What follows is a guide for getting Thunderbird 3 set up as a dedicated offline email client, as well as a more convenient and powerful online inbox aggregator—allowing you to manage everything from your regular email accounts to Google Voice, Google Wave, and other non-email inboxes with a little setting up. If you're using a standard Gmail account, setting it up with Thunderbird 3 is really easy—just type in your username and password when you first start up. If you're a Google Apps user or have another IMAP-available email client, follow Google's IMAP instructions to get started.

Set up content tabs for Google Wave, Voice, or any site

We showed you last week how easy it is to create a persistent Google Wave tab in Thunderbird 3, helping you keep tabs on the not-quite-there-but-really-interesting messaging and collaboration service. The short version? Head to the Tools menu, select Error Console, then enter this code (copy the whole thing) and hit Evaluate:

If you're a Google Voice user, you can pull off a similar persistent Voice inbox tab, per commenter steelpitt's advice:

And, as trstn points out, you can easily enter most any web site as the address in the contentPage section. Heck, you can even keep your web-based Gmail open, if you feel like having a fallback if Thunderbird frustrates you.

Learn its search and filter powers (and let it index overnight)

Thunderbird's new search powers are, in a word, awesome. One of the most powerful arguments for sticking to Gmail's web interface is its uber-powerful search operators. Thunderbird's search powers aren't quite as comprehensive, but they do help you quickly find a message using the same kind of filters and operators.

For my personal Gmail account, search results loaded about as fast they did on the web version. After a quick keyword search, you can filter by sender, prioritized by how many emails they've sent you, or by folder location, and add filters like "To Me," "From Me," starred items, and with attachments. Those are, of course, the basics of web-based Gmail, but when you're using Thunderbird offline, they can still search through every single message, not just the 3 months and change you've loaded into Google Gears.

A good bit of advice, though, from Seth Rosenblatt at CNET: give Thunderbird time to run through your messages. Leaving it running overnight is about what's needed for accounts that have been active for a few years, and overnight plus a day in the background should work for most any account.

Set up permanent and one-shot offline sessions

Gmail offers offline inbox access and composition, and even offline message attachments, but it's limited in size, and even Google warns you that you'll see some serious slowdown if you stash more than the standard 3 months of messages in your Google Gears database. Thunderbird, on the other hand, is a tried and true road warrior, and lets you keep as much material as you want on your hard drive.

To edit which messages, and how many of them, are kept local for searching and retrieval, head to the Edit menu and then Account Settings. Under the Synchronization & Storage menu for a particular email account, hit Advanced to set which folders get the synchronization treatment. Don't select all of them out of security, though—you'll see that you can do one-shot folder syncs, just below. When you've got a good set checked off, set the maximum message size in back in the main storage settings.

When you're getting ready to head out on a trip, hit the File->Offline menu and select Download/Sync. You'll get the menu you see above, asking you to either go ahead and use your default settings, or choose certain folders to bring offline for this offline jaunt. Do the sync, and you're ready to read, write, and do your general email thing without a net connection.

You'll still want to "compact" your mail folders every now and again—made easier with one of the buttons in the Toolbar Buttons add-on.

Install ThunderBrowse

At its core, ThunderBrowse is a tiny, fast browser that bakes itself into Thunderbird to allow reading web sites without switching over to your browser. More than that, though, ThunderBrowse's preferences let you fine-tune how JavaScript, images, and plug-ins like Flash are handled in HTML-formatted emails. Put simply, ThunderBrowse makes it more convenient to stick to text-only emails, clicking to open the HTML-formatted space hogs only if you choose.

"Yeah, that's nice, but I like my Chrome/Safari/Opera," you say? ThunderBrowse is still worth the very quick download.

To start with, ThunderBrowse lets you customize how your external browser is launched. You can open most links in ThunderBrowse, but save middle-clicked links for your high-powered browser. Customize how email links are launched in that browser? You sure can. ThunderBrowse is also fairly snappy and light, so even if you're using an ultra-speedy browser, it might be just as fast to launch a site you're glancing at inside Thunderbird, rather than wait for an external browser to pick up the URL and load it. Your mileage may vary, but I've found ThunderBrowse tremendously helpful in running through emails with speed.

You might someday send resumes or other important documents over Facebook and Twitter, but Email is never going to be "dead". In fact, with push email on your phone, it's basically as instant as any of the other networks.

Google Wave might also be pretty interesting when the people pimping it out call it what email would look like if it were invented today. It's too early to tell. But for it to be truly ubiquitous—and it has to be in order to replace email—it can't be hosted by just one company.

Think of it this way: if people are still using Fax machines—fucking FAX MACHINES—on a daily basis, there's no way that Email will be excised from our collective productivity streams. Not when it's this much more usable by the average person than faxes.

Lastly, how did they come up with the number of social network subscriptions being higher than email, when all social networks require you to sign up with an email account? [WSJ]

Ping is designed to look like the SMS app, and behaves much the same way. The messages you send arrive at the recipient's screen instantly—similar to IMs—but also pop up with a Push Notification if you're not actively using the phone.

It's basically free SMS for you to everyone who has an iPhone or iPod Touch (over Wi-Fi) as long as you can convince them to sign up for Ping. Even if you can't, the ones you do switch over might be enough for you to downgrade your SMS plan one notch to save some money.

In the end, this may either be a really useful SMS alternative for iPhones, or a service that's not different enough from SMS or IM that people will use it. It's too early to say. [Ping on iTunes via Gear Live]

Update: If you have questions, you can contact support@pingmessaging.com.

The new Maps 3.0 Beta adds 3D topography and landmarks for 216 cities, high-res satellite photos, improved pedestrian directions and better turn-by-turn support. You can also plan a route online via Nokia's desktop Ovi service and then sync it immediately back to your phone. Anyone using S60 FP2 can download the new Maps beta today—Nokia's acquisition of Navteq is definitely showing its benefits here.

The new Messaging upgrade ties in all of your email and IM accounts, providing push services for some accounts and more syncing via Ovi if you have a 1GB Ovi Mail account. Messaging with Ovi sync will launch later this month.

So if you're using a Nokia S60 piece, go grab these updates. [Nokia Maps 3.0 Beta, Nokia Messaging]

In fact, the only people who tend not to reply in messaging form were those above the age of 65. I guess people under that age haven't gotten stuck in the habit of listening to a voice on the other line. I personally hate answering voice mails – very few people know how to be concise and clear on the phone, especially when they're essentially talking to themselves. Why listen to your friend Jane hem and haw about a good time to meet up when you could've spent three seconds reading “Im in da city. U free 2 meet?” [Wireless and Mobile News]

DALLAS —(Business Wire)— Aug. 8, 2008 Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), today announced the availability of the Samsung Messager(TM) (SCH-r450) to MetroPCS customers at authorized dealer locations and company-owned retail locations. The Samsung Messager sports a sleek horizontal slider-design and QWERTY keyboard, making it easy for users to travel light and stay in touch while on the go.

"The stylish horizontal slider of the Samsung Messager is easy to use," said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Telecommunications America. "The Samsung Messager's attractive layout and QWERTY keyboard is a great fit for people who love text messaging."

Available in black, the Messager is packed with a powerful feature set, including a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera, SMS, MMS, email and IM messaging capabilities(1), advanced voice recognition, Bluetooth(R) wireless technology and speakerphone for easy, hands-free operation. The Messager's MP3 player boasts a rich user interface, while the external micro SD slot provides the user with up to 2GB of memory support.

For more information on where to purchase the Samsung Messager, please visit metropcs.com or samsungwireless.com.

Key features of the Samsung Messager include:

— Horizontal Slider with QWERTY Keyboard

— Stereo Bluetooth(R) Wireless Technology

— MP3 Player (microSD)

— 1.3 Megapixel Camera

— Messaging Services

— Advanced Voice Recognition

— Speakerphone

— Dimensions: 4.4" x 2.0" x 0.7"

— Display: 2.1" 262K TFT, 176X220 pixels

[Samsung]

Consumerist lays out exactly how to do it (it's for AT&T, but it should still work): Cite the hike as your reason for canceling; don't pay your bill at the new rate; don't give in to a cheaper plan; be steady like a rock. (Update: Make sure you get the notification of the price change first.) BTW, anyone else think doing this pre-iPhone 3G launch (whose 3Gness won't work on T-Mo) is like the worst timing ever? [BGR, Consumerist]

The other interesting thing we found was the illustration detailing what future modules the iPhone will have. Not only is there a GPS module (which may or may not be the current cellphone triangulation scheme that was added a few months back), but there's sample Search, Video Conferencing and Widget Creator modules. Widget Creator could just be the shortcut to Safari that Apple introduced in the last update, but Video Conferencing? Does that mean a front-mounted camera in the next iPhone? Who knows. Apple's thrown features into its patents that haven't materialized before.

Thanks Tino B!

First of all, the type size of the messages is way too small on your screen—the text is barely even two points high. You can zoom in, but after every message you send, you must zoom in again. Also, messages don't come in live; they're fetched at the same time you send yours, making for some rather halting conversations and missed connections. Overall, it works, but it's awkward.

If you don't send and receive a lot of messages, you're probably better off using the iPhone's SMS service. After all, that delightful iChat-like interface is hard to resist. Another choice if you're using AIM: you can send messages to an iPhone (or any cellphone's text messaging system for that matter), if you type +1 and then the 10 digit phone number as your buddy's name. Any replies to your messages from your cellphone-toting buddy will count as a message, though.

You can also try Meebo, the supposedly do-everything-anywhere messaging service, but all we're getting at that site when we access it from our iPhone is a spinning cursor. Colleague Jason Chen had some luck with it and was actually able to communicate, but characterized it as "super slow," and certainly not pantsworthy. Meanwhile, technicians at Meebo tell us they're working on optimizing the service.

Let's hope this AIM/iPhone situation works itself out soon. Sure, AT&T wants to generate cash from messaging, but we look forward to the day when we can just use AIM for free on the iPhone, unfettered and easy to use just like the rest of the apps on the iPhone.

Wait a week or so for your custom t-shirt with your chosen slogan and keyword printed on it to be delivered to you, and then wear it out in public. Anyone who sees your T-shirt can react to your slogan by texting the keyword you placed on the shirt and calling 41411. They'll get a response containing that message you entered at the company's website. It might be fun if you have an extra $20 to spend on a custom T-shirt that says exactly what you want it to. Try texting our shirt above for a secret message. – Charlie White

Product Page [Reactee]

This seems like a good idea, but the dog may not much care what your messages are when he triggers playback by merely prancing into the room. It's available in Europe so far for €19.90 ($26.69), but we're hoping someone in the United States takes this idea and perfects it, giving you longer than 10 seconds to record your message, adding a sensitivity control to reduce false alarms and making its battery rechargeable. – Charlie White

Product Page [getDigital, via Coolest Gadgets]

These vests can be adapted to be used on the battlefield, yes, but we'd like to see them make a version for the Xbox 360. Did I feel a left arrow on my back? That means I need to flank left. Down? Duck. All of them go off at once? Oh, right, I'm being chainsawed. – Jason Chen

Vibrating vest could send alerts to soldiers [New Scientist via Boing Boing via Primidi]

Reader Alfonso has his own experience.

I've called cingular and questioned them about the matter and they said that no, that one cannot cancel and escape the early termination fee. They said that the only way one can is if you are within the first 30 days of service with them... other than that you must pay the fee. Also that they said that they are notifying customers on there december bill hence following what the customer code states :

Carriers will not modify the material terms of their subscribers' contracts in a manner that is materially adverse to subscribers WITHOUT PROVIDING A REASONABLE ADVANCE NOTICE OF A PROPOSED MODIFICATION allowing subscribers a time period of not less than 14 days to cancel their contracts with no early termination fee (ETF)

So they are escaping this by letting us know Well ahead of time. I've called 4 different times.. spoken to 4 different associates and I keep getting the same answer. I've also gone in person to 2 cingular stores and same deal.

Also one thing that was misread in Cingular's terms is:

"IF WE INCREASE THE PRICE OF ANY OF THE SERVICES TO WHICH YOU SUBSCRIBE... YOU MAY TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT WITHOUT PAYING AN EARLY TERMINATION FEE... PROVIDED YOUR NOTICE OF TERMINATION IS DELIVERED TO US WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE FIRST BILL REFLECTING THE CHANGE."

Meaning that if you have a text plan and they change the price of it, you can cancel that text plan without paying a fee... Also they told me that the reason as to why one cannot escape the termination fee is because with cingular texting is not part of the contract... you can have it completely removed from your account meaning no sending and no receiving text.

Looks like this isn't going to work out. Sorry for getting everyone's hopes up. Make sure to check out Consumerist's Cingular coverage as well. – Jason Chen

Cingular is adding yet another good-looking phone to its stable with the LG F9200. This is a thumb-pad cellphone with slide-out keyboard and Cingular's Mobile Email (supporting Yahoo, Hotmail, and AOL e-mail), it will allow you to register for up to 10 different email accounts. Other features include support for GPRS Class 10, speakerphone and oddly enough, just a 0.3 MP camera. Obviously more for the avid IM'er rather than any budding photographer. Will run you about $150 with contract.

Cingular to offer the new LG F9200 [Mobilewhack]