CES 2012: Google Android TV announced by Lenovo
The world’s first television based on Google’s Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system has been announced by Lenovo. The TV set, however, will initially only be for sale in China. Available in 42” and 50” versions, the device is unusual because it is not using Google’s TV software, which is based on an earlier version of Android, codenamed Honeycomb.
Telegraph

Sony enters BBC connected TV fold
Following a debut on the Samsung connected TV platform in the summer of 2011 and then a similar roll out on Panasonic devices, the BBC News product for connected TV can now add Sony to its portfolio. As revealed by Aaron Scullion, Executive Product Manager, BBC Future Media, the move is the latest development in the Corporation's digital development strategy to make TV products available across four screens. The News product is designed to complement the BBC’s live 24-hour news channel by providing a more immersive, web video-based experience which could be navigated via the remote control, furthermore used as a complement to web and mobile usage.
RapidTV News

RIM May Drop Two More BlackBerrys
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion is said to have scrapped two of the three handsets that it was planning to introduce in 2012, including one that was originally intended to be the first device to run the BlackBerry 10 operating system, formerly known as QNX. According to online reports, RIM has cancelled the device codenamed "Colt," which was intended to be the first BlackBerry 10 phone, and axed another phone codenamed "Milan," which BGR reports ran on the current BlackBerry 7 software and had a slide-out keyboard similar to the Torch.
PC World

3M showcases 46in projected capacitive display
Conglomerate 3M has unveiled a 46in projected capacitive touch screen prototype at CES designed to showcase the scalability of touch screen technology. The device is capable of supporting 20 distinct touch points, and this should be expanded to 60 when it enters final production. The interface is designed to be used by retailers, restaurants and could even make an appearance in the educational environment.
The Inquirer

Urban Wi-Fi is back... in Westminster and Kensington
O2 will be providing blanket Wi-Fi coverage on behalf of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, installed into street furniture and providing free connectivity to residents and visitors. How comprehensive the coverage will be remains to be seen; deployment will start this month and there's no schedule for blanket coverage which is just promised eventually. The system will be part of O2's Wi-Fi operations, which use a mobile phone to authenticate accounts (requiring a one-time registration) and offer unrestricted access to the internet, for free to the user.
The Register

Telefónica Digital opts for London’s Regent Street for its global HQ
Telefónica Digital, the global business unit announced by Telefónica back in September to spearhead the telecom company’s digital growth, has revealed that it has signed a lease on office space in London’s plush Regent Street which will be the base for its new global headquarters. The new space will place Telefónica at the heart of London’s growing creative and media industry scene, and it says it constitutes part of its long term commitment to the UK capital.
The Next Web

Samsung inTouch brings web and Skype to your TV
Samsung has taken the lens cap off a set-top camera called the inTouch which opens up a world of Skype calling and web browsing to those with older HDTVs. Running a tweaked version of Android 2.3, it upgrades the functionality of your TV with apps including YouTube and Google News and Weather, plus big screen web browsing. The camera even comes with its own palm-sized QWERTY keyboard remote for bashing out emails during the Corrie ad break.
TechRadar

One Per Cent of Subscribers Using Half of All Mobile Data
One per cent of mobile subscribers are now consuming half of all downloaded data, according to a new report from Arieso, which provides customer centric network management software solutions. The study, Recent Smartphone Trends & the Extreme Data User, compares data usage across a variety of smartphones and connected devices. It finds that iPhone 4S owners are the heaviest data users, downloading three times as much data as iPhone 3G users, and twice as much as iPhone 4 users, who were identified as the most demanding in the 2010 study. In a finding consistent with 2010 results, it also shows that Google Nexus One users make twice as many data calls as iPhone 3G users.
Mobile Marketing Magazine

Microsoft Patents Bad Neighbourhood 'Avoid Ghetto' Detection
Software giant Microsoft has patented a new GPS technology which would make it easier for pedestrians to find their way around. The technology, which has been designed for Windows Phone, will give users the safest and quickest routes possible for pedestrians by analysing external data like user history, crime data and temperature. Data will be fed to the mobile based GPS system in real time. The patent has been dubbed as ‘Avoid Ghetto', a name which stems from the fact that the technology will let users avoid unsafe areas where crime rates are high.
IT Pro Portal

Nokia buys feature phone OS start-up
Nokia confirmed Monday that it has acquired Norwegian start-up operating system (OS) developer Smarterphone for an undisclosed fee. The Finnish firm told Telecoms.com that the acquisition forms part of its strategy to “bring apps to the next billion people”. Smarterphone develops Linux-based feature phone operating systems with more advanced features to Nokia’s basic handsets. Its latest offering, the Smarterphone 3.0 OS, has been developed for QWERTY-keypad phones, and offers native social media apps, wifi and 3G connectivity and a web browser. It also allows the user to upload and watch pictures and video content to the web, and can run on cheap and basic hardware – with no need for multi-core chipsets, although it has no app store.
Telecoms.com