My, my -- how's this for truth in advertising? Palm InfoCenter has confirmed with a Palm spokesperson that the flagging outfit will be laying off an undisclosed amount of employees as the economy worsens and the firm attempts to keep that final nail from being slammed down on its coffin. According to the spokesperson, the company will undergo a certain amount of restructuring (sound familiar?) that will "result in company reductions in the US and internationally." Incredulously, the statement also included this gem: "The global economic downturn continues to dampen demand for consumer goods around the world, and the impact on the economic environment is worsened by our maturing Centro line and the length of time it is taking to ramp our new Windows Mobile products." We won't say for sure that it's actually taking some of the blame here, but it sure sounds like it. Now, if only it would take charge of its future...

[Image courtesy of DayLife]

No, not that Storm silly -- that storm. As cellphone users around the globe put off that once imminent upgrade purchase in order to make the mortgage and feed the family, (most) handset makers are obviously feeling the pinch. A fresh report from The Wall Street Journal pretty much reiterates much of what we've already heard, but still dives deeper into which companies are best positioned to escape the madness. As predicted, HTC, Apple and Nokia were all pinpointed as being able to make it through tough economic times without losing their proverbial hats, but both Motorola and Sony Ericsson could be facing insurmountable odds. Granted, it's not like either firm has really been killing it of late, but it's a pretty bad time to be struggling, regardless. The takeaway? Don't be shocked to see some wild stuff go down in the mobile space -- all bets are off at this point.

[Image courtesy of DayLife, thanks JagsLive]

Enough already, alright? After hearing analysts suggest that the current economic situation would likely hurt handset sales at large, we've now got yet another poll telling us more of the same. After contacting a number of so-called gurus for their input on the situation, 8 out of 22 expected the market to contract next year, meaning that the mobile market could shrink for the first time since the tech crash in 2001; a month ago, just 1 out of 23 analysts polled felt this way. Granted, most still expect Q4 to grow compared to Q3 as individuals splurge during the holiday season, but things may not be so pretty in the new year. Here's an idea: let's make every phone at least as costly as the Softbank 823SH Tiffany -- those seem to be selling like gangbusters.

[Via mocoNews, image courtesy of CrashOnMyHead]

There are three primary rules to tattoos that we're aware of:

• 1. "I love my mom" tattoos are really cool.
  
• 2. "I love my short-term-girlfriend" tattoos are questionable at best.
• 3. "I love this gadget" tattoos have greater built-in obsolescence than sliced apples and pretty much clench the fact that nobody will ever go out with you. Also, they're really awesome.

CrackBerry.com reader T.J. fell hard for rule number three and got a life-size tattoo of the BlackBerry Storm on his large, hairy calf to prove his undying devotion and win a free Storm. He even got some video of the happening (peep it below the fold), most likely to be shown in middle schools in the coming years as a huffing deterrence. We're looking forward to a Bumfight-like battle between T.J. and Zune Tattoo Guy before long, or perhaps a support group to get through this awkward, humiliating stage of life together. We'd prefer the Bumfight.

Recession? What recession? While many in this world are grumbling about a so-called weakened economy, at least eight individuals aren't hurtin' at all. Or, at least they aren't acting like it. The (very) limited edition Softbank 823SH Tiffany, which was offered up for ¥13 million, has sold out in just three days, proving once again that there is simply nothing too expensive for at least some folks to buy.

[Via textually]

Man, what's up with Verizon and its ad department? Just a few months back, the carrier was thrashed by PETA for running a controversial spot involving two pit bulls chained up in a junkyard, and now it's being fingered for making questionable remarks toward Sprint's push-to-talk network. For those unaware, the spots (one hosted after the break) included lines such as "We all upgraded to Verizon Wireless. Got push to talk and the reliability of the network. That old service is useless now." Sprint argued that the subtle drops could wrongfully influence people to believe that Sprint's PTT network was non-functional or that it would soon be discontinued, and eventually, NAD (an ad watchdog agency) recommended that VZW nix the ads. As it stands, the commercials in question have indeed been dropped, but Verizon asserts that it did so as a normal part of business. Ah well, it's the end result that matters, right Sprint?

Make no mistake, this whole "economic crisis" deal isn't affecting everyone, and we've all ideas the limited run of this here handset will be claimed in no time flat. Via a partnership between Japan's Softbank Mobile and New York's Tiffany & Co, just ten of the Softbank 823SH Tiffany mobiles will be made available for those with the requisite cash. Aside from making / receiving calls, this obscenely luxurious device will boast 537 diamonds representing a total weight of 18.34 carats. The pain? Just ¥13 million, or slightly north of $131,000. Say, wonder if they'll throw in a car charger if you buy two?

[Thanks, Marko]

For UK citizens willing to have their privacy infringed upon in the name of peace and quiet, C2C is the train company for you. The outfit has introduced a special "quiet" carriage in its trains in order to nix conversations and unexpected cellphone noises for those who would prefer. The cabin in question sports a special coating on the windows that allows light in but rejects WiFi and cellular signals. In order to keep the lawyers at bay, folks who sit in this jammed-up area are asked to agree to those terms beforehand, and just in case you sign while inebriated, there are a number of signs and announcements (um, defeating the purpose much?) informing them that no calls will be allowed. Happy trails!

[Image courtesy of quetzy, thanks ugotamesij]

We already know that a solid chunk of Britons use mobile internet while in the throes of passion, and now Captain Obvious (today known as Nokia) has awkwardly landed to tell the world that Americans do too. A recent survey, which we can only imagine was absolutely thrilling to conduct, found that some 53% of working Americans "have been interrupted by a work-related phone call or e-mail while in the bathroom." Furthermore, some 23% have allowed a call / e-mail to interrupt them while on a date, but that's probably because 59% of those polled never, ever turn off their mobile. Just think -- the next time your buddy answers with a hint of stress in his / her voice, there's a statistically significant chance that you're barging in on some seriously personal business.

[Image courtesy of fletchy182]

We really, really like where this is going. First came the Zune puppet rap vid, followed by the equally astounding Large Hadron Collider joint. Now, we've got a video for all you G1 pre-orderers that's sure to get your noggin' bobbin' as you patiently await the arrival of Android. And just as any true rap should, it unashamedly bashes the iPhone, Instinct and most every other "rival" on the market today. The best 3 minutes and 56 seconds of your day are about to occur -- click on past the break and get it going. Word?

[Via Phandroid, thanks Rob]

Last summer, Sprint was the laughing stock of the major US carriers in terms of customer service. Fast forward 15 months, and the very same carrier is now sitting atop the pile. A recent report compiled by Pali Research has found that Sprint's wireless customer care response times were best in class, and just 2.5 years ago in its first survey, Sprint was dead last. The carrier answered a whopping 91% of calls that researchers placed to the care center in under 30 seconds, while 99% of calls were answered within 2 minutes. If you're curious how the other guys did, try this: Verizon grabbed the silver with 85%, T-Mobile followed with 43% and AT&T took home the award of shame with just 33% of test calls answered within half a minute. So, the real question is: have you Sprint customers noticed an uptick in service levels? And are you AT&T subscribers growing increasingly impatient?

[Via phoneArena]

According to the UK's Telegraph, mobile phones are responsible for yet another one of the great terrors of the 21st century: dermatitis. Apparently, "skin specialists" have discovered that certain metals used in cellphones are causing some users to suffer inflamed, reddened, dry, blistered, and cracked skin. Sounds awesome, right? It seems that about a third of heavy talkers are sensitive to nickel -- a substance commonly found in gadgets -- which can become irritating after repeated exposure. Says Brown University's Dr. Lionel Bercovitch, "Given the widespread use of cellphones, the presence of metal in the exterior casing of these phones and the high prevalence of nickel sensitization in the population, it is not surprising that cellphones can cause allergic contact dermatitis." There's probably little you can do to out-and-out escape the problem, so we suggest full face mask whenever a call needs to be made -- also, for dinner parties.

There's a pretty substantial difference between "sales" and "popularity," as evidenced by the glaring dissimilarities between this here top 10 list and the one churned out earlier this month by NPD. AvianResearch got its data by polling 100 service representatives at retail stores to "gauge consumer interest in handsets available at the four major carriers in the United States." In September, RIM's BlackBerry Curve maintained the "lead," with Apple's iPhone securing a very distant second place. LG's Dare and the BlackBerry Pearl followed suit, while the LG Voyager, Samsung Instinct, LG Rumor, LG Shine, Palm Centro and Nokia 5310 closed out the rear. But seriously, since when has popularity trumped cold hard sales? Ah well, here's your cookie, Curve.

Hunker down and find that tin foil cap, pronto! Privacy advocates, we've a new target for you to bang on: Integrated Media Measurement. The 4,900-person media research company is looking to take advertising measurement to a whole new level (or new low, as it were) by embedding tracking modules within cellphones. In short, the module picks up audio from ads and records information about the exposure; in the future, if you were to purchase whatever product you heard about (like seeing a movie that was plugged), it would register a hit and deem you a sucker. As of now, the only testers with these freaky phones are individuals who signed up for this stuff, but you better believe major marketing firms (and TV / movie studios in particular) are perking their ears up and begging to know more.

[Image courtesy of Corbis, thanks ugotamesij]

Oh yeah, we know a certain dutiful crew in the R&D labs at RIM are toiling away on the BlackBerrys that we'll be swooning over in the years to come, but what winner took the time (and what champion instructed him / her?) to conjure up this PowerPoint slide? Reportedly, this here slide was used within the company to show just how awesome its handsets are, because clearly, if six rich people accept free phones well before the street date from you, that equates to stellar quality and usability. Oh, and just remember RIM -- we'll bet Motorola used to brag about all the superstars with RAZRs, too. See how far that got 'em?