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If this is the future of “dumbphones,” then sign me up. I love my Android, but the plain install I’ve got lacks panache. This HTC Touch.B is running on Qualcomm’s Brew platform, so it’s going to be missing all those apps and such, but it’s nice to see a featurephone not bogged down by an ugly D-pad-based UI. [via WMPowerUser and Engadget ] Crunch Network : TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies

If I had $3.2 million dollars to throw away on something like a phone, I’d much rather just build an army of robot carrier pigeons to deliver all my messages by hand. Some, I suppose, prefer a bit more rationale in their complete irrational purchases – thus the existence of this $3.2 million dollar iPhone. The man behind the bedazzler was Stuart Hughes. First he covered it in 22 cts gold plating, then slapped on a total of 190 diamonds – 136 on the front, 53 flawless diamonds on the logo, and one big ol’ 7.1 cts diamond replacing the home button. If only the “I Am Rich ” application hadn’t been pulled off …

Sprint has pushed out an over-the-air firmware update for its popular HTC Hero ‘droid handset. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with Android 2.0, but it does purportedly fix a pesky SMS bug which has been causing battery drain issues. Oh, and it also helps your favorite Hero play nice with daylight saving time. But apparently, that’s just about all the update does. If for some reason you didn’t get the 1.56.651.2 update automagically: go to Settings > About > System Updates > Firmware Update. Please let us know if you uncover any other interesting updates/fixes in the comments, you know, for the kids. [via IntoMobile ]

It’s a rare day when we post a web comic here on MobileCrunch. To my knowledge, we’ve only done it once before . But you know what? This one’s just too good — and too topical — to pass up. Be sure to check out the rest of the XKCD series . What it lacks in artistic design, it makes up for in pure, unfettered geekiness. Crunch Network : TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies

I like to imagine that a special place exists somewhere on the Web where a bunch of unassuming “ordinary” folks get together to solve world technology issues. A brotherhood (that allows women too, of course) of sorts that uniformly scream, “HACK3RS UNITE!,” and then figure out how to stick it to the man. I’m not entirely sure anything that amazing exists, but there is something close – the XDA Developers Forum. The latest philanthropic project taken on by these fine young men and women was to port Google’s new Navigation app (which comes pre-installed on the DROID) to the original Android Czar, T-Mobile’s G1. And low and behold… they’ve…

Don’t expect to scam Verizon on BOGO deals anymore, folks. The carrier is raising early termination fees on Novermber 15 to $350 for “advance devices” only. Clearly VZW is targeting users who were abusing the buy one get one free BlackBerry deals and those that figured out that it was cheaper cancel their current contract and pay the $175 ETF than to pay full retail for the hot new handsets like the Droid . The leaked document doesn’t exactly spell out which devices qualify as advanced, but chances are it’s any BlackBerry, Android, or Winmo handsets. The new fee does decrease every month by…

Not sure what to make of this Droid-alike but it seems Verizon has another Droid on its way, this time called the Saygus VPhone V1 . It looks very much like the standard droid but a bit smaller and with a 624MHz Marvell processor. It’s abundantly clear that Verizon is going to run this Droid branding into the ground, ensuring a Droid army to overtake all comers. My question is who is this Saygus and why are they posting links to stories that essentially leak their own products?

Satellite radio fans! The Sirius XM SkyDock, first revealed a few months ago, is now available at wherever you buy your equipment. It’s a fully functional radio, but one that uses your iPhone (or iPod touch) as the interface. That is to say you’re iPhone isn’t the radio, but rather the interface for the SkyDock itself. I haven’t used it, of course, but Orbitcast did , and Mr. Orbitcast himself seemed to like it, saying that “If you are one of the millions who own an iPhone or iPod Touch and prefer a clean install, this is …

Verizon Wireless is offering 25% off a trio of its QWERTY-equipped phones: the Motorola Rival, LG enV3, and the Samsung Alias 2 . For the mathematically challenged, that works out to to a recession-friendly price of $37.49 ($99.99 w/ 2yr agreement – $50 online discount – 25% off = $37.49) for either the Motorola Rival or the Samsung Alias 2. The pricier LG enV3 comes to a grand total of $97.49 ($179.99 w/ 2yr agreement – $50 online discount – 25% off = $97.49). To take advantage of this fabulous offer, use Verizon’s short link and enter coupon code 25MSG at checkout. Crunch

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