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SlingBox has added the popular T-Mobile Dash/ HTC Excalibur and rising Cingular Samsung Blackjack to their list of Windows SmartPhones that can host the mobile player. The rest of the Smartphone list includes the i-mate SP5m, Motorola Q, and the T-Mobile SDA/ HTC Tornado Tempo.

On the mobile Pocket PC side of things, SlingPlayer Mobile currently supports a whole host of Dells, iPAQs, Treos, and more.

You can download the software here.

Read [Zatz Not Funny]

There was a time back when the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 launched that T-Mobile wanted to try and lock up the device, thereby preventing you from customizing it. We then broke ”How To Customize Your Background and Theme,” which has been a huge hit. Thankfully, T-Mobile has recently begun to soften up. So much so that T-Mobile has most recently gotten involved with wikis.

T-Mobile has started a wiki for their Sidekick users at the upcoming wiki site, Wetpaint. Sidekick users can cruise over and contribute facts, browse forums, chat, and more. Customization Personalization can now finally roam free.

Read [WetPaint] Via [CrunchGear]

The US has taken another step towards joining the rest of the world in the cellphone arena. First, congress passed a law allowing us to take our phone number - and now you can take your phone with you as well - when changing wireless carriers. The Library of Congress issued a ruling that allows cell phone users to legally unlock their phones and use them on any carrier they like (assuming you have GSM phone for Cingular or T-Mobile).

The ruling, part of the third triennial round of exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, allows users to circumvent access controls on “firmware that enable wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telephone communication network, when circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of lawfully connecting to a wireless telephone communication network.”

Phone unlocking has long been a grey area, but now the legal issues are as crystal clear as a land-line call. The exemption expires in 2009 unless renewed. The next step will be to get rid of these lengthy and expensive 2 year contracts and penalties the carriers place on us.

Read [27B Stroke 6]

We’ve seen the specs (or now you have) what more could you want? Do I hear release date and pricing? Ok—Engadget Mobile is reporting that the upcoming T-Mobile Dash (aka HTC Excalibur) will be launching on the Get More network on October 16. The pricing they have uncovered looks like this:

• Full Retail $349.99


• One Year $299.99


• Two Year $249.99

Customers who are willing to sign a one or two year commitment are eligible for an additional $50.00 mail in rebate. Keep posted for more details and product shots.

Read [Engadget Mobile]

The Samsung t719 has something that many cellphones do not, BlackBerry Connect software enabling users to communicate via BlackBerry’s push-based wireless e-mail and attachment viewing in conjunction with both the BlackBerry Internet Service and BlackBerry Enterprise Server.  The flip phone also has a a compact, QWERTY-like keyboard with word predictive text, making it quicker to type messages, remain organized and stay connected. Additional features supported by BlackBerry Enterprise Server include wireless calendar synchronization, remote address lookup, and advanced security with Triple DES encryption.

The Samsung SGH-t719 is available now for $199.99 after rebates at T-Mobile.

Click on for the full feature list.

Key features of the t719 include:

• Slim, flip design


• BlackBerry Connect
  
  
  • Wireless E-mail Synchronization with up to 5 accounts
  
  
  • Wireless Calendar Synchronization
  
  
• QWERTY-like keyboard with speedy word-predictive text


• Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR)voice-activated dialing


• Bluetooth® technology


• Built-in 1.3 megapixel, swivel-lens digital camera with multiple resolutions


• Video Player (supports MP4 and 3GP)


• Address Book stores up to 1,000 entries, plus the phone’s SIM card stores an additional 250 entries


• Java™ Support for application download


• GPRS/EDGE high-speed connectivity


• Quad-Band: GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz


• Messaging services: AOL™, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo!™ Instant Messenger*


• HiFi Ringers*


• Speakerphone


• Dimensions: 3.78” x 2.05” x 0.72” (standard battery)


• Weight: 3.5 ounces (standard battery)


• Internal Display: 2.2” diagonal, 176 x 220 Pixel, 262K TFT Color


• External Display: 96 x 96 Pixel, 4 Gray

Samsung and T-Mobile sure know how to throw a launch party. Wednesday night I was MIA here at Gadgetell but in full effect (whatever that means) at the Trace launch event in downtown, NYC. The Samsung Trace (SGH-t519) is the slimmest bar phone currently available in the United States, measuring just 0.33” in width and weighing 2.5 oz. 

Exclusive to T-Mobile, the handset comes with a MP3 player, Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera with video, speakerphone, airplane mode, and a microSD memory expansion slot.  The 1.5 x 1.2-inch (220x176 pixels) screen with 262K colors is a widescreen format that is surrounded by a champagne colored housing. The quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) Trace supports GPRS/EDGE high-speed connectivity and only costs $99.99 after discounts rebates.

Product Page [T-Mobile]

Product: Nokia 8801 for T-Mobile
Price: $599.99 - $50.00 (mail in rebate) = $549.99
Rating: 8.3/10.0 (Very Good)
Pros: Sleek design, radio, fast internet access, Hollywood design.
Cons: Small keys, a little heavy, small screen
Overall: If you’re like me and want a true phone, this is for you but it’s a bit pricey retailing at $650 without any contract on the Nokia website and you also have to watch out for the paparazzi.

Design - 9.0 - Walking around with the new Nokia 8801 for T-Mobile got similar responses to when I first walked around with my Razr more than a year ago. Everyone who saw me was in awe and wanted one (I’m talking about the phone, not me).  Its very sleek and small, and the silver keyguard is a plus to all those long time Nokia lovers who hated having to lock their phone when putting in a pocket in fear of unintentionally calling their ex, making for awkward conversations when they were called back. The screen is also very crisp, 208x208 pixel, displaying 256k colors. The phone looks great there’s just one major problem, the keys are just too small for your average adult and it takes a long time getting used to. On a less important note it’s a little heavy in the pocket. Other than that it’s a beautiful phone—of course it is, it won the Red Dot Design award.

Features - 7.5 - My favorite thing about this phone is the radio that you can listen to. It’s simple for someone who doesn’t want to spend time adding mp3 files from their computer. Just use the keys to get to your favorite local FM station and you’re good to go. The reception is great, probably just as good as the average car stereo. The internet impressed me in the same way: music/ring tone downloads were much quicker than I had seen on many handsets. That being said the only truly disappointing feature of the phone was the camera/video recording, if you really see a need to have a camera paired up with your cell phone or you’re a wannabe paparazzi then stop reading, this isn’t your phone, the camera was very low quality, which you would expect with a .5 megapixel lens.

Performance - 8.5 - Once I began to understand how the keys are used and how to make sure I don’t hit 3 keys at once because they’re so small, the phone was perfect. I didn’t run across any glitches in the software in the week I had the phone, not to say that after a few months certain things wouldn’t happen but right now there were no problems, the phone didn’t freeze or anything of that nature.

I can’t see a phone being perfect, its just hard to give a phone that status because there is always room for improvement, but this is as close to a 10.0 as I’ve seen. Its great for someone who wants a phone, not anything more and that’s me, I have a digital camera to take pictures I don’t need a phone to do it and I don’t want my email on my phone. 

On the right is a leaked shot from “Random Asian Dude!” that were sent to David over at Mobility Today, thanks dude!

The black lacquer model we see is the forthcoming RIM BlackBerry 8100. It appears to have a media/audio player, video player, view photos, supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE and also be on Cingular’s network (though we have heard that it will launch on T-Mobile). The model will be a 3G device mean that you will have faster download and upload speeds, allowing media purchases with downloads as well as faster e-mail syncing. There is no word yet on release date, price, or additional features such as a camera.

This will really bring BlackBerry back in the game for the younger users who are looking for all-in-one communications and entertainment.

Read [Mobility Today]

Product: Samsung t609 by T-Mobile
Price: $149.99
Rating: Average - 6.825/10.0
Pros: Battery life, bright screen, speaker phone, comfortable, size, fun features, and the microSD card slot.
Cons: Decent reception, monochrome exterior screen, and slow download speeds.
Overall: Average phone with standard features. However with its small size, steady performance, and summer style’n you will be satisfied if you are stuck with it for a two year contract.

Design - 7.0 - Tell you what folks, it may be a basic looking phone according to today’s standards, but I was happy with the size and the way it felt. Nowadays companies go crazy over outdoing the rest, when really all they need to do is try to design a phone that is comfortable for the user; One that will look pleasant to the eye and feel good in the hand. The t609 has done both. With the amount of time I used it, I was more satisfied with it than my other phone. For the men, it fits great in your pocket, and for the ladies throw it in your purse and you’ll have extra room for everything...plus the kitchen sink, should you choose to bring it. The keypad is spaced out well with dedicated call and end buttons as well as right and left soft-keys, a 5 ways navigational pad, and a clear button. The * button doubles as the activation for voice commands while the # buttons mutes the speaker. The left side has volume up and down keys and the headphone jack. The right side has a dedicated camera button and the microSD slot.

Continue reading about the whole host of features in this small phone and the overall experience.

Features - 7.0 - The quad band world phone (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) handset has messaging with AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, and ICQ, a decent 1.3 Megapixel camera, an OK video camera, a MP3 player that makes good use of the microSD card slot, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, voice-activation, and a wireless address book back-up. The great thing about the t609 are the amount of features packed into it. With a good camera and decent video (albeit a short amount of recording time) you can take a pic, record your voice, type a message, and send it to your friend. So take a picture of their bad side, tell them how they look, and then type it in...just in case they didn’t get the message the first time.

The Experience - 6.5 - Nothing extraordinary, If you’re looking for a phone that is usable and workable...especially for those of you tied to long contracts, you will not be disappointed. It is a reliable phone that will last a long time (assuming you treat it the right way). The calls are perfectly clear (assuming your area has a strong signal). When the signal faded, instead of dropping the call I heard static and the call cut in and out.

Folks, if you’re looking for a phone that will not only do the trick but keep you happy for your those lengthy two year contracts, then I would say the Samsung t609 from T-Mobile is right for you. Packed with the features you would want your teenage kids to have, or even your significant other. The sparkling white color and comfortable size looks great on any day at the beach or picnic in the park. With a strong reception and average download speed you’ll be jammin to the sounds of summer with your new Sean Paul Ring tone. Remember It maybe dressed for the beach but it’s no swim partner.

Editors Note: The categories were weighted in the following manner to reflect the importance of some features over others (in our humble opinion). Design 35%, Features 30%, and Experience 35%.

If you are a die-hard Sidekick user than today is your lucky day. As a reward for owning a Sidekick II, T-Mobile is offering you the ability to purchase the new ‘3’ version before the general public.

From T-Mobile.com, login, click Phones & Accessories, and then Upgrade Your Phone (on the right side of the page). You’ll have to click to the Handhelds tab, and then you should see a Sidekick 3 option. Or you can call Customer Care at 611 from your current phone. It will cost $299.99 with a 2 year contract extension and $349.99 with a one year or no extension.

Everyone else will have to wait until 7/10 to get their hiptop.

Read [HipTop3]