400k users for 7digital's BlackBerry music store
I want it bad, your bad RIMance. Digital music firm 7digital says its BlackBerry app 7digital Music Store is being used by more than 400,000 people. The app, which was created for 7digital by DevelopIQ, was originally released in October 2009 on RIM's BlackBerry App World. 7digital CEO Ben Drury revealed the 400k figure when unveiling version 1.4.5 of the app, which has just gone live.
Mobile Entertainment

People with internet access 'more likely to be in relationships'
While computer users were once caricatured as romantic no-hopers, a new study indicates that people who refuse to go online may be the ones who struggle to find love. The research found that 82.2 per cent of people with access to the web at home also had a spouse or partner, compared to 62.8 per cent of those without an internet connection. The US academics behind the study said that the increasing popularity of online dating meant that the internet would soon overtake introductions from friends as the most common way for people to meet prospective partners.
The Telegraph 

BlackBerry access deal 'ready' in India
BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion will allow Indian authorities partial access to its Messenger chat services to placate security fears, a senior government source has told the Reuters news agency. The Canadian company is reportedly ready to allow authorities more access to data transmitted between its handsets, and is talking about how to allay government fears over BlackBerry Enterprise email services.India's Department of Telecommunications the body orchestrating the discussions has asked at least three mobile operators to put in place monitoring capability for the BlackBerry Messenger and Enterprise email by 31 August.
The Guardian

Yahoo Japan Buys Location-Based Mobile Ad Company Cirius
Japan has purchased Cirius Technologies, the Japanese mobile ad technology company behind the AdLocal mobile ad network, we have confirmed. The ad network, which debuted in the U.S. late last year, lets advertisers target their ads based on the physical location of mobile phone users. In Japan, the six-year-old company says its ad platform has gained traction among several categories of local business advertisers; its publisher network includes major mobile sites including big portal Excite Japan and hugely popular mobile gaming platform Moba-ge-town.
MoCo News

Nectar loyalty scheme launches apps for discounts
Promises to deliver exclusive offers on the go to customers. UK loyalty scheme Nectar has launched its first iPhone apps, offering point offers and other discounts to customers via their handsets. There are two apps: one branded as Sainsbury's, and the other branded as Nectar - which also includes offers from the likes of BP, Homebase and Hertz. They'll also let users check their Nectar points balance, and find their nearest store supporting the loyalty scheme. The Sainsbury's app will also offer more info on in-store promotions.
Mobile Entertainment

Tata Indiacom customers can Tweet using voice
Operator teams with Kirusa to launch Call-n-Tweet service. Tata Indiacom customers can now use Twitter without an internet connection after the operator teamed with Kirusa to launch Call-n-Tweet. The voice SMS-based service is available to all TTSL and TTML customers across India - people can sign up at callntweet.com by using their Twitter account details. Subscribers then need to dial 50007 to send a voice tweet to update their status on Twitter in any language.
Mobile Entertainment

Nokia launches Ovi Music Unlimited
Nokia has announced that it is rebooting its Comes with Music service - now calling it Ovi Music Unlimited. Comes with Music previously only offered tracks for download to a registered PC and one mobile phone, heavily DRM-ed and required license checking to play, and this will be continued with Ovi Music Unlimited. Comes with Music has been popular in some territories, like Singapore, but has never really taken off in the UK.
Tech Radar

Hanoi clamps down on Internet cafes
Authorities in the Vietnamese capital are clamping down on Internet cafes in what they say is a bid to address online gaming addiction and inappropriate content.
Internet shops within 200 metres (220 yards) of schools must shut down this month, the official Hanoi city website said late Friday.In addition, "technical measures" should be implemented to suspend all online service to Internet shops between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am, it said.The city has hundreds of Internet cafes near schools, Pham Quoc Ban, head of Hanoi's information department, said on a separate government website.
The Independent

Internet-connected devices grow to five billion
The five billionth device will be connected to the internet this month, according to new figures from IMS Research. The analyst firm tracks the installed base of internet equipment, and said that a "second connectivity wave" had pushed up the number of connected devices dramatically. This growth will swell the number to 22 billion when combined with a third wave of new devices. "In the first connectivity wave, the bulk of devices connected to the internet were PCs and laptops plus their associated modem and networking equipment," said IMS Research president Ian Weightman.
V3

Age of Empires Online to become persistent social game
Microsoft’s Age Of Empires has been a bit quiet of late, but the franchise isn’t dead, just mutating into a more cartoonish, Farmville-esque form. In a move that is sure to divide hardcore fans of the RTS game, the newly announced Age Of Empires Online will offer a more socially-oriented persistent world. Age of Empires is fundamentally about big armies of historical warriors knocking seven bells out of one another. Despite this, the decision has been made to broaden the appeal of the game and turn it into a full online experience, complete with a persistent capital city for social interaction, co-op quests, and easy to use controls
Electric Pig