Been eyeing that Slide? Well, if you’re in Australia and on Telstra, you better hurry. You have a week left before they stop selling the Sidekick Hiptop Slide. September 30th will be the last day that new customers can sign up for Hiptop service or buy a Hiptop Slide.

Thanks Shannon

It’s looking more and more like the next “Sidekicks” won’t really be the Sidekick we know and love. With the purchase of Danger by Microsoft, the team behind the Sidekick has been moved over to a project codenamed Pink. I’ve mentioned this project before, but 9to5mac has some new info on Pink. They’re reporting that the first two devices to come out of Project Pink will be landing in early 2010. The devices will be sliders, so the familiar screen flip will be gone, but they will be manufactured by Sharp like the current ‘kicks. There are two devices rumored to be coming out. Their code names are “Turtle” and “Pure”.

Turtle will be a “squircle” shaped device with a slide out keyboard. The image you see above is a supposed drawing of it. The slide out keyboard will also have a mic so you’ll need to have the keyboard open when you’re making a phone call. The Pure device is more along the lines of a standard candy-bar slider style device. So far no pics of Pure have leaked out yet.

They’re both rumored to be setup to use an App Store model of application delivery and I wouldn’t be surprised if behind the scenes it was the same technology running Danger’s Download Catalog. However probably most controversial news to die-hard Sidekickers: It’s looking like the new devices might be running on Windows Mobile 7. What do you think? Does Microsoft have a chance to jump back in the market or is it too late as everyone jumps ship to iPhones and Android devices.

Don’t have a Sidekick LX 2009 yet and you’re stuck with an older device? Well if you’re a Twitter or Facebook addict, you’re in luck! T-Mobile has released the Twitter and Facebooks apps in the Download Catalog for the Sidekick 2008, the original LX, and the Sidekick Slide. The Facebook app is totally free, but the Twitter app will set you back $1.99 every month. Both of these apps will remain free for the Sidekick LX 2009 users though.

Are you on Twitter? Follow us! @hiptop3

If you’ve been to your local T-Mobile store recently then you probably already know that Tokidoki shells for the Sidekick LX 2009 and Sidekick 2008 are out. There are 4 different shells for the LX 2009 and 3 different ones for the Sidekick 2008. You can pick them up for $14.99-19.99 from T-Mobile stores along with a bunch of other Tokidoki accessories or you can score them online as well via sidekick.com. If you’re cheap, you might have luck finding Sidekick LX shells on SidekickShopper too. You can also pick up some themes in the Download Catalog that match your new Tokidoki shells!

If you’re wondering what the heck Tokidoki is, check them out at www.tokidoki.it.

Missed the T-Mobile Sidekick Grammy Tour this year? Well two more shows have been added in September. Catch Kinky and Jesse Y Joy in either Houston or New York! Don’t forget to bring your Sidekick for VIP access and all sorts of free stuff. More info over on the Sidekick Grammy site.

Houston
Kinky / Jesse Y Joy
September 26th, 2009 at the Warehouse Live
more info

New York
Jesse Y Joy / Kinky
September 30th, 2009 at Webster Hall
more info

The age-old debate on whether cell-phones cause brain cancer continues. This time at least it’s good news for Sidekick 2008 users. A study ranked the cell phones with the lowest radiation on the market and the Sidekick is in the top ten! The study was done by the non-profit organization Environmental Working Group and analyzed emissions from 1,268 cellphones. Here’s the report on the Sidekick and you can check out all the available phones on the market too.

We’re a sucker for a well-done commercial and it’s not often T-Mobile has one. But this time they pulled one out with their new Sidekick LX 2009 dance-off commercial. I’m really not sure how these people in the video do the things they do with their bodies.

For more behind the scenes of the making of this commercial and even more crazy dance moves, check out T-Mobile’s YouTube channel.

I just turned on my Xbox 360 and what do I see but a giant Sidekick LX 2009 3G staring back at me! T-Mobile is teaming up with Microsoft for a special Sidekick promo on Xbox Live. If you download the T-Mobile Gamer Picture you’ll be entered in a contest to win a free Xbox Live Gold membership. In addition, the weekend of August 29th-31st will be a free Gold Weekend. That means that any Xbox Live Silver members will have all the privileges of Gold accounts for the weekend.

More info

Been holding out on the Sidekick LX 2009 because of the price? Well it’s dropped. You can now pick up an Orchid or Carbon Sidekick LX 2009 for only $175 (with a 2 year contract). This is pretty cheap, considering they’re going for $200-300 on eBay!

Thanks Jonny!

In some very sad news, it looks like T-Mobile Germany may actually be bringing down the axe on the Sidekick. There is a post over on teltarif.de that gives some cause for concern. What, you can’t read German? Here is the content of the article, translated via Google:

T-Mobile announces Sidekick services on 31 December
The reason is termination of service by American producer Danger

T-Mobile announces the remaining value of a current Sidekick, the Sidekick service as well as the Sidekick Data option on 31 December this year. This confirmed a spokesman for the company over teltarif.de. The reason for the termination of the options is to set the Sidekick service by the American producer Danger. The smartphone of the Californian company, originally under the name Hiptop become known in Germany and were initially exclusive to E-Plus markets. Later, T-Mobile devices on the German market. The mobile telecoms subsidiary called smartphones, but – as in the U.S. – Sidekick.

Termination option, but not termination

As the T-Mobile Press Office notifies the service center Danger for the whole of Europe on 31 December, so that any user of the device – no matter under what name – which is affected. In the U.S. offer Danger’s service, however, continue to converge, as there are also more recent Sidekick devices are sold and they are enjoying great popularity. From the termination had several thousand T-Mobile customers affected, the spokesman Dirk Wende.
The affected customers are in the tariff options, but not the whole contract being terminated. As it says in the letter: “Your T-Mobile contract shall remain unaffected and continue to exist.” Turning points, however, if the customer is at the T-Mobile hotline turn, will be a “solution together with the customer” can be found. Here you will also offers customers to switch to current equipment and fares subject. Wool partout but the customer terminate the contract, there will be also a possibility, since each Hotliner a “some leeway”, so the T-Mobile spokesman.

It’s a bit difficult to read, but it looks like Germany is losing the Sidekick, but that it will continue on in the United States: “In the U.S. offer Danger’s service, however, continue to converge, as there are also more recent Sidekick devices are sold and they are enjoying great popularity.” Unfortunately the only English article we can find on this says “A company spokesperson attributed the move to the Sidekick service being terminated by Sidekick manufacturer Danger” and a similar statement is given in the sub-headline of the German article. Hopefully this is just a translation mistake and they intend it to mean that Danger is terminating the German service and not across the board for all Sidekicks. Regardless, it’s a sad day for all the German Sidekick/Hiptop users.

Thanks Mike!