Anyone who has ever used a MacBook Pro can tell you that they can get awfully toasty after a little while. Countless laptop cooling solutions have hit store shelves over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one quite as handsome as the TILT by madMINDS.

Designed by Clinton and Spencer Yee, the TILT is a cooling pad designed specifically for use with the unibody Macbook Pros. To their credit, using a TILT with a Macbook Pro looks completely natural thanks to the cooling pad’s slim profile and the faux-aluminum look of the TILT’s polycarbonate body. Setup is both simple and secure — just latch your MBP into place with the TILT’s patent-pending locking mechanism, and plug a cable into your USB port. Easy peasy.

There’s a lot to like about the TILT, but my favorite feature is probably the most easily overlooked. Flip the thing over and you’ll find a tiny screw hole that fits a standard tripod mount. The TILT’s locking latch is apparently robust enough to keep the whole package stable and usable even if you lash to the the top of a tripod. It’s a thoughtful if minor addition that’s sure to please videographers and fans of standing desks alike.

The Kickstarter project currently has 77 backers, and those looking to get in on the ground floor need only pitch in $45 to score a TILT when they’re released. Be warned though: the brothers Yee have only seen fit to design the TILT for the 15-inch model, so 13 and 17-inch users will have to look elsewhere for their well-designed cooling fix.

HTC and AT&T have finally released the Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade for the Tilt today. You can grab it here. Here’s what you get from the ROM update.

* Windows Mobile 6.1
* HTC Home Screen
* Video Share Calling
* Threaded SMS
* MS Voice Command
* OneNote Mobile
* Remote Desktop Monitor
* Enroll Domain
* Managed Programs
* PTT Button now available
for reassignment under
Start>Settings>Buttons.

The Tilt has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS, Push-to-Talk, WinMo 6 Professional, 3.0-megapixel camera, and more. Not a bad deal if you’re looking for a new phone. It’s a little chunky but, hey, the screen tilts.

AT&T Tilt [LetsTalk.com via dealnews]

Not sure how reliable this is, but it’s rumored that AT&T will be releasing a ROM update today for the HTC Tilt. I liked the Tilt when I had one despite it running Windows Mobile. Below are a list of things that 1.61.502.0 are supposed to fix.

* Device freezing during unlock process when a password is enabled on the device.
* Pocket Outlook unresponsive when launched while on an active voice call.
* Fast Forward and Rewind not working with Bluetooth headset and the Tilt.
* DTMF tones for the slide out QWERTY keyboard not working.
* Intermittent unresponsiveness from Touch Screen (aka Start Button Issue).
* Excessive background noise while using a BT headset.

AT&T Tilt ROM Update Tomorrow [WMExperts]

Update: HTC has released the ROM for the Tilt. You can find it here. Thanks for the tip, Doug.

If you’re thinking we’ve been on smartphone overload this week, you’re right. We’ve been rounding up all of the best and worst in the smartphone world and giving you the goods and bads in general terms. Your next phone will likely be a smartphone. There are more options than ever before, and they literally now fit into any budget.

They’re not for everybody, sure, but if you do more than call Mom once a week so she knows you’re alive, then it’s time for you to get your QWERTY on and do more with your handset, and this guide is here to help.

We should start buy clarifying exactly what a smartphone is and what a smartphone isn’t. That’s more difficult that it sounds, however, as many regular phones today are featuring smartphone features like email and QWERTY keyboards. In essence, a smartphone is a cross between a cellphone and a PDA, allowing you to access information in multiple formats as instantly as possible.

In my opinion, any phone that doesn’t offer system-wide copy-and-paste, automatic email sync, third party application support, and Office integration isn’t a smartphone. And while you think you won’t use all of that, at some point, you’ll be glad it’s all there.

The real problem, though, is that there are dozens of smartphones to choose from, how do you know which smartphone is for you?

The easiest way to tell is to determine what type of user you are. Are you using it for work or personal use? Or both?

If you’re buying your smartphone for business reasons, it’s wise to see if your company has a smartphone policy, as many do now. Your IT guys should be able to help you narrow down which ones they recommend and which work with their network.

But likely you’re on your own, so what are you going to use the smartphone for? If you’re mostly looking at easier, QWERTY text messaging, you might be able to get by with a regular phone with QWERTY, or a “communicator” as they’re called.

But if you’re looking for advanced IM and email, then it’s a smartphone for sure.

There are really two choices you have to make when considering a smartphone: which operating system you like, and what form factor you’re interested in.

For the OS, in the US, you’re basically limited to Windows Mobile, which is modern, though ugly and clunky; Palm OS, which is easy and elegant, but definitely in need of an upgrade; or the OS of Blackberries, which is simple, and functional, but doesn’t do much more than basic functions.

These all have their strengths and weaknesses, so you should check the guides we’ve written earlier in the week to see which one might work well for you.

Most all smartphones have some sort of QWERTY keyboard, either on the face or some sort of slide-out design. The thing to consider is this: how do you like touchscreens?

We all want a phone with a touchscreen, and they do make the phones more useful, but you’ll pay a premium for it. The cheapest way to get a good smartphone with a touchscreen on the market today is the Centro from Sprint at $100. While some carriers might have offers that bring them down to about $50, they’re usually older models, while the Centro is a pretty fresh product. And with the Palm OS, it’s easy to use, making it a very attractive first-time phone.

If you’re looking at Windows Mobile and you want a touchscreen, you’re in luck: all the major carriers in the US feature at least one such phone. But, as mentioned before, they’re not cheap, expect to pay at least $200 for one, even with discounts and subsidies.

AT&T is pushing the Tilt, a decent choice as there’s nothing this phone is lacking besides a speedy processor and, well, a headphone jack. Really. T-Mobile has the popular Wing, which is quite similar. Verizon’s version is the XV6800, and Sprint has the Mogul. All of these are high-end, touchscreen, sliding-QWERTY, Windows Mobile phones, and are all made by HTC.

AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon also offer Treos running Windows Mobile that combine the same touchscreen-over-QWERTY design as the Centro, as well as a handful of others worth a look.

But if you’re willing to forgo the touchscreen, you can still get a wholly usable smartphone, often for free with a new plan. The Q by Motorola, available from Sprint, Verizon and AT&T is one such device. They’re slim and light, and very phone like. T-Mobile has a competitor called the Dash, which, while due for an upgrade, is an inexpensive but passable phone. AT&T also features the quite popular Blackjack by Samsung, one of the highest rated non-touchscreen smartphones we’ve ever seen.

And then there’s the Blackberry. While the devices status of “smartphone” is often in question, we’ll include them here because they’re iconic enough that it’s what many people think of when they think of a smartphone.

They share the non-touchscreen-over-QWERTY design of the Dash and the Q, but don’t have the gawdawful Windows Mobile operating system, which is a blessing. The curse is they don’t have much of an operating system at all, just enough to do what they do. That is likely the phones’ greatest strength and its greatest weakness; most smartphones excel with the help of popular third-party applications, whereas there are very few for the Blackberry line of smartphones.

But most of this doesn’t matter, because a smartphone is just a fancy phone with a keyboard if you don’t have the service to go along with it. All the major carriers support push email, which some consider the smartphone’s killer app. But you’re going to need a data plan. You’re going to want an unlimited one, too, because when you’ve got emails flying, IMs coming in, and a Web browser in your pocket, you’re going to want to use it often.

And that’s what a lot of people get scared off by. But smartphones are now where cellphones were in about 1998: Early adopters have them, and they’re not sorry they signed up for the extra monthly fee, while others are hesitant, thinking they don’t “need” it yet.

Well, you do. Not long ago, many people said they’d never get a cellphone, and now you’re the odd duck if you don’t have one. The same will be said not long from now about those who don’t get their first smartphone, so it’s time you head down to your carrier’s store and see what they have to offer. Talk about data transfer and the costs associated with it, which models they’ll make you a deal on, and incentives they have to get you on their faster networks. You’ll be glad you did.

Selected Smartphones

Yes, it’s no secret that I dislike Windows Mobile, but I have before me two WinMo devices from HTC; the Touch from Sprint and the Tilt from AT&T. I’m excited at the prospect of tinkering with both and yet I can’t help but wonder if I’ll accept WinMo with open arms and keep an objective view on the OS without my utter hatred clouding my judgement. Can the WinMo users in the audience offer any hints/tips/tricks in making this exploration all that it can be?

[Update 1]: I’ve had a few days to fondle both devices and so far the Touch is my favorite of the two. It’s easier to use, but lacks some of the features that obviously make the Tilt stand out. But the Tilt is a fat bastard. It’s heavy and it’s not as cool as the Touch’s interface. And it picks up the ladies.

It’s supposed to launch today, but a quick scan of the AT&T Wireless website shows it missing. We were finally able to locate it on the business side of the website, as it’s not aimed at consumers. Whatever, here’s a link, happy shopping.

Now available – AT&T Tilt [Product Page]

This is the AT&T Tilt you’ve been hearing about. It’s one of the most high-end phones you can buy in America right now, features wise. It’s lacking nothing. Bluetooth? Check. Wi-Fi? Yup. GPS? Affirmative. Super-bright touchscreen with innovative tilt design, revealing a nice-to-the-touch QWERTY keypad? You bet. And it lands October 5th for $299. That’s right, $299 for the most feature-packed phone in North America. What is it that makes this handset so amazing?

Everything we’d heard rumored is in this thing. We’d figured there was no way this guy could do it all, but it certainly does it all, and then some. The Windows Mobile 6 is a welcome upgrade from those using the now-old 8525′s WinMo5. In addition, the 3-Megapixel camera isn’t too bad, though it’s lacking a flash.

For fun, you’ve got all three major IM clients built-in, as well as XM radio capabilities and enough games to keep you happy even a long flight. MMS and other video fun is included, too.

Also, it makes telephone calls.

Size-wise, the Tilt comes in on the large side of the spectrum. That’s to be expected, given its laundry list of features. That doesn’t mean it’s too large to use, in fact it slips in the pocket nicely, and has a very solid feel to it, including the tilting screen.

It’s not quite perfect, though. Besides the fact that it’s running Windows Mobile (I know, I know) and lacking a flash, the device doesn’t have a built-in GPS application; you can add TeleNav, but only with an associated monthly fee. While the 3G data makes browsing the Web fantastic, the sub-par processor is visibly having problems with large Web pages. Pocket Internet Explorer isn’t much help, either. We installed Opera Mini and things seem to be flying along quite a bit faster.

For a device this size, we would have loved to have seen a full-sized SD card slot, like most Treos have, but we’re limited to standard microSD. Not a total bummer, but more of an annoyance.

Also on that list is placement of the stylus at the bottom of the device. After years of most PDAs and smartphones using the top as the place for stylus storage, it’s a little unnatural to place it at the bottom. It should be at the top, as God intended.

In all, though, the Tilt is a solid offering from AT&T, and with its Exchange sync and PTT, would make a fantastic phone if you’re buying several for an enterprise environment. While for personal use, we’d still recommend a Treo, the Tilt makes for a tempting flagship. And make no mistake, the Tilt is the new sheriff in town at AT&T. Given the “no, me” relationship rumored between Apple and AT&T Wireless, you have to assume that AT&T will position this phone as its top-of-the-line, and we’d tend to agree.

Press Release [Biz News Wire]

We broke the news on the Tilt’s launch date and pricing the other week and now a few (over 60) screenshots of the finalized ROM have made their way around the Web. If WinMo 6 is your thing then get ready to go buck wild. Better have some tissues handy.

AT&T 89xx ‘Tilt’ screenshot-fest! [Modaco]

You heard it here first, folks. We have it from an inside source that the AT&T Tilt (aka 8925 aka Kaiser) hits stores September 3rd for $499 with 2-year plan. No word on 1-year pricing, but this flagship phone should be all over the place in a little less than a month.

The Kaiser is coming, and maybe sooner than we thought. An avid CrunchGear reader and commenter was in his local AT&T store and asked about the AT&T 8925 smartphone. The phone monkeys said that yes, the 8925 would be replacing the 8525 soon, either at the end of August or the beginning of September.

If you’ve been waiting to take the plunge on a Windows Mobile high-end smartphone, this is your window (heh). The phone’s feature-packed and sets the bar higher as far as the amount of crap you can pack into a handset.

But the big news from our awesome tipster is the name of the unit. In America, the Kaiser for AT&T will be known as “The Tilt.” Take a look, you’ll see why. Expect it in two versions, one with the cameras removed, as AT&T does for many of its business-focused phones.

Thanks, J!