O2 UK Actually Listens To Their Customers — Removes Tethering Surcharges.

O2 UK has single-handedly made everyone’s day here at Gadgetsteria (and likely the the UK’s too). They have removed the tethering surcharge — You know, the ridiculous one that carriers all over the world use to charge you double for your data? — so data users can now tether at no extra cost with the existing data plans. While O2 UK doesn’t currently have any unlimited plans, this new approach is more than welcome. Since data users already pay (1) for a data plan and (2) for overages, having to pay a third fee just to use the data we’ve already paid for and will pay for continuously if we go over our alloted amount is stupid. Stupid.

Now if only AT&T cared…

[Review pt. 2] Apple Haters Rejoice – HTC Thunderbolt for Verizon

Big, beautiful and nicely packaged, how else do you describe the HTC Thunderbolt? This was the first Android phone I have gotten my hands on, so I was excited to put it through its paces to see how Android compares to other phone operating systems. Hop on past for the full rundown…

Giveaway: iDapt i3 Multi-Gadget Charger.

If you haven’t brushed up on the official Gadgetsteria iDapt 3 multi-gadget charging dock review (say that 5 times fast…) now is the time to do so. We’ve got another iDapt i3 in-house in need of a new home. You know the drill — leave a comment inside and we’ll pick one winner at random. And for the record, saying something on our Facebook fan page and/or Twitter page helps your chances. There isn’t any limit on comments/Facebook posts/Tweets-retweets. As for all the Twitter users out there, use #gsidaptgiveaway so we can easily find you. Have at it!

Amazon Announces Cloud Drive Music Locker Service And Apps.

The long awaited “digital lockers” that music junkies and mobile aficionados have been begging for has finally been delivered. But it isn’t Apple who has long been the #1 focus on such a service/feature — it’s Amazon.

Dubbed “Amazon Cloud”, this new streaming service is pretty enticing on paper. Music, video, photos, and documents can all be uploaded to an initial 5GB chunk of online storage space. Purchase a single song from Amazon’s music store and your allotment is bumped up to 20GB. On top of that, tracks purchased from Amazon’s own store do not count towards your overall storage limit. If 20GB isn’t enough, extra storage can be purchased starting at $20/year for an additional 20GB and climbing all the way up to $1,000/year for a full terabyte.

Complimenting the online locker service is the new Cloud Player and Cloud Player for Andorid. The former will work in most common browsers across Mac, PC, Android Tablet, and Android phones. However, if mobile use is truly your main desire, the Android specific version of Cloud Player also includes access to the full Amazon digital music store an a mobile-friendly version of the actual player. Both versions will allow upload and downloading of files, streaming and managing of playlists, and now worries of quality loss — all music is streamed at the same quality it was uploaded. (Audiophiles better have a good connection for FLAC streaming…)

Being the first out of the gate has its pros and cons. For now, Amazon is the sole provider of any type of digital music locker service designed as Amazon Cloud is. At the same time, competitors can now tweak their own offerings to meet or exceed Amazon. Though, such is the way of the technology/business world. Nevertheless, we’re excited.

For now, Amazon Cloud is U.S. only. But fret not. As soon as other countries are given the green light, we’ll be sure to divulge anything and everything we know. Stay tuned…

BlackBerry PlayBook Webinar: Leaked FAQs And Documents.

As we draw closer to the BlackBerry Playbook’s eventual release, information is becoming easier to come by considering RIM has done a pretty good job keeping things tight lipped — until now that is. Jordan over at BlackBerryEmpire managed to get in on a BlackBerry PlayBook webinar that’s being given to PlayBook retail launch locations. Part of said webinar was a parting package of 5 documents divulging just about anything and everything one could possibly want to know about RIM’s uber tablet. Everything from FAQs to drilled down features of the hardware itself are included. The full manual set can be found here. (PDF) Happy reading!

Windows Phone 7 “NoDo” Update Hitting T-Mobile HD7 March 29th.

We’ve heard a couple times now that the Windows Phone 7 “NoDo” update was facing an imminent release only to be let down. But alas, we have a bit more proof this time in the way of actual documentation from T-Mobile themselves with “March 29th” plastered all over the place. As a quick refresher — faster app loading, marketplace and WiFi enhancements, bug fixes, and most importantly copy & paste. The only thing missing from this happy ending is a firm date as to when the NoDo update rollout will hit 100% completion. Nevertheless, tomorrow is “the day”, so be sure to let us know how it goes (or doesn’t) for you!

HTC Thunderbolt To Receive Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Update Q2 2011.

As awesome as the HTC Thunderbolt is, we’re pretty sure an HTC Thunderbolt rockin’ Android 2.3 Gingerbread would be even better. And despite constant rumors that the Android 2.3 update for the Thunderbolt is “coming soon”, no official word has been made thus far. But that is neither here nor there as a concerned Thunderbolt owner experiencing some bluetooth issues with his new hotness sent HTC an email regarding said issues. The response offers up some interesting information, with the most intriguing being a Q2 2011 release date for the Thunderbolt’s Android 2.3 update. Of course, the email also lists NFC as a capability of the Thunderbolt — a “feature” that is impossible given the Thunderbolt’s lack of any NFC hardware. Nevertheless, our fingers are crossed.

Hop past for the full email…