Also, are there any other phones you'd recommend on Sprint that may be better than the Ocean (I'll be using it mainly for multimedia, email, web, txt, video/pics (taken on the phone), and navigation ((note: I'll be using these features ALOT=multiple times a day)))

So, can you help me out?

A. You should have the same signal strength and data coverage on Sprint as on Helio, yes - Helio leases network space from Sprint, so it's basically the same network.  If you go with Helio beware - Helio just got bought out and may be closing its doors before too long.

The big difference between Ocean and Instinct is that Ocean has two physical keyboards - one for dialing and a second for QWERTY - while Instinct is a touchscreen-only phone.  Also, Instinct's screen is much larger.  Beyond that, each offers some unique (and very good) features:  Ocean has integrated search from the Home screen and several cool social networking features, while Instinct has tons of multimedia offerings and an excellent GPS and Live Search system.

They're both great devices - I think the difference comes down to how much you want the physical buttons.  Instinct has a pretty good touchscreen, but if you send a lot of messages you might like Ocean's QWERTY board better.  Also, Ocean is smaller and thicker, while Instinct is bigger and thinner.

You might want to check out the BlackBerry Curve, since it combines a real QWERTY board with a pretty good camera and multimedia player.  It's not as fun and flashy as either the Ocean or Instinct, but it really works well - especially for messaging.  RIM is also preparing a bunch of new BlackBerry devices (Bold, Javelin, Thunder) but they're not quite out yet.

The other Sprint phone I'd recommend isn't out yet -- I'm pretty certain that they'll be releasing the HTC Touch Pro and/or Touch Diamond later this Summer or Fall.  These are both Windows Mobile devices, and will replace the Mogul (Touch Pro) and Touch (Touch Diamond) in Sprint's lineup.  While I'm not a big Windows Mobile fan, I reviewed Mogul awhile back and thought it was excellent.  Touch Pro should be even better - QWERTY, camera, full smartphone & Web support, and a new user interface.

The ZN5 will also feature integrated Wi-Fi with support for T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home UMA calling service.  And there's a fresh new pic to gawk at on cellphonesignal courtesy of someone who actually goes by the handle, "T-Marco."  It's worth a click just to see his, uh, custom logo ;-)

MocoNews.net also reports that AT&T reported a whopping 52% surge in data usage, accounting for a good chunk of all that new cash.  And without naming names (well, okay, they did), it seems that AT&T's quite taken with current BFF Apple: "AT&T had nothing but praise for the iPhone. It noted that customers who took smartphone devices such as the iPhone typically have ARPU's double the company average and increasingly expects more customers to migrate to these devices. It reported that in the first 12 days following launch, sales of the iPhone 3G were nearly double those of the original iPhone which debuted last summer."

The WordPress for iPhone open-source application lets users create and edit content on their WordPress blogs and comes complete with the following features: support for WordPress blogs and self-installed WordPress blogs (version 2.5.1 and higher); embedded Safari for true previews of posts; full support for tags and categories; photo support for both camera pics and library photos; support for multiple blogs; ability to password-protect a post, save as draft, or mark for later review; and an auto-recovery feature that recovers posts interrupted by phone calls.

Now, I just need an iPhone...

First off, one of the bad guys (actually, it was a bad girl) used an SE w810 to show some video footage of a hostage in order to manipulate someone into doing something evil.  I'll leave it at that, plot-wise, but I was (as always) struck at how video on the phone looked absolutely nothing like video actually looks when you watch it on a phone - or any other handheld, for that matter.  The video footage was clearly superimposed onto the w810's display via post-production editing techniques.  I know, I know, it's a movie so who cares?  I can't help myself.  I was also struck by how cool the w810 still looks - I love that black and orange color scheme.  I myself had a w800i a few years ago, and at the time it was one of the coolest, most advanced feature phones around.

Next up the Head Bad Guy wields a P990 to orchestrate basically the entirety of his evil plot.  The P990 fires remote-controlled guns, detonates remote-controlled bombs, and (if memory serves - I'm trying to block the entire movie out) steals the Secret Service's two-way radio frequency.  Again, the P990's UI looks absolutely nothing like any P990 I've ever seen (I owned one for a short time a few years back).  That's to be expected.  The thing that got me?  There's no way a P990 could have pulled that stuff off. 

That phone, as capable as it was, was notoriously slow.  If anyone had actually tried to command a nefarious plot with that thing, they would have wound up in custody faster than you can say "UI lag."  Triggering time-sensitive events with a P990?  Not a good idea, no matter how customized and souped-up your personal handset may be.  You'd be much better off running your nefarious ops with an HTC Windows Mobile device or Apple iPhone.  And the next time you're looking to rent a movie?  You'd be much better off staying away from Vantage Point, whether you care about the role of cell phones in your films or not.

So here's the question I pose to you:  How many of you gamers out there would rather have a high-end cell phone with "great for a phone" gaming capabilities, how many of you would rather carry a cellie and aPSP , and how many of you would ditch the cell altogether if Sony somehow stuck a SIM card slot or CDMA radio in the next-gen PSP to compliment that Wi-Fi connection?  I know, I know, there's no way that the PSP 3000 is getting a cellular radio ... but there is lots of talk about a PSP Phone in Sony's pipeline.

can you get MP3s from VCAST? to watch stuff (such as Gossip Girl summaries) or listen to music on V CAST do you have to pay for them? and if so is it a monthly thing included in your phone bill or you pay for each thing you watch/listen to?can you sync your mp3s from iTunes onto your phone? if not, is ther another thing like iTunes that can sync w/ your cell phone?

thanks for your time.

A. So you have to pay a monthly fee for VCAST and then on top of that you have to pay for each song that you buy and download.

The monthly fee covers streaming media like those Gossip Girl summaries. Buying music you do on a per song basis. Verizon charges $1.99 per song, and that includes a download direct to your phone as well as a second (higher quality) download if you also want the song on your PC.

You can sync mp3s onto your Phone, but you can't sync music you bought at the iTunes store. If you buy music without "DRM" from somewhere like Amazon or eMusic (or even the special non DRM tracks from iTunes), you can sync those onto your phone. You can't do it using iTunes software, though - you have to use the software that Verizon includes (PC only, not Mac), or do it manually by dragging the songs onto your phone's memory card.

Depending on what phone you have, there might be a plug in you can install in iTunes to let you sync -- try Googling for "iTunes plug in" plus the model of your phone. Example, "iTunes plug in LG Voyager"

Users call (267) SLY-DIAL from either a cell phone or a landline, and are prompted to enter another person's cell phone number.

After playing a short advertisement -- unless users pay a subscription fee or 15 cents per call to skip ads -- Slydial puts callers directly into their target's voice mail.

Recipients should then get a voice mail notification, and sometimes they will see a caller's number show up as a missed call, too.
Go ahead, give it a dial: 1-267-SLY-DIAL (1-267-759-3425)

Via Associated Press

After download Apple's official software update and the PwnageTool itself, the whole process took less than ten minutes - including a few PwnageTool-guided Google searches & downloads of bootloaders I didn't have on my laptop.  The tool created a custom version of Apple's software and then guided me back to iTunes for installation.  After install and reboot my iPhone flashed its own firmware according to PwnageTool's instructions and that was that.  I'm now back up and running on T-Mobile with access to the App Store and Cydia (for installing Jailbreak apps).

So far, so good, and I'll report back with more as I go.  Thanks, iPhone-dev team!  You gals and guys PWN.

"We didn't want customers trying to peck away at tiny keyboards while they're in motion to enter credit card information," said Howard Lefkowitz, President of VEGAS.com. "Visitors have the convenience of browsing and making selections on their mobile devices, and then use a very capable device that they are quite familiar with their phone to complete the transaction."

The micro-site looks pretty good:  You've got weather info, a Featured Show, and daily listings by category (Shows and Tours) lined up along with a Hotel directory and a link to an old-fashioned phone number in case you actually want to talk to a human who could help you set up your Vegas experience.  So far there are no links to betting tips or celebrity impersonators on the mobile site, but my fingers are crossed for that stuff in the next release.

And next the juicy bits from wmX's tipster:

"It should be dropping in October, the camera is superb, it's just a "little thicker than the BJII," and that little pointer device that replaces the standard d-pad "works well but takes some getting used to."

There seems to be a bit of controversy surrounding the BlackJack III name, as this latest model deviates a bit from the first two's slim smartphone stylings.  But as WMExperts puts it, "With specs like that, AT&T can call it pretty much anything they want."

As always, you're entirely on your own and doing this at your own risk.  We take no responsibilities for your actions - or the health of your iPhone - should you click the links, download the software, and proceed.  That said, I'm about to plug my iPhone in and try to Pwn it, so I'll let you know what happens.  Thanks dev team!

Check out iPwnage 2 and download it for free over at blog.iphone-dev.org

Think of Nokia Pilots as the anti-Apple development process:  Apple builds really amazing stuff under total secrecy and then unleases it upon consumers who basically are told to "love it or leave it."  Not much in the way of officially supported customization options are available for iPhone.  Nokia, on the other hand, flies the "Open to All" flag high and proud, and builds products that are powerful and infinitely customizable, if sometimes a bit "complicated."  Nokia Pilots is a logical extension of that philosophy.  Sounds good to me. 

Recruitment for the program will begin in September of this year, according to Nokia's website.  More information is available on Nokia Pilots Public FAQ page.

The LG Chocolate 3 sports a new sleak clamshell design. Key features include media player, stereo Bluetooth, expandable memory card slot, Email, GPS, external music controls and streaming media.

Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Contract Price: $179.99
Hot Feature: Sleek flip phone Coco-style

From AT&T: $99.99 with a two-year contract and after mail-in rebate.
From Lets Talk: Free with an extra $50 mail-in rebate - Blue - Pink

From AT&T: $99.99 with a two-year contract and after mail-in rebate.
From Lets Talk: Free with an extra $50 mail-in rebate - Blue - Pink

While WFAN does stream via iTunes and their own Website, listening to my laptop in the car or in bed isn't so practical.  So it was a ncie surprise to see the FAN listed on the new AOL Radio for iPhone/iPod Touch app.  I hooked the iPhone into my car stereo for the drive down to Silicon Valley today and caught up on the latest NYC sports news - for nostaligia's sake as much as anything else, I'll admit.  The app worked well via EDGE and 3G, only dropping the stream twice during the 20-30 minutes I listened -- and dropping out in more or less the same place each time (once on the way down South and the other coming back home).  I'm guessing the peformance will be even better via WiFi at home.

If you've got an iPhone or Touch, check out the free AOL Radio app -- and also check out Pandora, which is a pretty interesting "Roll your own radio station" service.  You can also access them both from your computer's Web browser.

Thank you for all your help!!!!!!!!

A. Nothing's been confirmed by T-Mobile, but it seems *very* likely that the new SK will be out this summer, and most likely in late July - I keep hearing the 27th.  It sounds like the new SK will have features and specs very similar to the LX, and a body/design somewhat similar to the Sidekick iD, with replaceable plastic bumpers and such.  Looks like a somewhat redesigned/updated user interface could be in the works, too.  This is all based on rumor & things I've heard and read, and none of this is confirmed - just to be clear.

The Tony Hawk SK is actually out now, though.  It's an LX with a limited edition housing/external design - the difference between the Tony Hawk and LX will be in the physical/external casing, and not the specs or features.

Hope that helps, and thanks for watching the videos.

The gallery at myZumobi shows a whole bunch of tiles spanning categories from News and Entertainment to Games & Humor and Kids, and now they've got a Wizard to let you create your own tiles based on RSS feeds.  It looks kind of cool - I'll have to dust off a BlackBerry and get in depth with this when I've got some free time (ha ha ... free time).  BlackBerryCool has an in-depth review of the service (with video walkthrough) in the meantime, and if you've used Zumobi yourself drop a comment and let us all know if it's worth it.  The service is free but your time isn't, right?

Learn more over at http://www.zumobi.com/.  And get Zumobi for your WinMo or BlackBerry device via this wap link: http://get.zumobi.com.

I ran a few speed tests on both phones using the free tools at dslrpeports.com/mspeed.  The tests took place in Oakland, CA on a weekday afternoon; the Instinct showed EV-DO connectivity and the iPhone had its 3G on.  The winner? Instinct blew iPhone 3G out of the water.  First I ran the 400k download test and Instinct was the clear-cut winner, if not quite in a landslide.  Then I ran the 1Mb test twice: Instinct was more than twice as fast as iPhone both times around in terms of both kbits/second and total download time.  It wasn't even close.

The next two tests ran without a hitch, and iPhone was the clear winner.  I loaded up the ESPN home page and also an interior page (a blog article) and while Instinct seemed to grab the early lead in terms of downloading data, iPhone actually rendered the page faster and finished well ahead of Instinct on both pages.  Same with the PhoneDog.com home page: iPhone by a wide margin. 

Well, first off your mileage will vary depending on the network coverage and conditions during your test.  Location (geographic and indoor vs outdoor, etc), time of day, and other factors can definitely impact network performance.  That being said, the results weren't particularly suprising to me.  AT&T gets a lot of flack for their network performance while Sprint is generally considered to have an excellent network - particularly when it comes to moving data over EV-DO Rev. A, which Instinct supports.  On the other hand, iPhone has one of the best mobile Web browsers on the market, and Apple build iPhone using one of the most powerful processors you'll find in any mobile device.  As such, it's not suprising that iPhone 3G's Safari Web browser renders complex pages faster (and more accurately) than Instinct.

Things will hopefully get better for both camps.  Sprint is working on a firmware update for Instinct and also trying to drum up developer support for more Instinct apps.  I know Sprint and Samsung put lots of work into Instinct's HTML Web browser, but I'd love to see an Opera alternative all the same.  Meantime iPhone 3G owners can hope that AT&T's simply feeling the strain of those one million new iPhones (or whatever the real number is) hopping on the network in the past six days.  Some network tuning and reinforcement will hopefully boost 3G data speeds in the weeks to come.

How does it feel to win Gina...?

"How cool is this!  I needed a new phone; my daughter always takes over mine!  This one I'm hiding, lol...Phonedog ROCKS!!! Thanks"

Register to win the next phone giveaway here...

Carrier: T-Mobile
Contract Price: Free
Hot Feature: FM Radio