GSMA Says Innovation Remains Strong During the Economic Downturn
The GSM Association has released findings that reveal an overwhelming majority of global mobile operators, investors and technology vendors believe that the current economic situation is driving innovation in the telecoms industry. Whilst experts cite that innovation is coming primarily from emerging markets, this study suggests that cellular powerhouses of North America and Asia will continue to flourish.
Cellular News
 
Sony Ericsson announces two multimedia phones
Sony Ericsson has released two new phones targeting the multimedia market. The Aino will be popular among Sony PlayStation 3 owners as it will be able to control a range of content on the games console. The Yari is aimed at gamers with its built-in gesture and motion features that will work with a range of pre-loaded games software included with the handset.
Mobile Choice
 
Sky puts content on Xbox console 
Sky has struck a deal with Microsoft that will see live football, TV and film content brought to the Xbox 360. The deal marks the Xbox's first move into live linear broadcast TV.  Rival consoles, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii, can access catch-up TV content via the BBC's iPlayer.
BBC
 
Mobile payment users to double by 2012
According to recent research from Gartner, the number of people using mobile devices to purchase goods and services is expected to more than double by the end of 2012 globally.The firm said that mobile payment users will reach 74.4 million in 2009 and predicted that by 2012, that number should exceed 190 million users.
Computer World
 
Australia regulator OKs Vodafone, Hutchison merger
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has approved a merger of the Australian arms of mobile phone companies Vodafone and Hutchison Whampoa stating that the deal is unlikely to substantially lessen competition. Vodafone's Australian arm and Hutchison Telecom will form a joint venture operating under the Vodafone brand, serving 6 million customers.
Reuters
 
Mobile Content Grows on Social Networks, but Ringback Tones, Music Still Top Demand
The past year has seen a steady rise in the consumption of [mobile] premium content on social networks and communities, as well as other new applications such as location-based services and mobile advertising. Ringback tones and mobile music, however, still remain the top revenue earners.
Cellular-news

Palm Pre touted for interoperability
New information is surfacing about how the Palm Pre will work with popular software applications and internet services. On Thursday the company confirmed earlier reports that the Pre would be able to sync with Apple's iTunes software without the need for additional software to be installed.
VNUNet

Qualcomm's Smarter Netbooks
Wireless communications giant Qualcomm plans to test the waters later this year with a new class of gadgets called smartbooks built on the company's Snapdragon chipset. Smartbooks aim to bridge the gap between smart phones and laptops or netbooks by offering popular smart phone features in a larger form.
Forbes

18 to 20 Android phones to be released this year
The numbers confirm Google's bullish intentions in a market which is soon to be occupied by the new version of Microsoft's mobile version of Windows, the updated Apple iPhone system, the upcoming Palm WebOS, the strong Symbian and Blackberry software and a variety of Linux-based systems.
Mobile Choice

Microsoft reveals new search platform Bing
Microsoft has unveiled Bing as its much anticipated new search platform, as the company reiterates its ambition to overtake Google and become the leading search engine.
New Media Age