Crippled, 3G-less SlingPlayer Arrives for the iPhone

Well, it’s official: Sling Media‘s SlingPlayer Mobile has arrived in the App Store. For just $29.99 and a Slingbox back home, you can turn your iPhone into a mini TV.

One issue: You can only use the app over Wi-Fi.

The culprit in the crippling is AT&T Inc., which said: “Slingbox, which would use large amounts of wireless network capacity, could create congestion and potentially prevent other customers from using the network. The application does not run on our 3G wireless network. Applications like this, which redirect a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service. We consider smartphones like the iPhone to be personal computers in that they have the same hardware and software attributes as PCs.”

So no catching up on your stories while on the train. Sorry, folks.