Outlook grim for Sidekick data after Microsoft server failure |
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Outlook grim for Sidekick data after Microsoft server failure
There's more bad news this weekend for T-Mobile Sidekick users who have recently been unable to access their address books and other personal data on their phones. After initially expressing optimism about restoring the data services, the wireless company now says it doesn't look good. Getting the blame is Microsoft, which last year acquired Danger Inc., the company behind the Sidekick software and services.
"Regrettably, based on Microsoft/Danger's latest recovery assessment of their systems, we must now inform you that personal information stored on your device - such as contacts, calendar entries, to-do lists or photos - that is no longer on your Sidekick almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server failure at Microsoft/Danger," says T-Mobile in a statement posted in its user forums. "That said, our teams continue to work around-the-clock in hopes of discovering some way to recover this information. However, the likelihood of a successful outcome is extremely low."
As one of the earliest smart phones on the market, the Sidekick has many users who have spent years building up their repositories of personal data and contacts. This is no doubt cold comfort for people who lost that information, but T-Mobile is offering a series of tips for rebuilding Sidekick address books from scratch.
Microsoft has reportedly been working on a new series of devices based on the Danger technology, under the "Project Pink" code name. As noted by Gizmodo, this incident isn't exactly good PR for that initiative, with high-profile Sidekick users such as celebrity blogger Perez Hilton freaking out over what happened.
T-Mobile is promising more information on Monday. In the meantime, it's cautioning Sidekick users not to reset their phones or let the battery drain, to avoid losing any remaining data stored on the device.
Follow-up: Microsoft says it had Sidekick data backup, but it was hit, too
About Todd Bishop
Todd Bishop is co-founder and managing editor of TechFlash. He has covered Microsoft and the technology industry for more than five years, most recently as a daily newspaper reporter and blogger based in Seattle.
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