T-Mobile stores don't have the Sidekick 2008 yet, but Craigslist does

Want one o' them fancy new 2008 model Sidekicks before the kid down the street? Of course you do, and if you've got a particularly fat wallet on hand, you might just be able to hook that up. Some mysterious individual has popped up on Craigslist of all places, offering a prototype Gekko -- though it's "n0t [sic] f0r [sic] sale unless a Big [sic] Offer [sic] c0mes [sic]." Gotta pay to play, as they say, though you'd better get on this sweet little deal before Danger smokes out the profiteer.

Mickey Mouse phone probably doesn't have Disney / Apple's blessings

This doesn't mark the first time (nor will it be the last) that we've seen a handset totally disregard the Mickey Mouse and / or Apple trademarks, but it's probably the only instance where both were violated on the same phone. We don't really know much about the mobile you see pictured above -- well, aside from the gratuitous use of big ears and well known fruit -- but it's probably worth hitting the read link for a couple more images alone.

Tony Hawk Sidekick LX now available to everyone

Feeling a little left out, non-T-Mobbers? Keep your chins up, because the Tony Hawk cut of the Sidekick LX is now available to each and every one of you after a limited release exclusively to current subscribers (not the first time they've engaged that tactic). Expect to shell out $299.99 on contract after rebates for the privilege of being just as cool as your favorite skateboarder -- just don't go trying your luck at the half-pipe now, you hear?

iPhone Dev Team says Pwnage Tool won't unlock iPhone 3G (for now)

iPhone unlocking is a little more cash-intensive now that Apple and AT&T are all contract-happy with the 3G, but it looks like would-be unlockers will have a little more time to save up those pennies -- the erstwhile hackers on the iPhone Dev Team say that while a forthcoming version of the sadly-named Pwnage tool will activate and jailbreak the iPhone 3G, unlocking is taking a little longer than expected, and they don't want to release the code until it's exactly right. The tool still unlocks first-gen iPhones running 2.0 and allows jailbreak apps to co-exist with the App Store, so if you're desperate to unlock right away, we'd say a first-gen unit is your best bet.

Unofficial Touch Diamond ROM magically unlocks GSM 850

We'd given up any hope of the Touch Diamonds out in the field ever being completely function on North American networks; the lack of 3G sucks enough as it is, but the mysterious absence of GSM 850 was the final slap in the face. xda-developers has taken its usual no-mountain-too-high approach, though, and has somehow managed to uncover and enable GSM 850 capability lying dormant in the Touch Diamond's circuitry. Granted, you'll still be poking along at EDGE speeds at best, but at least you'll be doing so in a wider swath of the colonies.

T-Mobile Germany says sipgate makes jailbreaking too attractive

Alright, can someone help us out with a little primer on German law here? California-based sipgate offers up a VoIP client for the iPhone that -- for the moment, anyway -- requires a jailbroken handset to run. It goes about its business on WiFi airwaves, so from the carrier's perspective, no harm, no foul, right? Not so much. T-Mobile Germany takes issue with the app, claiming that it's enticing its iPhone users to jailbreak -- a violation of its contract terms. Furthermore, the contract disallows VoIP of any kind, WiFI or otherwise, which pretty much makes sipgate public enemy number one in T-Mob's eyes. They've gone ahead and sent out a nasty little cease 'n desist, which sipgate says it plans to fight all the way through the court system if that's how T-Mobile wants to roll; meanwhile, it's still providing service and says that "for the time being [its] users are safe." Fight the good fight, guys.

HTC Victor gets de-glitzed, unboxed

We actually rather like the Tumbler-like stealth rear surface of the HTC Touch Diamond, but if you're trying to roll a little more Wayne, a more straightlaced edition dubbed "Victor" announced back in May with a flat rear end is now shipping. Apart from that it doesn't look like there's anything new going on here, so we'll see if any Stateside carriers offer this version any time soon.

Comprehensive usage controls, Chaperone 2.0 coming to Verizon on July 23

Though it already offers content filtering, Verizon's about to get a whole lot more comprehensive with its tools for helping parents keep their kids' cells on lockdown. Positioned to compete head-to-head with AT&T's Smart Limits, Verizon's Usage Controls with run $4.99 when it goes live on July 23 and will offer billable minute thresholds (which provide text alerts to you and your tyke, but not a hard stop on usage), messaging limits, time restrictions, blocked number lists, and trusted number lists. Launching simultaneously will be Chaperone 2.0, a refresh of Verizon's tracking service. BlackBerrys and push-to-talk devices won't be eligible for the new controls, but let's be honest: if your 8 year old's sporting a Curve, there might be more important issues to deal with there.

Nokia firms up touchscreen phone plans, says it will focus on 'mid-range' markets

We've been hearing whispers about Nokia's touchscreen "Tube" phone for what seems like ages, and now it appears that the wait is almost over... with potentially less than inspiring results. In a statement released today from the company's head of devices, Kai Oistamo, the phone-maker says it will be launching a series of touchscreen devices in the second half the year, with the first model -- likely the Tube -- aimed at the "volume market." Oistamo claims that the mid-range market (not the high-end sector that devices like the iPhone 3G occupy) account for 50 percent of the total value of the touchscreen phone game. Essentially, it looks like Nokia's strategy will be business as usual, likely flooding the field with unspectacular mid-range phones, rather than taking on pricier competition like recent Apple and Samsung devices head-to-head, at least initially. Of course, who can argue with the company that shipped 122 million units in Q2 2008?

Unlocked iPhone 3G available for direct shipment from Hong Kong, no catch at all

Man, waiting in line for the iPhone 3G can be a royal pain, right? Wouldn't it be nice if you could just circumvent the whole boring, sheep-like process and have one delivered to your doorstep? Well thanks to Alibaba.com and the weird and wacky copyright laws of Hong Kong, now you can! According to the wholesale goods supply site, you can just order up the "original" Apple device direct from a company called Union Camera and have them sent to whatever poorly lit dock, abandoned warehouse, or suburban safe-house you desire. The best part? They're network unlocked. You know, something seems wrong about this, but we just can't put our finger on it...

Update: As some commenters point out, it seems to be $1000 minimum order as opposed to 1000 pieces. Guess we'll just have to start the process and find out.

Opera Mobile 9.5 beta released into the wilds

We've been waiting for this day ever since Opera first announced its Opera Mobile 9.5 web browser back in February. Today, it's out for a beta 1 launch. In other words, it'll be buggy but likely far more useful than the browser already installed on your touchscreen-based (PocketPC) WinMo professional phone. The initial release includes support for double-tap zoom, landscape flip, off-line page save, tab-like browsing, auto-URL complete, and a Google-search bar to name just a few of the 9.5 features. More functionality will be added later including Google Gears and support for Flash video on WinMo and Symbian devices. CNET already has the hands-on video review up for your pickings.

BlackBerry Bold gets priced on T-Mobile Germany

Sorry, T-Mobile yanks, this one actually goes out to your German cousins; we still don't have a Bold commitment stateside from anyone other than AT&T. It's cool, you've got the WiFi Curve, remember? But yeah, back to T-Mobile Germany for a second -- those guys have become the first anywhere to slap a price tag on RIM's latest and greatest, charging €219.95 (about $348) on the carrier's Max S plan and going down from there if you want a heftier voice / data package. T-Mob claims that interested parties will see the Bold pop up in July, which should give you enough time to pick out a nice, rugged case.

Samsung's i900 Omnia launching next week in Italy

If you've had your eye on Samsung's forthcoming Omnia, you've known good and well it was coming to Europe sometime this month. Thankfully, Sammy has removed the mystery by announcing that Italy will get first dibs when it launches in said country on July 22nd. We aren't told who will be second, third or last, but most major European locales should have it before September dawns. Obviously, prices will vary depending on operator and contract terms, but the 8GB edition (along with an Xbox 360 Arcade, as part of some random promotion) will reportedly be €499 ($789) without subsidy. Glean from that what you will.

IBM project lets users make their own mobile versions of websites

Tired of waiting for your favorite bowling enthusiast website to finally release its long-awaited mobile optimized version? Yeah, we hear that -- but if a new IBM research project ever sees the light of day, maybe we can just fix that glitch ourselves. "Highlight" is a Firefox-based plug-in that allows end users to script common tasks on sites and boil them down to super simple mini-sites that are more easily digested on mobile browsers, at which point the new sites are copied up to a proxy server that would theoretically be hosted by IBM or another company. There could be some resistance from sites that aren't so keen on having their content re-hosted somewhere outside of their control, but it sounds like IBM is ready to push forward with the project if it generates enough interest.

Gekko is the Sidekick 2008 after all, launches July 30

Meizu M8 finally launching in August?

The saga of the Meizu M8 is one of the more entertaining dramas in the phone biz these days, owing partly to the endless delays and tweaks, granted -- but owing much more to the truly masterful ripping of the iPhone's industrial design. Unfortunately, there's been very little actual bite to follow up the bark coming out of the Meizu camp, and it looks like we might get a real taste of this thing for the first time as soon as next month. A post on Meizu's website, seemingly from none other than CEO J. Wong himself, claims that a first cut of the M8 will arrive next month -- along with plenty more pictures and details -- but it'll be a somewhat neutered rendition that features just 128MB of RAM and zero flash. October will bring the real deal, a 256MB baddie that rocks 8GB of storage for 2180 yuan, which works out to about $320. Meanwhile, pictures have surfaced of the latest prototype floating around Meizu's labs, looking both as slick and as litigation-prone as ever. Bring these stateside, Mr. Wong, and we'll be the very first to sign up -- just don't be surprised if Apple is right behind us.

AT&T retailer accused of pawning used Nokias as new

Notice that your freshly-purchased N75 smells more like a week-old head of cabbage than a bundle of brand new plastic, glue, and circuitry? That's gross, and no, we don't want to touch it (seriously, get that thing away from us). Turns out you may not be alone, though -- a new class-action suit filed in federal court alleges that CommClub, an independent retailer in California, was selling used Nokias for AT&T's network as brand new devices. For whatever reason, AT&T and Nokia are also named as defendants in the suit, though we're not sure exactly what role they played in CommClub's potentially nefarious dealings; at any rate, the class is looking to bring home some bacon for "injuries" suffered as a result of the bait-and-switch. You're going to go smell your N75 now, aren't you?

Autoblog takes iPhone 3G's navigational abilities for a spin

Yeah, so there's still lots of confusion on whether bona fide turn-by-turn GPS software will ever arrive on the iPhone 3G (though signs are pointing to "yes"), but considering that it's not there now, Autoblog took Apple's new darling for a spin in the Bay and churned out some impressions. If you're looking for the long and short of it, the iPhone 3G's navigational abilities aren't that impressive. The reviewer even went so far as to say that having a passenger manning the arrow buttons that showed your next move was "almost a necessity." Additionally, the GPS flaked out and lagged behind the current location quite frequently, which can definitely be a problem when attempting to navigate one-way streets in an unkind downtown. So, should you sell off your standalone navigator on the way to pick up your new iPhone 3G? Probably not -- at least not just yet.

3 Italia, Ericsson blaze with 5.8Mbps HSPA uploads

We hate to make you feel like a loser with your 1-point-whatever Mbps upstream data card there, but over in Italy, Ericsson and 3 are doing everything they can to put that card out of business. It appears that through nothing more than a series of software and infrastructure tweaks, the companies have managed to establish uplink data connections at a whopping 5.8Mbps. Oh, and get this -- it's not some fancy, futuristic trial, either, this was all done using 3's existing commercial network. Good news for Italians, and ultimately, good news for anyone that's not looking forward to waiting for LTE to take over.

Keepin' it real fake, part CXXV: Touch Diamond gets aped sans luster

T-Mobile to let users craft their own Gekko shells?

Geckos don't have shells, but Gekkos will -- and it looks like T-Mobile is going to be serving up an unprecedented level of customization for its latest Sidekick. Hiptop 3 is showing mockups of what appears to be T-Mobile's shell creation site, a special little place on the internets where users will be able to design their own Gekko (aka Gecco, aka Sidekick 2008, aka "please just release this thing already") skins, which in turn will likely be outsourced to Skinit for manufacture. Considering the Sidekick's line wild, crazy, and creative target demographic, it seems like a great idea and a potential gold mine of secondary revenue for the carrier. Who's going to be the first with an Engadget shell, hmm?

They're no Ocean 2, but Helio busts out White Mysto and Red Heat

Just because Virgin's scooping up Helio doesn't necessarily mean the product parade needs to stop (not to say it was moving at anything more than a glacial pace to begin with), and to that end, the MVNO has just released its Mysto and Heat models in white and red, respectively. The creatively-named White Mysto and Red Heat are initially available exclusively to the Korean community -- a strategy Helio has used before -- and there's no word on if or when they'll be outed on a wider scale. We would've preferred an Ocean 2 release here, but at the very least, you've got to admit that these new colors suit 'em well.

Pope Benedict XVI texting out messages of encouragement

Don't act like you didn't know that Pope Benedict XVI was down with modern technology. As part of World Youth Day, the man himself will begin sending out texts of encouragement to pilgrims who have signed up through Telstra to receive them. A total of four gigantic "prayer walls" have been erected at the Sydney Opera House, the Domain, Darling Harbour and Randwick Racecourse in Australia, where folks will actually be able to send their own messages for all to presumably see. The first message sent out? "Young friend, God and his people expect much from u because u have within you the Fathers supreme gift: the Spirit of Jesus - BXVI." Hllujh, amn brtha.

Rogers extends $30 data plan to full 3G smartphone range

Rogers' new $30, 6GB data plan -- unveiled at the collective relief of virtually every would-be Canadian iPhone 3G owner -- is going to end up seeing duty outside the Apple realm. Canada's largest GSM carrier (and only GSM carrier of consequence, really) has mercifully decided to let all devices in its 3G smartphone range in on the $30 party, a range that includes winners like the Nokia N95, HTC TyTN, and Samsung Jack, among others. Good call, Rogers -- now let's just remove that limited-time offer label and make this a permanent part of your plan menu, shall we?

iSuppli sez iPhone 3G is running Apple $53 less than original

Tech firms seem to have this uncanny ability to significantly boost functionality while significantly reducing cost with each new generation of a product -- and you'll never believe this, but it looks like Apple is no exception. The teardown and bean-counting experts over at iSuppli are at it again with the iPhone 3G, finding that the whole kit and kaboodle tallies up to just $174.33 (give or take) for the 8GB model in material and manufacturing costs. That works out to about $53 less than iSuppli's estimate for the original 8GB model back in June of last year, an amount saved in part by moving to a single 10-layer circuit board (versus a pair of 6-layer boards). The firm figures Apple's shelling out about $50 in royalties for each iPhone 3G that rolls off the assembly line, leading to a grand total of $224.33 in costs. Offset that with a healthy AT&T subsidy, and all told, we're looking at something like a 55 percent margin to help Steve finance his next round of black turtlenecks.

Sony Ericsson's T610-ish Remi in the wild

Like virtually all other Sony Ericsson hardware (sorry, Sony Ericsson, but it's true), the Remi is getting a full pictorial ahead of a presumed official announcement in the coming weeks or months. Pegged as a spiritual successor to the wildly popular T610 by fans, Remi (whose real model number hasn't been deduced yet) should end up essentially being a W890 in slightly tamer clothing. Thin, fast, and pretty -- sounds about right for a T610 descendent, assuming the boys and girls in London can deliver.

Motorola W388 induces pangs of boredom, sleepiness

The rumor mill promised us that the Motorola W388 would be nothing worth writing home about, and we've got to hand it to the mill -- it was spot-on this time around. Mobil.cz appears to have scored the first shot we've seen of the new low-end candybar, and while the design's positively retro, the microSD slot is still a notable inclusion for such a cheap (or cheap-looking, anyway) device. Music gets some special attention, thanks to a shiny d-pad with embossed music controls, a dedicated player button, and the inclusion (seemingly) of in-ear buds. A VGA camera rounds out the hearty feast of mediocrity. No date or price are given, but you know what they say -- if you have to ask, well, odds are you can probably still afford it.

Nokia hooks N78 up with another update, still hates the North American version

One good update deserves another, apparently, because the European version of the Nokia N78 has just received its second firmware update in just a small handful of weeks. Version 12.046 concentrates the improvements on "softkey selection, Bluetooth stability, video playback, email sending and alarm clock functions," so it seems like a reasonably important update in which to partake -- particularly if it sorts out the blasted right softkey, which has a tendency to get confused with the end key at an alarming frequency. Once again, owners of the North America-friendly N78-3 get left out in the cold, leaving us to ask: what the hell, Nokia?

OpenMoko's Neo FreeRunner is shipping, getting itself unboxed

If you're a Linux fanboy with a hankering for some mobile action, you'll be pleased to know that buyers of the retail, North American version of OpenMoko's Neo FreeRunner have started getting shipments. If you hit the read link, you'll be able to see one lucky owner unboxing his new toy, complete with a spares kit and debug board (this guy is getting into it, okay?). This set of photos should be a nice companion to that in-depth look at the OS we saw recently. Now we're going to be on pins and needles finding out what gets cooked up for that spacious 480 x 640 screen.

SK Telecom still interested in scooping up Sprint?

Some particularly juicy rumors die hard, and this one certainly qualifies: CNBC is reporting that SK Telecom is looking to hook up with some private equity firms to buy out Sprint Nextel, though a deal is "not imminent." This one's been making the rounds since last year, though it's possible that SKT sees some new impetus for making a break into the US market now that it's sold off its share in Helio -- and buying the third largest carrier in the country would certainly qualify as "making a break." It's claimed that SKT's only interested in completing a friendly deal -- no crazy hostile takeovers here -- and some of Sprint's board members aren't keen on the idea at this point, so it's definitely a hit-or-miss proposition. If this all means we can get even half of Korea's domestic hardware on US airwaves, then hey, no complaints on this end.

Update: The Wall Street Journal is now suggesting that Sprint and SKT are investigating some sort of joint venture -- not a full-on acquisition -- that would see the lovebirds work together on handsets and services. Possible, but we're curious to know what exactly Sprint brings to the table in that equation. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Elle GlamPhone's FCC filing looks like a celebrity mugshot

Pretty ironic that a phone uppity enough to be coined the "GlamPhone" has to suffer the indignity of a few unflattering shots lying on a laboratory table somewhere, isn't it? Alas, another version of Alcatel's ELLE-branded line of fashion handsets did what it had to do to earn the FCC's undying love, though there's really not much to talk about here: dedicated music controls, stereo Bluetooth, and a meager cam round out the feature set, along with enough GSM 850 / 1900 to get by in these parts. Oh, and there's USB mass storage mode, too -- a must for any product with the word "glam" in it.

Sony Ericsson W350 coming to AT&T -- eBay says so

One of Sony Ericsson's more creative designs of recent memory, the W350 might be a whole lot closer to grubby American paws than many might have expected. Up for auction on eBay at the moment is a "lightly used" W350a variant in white featuring a silver highlight on the music controls; that in itself isn't particularly interesting, until you take a gander at the display and see a nice little AT&T logo silkscreened on the bezel. The listing's page doesn't give any clue as to when non-rich people might be able to get a subsidized W350 from the AT&T store in their neck of the woods, other than to state the obvious point that the "phone has not been released in the US yet, and you will not find this beautiful color anywhere else." So if you're really bent out of shape about taking delivery of this thing, you might want to dive in on the auction -- you never know if it's going to go the way of AT&T's ill-fated K850.

Dev Team shows off video of 'world's first' jailbroken iPhone 3G

We can't say this is a surprise... but it is sweet to see. The iPhone Dev Team has added a video to their blog showing off the latest version of their upcoming PwnageTool 2.0, along with a video of what they claim is the "world's first" jailbroken iPhone 3G. Check the video after the break, and hit the read link to see how their progress is coming on the new case-cracker.