mobility

T-Mobile says Sidekick sales still on hold

Although Microsoft has said it expects to recover most if not all lost data for Sidekick users, T-Mobile said on Thursday that new sales of the product remain on hold.

The carrier declined to say when--or if--Sidekick sales would resume.

"We're pleased that Microsoft/Danger is continuing to make progress," T-Mobile vice president David Beigie said in a statement to CNET News. "T-Mobile's sole focus remains on helping Sidekick customers recover from this disruption."

Service for the device has been impaired for going on two weeks. Last Saturday, Microsoft, whose Danger subsidiary powers the … Read more

CNET News Daily Podcast: Why Sidekick woes hit deaf users hard

T-Mobile's Sidekick recent outage caused problems for almost all subscribers, but the deaf community got hit particularly hard. CNET News reporter Ina Fried explains why. Plus, Amazon is rolling out same day delivery in select cities, and some Polaroid instant cameras will make a comeback. All this and more on Thursday's CNET News Daily Podcast.

Today's stories:

Reports: Google to launch online bookstore

AT&T to FCC: Rules must apply to Google too

Where the clean-tech jobs are

Amazon offers same-day delivery to select cities

Nokia hit by $832 million loss in third quarter

Deaf users sound off on Sidekick outage… Read more

Nokia hit by $832 million loss in third quarter

Nokia on Thursday reported a loss for its third quarter of 559 million euros ($832 million) compared with a profit of 1.09 billion euros in the same quarter of 2008.

The net loss for the period that ended September 30 was triggered by declining sales, which fell 20 percent to 9.18 billion euros from 12.2 billion euros the prior year's quarter. A write-down of the company's weak Nokia Siemens Networks unit also put a big drag on the bottom line.

Net sales for the third quarter came in at 9.8 billion euros, down 20 … Read more

Deaf users sound off on Sidekick outage

When the T-Mobile Sidekick started having data problems two weeks ago, it was a big pain for nearly all of the company's roughly 800,000 subscribers. But it became particularly rough for the many deaf people who have been among the Sidekick's most loyal fan base.

"It was severely limiting and made me very dependent on others," Carla McCraw, a Web designer from San Antonio, Texas, said in an e-mail interview. "This loss of independence was very stressful on me."

McCraw said she relies on her Sidekick to manage everyday tasks, from keeping up … Read more

With outage, Sidekick service loses its footing

A prolonged outage for users of T-Mobile's Sidekick device gets even worse as Microsoft's Danger unit says that their lost Sidekick data may be gone forever.

Deaf users sound off on Sidekick outage Recent problems with the smartphone, long popular in the deaf community, leave many users frustrated and sizing up alternatives. (Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried) October 15, 2009 4:00 AM PDT

Microsoft: We've recovered most Sidekick data In a letter to customers, the software maker said that it thinks only a minority of customers will end up losing any data. (Posted in … Read more

Microsoft: We've recovered most Sidekick data

Microsoft said Thursday that it believes it has recovered most of the Sidekick data that it initially feared might have been permanently lost.

"We are pleased to report that we have recovered most, if not all, customer data for those Sidekick customers whose data was affected by the recent outage," corporate vice president Roz Ho said in a letter to customers."We plan to begin restoring users' personal data as soon as possible, starting with personal contacts, after we have validated the data and our restoration plan. We will then continue to work around the clock to … Read more

With the Cliq, Moto does Android proud

Just a few weeks after its splashy debut, Moto graced us with a review model of its first Google Android phone, the Motorola Cliq. Though our first impressions were mixed, we can report that the Cliq has a lot to offer. With its easy-to-use design, spacious keyboard, and action-packed feature set, the Cliq combines an attractive, powerful device with the customization of the Android operating system.

Moto added its own twist to the Android OS with the new MotoBlur user interface that syncs your social media, contacts, and e-mail. Though having all your information in one place is convenient, the … Read more

Lawsuits filed over Sidekick outages

It was only a matter of time, but the T-Mobile Sidekick issue has now spilled over to the courthouse.

A number of lawsuits have been filed, including two filed in federal court in Northern California on Wednesday that allege both negligence and false claims on the part of Microsoft and T-Mobile.

The suits come amid a massive outage of the service that powers the Sidekick, which has hampered data service since early this month and left many users without access to their calendars, address books, and other information. At one point, Microsoft and T-Mobile indicated that any data not yet … Read more

Gartner eyeing electronics recovery next year

The electronics industry is still hurting, but better times could be here before you know it.

Research firm Gartner says it has spotted a recovery already percolating for the sectors including PCs and mobile phones, with a sustained recovery pattern likely to take shape in 2010. What's holding back the optimism for a faster rebound this year, according to Gartner, is continuing uncertainty about the economy as a whole and, more specifically, about the effectiveness of government stimulus plans, especially when the stimulus runs out.

Gartner's forecast on the electronics industry was compiled for a report called "… Read more