Do you remember when the Blackberry used to be the cool phone to have? Until Apple dropped the iPhone on the masses everyone wanted a Blackberry. Well, the folks at Research In Motion want to get that "cool phone" label back. They've announced that the Blackberry 9500, aka the Blackberry Thunder, will be available exclusively on Verizon in September.

What makes the Thunder so special? The Thunder is the first Blackberry smartphone to include a touchscreen display. Unlike other Blackberrys this unit only has four physical keys. Those are the send / end phone keys, the BlackBerry menu key, and the back key. Not only that, this badboy receives data over the extremely fast 3G EV-DO Rev. C network. The iPhone runs on AT&T's super-slow EDGE network.

Verizon users haven't had the best selection of phones in recent years, so we expect their users are bursting with joy at this news. For now we'll have to wait until we get closer to the release date to get the full scoop on pricing and design. Of course Apple's gearing up to release a new iPhone, so by September the Thunder could be old news.

The PimpWiz.com Bottom Line: Blackberry takes a shot at the iPhone with the release of the Thunder.

Labels: CellPhone, Scott Bernstein

If for some reason we lived in a world without highly-configurable, QWERTY-fied smartphones, our next choice on the cellphone tip would be a feature-packed multimedia handset, and Pantech has delivered just that with its new IM-U140. The most prominent feature of this new model is its Sidekick-like form factor, although the U140 eschews the swivel screen for one that slides up to a 30-degree angle at the touch of a button -- all the better to watch programs from its integrated satellite DMB receiver (complete with TV-OUT).

At 2.6-inches wide and 262,000 colors, the QVGA touchscreen is no slouch, either, and even throws in a vibrating function so you know that your every command has been acknowledged and received.

Other goodies here include a three megapixel camera (a nice bump over the two megapixel shooters found on the IM-R100 and IM U-MU110), PictBridge support for PC-less printing, MP3 playback enhanced by four-channel stereo speakers and an FM transmitter, plus that popular Korean add-on, the electronic dictionary. Curiously absent from the spec sheet are any mention of Bluetooth or memory card support, but with the music and imaging functions, we imagine that there's at least a microSD slot tucked away in there somewhere. Expect the U140 to land in Korea sometime this month, although the presumably hefty pricetag has yet to be announced.


Source

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

For a while, cell phones and computers got smaller and smaller. Much like Nicole Ritchie, they were whittled away until they were razor-thin and hardly larger than a book of matches. Soon, phones couldn't get any smaller without disappearing or getting lost in everyone's comparatively enormous pants pockets. So, instead of pushing the miniature envelope, cell companies began to make phones that fulfilled more functions. Hence, the birth of the superphone, like the brand spanking new Sidekick 3 and Blackberry Pearl 8100. Form, function, and a sizable price tag: these phones have everything, so how do you know which one to buy? Here at Pimpwiz, we took a closer look, so you don't have to.

Looks:
Both the Sidekick and the Blackberry Pearl are easy on the eyes, so you could proudly whip out either one in public without shame. The Sidekick features a twist-up viewing screen for easier viewing, much like a laptop, Blackberry's latest is oriented more like a phone; its website offered up the motto "Small, smart, and stylish". Hence, it is sleeker and darker than its boxy, sidekicking counterpart, and more attractive in the all-around.

Sidekick: 0 Blackberry: 1

Action:
All superphones may not be created equal, but a lot of them do similar stuff. The Sidekick and the Blackberry both do plenty, including phone, internet browser, text messaging, camera, and media player. Essentially, if your flight's been delayed for an hour or six, you won't be bored with a superphone as your travel companion. Looks like a toss-up.

Sidekick: 1 Blackberry: 2

Superfluous Perks:

In an attempt to differentiate themselves from the competition, both of our superphones in question advertise particular perks or features that are (allegedly) exclusive to that model. The Sidekick wants you to know that, in case your hands are too busy to hold your phone, they'll hook you up with a Bluetooth hands-free headset. Blackberry says that, if you're too busy to dial, you can use their voice-activated dialing (VAD) feature. Of course, the Blackberry also has includes a "helpful setup wizard" for the technologically clueless among us, as well as the nebulous "Blackberry maps". Hmmm, that's sounds pretty perked out.

Sidekick: 1 Blackberry: 3

For the look and feel we say it's all Sidekick3 but for function and "takin' care of business" the Blackberry Pearl 8100 takes the cake.

A PimpWiz Exclusive

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

Engadget's exclusive review and plenty of pics of the new Sidekick 3. This thing looks awesome!

read more | digg story

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

" This is the first official marketing shot of the upcoming Sidekick 3. You can read my first official review of the Sidekick 3 here.

This sweet shot is the highest resolution picture yet on the Internet and I think the availabilty of the image shows that the Sidekick 3 marketing campaign is ready to roll and this baby is truly close to launching.

Look closely at the image, the picture shows the little details of the four navigation buttons on all corners of the Sidekick 3, it also verifies what I said about the resolution staying the same. It also shows the USB port and gives a better look at the finish and the keyboard. It's getting close people.

Feel free to leave a few comments below. Anyone from T-Mobile want to help unravel launch details? There was some chatter yesterday about exisiting Sidekick 2 owners receiving emails offering a rebate, much like they did for Sidekick 1 owners before the Sidekick 2 launched.

The next images we expect to see will verify what I have been saying about the new look of the operating system on the Sidekick 3."

A SideKick3.blogspot.com Exclusive

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"Apparently, a friend of Evan’s left her Sidekick II in a car, bought a new one to replace it and found out someone had not only found her sidekick but took pictures of themselves with it.

Even better, they signed onto their AIM accounts and left their login names. Evan decided to contact the thief and was called a “white bitch” and hit with “i got ball this is my adress [redacted] come n do it iam give u the sidekick so I can hit you wit it”. Classy.

So he decided to post the address, pictures, screen name and Myspace profile link of the thieves online to try to shame them into submission. The morals of the story? Don’t take other people’s stuff, give up when you’re caught, and 14 year old girls shouldn’t take slutty pictures of themselves and post it to Myspace. – Jason Chen
Via Gizmodo

Continue the Tail of the Stolen Sidekick...

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

Link to this posted by Pwiz007 : 9:14 PM  2 comments links to this post

"It’s official, at least as far as the FCC is concerned. The filings for the Sidekick III showed up on the FCC’s website.

The previous pics were legit (to some extent) and we now have the newest pics for your viewing pleasure. Some of the rumours that are confirmed: Bluetooth, miniSD for expandable memory, and a 1.3 megapixel camera.

Many are assuming the miniSD is meant for expansion for multimedia playback, meaning video and MP3. This hasn’t been confirmed yet, so stay tuned for the exact details. At this point we can only guess at some of the software features based on the capabilities of the hardware. Still no release date though, but we assume it can’t be far off if this information is now public." [Via hiptop3.com]

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"Are these leaked images of the Sidekick III? Or of a prototype—old or new—of Danger's design? Or merely a hoax? Whatever it is, assuming they're not complete fakes, it does indeed wear a T-Mobile badge, which usually accounts for something in terms of the production cycle (unless they were just trying it on for size, we suppose). Any way you want to peg this one, we're definitely not going to go on record as stating this is or is not Danger's rumored Sidekick III (though we're honestly kind of hoping it's not)." [Via engadget.com]

The PimpWiz.com Bottom Line: Say it ain't so Danger, Say it aint so.

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"Sleigh bells are ringing, mistletoe is hanging, egg nogg is being poured and Santas in Macy’s across the country are pushing aside their pedophile urges to ask “John” and “Jane” what they want for Christmas. While you are playing Santa (or Chanukah Harry) to your Mrs. Claus (or Mrs. Chanukah Harry) this Holiday season, there are some gifts you should avoid getting for her regardless of if she has been naughty or nice (hopefully VERY naughty). Make this your “not-to-buy” list and you will be warming up December with your Yule-time satisfied log.

1. Slippers, socks, anything to keep her feet warm. This is her Grandmother’s job and it is the kind of gift that beckons the “oh…socks” face,” which is one step above the “oh…I stepped in dog sh*t face.” Further, women with warm feet have less reason and desire to jump into bed since they are already toasty. Sexy women keep their toes naked and well manicured like the rest of their bodies and well, it’s two less pieces of clothing to remove when hanging your “b*lls on her tree.”


2. Gift Certificate. What better way to tell her that you have no clue who she is or what she likes then to write her a check to a store that she has to go to and pick out her own gift from you. How thoughtful? You might as well call her a different name, slip a $20 in her pocket and tell her to buy herself something nice. You thought Santa got the least amount of ass during the Christmas season? If you get her a gift certificate, guess again. If you get her this “not-to-buy” gift you won’t be stuffing anyone’s stocking this Holiday.

3. DVDs. Although giving her a DVD of even her favorite film can seem harmless, even thoughtful, think it over…Women tend not to watch flicks alone and when you are out of town and the girls are busy, who is she going to watch with? Another “male-friend” perhaps? It is a rule that the larger a girls’ DVD collection, the more likely she is to cheat, and if she has an extensive wine collection to match, the more likely she is go cheat like she means it. It seems harmless really, just watching a movie with a “friend,” but watching can become much more with just a brush of an arm and how would that feel to know that your “thoughtful” gift was the catalyst for Mrs. Claus going down on somebody else’s chimney.

4. Body wash, body spray, scented lotion, etc. First of all “holy-predictable.” This is one of the biggest mistakes men make…unless she has asked you for a specific perfume, do NOT get her anything that could be a subtle, or not so subtle, hint about her hygiene. Girls always see the glass as half empty and will see a scented gift as a personal insult to her upkeep, even if it wasn’t meant to be. She will immediately become insecure, especially about being intimate, and she will most like clam up (no pun intended, but hey it works). Stick with scented candles if you want to give her something luxurious and sweet smelling or don’t give her anything scented. After all, there is nothing like the natural smell of “chest-nuts roasting on an open fire.”

5. Clothing. Here we have another “the glass is half empty” example of why NOT to buy clothes for your lady this holiday season. No matter what you buy her, anything with a size attached to the tag will make her mad. Even if you buy her a small, and she actually is small, she will be mad that you didn’t get her an x-small or even a petite. Even if she tells you her size, she will be disappointed when the “M” shows up in a tissue filled rectangular box. Steer clear of clothing, let her do her own shopping and self-loathing. All she really wants for Christmas is to not feel like the “nice” fat ass coming down the chimney, but to feel like a hottie doing the “naughty” in front of the fireplace.

BONUS: What She Does Want for Christmas
1. Gadgets. Women are the new men and they want the same techie stuff you do (Nano, Sidekick, etc.). Give them something to make them feel powerful; women with power are women who like sex…and they already know quite well how to insert batteries into toys.
2. Sexy silk robe. The robe itself is hot, but you will always wonder what is underneath-a constant surprise, and robes are usually easier to size, and easier access.
3. How-to-make cocktails book. She will like that there is a creative aspect to it and it will keep her busy and off your back while you watch football. Encourage her to sample her concoctions as well and you might just be getting what you asked her for Christmas." [Via PimpWiz.com]

Labels: Ask Lauren, CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews, women

"Danger Inc., creator of the ever-so-trendy Sidekick, may be seeking a new partner-in-crime in the coming year. Danger initially dumped the hardware manufacturing of the Sidekick series over to Sharp so the company could focus more directly on the development of Sidekick software, but recently Danger’s chief executive announced his company may be looking for a second hardware manufacturing partner soon. Motorola, anyone?." [Via gizmodo.com]

The PimpWiz.com Bottom Line: Where is the Sidekick III?

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"It's late. You’re drunk. You’re alone, Motorola in hand. Until a little over a year ago, we’d actually have to own an extra set of balls to dial your not-so-significant last call lover. Now, we’re allowed to hide behind our cell phones and send suggestive one-liners to avoid any type of confrontation or in some unfortunate cases, rejection.

If you’re a recipient of an electronic booty-call, congratulations - you’re gonna get some action. You can ignore them if curiosity isn’t there, not to mention it’s entertaining to show all of your friends the next day how bad someone wanted it… As far as I’m concerned, if you’re on the receiving end, it’s a win win.

Flip side – the “Texter”. If you’re confident and quirky, by all means send over those sweet and raunchy messages to my number. But don’t be careless. In general, most of us think that when sex is offered, there presumably is a ready and willing party at the receiving end. If a response hasn’t been generated in 5 to 10 minutes, which can often seem like an eternity after 11 Jack and Cokes, temptation to send a follow-up starts to creep. BACK AWAY FROM THE PHONE. 99% of the time you’re left empty inboxed, your potential victim is not on a call, not in the bathroom, or traveling to Botswana. Simple: Your beat.

Word of advice to the fella’s: be brief and direct. I’m REALLY sure you want to know how my day was at 3:58am on a Wednesday… Do us a favor and let us know where, when, and if anything requires AA batteries.

For your texting pleasure - pun partially intended, the below have encouraged sleep-overs:

• Found my handcuffs…

• Don’t you want to know what the rest of me looks like?

In 3 separate texts:

• (1) Lets… (2) Get… (3) Naked.

What goes on between your message and the alarm clock is up to you." [Via Pimpwiz.com Exclusive]
For more on the inner workings of women everywhere:
Check out these other PimpWiz.com exclusives:
"What Her Drink Says About Her" By, Lauren Weiss
"Top 5 Ways to Get a Hot Girl From the Club to your Apartment" By, Lauren Weiss
What Women Want From Men By, Kate Welsh
"So You Got Her Digits…Now What?" By, Lauren Weiss
An Open Letter to Western Men - By, Gregory Concord

Labels: Ask Lauren, CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews, women

"October's issue of Cargo magazine reveals the announcement of a "black limited edition" Sidekick II for T-Mobile.

T-Mobile "Mr. Cartoon" Edition Sidekick 2
$399.99 Available in Late October @ T-Mobile.com

Tattoo artist Mr. Cartoon is best for his inkwood on musicians such as Travis Barker and Ludacris. Now he's tricked out a limited-edition T-Mobile Sidekick 2, in addition to the usual cell phone, camera, comfy keyboard (the best on any phone, bar none), and e-mail and IM capability of the old Sidekick, this model lets users access their Netflix, TiVo, and Evite accounts. Mostly, though, it just looks cool--and it's less of a commitment than Mr. Cartoon's other work." [Post Via Darla Mack]

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"The shiny new English Land Rover Sport barrels into showrooms and over most small mammals.
Stuff, 6/6/2005 By Marty Padgett
Vital Statistics
Price $69,750
The Goods Supercharged 4.2-liter V-8; six-speed automatic; antilock brakes; DVD navigation; Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 sound
Speed 60 mph in about 7.2 seconds; top speed of 140 mph
The X Factor A swift, upper-crust sidekick for hunting foxes of all kinds

All the world loves a Range Rover. The queen digs them—she's had one modified with teensy steps for her corgis and wounded peasants to climb up easily. Even jaded redneck car guys will dress up in full kilt just for the chance to tool around in one (but that was years ago, and I needed the money).

But as many props as it gets, the Range Rover gets no love for its strong performance. Cue the Range Rover Sport: a tighter, shorter, faster and more lascivious version of the world's finest sport-ute.

Thanks to a 4.2-liter V-8 engine supercharged to 390-hp perfection, the Sport guns to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds and tops out at 140 mph. It's the fastest Land Rover ever-so, not quite as fast as a Lamborghini, but quick enough to blow your kilt back over your head.

I pitched the Sport against a freak snowstorm in Barcelona, and even the locals could tell the difference between the big Rover and the lithe, lower Sport. With fender flares, 20-inch wheels and a sloping roof line, the Sport gives the impression of speed-like a latte-addicted Robin Williams- even before you get rolling.

Better yet, Land Rover has tightened its handling. Like BMW's X5, the Sport is meant for carving up mountain passes on—and off—road, thanks to the Hill Descent Control and the Terrain Response four-wheel-drive systems. Once you do take a turn into the bush, a nifty air suspension raises the height of the vehicle at the touch of a button to better manhandle the landscape.

Should we talk about the cockpit now? Let's. There's a six-speed automatic, but you can shift the gears manually, if that's your kick. Massive Brembo front brakes and six air bags will protect everyone involved in your vehicular shenanigans. The standard bi-xenon headlamps track along with the direction of the car, and the adaptive cruise control uses radar to keep you following the car ahead of you at a decent pace, leaving you time to shove fresh pimentos into your martini olives.

If the Sport offends your delicate sensibilities, you can go a bit more conservative. The Sport HSE model has a 4.4-liter V-8 with "only" 300 ponies. And just as there'll always be an England, there'll always be a bigger Range Rover to carry royalty to dental appointments."[Via stuffmagazine.com]

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

Macintosh users with T-Mobile Sidekick phones got some great news this morning. Software company Mark/Space announced a Macintosh version of their popular Missing Sync software for hiptops, (phone/laptops you wear on your hip like a cellphone).

The new software integrates with Apple's iSync to provide two-way data synchronization between a Mac and a T-Mobile Sidekick or Sidekick II. When a user clicks the "Sync Now" button in iSync, their contacts, calendar events and to-do items are synchronized between Mac OS X's Address Book and iCal applications and the corresponding applications on their Sidekick.

The Missing Sync for hiptop (US$29.95) currently supports both T-Mobile Sidekick and T-Mobile Sidekick II.

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"List Price: $299.99
Our Price: $149.99 (when purchased with service plan)
You Save: $150.00 (50%)
Special Offers: $200.00
Price After Special Offers: $-50.01


Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours


Features:
The T-Mobile Sidekick II is the ultimate communication device
Built-in camera with flash w/ Photo-ID
Built-in speakerphone and organizer
A large color screen that flips open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard makes for quick and easy communication
Stay connected with all your friends with unlimited e-mail, AOL Instant Messenger, Internet browsing, text messaging and mobile snapshots

Unit Weight: 6.2 oz.

Size (in inches): 2.6 x 4.6 x 1.1." [Via amazon.com]

What else do you want? Paris Hilton to come in the box;-)

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

According to The Drudge Report, Paris Hilton's T-Mobile Sidekick cellphone was hacked and its contents were posted on the Internet!

Scores of A-list celebrities' private cell numbers, including that of Lindsay Lohan, Christina Aguilera, Andy Roddick, Victoria Gotti, Vin Diesel, Eminem, Anna Kournikova, and Ashlee Simpson, were published!

We suspect that all of Paris' Sidekick buddies from the T-Mobile commercials (Snoop, Wayne Newton, Wee-Man...) are going to think twice next time before they throw their numbers out there hoping to spend a night in Paris.

One angry celeb grunted to Drudge, "I gave her my number after we met in Miami, I did not know she f**king kept it on her cellphone!"

Paris' cellphone also had a built-in color camera. The hacker was able to download all her personal photos.


We're guessing that hacking her Sidekick was more invasive than stealing her homemade porn tapes!

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"In what is easily our most brain-melting PrivacyWatch entry to date, a reader presents an incredible account of a very special day at the T-Mobile store in Beverly Hills. Honestly, we don't know where to start: Paris Hilton's dissing of Hilary Swank? The sudden rash of celebrity Sidekick thefts? Just about the only thing that didn't happen was Catherine Zeta Jones parachuting in to save the day by frying the paparazzi throng with laser beams from her eyes.


I was in T-Mobile store on Beverly Dr. in Beverly Hills on Sunday when I unexpectedly got caught up in a paparazzi firestorm. First I noticed Kimberly Stewart getting a new Sidekick since she said she lost hers the previous night. Nothing exciting there. Then D-list reality celebrity Trishelle from the Real World (aka TRASHelle) walked in on her cell phone and was yapping away about how she just broke up with her boyfriend and was looking to meet new guys, blah blah. These two sightings paled in comparison to what I was about to witness.
Suddenly, we notice some commotion behind us and lo and behold it's Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. TOGETHER. That's when all hell broke loose and there were about 50 paparazzi and screaming fans outside the store, clicking and flashing away. The two of them moved to the back of the store to hide behind us while the T-Mobile staff locked the front doors. So now it's me, my boyfriend, Trishelle, Paris, Lindsey, and the T-Mobile folks locked in the store for the next hour. Apparently the previous night there was some massive celebrity Sidekick heist because both Paris and Lindsay claimed that their sidekicks were stolen at Shelter Saturday night. I can only imagine what scandalous information the lucky person who lifted those two sidekicks now has in their possession because both of them seemed pretty freaked out about it. " [Via defamer.com]

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"T-Mobile's new Sidekick II accessories catalog has a link directly to NYC Peach's website—they're the people who add all the Swarovski crystals to flash people's gadgets. So I had to click on the link and it looks like NYC Peach has a whole new website, so they must be selling quite a few $300 iPod conversions for people.

I understand quite a few of you think that the whole crystals thing is played out (although what American could really hate rhinestones? They should be our national faux-gem), but you've got to admit, they're pretty unique. It makes me wonder, is anyone else doing customizations like that? Not more people gluing crystals or making leather cases—I mean something really different, like carving out custom cases from wood or something.

Speaking of Hiptops, MobileWhack also mentions that AT&T has cut the price of their Sidekick clone, the 'ogo,' which can now be had for $50 after instant rebate."[Via gizmodo.com]

The Pimpwiz.com Spin: Amazon is giving the Sidekick II away for free and paying you $50 bucks after rebate.

http://www.pimpwiz.com/2004/11/free-sidekick-ii-after-rebate-from.shtml

Labels: CellPhone, computer, Ipod, mac, Sidekick, SidekickNews

T-Mobile Sidekick II Phone (T-Mobile)
List Price: $299.99
Our Price: $199.99 (when purchased with service plan)
You Save: $100.00 (33%)
Special Offers: $200.00
Price After Special Offers: Free " [Amazon.com]

Features:
The T-Mobile Sidekick II is the ultimate communication device
Built-in camera with flash w/ Photo-ID
Built-in speakerphone and organizer
A large color screen that flips open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard makes for quick and easy communication
Stay connected with all your friends with unlimited e-mail, AOL Instant Messenger, Internet browsing, text messaging and mobile snapshots

Unit Weight: 6.2 oz.

Size (in inches): 2.6 x 4.6 x 1.1

The PimpWiz.com Spin: Can you really beat a free Sidekick II?

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"Top ten best-selling mobile phones according to accessories manufacturer Krusell

1. (1) Sony Ericsson T630/628/610/637
2. (3) Sony Ericsson K700i
3. (4) Nokia 6230
4. (-) Nokia 5140
5. (8) Nokia 7610
6. (7) PalmOne Treo 600
7. (10) Siemens M65
8. (9) Nokia 6610i/7250/7250i
9. (5) Nokia 3510
10. (-) Nokia 6620/6600

( )= last months position."[GizModo.com]

Labels: CellPhone, Gadgets

"Just got the official word from on high that the Sidekick II goes on sale to the general public on Wednesday, but if you’re in Santa Monica you can get it a day earlier than everyone else. They’re having a big launch there on Tuesday with a bunch of second-tier rappers and a “celebrity stylist” who can bejewel your new Sidekick on the spot. Doors open at 9 am [Engadget.com]

The PimpWiz Spin: This is the hottest device out there...no question.

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews

"Last week we kicked off The Engadget Interview with outgoing MPAA president Jack Valenti, this week journalist J.D. Lasica tries out the Sidekick II and speaks with Hank Nothhaft, CEO of Danger, Inc., about the device’s upcoming release, the market for wireless handhelds, the cachet of having Derek Jeter and Paris Hilton as Sidekick fans, and whether, if forced to at gunpoint, he’d buy a Blackberry or a Treo.[http://www.engadget.com]

The PimpWiz Spin: SideKick II gets the coveted Pimpwiz.com's
"Must Peep"

Labels: CellPhone, Sidekick, SidekickNews