For any software developers bemoaning the pain of having to rewrite apps for each of the many smartphone platforms, there was good news in the fourth quarter of 2009. A developer could reach 75% of the smartphones sold in that quarter by supporting just three platforms, Nokia/Symbian, RIM OS and Apple iPhone OS, according to figures from research firm Strategy Analytics.  read more »

Mobile apps routinely make use of the GPS chips, accelerometers, cameras, compasses and other high-tech widgets embedded in a smartphone, but they mostly fail to exploit the bells and whistles in the mobile networks.  The network could tell the app where the handset is, the speed of the connection and sometimes the age and gender of the user. Moreover, the network operator can authenticate the user's identity, send them a text or picture message and enable them to easily pay for a service.   read more »

Mobile operators from across the world are beating a path to Silicon Valley to hook up with start-ups as they seek to better compete with Apple, Google and Nokia, according to Greg Tarr, founding partner of Cross Pacific Capital and an advisor to several operators.  read more »

After months of speculation and rumor, the Apple iPad has been finally been unveiled, but how should developers react? In a word: Cautiously. First of all, it is not clear who will pay $500 plus for a device that isn't suitable for use as a mobile phone or as a lightweight laptop (the lack of a keyboard is going to put off people looking for a business tool).  read more »

Scandinavia once again is emerging as a favoured test-bed for the world's most advanced mobile networks. In a riposte to TeliaSonera's launch of the first commercial LTE network in Sweden and Norway, 3 Scandinavia announced last week that it has upgraded its HSPA+ network to run at a peak speed of 84 Mbps.  read more »

Would you rather spend $60,000 adding an app to the 100,000 plus in the Apple App Store or would you rather spend a more modest sum creating a branded "augmented reality world" on Nokia Point & Find?  read more »

If you see want to see what a new sofa and armchairs would look like in your lounge, an iPhone app from metaio enables you to do exactly that, by integrating 3D images of furniture into a picture of your home. The iLiving app let's you move the furniture around, change its size or rotate it, while shaking the iPhone will randomly shuffle the sofa and chairs within the picture.  read more »

Charities scrambling to respond to the needs of the millions of people hit by the disastrous earthquake in Haiti have needed money fast. One way they have been raising it quickly and cost-effectively from millions of individuals is through donations made by SMS, which is now widely recognised as one of the most efficient ways to handle both commercial and charitable micropayments of $10 or less.  read more »

Want to start browsing the world, as well as the web?  read more »

Amid all the hype and excitement about Google "super phones" and iTablets at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia, tried to divert everyone's attention to the opportunities in developing countries where smartphones are barely used.  read more »