Gizmodo: Hiptop

Ballmer Hints at Zune Phone in Memo to Microsoft Employees

matt buchanan — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:40:00 EDT

In a giant memo to Microsoft employees laying out strategy and changes for the next fiscal year, Steve Ballmer spends a paragraph comparing their way of doing things (choice) versus Apple (end-to-end). Unexceptional, except he says that

"We’re changing the way we work with hardware vendors to ensure that we can provide complete experiences with absolutely no compromises. We’ll do the same with phones—providing choice as we work to create great end-to-end experiences."

That sounds a lot like making use of Danger, who specializes in consumer OSes. Like say, a Zune phone designed by Danger—a Zune phone, after all, would be such an end-an-end to experience, and fill in Microsoft's obvious gap in the consumer smartphone niche, which even BlackBerry is getting into. JKontheRun has unspecified info that Zune phone meetings are kicking up, to boot.

Here's the real question: Would a Zune phone persuade the Zune guy to keep his tattoos? [All Things D via Macrumors]

Sidekick 2008/Gekko Coming July 30th

Brian Lam — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:52:12 EDT

Boy Genius has word that T-Mobile's Sidekick 2008 is coming out on July 30th. The phone has Sidekick like features, and a 2.6-inch WQVGA screen, A2DP stereo Bluetooth streaming and those interchangeable faceplates we've been hearing about. The phone's OS should feel appropriately aged but at the right price, as the Sidekick's always been a crowd-pleaser. I'm just not sure if that crowd is this crowd. [Boy Genius]

Sidekick 2008 Images Appear, Bigger And Clearer

Matt Hickey — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:08:51 EDT

Some more images have popped up at Hiptop3 of the forthcoming Sidekick Gekko aka 2008 from T-Mobile, and they're the best we've seen to date. This is a slender looking hiptop witch will launch with a multitude of skins, making it the most customizable Sidekick to date. And really, with a feature like that, you'd think the code name would be "chameleon", but what do we know? [Hiptop3]

Sidekick Aspen/Gekko Screenshot Leaked

Elaine Chow — Sat, 03 May 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Danger fans Hiptop3.com have managed to get a screenshot of the Sidekick Aspen/Gekko, the company's replacement for the teen-friendly iD. It seems like the newest addition to the Sidekick family will be a cheaper option to the more upmarket LX, and will feature web browsing, a 2-megapixel camera with video capture mode, and "highly customizable features." It's not completely clear what "highly customizable" means, but looking at the picture, it might have to do with the ability to switch colored bumpers. Also not clear: why there were two different release dates for the Apsen and Gekko if they turned out to be the same product. [Hiptop3]

Hands All Over the Sidekick Slide (Verdict: Best Build Quality Ever)

Brian Lam — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:15:38 EDT

The Sidekick Slide is the midrange Sidekick, at $199, and it has a smaller screen than the Sidekick "Luxury" LX. I couldn't tell so from the stuffy stock photos, but having held it and played with it, I do believe it has the best build quality of any sidekick. Motorola hardware plus Danger OS? Yes, please. It's also smaller. The keyboard's round buttons aren't so bad to type on, but they're not as easy to peg as the full-sized LX keyboard, and they're lined with velvecron, that fuzzyish paint for gadgets. Sidekick loyalists might not like the sliding screen, but I think it's tops.

Sidekick Getting MySpace App

Brian Lam — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:15:59 EDT

You whippersnappers won't have to wait for the Sidekick 4 to get a Hiptop upgrade: Sidekicks are all getting a MySpace app. The app lets you edit your profile, upload photos to their galleries and receive messages and friend requests by push. Why'd they do this? Apparently, 80% of all Sidekick browser clicks belong to MySpace. Just shows you a) what demographics use Sidekicks (kids who don't pay attention in class) and b) that TMO spies on your browsing habits. Tsk, Tsk. TMO is rolling the update starting this week and by the end of October, all Sidekick 3 and Sidekick iD users will have the program loaded on their handsets.

T-MOBILE USA AND DANGER INTRODUCE MYSPACE MOBILE FOR T-MOBILE SIDEKICK
Always-On MySpace Mobile Platform Enables Real-Time Updates and a Custom
User Interface for the T-Mobile Sidekick

BELLEVUE, WASH./ PALO ALTO, CALIF./ LOS ANGELES—Sept. 20, 2007—T-Mobile USA, Inc., Danger, Inc., and MySpace, the country's most trafficked Web site, today announced a highly integrated MySpace Mobile experience for the T-Mobile® Sidekick®. The announcement marks the first partnership between MySpace with T-Mobile and Danger.

"Sidekick users are often the hub of their circle of friends, and MySpace is the No. 1 Web site our users visit on their device," said Jeff Hopper, vice president of marketing at T-Mobile USA. "We've worked closely with MySpace and Danger to create a powerful MySpace Mobile experience that is uniquely tailored for the T-Mobile Sidekick. We think MySpace and Sidekick users are going to love having complete control over their MySpace universe right from the palm of their hand."

The MySpace Mobile software is tightly integrated with the T-Mobile Sidekick hardware, user interface, and all the applications on the device. The new MySpace Mobile for the T-Mobile Sidekick is designed to optimize the delivery of data to each user and preserve the features that MySpace users love on the PC. All aspects of the MySpace Mobile experience are tailored so users can simply navigate on the T-Mobile Sidekick screen and enjoy fast access to T-Mobile's robust wireless network.

"Innovating on our mobile platform is one of the most important initiatives for us," said Amit Kapur, vice president of business development for MySpace. "Given the high degree of MySpace and Sidekick usage overlap, we know our users will be thrilled to have this optimized experience."

MySpace Mobile for the T-Mobile Sidekick features include:

Customized User Interface (UI)
The new service has pertinent information including new messages, friend requests and comments located in one easy-to-navigate home screen. To use other aspects of the service, users simply navigate through the four main sections of the application: Home, MyMail, Blog, and Search. The Sidekick's directional pad allows users to jump easily from each activity without waiting for a page to load.

Real-time Updates
MySpace Mobile users can stay signed in to MySpace even when they are on the go with their T-Mobile Sidekick. Real-time features include:
Profile editing, which allows users to edit their MySpace profile directly from the MySpace application, quickly and easily, wherever they are. Profile updates are immediately reflected on the MySpace Web site.
Optimized photo management, which empowers users to — with the click of a button — upload photos with captions from their T-Mobile Sidekick photo galleries, directly to MySpace.
Full-featured MySpace messaging, including push content and notifications powered by the Danger service. The service automatically pushes content, such as new friend requests or new messages, to the end user, meaning that users are notified of new MySpace activity even when they are using other T-Mobile Sidekick applications. This changes the interaction paradigm from request/ response (as it is via the browser today) to real-time, push messaging.
The application will provide "Online Now" status for a user's friends who are online, further advancing the "always-on" model.
Users can read, reply to or post comments to the profiles and photos of friends, as well as read and reply to comments on their own profiles.

Iconic Sidekick design
Customers consider the T-Mobile Sidekick a social lifeline and a messaging powerhouse thanks to intuitive features such as a large color screen, full QWERTY keyboard, and a host of communications capabilities including instant messaging and Web browsing.

The MySpace Mobile service is made possible on the T-Mobile Sidekick through two components. The first component is the client software, being made available for download in a staged rollout to the T-Mobile Sidekick user base throughout the next several weeks. The second component is the service that powers the application. Danger has created a private interconnection to MySpace, whereby each user can access all of his or her account data and interact with friends in real time.

"The first phase of Danger's product evolution focused on providing a rich mobile messaging experience, as part of the overall Internet offering," said Henry R. (Hank) Nothhaft, CEO and Chairman of Danger, Inc. "The new MySpace Mobile for Sidekick showcases the next stage of our evolution, tapping directly into compelling Web-based content and real-time information services and delivering them in an uncompromised fashion to mobile consumers."

This week, T-Mobile will begin a multi-week rollout of the new application to T-Mobile Sidekick users. T-Mobile customers can access and subscribe to the service through the Download Catalog. The new service will be available to all Sidekick iD and Sidekick 3 users by the end of October. For more information about the T-Mobile Sidekick, please visit HYPERLINK "http://www.sidekick.com"www.sidekick.com.

Sidekick ID Hits the T-Mobile Shelves

Travis Hudson — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 19:30:08 EDT

Hey hiptop junkies, the Sidekick ID is available today at T-Mobile. Still don't know whether you should check it out? Hit up the hot lady photos, accessory video and unboxing to decide for yourself. The ID rings up as $100 after $50 mail-in-rebate and $150 savings for signing up for a 2-year contract. –Travis Hudson

Product Page [Via Hiptop3]

New Sidekick ID Image: Oopsie!

Brian Lam — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:11:08 EDT

A funny thing happened to me the other day walking by the UT Starcom booth this CTIA—I noticed they had the unreleased, unannounced, secret Sidekick ID plastered across their booth, four-feet wide. UT Starcom, manufacturer of phones for companies like Danger and their Sidekick/Hiptop had covered it up a day later with a can of black Krylon (coincidentally, the same technology we'll be using to upgrade my white XBox 360 to Elite status). But not before I got two side-by-side shots, with help from Vincent at Slashgear.com. The little Sidekick 3, or Sidekick 2.5, as Vince at Crunchgear dubbed it when they showed us picture number one, is rumored to be without the Bluetooth, MP3 Player, camera or microSD slot. What's left the same, judging from the sad cover-up attempt above, is the screen and keyboard.

Jump for full size image.

–Brian Lam

Sidekick ID [Gizmodo]

Limited Edition Sidekick 3 by LRG and Diane von Furstenberg

Brian Lam — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:59:10 EDT

The Special Edition Sidekick 3 by LRG that we saw a few weeks ago, is finally official, and available for preorder on the 30th of October. There isn't any special added functionality, just the same old browser, trackball, 1.3MP camera, instant messaging and killer QWERTY. You're paying, of course, for the camo paintjob. Perfect for hiding and texting in the park, or on hunting trips, or during...war. Or if you're a rapper, since yea, its an LRG design. Tupac and Biggie never would have gotten shot if they'd traded in their chromed out Motorola Startacs for one of these.

But there's a surprise in the form of a black Sidekick 3 LE model by working girl designer Diane Von Furstenberg. This isn't like the other black ones we saw on ebay awhile back, though. This one is jet black with kisses all over the screen. Jump to get the first look at Diane's special kissy face phone.

Sidekick 3 A-Go-Go, For Some

Travis Hudson — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 13:57:07 EDT

For those that have been living in a closet for the past few months, the long-anticipated T-Mobile Sidekick 3 has finally hit the shelves, for existing T-Mobile customers. There are two places you can pick one up in person: either at Madison Ave. in NYC or Wilshire Blvd. in LA. For the other 48 states, just log into the T-Mobile site, hunt down the "Upgrade Your Phone" link and you can be a cool kid in no time.

This hunk of electronics will set you back $300 with a 2-year contract, $350 with a 1-year contract and $400 for no contract (prepaid). For non-T-Mobile customers, you will have to wait until July 10 before signing up for T-Mobile service and purchasing the SK3. Check out all of our Sidekick 3 coverage here, including our exclusive hands-on review. – Travis Hudson

Sidekick III Launch Rumor - April 2006

johnb — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 10:37:37 EST

Interesting rumor:

I was at a conference at [some place] on [doing something for people]. During lunch, I sat next to [Some very important guy who knows this stuff] and we got to discussing the sidekick.
He indicated that the sidekick III would be released in April of 2006. I asked him a few times for hints or details (believe me, I tried) but no luck.

The sender asked me to redact a lot of the info and hide his identity, but there you have it. April 2006. From someone who should know. [Thanks, Franco A. Wilcox of Madison, Wisconsin!]