekick is sporting a slightly smaller, thinner and lighter design than previous Sidekicks. It also comes fully loaded with the latest Sidekick features including video capture and playback ability, so customers can record and watch spontaneous and memorable moments, whether at a football game or a music concert.

The new Sidekick also features an integrated Spanish user interface – the first for a Sidekick device. Other features include first-rate messaging with IM, text and e-mail, as well as stereo Bluetooth® for easy photo and file transfers and a 2.0 megapixel camera. The Sidekick also is equipped with customizable Web surfing and more internal memory for storage of ringtones and multimedia messages.