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MDA gone from T-Mobile's website
We were slightly thrilled when T-Mobile introduced the MDA and SDA Windows Mobile units roughly a year ago to thunderous applause of T-Mobile customers who wanted a branded Windows Mobile unit in their hot hands. The MDA was T-Mobile's valiant attempt to satisfy the hunger for an EDGE-enabled and fully fledged WM Pocket PC Phone with built-in WiFi (like the sister phone, Cingular's 8125). Bu, alas, the time has come to kiss the MDA goodbye it seems. As such, the handset has completely disappeared from T-Mobile's website. Is this just a short-term omission or is the MDA gone for good? Is this a sign that a replacement is near? Until then, perhaps T-Mobile peeps are out of luck in the Pocket PC department.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
T-Mobile falls in line, finally raises SMS rates
We've been waiting for T-Mobile USA to follow suit and raise standard text messaging rates from 10 cents to 15 cents each, and that wait is now over. Effective June 1, 2007, the fourth-largest mobile carrier in the U.S. will make that rate change for its wireless subscribers who want to use the "casual" text message (pay-per-use) instead of subscribing to a text messaging plan. With competitors AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel having already made the rate increase, at least the last carrier has now fallen in line. The good news: like with the other carriers' changes, you might just be able to dump T-Mobile come June with no contract breach early-term fees since this is a material change to the contract of probably every current T-Mobile USA subscriber. But hey, the carrier's at least dropping that MMS rate from 25 cents to 15 cents on a pay-per-use basis. Joy.[Via Wirelessinfo.com]
T-Mobile USA gets dicey about handset-based Internet usage
If you're an avid T-Mobile USA data user (handset-based, that is), you may be aware that the GSM carrier has started to become very stingy in the last year or so on which pieces of software can have full access to the Internet (factory apps and browsers on branded handsets) and which cannot (all others). There have been quite a few knowledgeable T-Mobile users paying for the carriers' "t-zones" or "T-MobileWeb" handset browser service but then using third-party apps like Opera Mini, Google Maps and others to get 'full access' to the web and download larger and larger amounts of data. Well, rumor (and some proof) has it that T-Mobile caught on to this quite a while ago and has started blocking certain ports on its branded phones to disallow data access for just about all applications beyond the standard xHTML browser found on its phones and other T-Mobile-branded apps. The "port blocking" seems to be coming in regionally as well, as opposed to nationally. Nothing new about the concept, as all carriers cripple branded phones (some much worse than others). But here, it appears that T-Mobile wants heavier handset-based data users to upgrade to a $20 or $30 unlimited data plan instead of trying to get all that bandwidth from a $5.99 plan meant for light handset usage without third-party software. If you find that T-Mobile's only allowed ports and proxy won't work for you soon on its EDGE network, be prepared to be frustrated -- and then ready to make an upgrade (or carrier switch) decision.[Thanks, Eric D.]
