It's been kicking around for most of this year, so we're glad to see that Alltel finally saw fit to get Motorola's rather attractive Z6m slider out and into customers' hands (a Z6tv it ain't, but you'll save a little coin). Anyway, the slider's a solid choice for mobile music on account of its 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo Bluetooth support, microSD slot, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Alltel's very own Celltop system is naturally supported, as is TeleNav GPS -- and if that's not enough to convince you, maybe the "tattoo" across the keypad and rear will (we have to admit, it really doesn't look that annoying). Get it starting today for $129.99 on contract after rebate.

[Thanks, Dizzy]

With major releases like the Motorola RAZR 2 V9m and BlackBerry 8830 in its rear-view mirror, Alltel's been doing a commendable job keeping up with its larger, national rivals -- and if our intel's accurate, we can expect the trend to continue. In the smartphone department, the Palm Treo 755p should be launching pretty shortly (alright, granted, they're a little late on this one) along with the 8130 variant of the so-called Pearl 2 from RIM, a nice stablemate for the more businesslike 8830. One wildcard that we're hearing about here is the UTStarcom 6850 -- it's not clear what this device is, but given the UTStarcom branding on HTC's PPC-6800, it's conceivable to think that this could be some sort of mild refresh. Then again, it could be some totally boring low-end device sourced from a generic ODM, so we'll just have to play the waiting game on that one. From Motorola, look for two: a U5 (likely a new CDMA PEBL, given the "U" prefix on the model number) and the MOTOROKR Z6m. Not bad if it all pans out, eh?

[Thanks, dizzy]

On the same day that Palm names Wind River Systems as its preferred Linux provider, Motorola has gone and unveiled a new mobile Linux platform of its own. The "next-generation" MOTOMAGX package is supposed to "lay the foundation to deliver new levels of openness, flexibility, and support for third-party applications on Motorola mobile devices." Notably, Moto also stated that up to 60-percent of its handsets would be based on Linux "in the next few years," and announced that the MOTOROKR Z6 and RAZR2 V8 mobiles would be the first two based on the platform. Best of all, developers interested in creating applications for the MOTOMAGX platform using Java ME can get their hands dirty today by downloading the corresponding MOTODEV Studio, and be on the lookout for WebUI and "native Linux plug-ins" to be available to "select" individuals by the end of Q4.

Maybe our good friend Boy Genius has a crystal ball to see into the future or maybe he just has all the right connections, but either way he's on point again. Motorola announced that they will be giving a customized MOTORIZR Z3 to the top 25 nominees from this years Oscar awards. As it turns out, the winners of the soon-to-be released (stateside) slider will come in a custom made box with the nominees name on it along with H800 and S9 Bluetooth headsets. Now, if the nominees were getting that svelte Z6 slider we've been talking about, we might just have to make a move for one of them.

Yep, we couldn't be sure from the press photos, but now we can say with confidence that the MOTORIZR Z6's glossy casing is pretty bombastic -- visually, it's what the Z3 shoulda been in every respect. Of course, firmware makes or breaks a phone, so we won't know how well the Z6 really treats us until we're able to spend some quality time together. Either way, invoking the word "Linux" definitely gets our imaginations stirring. It's anyone's guess how well Moto's ultimately going to embrace and support their enthusiast community, but we've gotta say it: "open-source fashion phone," anyone?

The first RAZR-esque slider for global release from Moto, the MOTORIZR Z3, hasn't even seen wide distribution yet, but that didn't stop them from announcing the hotter Z6 at CES this week. The upgraded device adds a so-2006 glossy black finish and features Motorola's new Linux- and Java-based platform, but perhaps more importantly to users, it integrates seamlessly with Windows Media Player 11 and rocks support for Windows Media DRM. Other features of the music-heavy handset carry over from the Z3, including a 2 megapixel cam, Bluetooth with A2DP, and expansion via microSD; sadly, there's still no mention of 3G on board. Expect the Z6 to be available by the end of this half of the year, with pricing to be announced closer to launch.