T-Punkt (that's the German name for T-Mobile)

Here are a few tips on how best to navigate the treacherous waters of T-Mobile customer service.

And it wasn't even an iPhone

Some people like their cell phones. Other people love their cell phones a little too much. Apparently a Polish student visiting Niagara Falls nearly took a fatal swim into the rocky cascades while trying to retrieve the phone he had dropped.

Reach Out and Unlock Someone

CNet has a great little story today on why we're likely to see more and more "unlocked" cell phones coming into the U.S. market. Unlocked phones are devices that can be used on any carrier's network, instead of the current model where cellular carriers subsidize the cost of new phones to attract adn retain customers. Notice this juicy little nugget about the iPhone:

But experts say tiny cracks are forming in the current model that could challenge mobile operators' dominance whether they like it or not. Apple, with its iPhone, has the brand recognition and established retail channel to easily sell millions of devices on its own. Initially, that device, whose price starts at $499, will be sold exclusively through Cingular. But experts say it's possible that Apple may eventually sell it directly to consumers.

"I think the first time there will be a threat will be if Apple unlocks the iPhone and sells it in its stores," said Lin. "It's already priced near the high end, so subsidies won't make much difference, and Apple already has such good brand recognition."

Reach out and touchscreen someone

Your phone will never be the same. At last, that was the theme of yesterday's announcement that Apple will indeed be launching its iPhone in June. Is all the hype justified? It might be.
The new device is so groundbreaking because of its radical implementation of touchscreen technology. Yes, various PDAs and the iPod itself have been using some forms of touch technology, but that was only in a limited form -- not nearly what the iPhone promises to deliver. I think the main lesson from this is that touchscreen will be the main method users will interact with their devices. Buttons and styluses (styli?) are gone. Machines as versatile and complex as the iPhone will make physical buttons obsolete sooner rather than later.
Check out what Time had to say about Apple's approach:

They began by melting the face off a video iPod. No clickwheel, no keypad. They sheared off the entire front and replaced it with a huge, bright, vivid screen—that touchscreen Jobs got so excited about a few paragraphs ago. When you need to dial, it shows you a keypad; when you need other buttons, the screen serves them up. When you want to watch a video, the buttons disappear. Suddenly, the interface isn't fixed and rigid, it's fluid and molten. Software replaces hardware.

One area of the launch that wasn't so inspiring, though, was Apple's "singular" to offer the iPhone through only a single U.S. cellular provider. The rumors before the phone's launch were that Apple would offer the iPhone as an "unlocked" device -- meaning customers could use it with any cellular provider they wished. To the frustration of a lot of people, it won't happen right away. And that's too bad, because Apple's foray into unlocked phones could have had a massive effect on the industry overall. Customers willing to pay the $500-600 cost of an iPhone probably won't want to also be stuck with a contract for cell phone service. They'll want to shop around.