Since the smartphones run identical software, the new update has the same number version for both of them (6.12.173), and brings the same enhancements, including: improved data throughput performance in low-signal 4G areas, Mobile Hotspot improvements, Visual Voice Mail updates, and improved stability.

Here (PDF file) is a full changelog.

In case you need them, instructions on how to get the update are available here (PDF) for the Droid Razr, and here (PDF) for the Droid Razr Maxx.

Both the Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx –which are currently running Android Gingerbread – will be upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich sometime later this year.

Via Droid-life

• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Razr gets a software update
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Bionic and 4G LTE Xoom get software updates
• Verizon Droid Razr Maxx will be launched on January 26 according to Motorola
• Motorola Droid Pro finally receiving Gingerbread update
• More evidence that Verizon’s Motorola Droid Razr Maxx will be out on January 26

So, owners of Nokia Belle handsets now have a Skype app that provides free Skype to Skype calls and Instant Messaging, and allows them to save money on calls or texts to numbers from abroad. The app can be downloaded via Nokia Store at this link.

Until now, Nokia announced only four Belle smartphones: Nokia 600, Nokia 700, Nokia 701, and Nokia 603. Others (including N8, E7, C7, X7, C6-01 and E6) will be updated to Belle starting this month.

Via All About Symbian

• Nokia offers Skype for Symbian via Ovi Store
• Skype for Symbian 1.1 launched
• Skype for Symbian updated, now supports Nokia N8, C7 and E5
• Nokia 700 now available at Vodafone UK, free from £26 per month
• Reduced roaming costs in Europe, starting July 2009

About 400 apps per day are currently approved, so we might see 100,000 apps in the Marketplace sometime in April (or even in March, if the number of submissions continues to grow – and it probably will).

There’s still a long way to go for Microsoft until its Marketplace reaches the number of apps currently available in Apple’s App Store (500,000+) or Google’s Android Market (400,000+). But with lots of new WP handsets promised by Nokia for this year, things are about to move in the right direction (not that they’re not moving right now, but they’re doing it slowly for the moment).

Via All About Windows Phone

• Almost 3,000 Windows Phone 7 apps available now, 15,000 WP7 devs registered
• Android Market reaches 20,000 apps, obviously still behind the Apple App Store
• The Android Market finally, officially has 100,000 apps
• Windows Phone Marketplace now has more than 50,000 apps
• Windows Phone 7 Marketplace now offering 6,000 apps

The update makes the app faster, and obviously allows users to find what they need quicker.

Here’s what’s new: refreshed user interface; search suggestions are grouped by type (and you’ll notice that web suggestions are on top); all countries with Google domains get locally-relevant suggestions; you can now long press to remove history items.

You can download the latest version of Google Search app to your Android device either via Android Market, or by scanning the QR code found in this post over at the Google mobile blog.

• Google Gesture Search comes to Android 1.6
• Google intros Gesture Search for Android
• Google Mobile Now Available on S60
• Google Maps 4.0 for BlackBerry features Google Buzz, Search by Voice, and more
• Google Goggles and What’s Nearby for Android launched

The application is available starting today via Verizon Apps, and provides anti-malware app scanning for free. If you want premium features – which include “lost device protection and enhanced security to block threats as well as inappropriate content while surfing the Web, calling or texting” – you’ll have to pay $2.50 per month, or $30 per year.

The list of Verizon devices for which Trend Micro Mobile Security Personal Edition is available curiously doesn’t include any new smartphones, but just the following ones: HTC Droid Incredible 2, HTC Thunderbolt, LG Revolution, Casio G’zOne Commando, Samsung Droid Charge (pictured above), and Motorola Droid X2.

Via Press release

• #MWC10: Verizon brings unlimited Skype calling to 3G smartphones starting March
• Verizon blog sets Motorola Droid 2 release for August 12th, confirms Android 2.2 on board
• Skype intros cheaper international calling plans (to 170 countries)
• Verizon to discontinue the original Motorola Droid 2 when its World Edition launches?
• Motorola Droid 2 and HTC Droid Incredible both now go for only $149.99 from Verizon

And now it looks like the Bada 2.0 update for the remaining handsets is delayed.

According to Samsung Spain, older Wave phones will only get to taste the new version of the OS starting the first quarter of 2012. Last week, Samsung Italy provided a more specific timeline, saying Bada 2.0 updates would start rolling-out in March 2012 (which, of course, is still Q1).

For the moment, Samsung has only three Wave smartphones that come with Bada 2.0: Wave III, Wave M, and Wave Y.

Via SammyHub

• All Samsung Wave phones will be updated to Bada 2.0
• Samsung Wave 525 and Wave 533 won’t be updated to Bada 2.0 after all
• Samsung Wave 3 to be launched in October
• Samsung Wave S8500 now available in Europe (UK, France)
• Samsung plans to sell 10 million Wave S8500 phones, offer 1,000 Bada apps this year

On tablets, in landscape mode, Firefox tabs now appear as thumbnails on the left, allowing users to easily switch between them – of course, this whole time you can view full websites on the right. In portrait  mode, tabs are situated in a top left menu.

There’s a new Action Bar menu, too, providing access to Preferences, downloads, Add-ons and so on. Firefox 9.0 for Android also brings a faster start-up time, and HTML5 form validation. You can see the full changelog here.

To download Mozilla Firefox 9.0 for your Android smartphone or tablet, go here at Android Market. And, if you’re curious to see the browser in action on a tablet, check out the official video preview below:

Via Mozilla

• Mozilla reveals Firefox app for Honeycomb tablets
• Mozilla officially launches Firefox Mobile for Maemo
• Mozilla Fennec to sync tabs between desktop and mobile browsers
• Firefox Mobile (Fennec) for HTC Touch Pro scheduled for February
• Mozilla’s Mobile Firefox a.k.a. Fennec expected to launch on September

After that, other Galaxy devices will receive the update, including: Samsung Galaxy R, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.

Today’s announcement reconfirms what we’ve previously told you: most high-end Galaxy devices will get Ice Cream Sandwich at some point next year.

Samsung was the first in the world to introduce an Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone – the well-known Galaxy Nexus (already available in North America, Europe and Asia).

Via Press release

• Samsung confirms Android ICS updates for the Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note, and recent tablets
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus to bring Android ICS to India this year?
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus now official with Android 4.0 and 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display
• Official Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade for Galaxy Tab and Galaxy phones announced
• Samsung Galaxy S i9000 and Galaxy Tab P1000 won’t get Android Ice Cream Sandwich because of hardware limitations

But don’t worry: Adobe has announced that it would provide minor updates to both Adobe Flash Player 11.1 and AIR 3.1 “to support the Galaxy Nexus in December.”

Hopefully, the updates will be rolled-out not long after the Galaxy Nexus gets to be launched in North America (December 8 in Canada, and possibly also December 8 in the US).

We’ll keep an eye on this and let you know when Adobe announces that Flash Player for the Galaxy Nexus is a go.

• Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus can be ordered in Canada, should ship in a few days
• Android Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note coming in Q1 2012
• Verizon Galaxy Nexus (Prime) launching in December – Samsung confirms
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus launching one day earlier at Bell and Virgin Canada
• Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus shows up at Best Buy, priced at $299

All you have to do is install the Box.net Android app on your Xperia handset, and register for an account. It’s not quite clear if the offer is available to Xperia users all over the world, or only to those in the UK, as this article suggests. And the fact that SE’s announcement regarding the partnership with Box.net no longer appears on its website doesn’t help us clarify things.

In any case, it looks like you have time until December 31, 2012 to claim your 50GB of free storage space.

Update: Sony Ericsson just said that the offer is not yet active. The company is “working to provide this offer very soon to all Xperia customers.”

Box.net is also offering 50GB of storage space to iPhone, iPad and iPod users for a limited time (the offer ends on December 2).

Via Phone Arena

• Confirmed: Android Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Sony Ericsson’s Xperia 2011 lineup
• UK: Sony Ericsson Xperia Active now delayed until September 30
• SE plans to bring Android Ice Cream Sandwich to its 2011 Xperia lineup
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Active pre-orders start in the UK for £229.99, shipping on September 9
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 will get Android 2.1 this year

Now the company has confirmed via Facebook that four Optimus handsets will get a taste of Android ICS. The four devices are: LG Optimus LTE (the first HD smartphone from LG), LG Optimus 3D, LG Optimus 2X, and the LG Optimus Black.

Reportedly, the “upgrade schedule and additional specific models for the ICS OS upgrade” are going to be unveiled next month (December).

Although LG says it wants to make Android 4.0 available on as many smartphones as possible, I don’t think owner of handsets like the LG Optimus One (HVGA screen, 600MHz processor) will be able to enjoy the features of the new OS. But we’ll see what happens.

• AT&T’s LG Optimus One (Optimus A?) pictured
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for select LG Optimus phones coming starting Q2 2012
• LG announces Android tablet, Optimus One and Optimus Chic (with Froyo)
• LG Optimus Pro and Optimus Net P690 officially announced, Android Gingerbread included
• LG Optimus One could get Android 2.3 Gingerbread in May

The Droid Charge support page found over at Verizon currently reads that the update is “coming soon” – so it doesn’t give an exact release date. However, the image seen below seems to confirm the November 29 date.

Apart from Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the new update (build number EP4) will bring various enhancements to your Droid Charge, including: improved data connectivity, improved Bluetooth and GPS performance,  and the inclusion of a Software Update Assistant. The full change log can be found here at Verizon.

Via Droid-life

• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Razr gets a software update
• Samsung Droid Charge to get another software update from Verizon
• Verizon Samsung Droid Charge gets an update that isn’t Android Gingerbread
• Motorola Droid Bionic software update rolling out now
• Verizon rolls out software updates for Motorola Droid Razr and Razr Maxx

Navigon 2.0 for iPhone comes with a fresh look and a new User Interface, and is “the first iPhone navigation app to offer quarterly map updates” (for a one-time fee), as well as the “first iPhone onboard navigation app that separates the app from the maps” – this letting you choose the map regions you want to download (for example, you can download the map of only one state if you want to).

Navigon is offering the new iPhone app for discounted prices until November 30, as follows:

• Navigon 2.0 for iPhone North America: $39.99 instead of $59.99
• Navigon 2.0 for iPhone USA: $29.99 instead of $49.99
• Navigon 2.0 for iPhone Canada: $29.99 instead of $49.99
• Navigon 2.0 for iPhone East, Central or West: $19.99 instead of $29.99

If you’ve already bought a previous version of Navigon for iPhone, the update to version 2.0 is provided at no extra costs. The new app is available as of today via App Store.

An official video promo of Navigon 2.0 for iPhone can be watched below:

Via Press release

• Nokia smartphones to come with free GPS navigation – now official
• Fring for iPhone and iPod touch adds video calls
• TomTom for iPhone 1.2 offers text-to-speech and other new features
• More than 1 million PayPal iPhone apps downloaded in three weeks
• First-gen iPhones bought after May 27th can be swapped for iPhone 3G for free, says AT&T

The refreshed Facebook app for Windows Phone (version 2.2) features toasts and tile notifications, the ability to pin selected elements of the app, and several other enhancements.

WP Mango users who don’t have it yet can download the Facebook app here at Windows Marketplace.

For now, Windows Phone Mango has reached end users only on older WP devices, and on the Fujistu Toshiba IS12T in Japan. However, starting next month (November), lots of new Mango handsets will be released around the world, including the Nokia Lumia 800, HTC Titan, HTC Radar, Samsung Focus S, Samsung Omnia W, Acer Allegro, and ZTE Tania.

Via WMPowerUser

• HTC Radar and Acer Allegro with Windows Phone Mango announced in India
• Acer Allegro with Windows Phone Mango coming to the UK in December
• Acer W4 Allegro gets announced in France, runs Windows Phone, will be out in November for €299
• Acer Allegro with Windows Phone Mango to cost only €299
• ZTE Tania with Windows Phone Mango coming to Europe

More exactly, the N9 now has a new white color version, which comes with a glossy finish (unlike the older three versions, which are matte). The white N9 should be available before the end of the year, offering 64GB of internal memory for the beginning (a 16GB edition should be out sometime later).

Nokia has announced a MeeGo software update, too. The update will be available to current N9 users sometime this quarter, bringing usability improvements and NFC tag reading.

Via Nokia

• White Nokia N9 with 64 GB of storage makes its worldwide debut in Finland, priced at €629
• White Nokia Lumia 800 gets official, will be launched this month
• Nokia E72 now available in white, firmware update also launched
• Nokia X6 16GB officially announced, will be available this quarter
• Nokia 5800 XpressMusic – new software update available, bringing many improvements

According to Asus Singapore’s Facebook page, the company has confirmed “support for Ice Cream Sandwich on the Asus Eee Pad Family”, and aims “to bring the latest Android update to the Eee Pad Series.” However, for the moment Asus did not “set a date” for rolling out the updates. Anyway, this does mean that Android 4.0 ICS will be available not just for the Eee Pad Transformer (as we’ve recently reported), but also for the Eee Pad Slider (pictured below).

As a reminder, Asus is getting ready to unveil a new tablet on November 9 – the Transformer Prime, which will be the world’s first tablet to feature a quad-core processor (and could come with Android ICS from day one).

Via EuroDroid

• Asus Transformer Prime to bring its quad-core powers to Canada soon
• Asus Transformer Prime TF201 visits the FCC
• 7 inch Asus Transformer Prime and new Eee Pad Memo tablet to be announced at CES 2012?
• Asus Transformer Prime to get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in January?
• Asus Transformer Prime to be launched on December 8 in the US?

According to Engadget, the company has confirmed that “beyond Gingerbread 2.3.4, we plan to upgrade our 2011 Xperia smartphone portfolio to the next Android platform made available to us.” Certainly, Ice Cream Sandwich is not specifically mentioned here, but it’s understandable that this is the “next platform” Sony Ericsson is talking about.

The plans regarding the ICS update have been reportedly discussed on SE Netherlands’ Facebook page, too. However, that post doesn’t exist anymore, and it looks like the Facebook account has disappeared entirely.

In any case, you can expect to get a taste of Android Ice Cream Sandwich if you have one of these SE smartphones: Xperia Arc, Xperia Arc S, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, Xperia Neo V, Xperia Ray, Xperia Pro, Xperia Mini, Xperia Mini Pro, and Xperia Active. Most probably, updates will start rolling-out next year (but that’s just my guess).

• Confirmed: Android Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Sony Ericsson’s Xperia 2011 lineup
• Sony Ericsson’s 2011 Xperia line will get Android Ice Cream Sandwich
• Android 4.0 updates for Sony Ericsson Xperia phones to start in March or April
• New Sony Xperia Android phone(s) to be announced at MWC 2012
• AT&T “definitely” launching the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10?

As many have anticipated, Android ICS 4.0 is sort of a big deal. Its look has been refined, starting with the lock screen (which can now take you directly to the camera app, or to the notification window) and finishing with Roboto – a brand new typeface that’s built from scratch for high-def displays to provide a “total makeover of the OS.”

Here’s a list of Android Ice Cream Sandwich novelties:

• three virtual buttons – Back, Home, and Recent Apps – grouped in the new System Bar, which is present across all applications, although it can disappear to allow full screen view (in videos for example). So new ICS devices – like the Google Galaxy Nexus – don’t need hardware buttons (I’m not sure if this means all ICS devices will come without hardware buttons – we’ll see)
• new Action bar for accessing each application’s contextual options
• Face Unlock – ICS recognizes your face and lets you unlock your handset just by holding it in front of your face. Of course, you can also use a backup PIN or pattern.
• home screen folders – apps and shortcuts can now be grouped into folders on the home screen (yes, this is similar to what you can do on the iPhone)
• Android Beam – available for NFC-ready devices; lets you share contacts, articles, photos, YouTube videos and more by simply tapping two handsets together
• enhanced multitasking. There’s a new Recent Apps button that “lets users jump instantly from one task to another using the list in the System Bar. The list pops up to show thumbnail images of apps used recently – tapping a thumbnail switches to the app”
• resizable widgets
• new voice input engine that provides instant talk to type capabilities
• new People app – somewhat similar to Windows Phone’s People Hub – provides rich profile information
• new browser with “improved page rendering performance”, up to 16 different tabs, and offline reading mode (lets you save full pages)
• enhanced soft keyboard and spell checking
• enhanced calendar and email
• network data usage management system
• enhanced camera features, including panorama mode and timelaps video recording (although I’m not sure if the latter isn’t a feature that works only on the Galaxy Nexus)
• redesigned photo gallery, including a photo editor

The Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 SDK is available for download as of now at the official Android website. As already mentioned, the first Ice Cream Sandwich device will be the Galaxy Nexus, which should be released around the world starting November.

There is now word on when exactly older Android devices will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich. However, it looks like most of those who use Gingerbread will be able to get ICS on their devices – which, of course, is great news.

In case you want to see the full Google Galaxy Nexus / Android Ice Creams Sandwich presentation, here it is (57 minutes video):

• Android Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note coming in Q1 2012
• Check out this two minute video of Android Ice Cream Sandwich
• Android Ice Cream Sandwich will be launched in October or November, says Eric Schmidt
• Google’s next phone may be called Nexus 4G, should run Android Ice Cream Sandwich
• New Samsung Galaxy Nexus official picture leaks, shows the phone’s back side for the first time

The new update brings a series of enhancements, including: support for Google Talk with video chat, improved audio quality with car speakers, improved camera Panorama Mode, “international roaming 3G UMTS hotspot functionality for a single Wi-Fi enabled device”, and a bug fix related to forwarded messages.

Photon 4G users can check manually for the update in Settings / About phone / System updates. You can find out more here at Motorola.

The Photon 4G is currently offered by Sprint for $199.99 on contract. The smartphone is also sold by US Cellular under the name of Motorola Electrify.

Via Android Central

• Sprint’s HTC Evo 4G gets a minor update too
• Sprint Motorola Photon 4G gets a small software update
• Motorola Photon 4G now available at Sprint
• Bell Motorola Atrix 4G gets a minor software update to improve performance
• Vodafone UK’s HTC Sensation gets a small reliability fix

Its sales stopped growing sometime early this year. Today Samsung is selling less Bada phones then they’ve been selling a year ago. And current Samsung Bada powered Wave handset sales are at least 50% lower then what Samsung was projecting at the end of  2010.

My first doubts that there is something wrong with Bada sales surfaced few months ago, when “10 million Bada devices sold” news release never arrived .

As you may have noticed, Samsung is very happy to report whenever one of its products reaches some significant milestone. Late last year Samsung said that they plan to sell 10 million Bada devices in the first half of 2011. On top of 5 million they were planning to move in 2010. So, if everything went according to plan, there should have been at least two Bada related announcements this year already:

• a total of 10 million Bada phones sold (5 mil in 2010 and 5 mil in 2011),
• then 10 million of Bada handsets sold in 2011.

It is almost 3 months since the first half of 2011 ended, and we are still waiting for any 2011 Bada  related news releases.

The second hint that something is wrong in Badaland came last week, with the reports that Samsung is planning to open source Bada next year. You never do that if your proprietary OS is a success.

Today, if the slide obtained by Sammy Hub is real, we get some numbers to see how Samsung Bada is doing this year. And the numbers aren’t pretty at all:

Forget about Samsung’s plans to sell 10 million Bada phones in the first half of 2011. They weren’t able to ship even half of that.

In fact, Samsung now plans to reach 10 million total cumulative Wave device sales sometime at end of October/beginning of November. Which means that instead of growing, Samsung Bada sales started declining this year. In 2010 it took them 8 months to ship the first 5 million devices with a homegrown OS. This year it will take 11 months to do the same. In a smartphone market that is growing at 70% a year – these are dismal results, on par with Nokia’s, RIM’s and Windows Phone performance.

Of course, Samsung is is smart enough not to depend on the success of Bada. And its gains with Android handsets more then offset any losses from Bada.

But as far as Sammy’s ambitions to have its own smartphone OS go, its prospects look very dim for now. Maybe Bada Meego hook-up, if it ever happens, will help to get both fledgling projects off the ground. Though I am not holding my breath here.

• Samsung to sell 5 million Bada smartphones before the end of 2010, 330 million handsets (in total) in 2011
• Samsung to sell more than 50 million smartphones in 2011, mainly Android and Bada-based
• New Samsung Bada phones with QWERTY keyboards coming
• 1 million iPhones sold in Korea. 1 million Samsung Waves sold in Europe
• Samsung plans to sell 10 million Wave S8500 phones, offer 1,000 Bada apps this year

Companies that do have their own successful proprietary platforms are no it usually too eager to start giving them away in hopes that outside developers will make it better in exchange. Companies who’s platforms do fail to take off or get into trouble, on the other hand, sometime do try to turn to the open source community for help. Sometimes these efforts work and result in a successful product (e.g. Netscape Navigator turned Firefox), sometimes they end in disaster – e.g. Nokia’s Symbian experiment. However, even in Netscape case – it wasn’t the actual open sourced code, but the community created in the process that built Firefox browser from scratch, without much help from Netscape. And it took years of stale browser competition for Firefox to emerge, while Netscape’s corporate owner reaped very few benefits from open sourcing.

So Samsung’s hints about Bada open sourcing plans next year does not sound like a sign of strength. When we combine this with Samsung’s apparent failure to achieve its own publicly announced goal to ship 10 million Bada phones in the first half of 2011, their own platform efforts do not look so successful anymore. But I guess we’ll have to wait until next year to see what happens.

But how will Samsung go about open sourcing of Bada?

Bada is not an operating system itself. It is middleware, application framework and user interface layers running on top of Mentor Graphics owned Nucleus real time operating system kernel. Open Sourcing Bada without the operating system kernel makes little sense. But the current kernel is not owned by Samsung and will not be opened.

Fortunately for them, Bada was designed to be more or less independent from the underlying mobile OS. According to some company reps I talked to, they can replace the current RTOS kernel with Linux based mobile OS whenever they chose to do so. What they forgot to mention is that Samsung has to have a suitable Linux based mobile OS to put underneath Bada. But they do not have one, and mobile OS is not a trivial thing to develop.

And here’s where it gets interesting. What if Samsung teams up with Intel to put Meego kernel underneath Bada platform?

There were rumors that Intel is suspending Meego development for now, and Meego’s non-appearance during Intel Developer Forum last week seemed to confirm that. But then Steve “Chippy” Pane has published his impressions about Meego from IDF. And I started having some doubts. According to him:

No-one in Intel that’s involved with Meego is talking Meego. There’s no Meego conference planned yet, there was no Meego representation in the IDF technology showcase and I even heard a ‘watch this space’ comment in one of the technical sessions. Everyone is keeping their mouths shut tight. Something is going on.

If Meego was cancelled or suspended at Intel – there will be quite a few disgruntled employees, ready to spill the beans, and we would have heard something by now. But we have silence instead.

What if it’s for a good reason? What if this reason is that Samsung has decided to use Meego to replace Nucleus as an OS underneath the Bada? Samsung really needs a stronger underlying OS to give Bada a chance of competing with Android and Windows Phone. After Nokia defection, Intel desperately needs a smartphone hardware partner to keep Meego alive in mobile space. Among various flavors of Linux – Meego is the best there is for smartphones, and Samsung is the best hardware partner Intel can get for its mobile ambitions. Intel’s Meego on Samsung’s Bada phones looks like a match made in heaven. At least on paper, we’ll have to wait and see what happens in real life.

But, even if Samsung decides to go with Meego, the current Meego on smartphones branch is still at a near death. Without active Nokia support, there is no one to push it forward. And Sammy has no reason to do it either.  Swipe interface that was such a hit on N9-  is a proprietary Nokia thing, as is a lot of other smartphone related stuff that went into the Meego/Harmattan.

Intel may have tried to buy Meego assets from Fins, but Nokia did not sell – so a lot of things that went into N9 won’t be making the transition to Samsung. And I seriously doubt that Qt will make it onto Bada phones too. Mobile Qt is still controlled by Nokia, and Samsung will not trade its dependence on a still more or less neutral Google, to a dependence on one of its main rivals.

Samsung smartphones may get Meego core, but they will be much more Bada then Meego phones, with their own UI, SDK, app store and other distinct Samsung features.

Will it work? At this point I have some very serious doubts. Buts lets wait and see, and hope Samsung is up to the task to make Meego/Bada a success. The more competition we have out there – the better off we, users, are.

• Early MeeGo code released to developers (for Nokia N900 and Intel Atom-based devices)
• Intel to merge MeeGo with LiMo. Samsung is on board
• Meego is officially dead. Long live project Tizen, HTML5 to the rescue of Samsung’s mobile OS ambitions
• #MWC10: Nokia and Intel introduce MeeGo, a Moblin-Maemo software platform (video)
• Nokia sees increasing role of Linux in handsets

Android Ice Cream Sandwich has been already announced (and should be released soon), but what’s next? Well, a name that starts with a “J”, of course.

How does Android Jelly Bean sound? Regardless if you like it or not, this may be the name of the new Android version that’s bound to be released after Ice Cream Sandwich. According to This is my next, which quotes “trusted” and “well-regarded” sources, the name choice “hasn’t been finalized” by Google yet, so we could still end up with something different.

What’s noteworthy is that the same sources indicate that Jelly Bean will come with some “game-changing” features that were initially planned for Ice Cream Sandwich – although the latter would also include “fairly major” changes (in design, functionality and architecture).

There is no word on when Android Jelly Bean should be released, but it certainly can’t happen this year – since Ice Cream Sandwich will only be out in October. “Sometime in Q1 2012″ is probably a good guess on when to expect Google’s Jelly Bean.

• Android Ice Cream Sandwich will be launched in October or November, says Eric Schmidt
• Google Music, Android Ice Cream Sandwich and Honeycomb 3.1 officially announced
• Samsung’s Google Nexus Prime likely headed to Canada
• Is this the real Google Nexus Prime with Android Ice Cream Sandwich?
• Check out this two minute video of Android Ice Cream Sandwich

The applications will include Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Lync 2010 Mobile, Microsoft Document Connection, and Microsoft PowerPoint Broadcast. They will be rolled-out to Symbian Belle smartphones (Nokia 600, Nokia 700, Nokia 701), as well to Symbian Anna smartphones that are about to be upgraded to Belle (N8, C7, E7, C6-01, E6 and X7).

According to Nokia, the update which brings Microsoft Apps will be offered starting late Q4 2011 – by that time, the Finnish company should also launch its first Windows Phone Mango handset(s).

Another update, apparently scheduled for 2012, “will introduce Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint as native applications for the first time outside the Windows platform.”

Via Press release

• Nokia 603 leaked. Symbian Belle update to start on October 26?
• Symbian Belle update will be out for existing Nokia smartphones in early 2012
• Nokia gives up on Symbian (the brand), promises Belle update for February
• Nokia’s Symbian Anna devices get a new bug fixing software update
• Nokia, Microsoft sign deal to bring Office Mobile to Symbian smartphones

Of course, Android Ice Cream Sandwich could be out only in November, so the updates may not arrive as soon as you’d want. In any case, it’s good to see confirmation from SE that they’re planning to keep customers happy.

The Xperia smartphones announced this year are: Xperia Arc, Xperia Arc S (pictured above), Xperia Ray, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, Xperia Neo V, Xperia Pro, Xperia Mini, and Xperia Mini Pro. That’s quite a big gang of handsets that SE needs to push updates to, isn’t it?

• Confirmed: Android Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Sony Ericsson’s Xperia 2011 lineup
• SE plans to bring Android Ice Cream Sandwich to its 2011 Xperia lineup
• Android 4.0 updates for Sony Ericsson Xperia phones to start in March or April
• Android Ice Cream Sandwich will be launched in October or November, says Eric Schmidt
• Confirmed: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 will not get updated to Android 2.2 Froyo

None of them could make even a dent in iPad’s dominance.

And Honeycomb tablets won’t make a dent. Ever. Because Google itself does not really care about whether Honeycomb succeeds in the market or not- Android 3 wasn’t meant to do do that. It was just a placeholder until Google finishes forging it’s real weapon in tablet wars – Android 4/Ice Cream Sandwich.

The whole situation with first Android tablets strongly reminds me of Google’s first steps in smartphone market with Android 1.x in 2009.

Back in 2007 Apple invented a new kind of mobile computing device – iPhone. They called it smartphone, but I think it is a mistake to lump Apple’s new device into the same category as the phones people were calling smart before 2007. With iPhone, and especially with it’s next generation iPhone 3G – Apple has created a completely new category of mobile computing devices, and a new market. Still, for the purpose of simplicity, in this article, let’s call the iPhone – a smartphone, and smart devices that came before it – just mobile phones.

The new smartphone market was expanding rapidly and Apple completely dominated it in 2007 and 2008. For the first two years, nobody was able to offer any viable competitor to iPhone.

Looking at a new mobile computing/smartphone platform that Apple has created, Google saw a strategic threat to it’s core business. Even though Google apps like Search and Maps were featured prominently on iPhone, there was nothing to prevent Apple from switching to competitors like Microsoft’s Bing at some point in the future. And leaving Google on the sidelines of rapidly expanding mobile market.

Reacting to a new threat posed by Apple, in 2007/8 Google scrapped it’s previous Blackberry like Android efforts, and started working on iPhone alternative. Google had to put something in the market as soon as possible to get developers and other partners interested.  That something came in the form of HTC G1/Dream with Android 1.0 , which shipped in late 2008. But when G1 started shipping , the new Android 1.0 OS running the device was still a work in progress, not a finished, market ready product. It was extremely buggy, had poor UI and lacked some essential functions – like SD card support. Even Andy Rubin admitted that Android running on G1 wasn’t actually worthy of a 1.0 version number.

Situation improved a bit with the release of Android 1.5 Cupcake in May and 1.6 Donut in September. More and better Android phones started appearing on the market – HTC Magic, Samsung Galaxy i7500, HTC Hero, Motorola Cliq. But Android 1.x was still a half baked product, with a pretty bad usability and little customer appeal. New Android device activations were stuck at a 30K a day level – a run rate of less then a million of Android smartphones a month, and well below the number of iPhones shipping at that time. Developers also did not care much for Android, mostly preferring to focus their efforts on making it in Apple’s Appstore, with Android as a distant afterthought.

This lackluster Android performance continued while we  had only Android 1.x devices available.

But Google did not care much about how Android 1.x was doing. They got what they needed from it – a foothold in the market and real world use data to work with. Even in early 2009, when Android Cupcake/Donut updates were still underway, Google’s eyes were already on the main prize – Éclair -the second generation of Android. I’ve been going through my archives and stumbled on these musings about Android by Eldar Murtazin, from Mobile World Congress in February 2009:

Android is pretty well stuck right now, because of Google, which does not really want to strongly promote Android devices yet. They have a key partner – HTC – which already released/announced phones (Dream, Magic) based on Android 1.0.

The first release of Android OS – it’s Google making a claim for the future position in mobile OS market. It is more like a marketing tool to train the public on Android and also to give the developers a live device to make the apps for. Though there will be some interesting new Android devices coming from HTC and others later this year.

Android 2.0 looks pretty sad. Android won’t get to the level Google and partners want to see it on until releases 3.0 and 4.0. It has multiple partners working on Android 3.0 devices and there were some demos of the handsets with Android 3 in closed showrooms. They look fantastic. The problem is that Android 3.0 is not slated for release until the mid of 2010, with version 4 to follow in 2011. So it will be a while until Android devices reach their full potential.

Remember, we are talking about February 2009 here. The only Android device that was shipping then was HTC G1/Dream. Replace those version numbers – 2 with 1.5/1.6 and 3 with 2.1/Éclair – and Eldar pretty much nails it. (Well, there’s no original Droid and Nexus S mentioned, but there’s only so much you can learn 9 months out in the tech industry).

Google never really cared much about promoting any of it’s Android 1.x devices. The prize and main effort was always Android 2.

Google started with the unfinished Android 2.0 Éclair version on the original Verizon Droid, with a huge U.S. promotion campaign. Big G even thought that with Android Éclair on Nexus One, they can get into mobile phone business themselves, and  got slapped hard by mobile carriers. But the real worldwide Android explosion happened in Q2/Q3 2010, when second generation Android devices like HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S started shipping en masse.

And what do we have today with Android tablets? The action is unfolding pretty much the same as it did in 2008/2009 for smartphones.

With iPad launch in early 2010, Apple invented/created and now owns the new, rapidly growing portable post PC computing market . After seeing iPad, Google dropped whatever plans they had for the next generation of Android OS in early 2010, and refocused it’s efforts on creating a tablet OS of their own. The time was short and they had to “take a few shortcuts”, like dropping any smartphone support from Honeycomb, thus radically forking Android for at least a year. Then Google rushed to market with half baked Android 3.0/Honeycomb on Motorola Xoom, and are now doing small tweaks/incremental patches with Android 3.1 and 3.2.

And, just as it happened in 2009 with Android 1.x smartphones, nobody except tech press seems to care about Android tablets. It’s all iPad all the time for average Joe. According to some estimates, almost 6 months after launch – there are only 1.21 million of Android tablets in customer hands. Android developers are not too impressed either, with very few of them bothering to rewrite apps to run on Honeycomb, while iPad apps are growing like crazy… But that’s ok.

Consumers and developers do not care much about Android Honeycomb, and  neither does Google. In 2011 Google is just staking it’s claim, warming up for a real fight over the tablet market. The real fight that will start late this year or early in 2012, when the fourth generation of Android, called Ice Cream Sandwich, is released.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will again unify two separate forks of Android, by enabling Honeycomb based UI/OS to run on smartphones. Next year all Android flagship handsets will be launching with Ice Cream Sandwich, and the number of Android 4.0 devices will skyrocket. So all Android app developers will have to rewrite their apps for Ice Cream Sandwich phones. For many of them, only small additional effort will be required to make those same apps run natively on Android 4 tablets. Thus quickly solving the App draught problem current Honeycomb tablets face.

And then it will be up to Google and it’s manufacturer partners to create Android tablets that can finally pose a real challenge to iPad dominance. Will Google succeed, with Android tablet sales exploding in 2012, like smartphones sales did in mid 2010? Who knows. Based on Google’s past record – I’d say they have an extremely good chance. But it’s very dangerous to project past performance into assured future success. Competitive dynamics are very different every time.

E.g., in tablet market, there is one key force missing, that played a huge role in success of Android smartphones. Mobile carriers. Tablet market is much more like a PC market, and carriers have very little influence on consumer choices there. So they won’t be able to provide any real boost to Android tablet sales. On the other hand, Google’s PC manufacturing partners are now even more desperate to create a viable iPad alternatives, then mobile vendors were to get something to to compete against iPhone back in 2009. Someone of them may succeed.

The only thing I can promise you now, is that the fight over the tablet market in 2012 should be no less interesting then what is happening with smartphones today.

• Apple Boasts 100M iPhones, 15M iPads Sold
• Android 3.0 Honeycomb gets officially unveiled, alongside Web-based Android Market
• Android Honeycomb may need at least a dual-core Cortex A9 processor to run ‘properly’
• Google Music, Android Ice Cream Sandwich and Honeycomb 3.1 officially announced
• Schmidt: More than 300K Androids Activated Each Day, 150K Apps in Market

Eventually things did get better, but sometimes we still get an interesting data breach or two. And today we got a major one.

Somehow, Russian mobile operator Megafon managed to get at least some of it’s customer SMS – complete message texts, tied to the actual phone numbers – in to the index of Russian search engine Yandex.ru. If you type a certain query “url:www.sendsms.megafon.ru* | url:sendsms.megafon.ru*” into a search box there private customer SMS start popping up.

The amount of the messages made public does not seem to be very big. Yandex search returns 8765 results for the query, and, given the total amount of SMS going out on your average mobile network, that’s probably a fractions of a percent of the total.

But the nature of the breach – full text of the SMS and the mobile number from which it was sent – makes this one really bad. A quick skim of the results shows tons of “I love you” notes, break-up messages, gossip about others and what not, which could cause a lot of grief to the sender if seen by someone else.

The messages that made it into Yandex, were sent via Megafon’s SMS Web Interface sendsms.megafon.ru

Update: Megafon admitted to SMS leak, confirming that no phone-to-phone messages were leaked. Which means that SMSs sent only via Megafon Web interface were affected. According to Megafon, the “situation is now under control”  and leaked information has now been removed fro Yandex. However there are reports that users are still finding public SMS messages in regional Yandex caches in some parts of Russia.

Hat tip to @eldarmurtazin

• Yandex Russia launches modded version of Opera Mini 5
• Google Mobile Now Available on S60
• Russian operators unable to sell iPhone. May be liable for $1 billion in fines to Apple
• Google on iPhone now available in 33 new markets, 16 new languages
• Google explains Search on Android

Now HTC states that the upgrade is scheduled to be rolled-out starting the next few weeks. The announcement was made on various HTC Facebook accounts (including HTC UK’s and HTC Romania’s accounts), and warns that “it may take a little time to reach all of you across every network.”

Anyway, the upgrade “should have reached everyone by the end of the month (July).”

Launched back in November 2010, the Desire Z is HTC’s latest QWERTY slider made for the global market (we don’t count the Evo Shift 4G and the Merge here, since they’re available only in North America).

The original HTC Desire is another Froyo handset that should get 2.3 Gingerbread before the end of the month.

• HTC Desire, Desire HD and Desire Z will get Android Gingerbread after the Desire S hits the shelves
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade for HTC Desire Z coming “before the end of June”
• Sprint Samsung Epic 4G Android 2.3 Gingerbread update may be out this month
• HTC Desire, Desire HD, Desire Z, and Incredible S will get Android Gingerbread in Q2
• HTC Desire may get Android 2.2 Froyo update on June 23d

Sony Ericsson has reportedly confirmed to SoMobile that the Xperia Pro will not hit the market until the fourth quarter of the year.

Furthermore, The Carphone Warehouse says the handset will be shipped in October.

However, Sony Ericsson UK’s official online shop still lists the Xperia Pro as being available starting this month. But they probably didn’t get the chance to update the website.

I’ve checked out the Xperia Pro back in February at MWC 2011 – when it was officially announced – and I can tell you that it’s definitely a smartphone to consider if you’re looking for a new QWERTY device (of course, no one will blame you if you can’t wait ‘till October). Keyboards aside, the features of the Xperia Pro are similar to the ones of the Xperia Neo: Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 3.7 inchFWVGA display, 8MP autofocus camera, and so on.

In other Sony Ericsson news, the recently announced TXT Pro (which isn’t a smartphone) will cost about €120 in Europe. At least that’s what Amazon Germany suggests, as it has priced the phone at €117 (with no mention on when it will launch it).

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro now finally available in the UK, SIM-free for £306
• #MWC10: Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro, Xperia X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro (video)
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, Xperia Active and TXT announced (video)
• Sony Ericsson SK19i leaks, may be a QWERTY version of the Xperia Ray
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo to be released by Telstra in Australia

Of course, the most popular iOS Twitter app is the app made by Twitter itself, but the truth is, it is far from the best. Another popular Twitter app is Tweetdeck, which was recently acquired by Twitter, and despite its dominance on the desktop, does not have as big of a user base.

There are many Twitter apps that stand out from the crowd because they offer a different user interface, a better user experience, or just a unique feature not supported by other apps.

The following are six iOS Twitter apps, some of which you may not have heard of, that have managed to stand out and create a loyal audience that keeps coming back.

All of these apps, in addition to their unique characteristics,  offer a full fledged Twitter experience that allow you to perform any and all operations that you are able to perform on the desktop or using a Web client such as Twimbow or Hootsuite:

Maha – $1.99

Out of all the apps on this list, the chances that you have heard of this app are lowest. The UI however is one of the best out there. It can only be compared to the UI of Windows Phone 7, which is metro, intuitive, and smooth. Maha is a feature-rich Twitter app that offers a superior user experience with clean and fun transitions.

TweetList Pro- $2.99

This app is unique in that the entire UI is built around Twitter list functionality.  Many people, myself  included, manage their Twitter networks via lists. Creating a list based on topic makes the whole Twitter experience more manageable. For such users, most Twitter apps fail to meet their needs. Tweetlist enables you to use the familiar swipe gesture to navigate between all your lists and to access lists with one click. Of course, besides the lists, the app is full of the regular functionality that will enable you to tweet on the go.

Tweetbot- $1.99

This app is unique because, simply put, it is the best designed Twitter app on the App Store and I dare you to challenge that statement with another app. Tweetbot is relatively new in the game, but it took the Twitter community by storm and everyone is raving about the Tweetbot UI. Whether it is the blue on grey contrast or the stylish icons, if you have used any Twitter app and found the UI to be lacking that extra kick, Tweetbot is a must.

HootSuite- Free

If you are not using Tweetdeck on the desktop, chances are you are using Hootsuite. It is the most powerful Twitter Web client with built in stats, scheduling capabilities and much more. The iOS app is no different. With more customization options than any other app, you can tweet from Hootsuite on iOS however you want, whenever you want, and track the results better than any other solution. The UI is a little more complicated than other apps I have tried but the possibilities are endless with Hootsuite for iOS.

Flipboard- Free

Why is Flipboard a unique Twitter app? Well, a good start is the fact that it is not a Twitter app at all, but it sure does enable you to tweet and engage with your Twitter network. Flipboard is of course first and foremost a very well designed reader app for iPad that provides a magazine-like experience on the wildly popular tablet. However, the latest releases have added full social features including sharing posts on Twitter, but also replying and engaging on the micro blogging platform. I would not say Flipboard, as a Twitter app, is as feature-rich as Echofon or some of the others, but if you are interested in content first and Twitter second, Flipboard is a great choice.

Echofon – Free

Out of the tens of Twitter apps I have tried, I always come back to Echofon. Why is it unique? Because it is not missing any feature I can think of. Echofon has the most advanced features out of any Twitter app I have tried on any platform and has a super intuitive UI that has close to no learning curve. To name one example of a feature I found in no other app, if you want to reply to multiple tweets from multiple people with one answer, Echofon allows you to do that. For example, if you are getting happy birthday wishes from a lot of people, you can either say thank you to each person individually or reply to all of them (within 140 characters of course) with one tweet.  This is not to be confused with a Reply All option to reply to everyone mentioned in one tweet.

If you have any iOS apps to add to the list, please share them in the comments below. I can be found on Twitter at @hilzfuld, please share them with me as well.

• Twitter upgrades SMS functionality: Fast Follow, alerts and more
• TwitterPeek device launched, costs as low as $99.99
• Android Market Web Store Review
• How Social Media is Evolving Before our Eyes Thanks to Mobile Technology
• 10 Features I Would Love to See in the New Facebook iPad App

The update will be made over the air, bringing Android 2.3 Gingerbread to the Tab, as well HID Bluetooth.

The same day (July 5), Sprint should also upgrade the QWERTY-equipped Samsung Transform smartphone, unfortunately not with Gingerbread, but with an error fix.

Meanwhile, I’ve noticed that the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 isn’t yet available at Sprint’s website, although the carrier said it would be starting June 24. Anyone knows anything about this?

Via Engadget, SprintFeed

• Sprint announces the Samsung Transform Ultra for Boost Mobile, available on October 7 for $229.99
• Sprint Samsung Epic 4G Android 2.3 Gingerbread update may be out this month
• Keyboardless Samsung Galaxy S II also coming to AT&T?
• New Samsung Android phone with QWERTY keyboard headed to AT&T. Is it its Galaxy S II?
• T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant Galaxy S to be launched on July 15?

Both the new Opera Mini 6.1 and Opera Mobile 11.1 now let you find what you need easier than ever, as they display suggestions in real time, as you type. The browsers also come with a new top-level domain learning feature, auto-completing domains like .uk, .ru and .id.

Opera Mini (which compresses webpages by up to 90% before delivering them on your device) is designed for low-resource phones, while Opera Mobile should be used on smartphones with fast connections. Both Opera Mini 6.1 and Opera Mobile 11.1 are available for a wide variety of handsets, and you can get them either at m.opera.com, or via Android Market.

Via Press release

• Opera intros Opera Mini 5 beta for Android
• Opera Mobile Store launched for Android, BlackBerry, and pretty much any other platform
• Native Opera Mini 5 beta for Windows Mobile launched
• Android Market welcomes Opera Mini 5.1
• Opera Announces and Shows Off New Browsers at CTIA 2011 (Video)

After spending some time on the new social platform, there are a few obvious things that stick out. For one, Google has to fix the issue that when someone comments on a post, the post moves to the top of the stream. People in my stream are commenting on Scoble’s posts three, four, and five hours after he posts them and there is no reason the post should appear on top as if it is news.

Other strange things include the bizarre invitation method, but from what I have gathered, this is a temporary solution until Google re-enables the invitation system.

Lastly, some of the settings are still very unclear, such as the ability to delete your Picasa account from Google+ once you connect the two. As far as I can tell, you need to go into each album, one by one, and change the privacy settings for that album.

The one thing that separates this launch from others in the past is the role that mobile is playing and will play in the success of Google+ as a platform.

Google+, as opposed to other social platforms, launched simultaneously on the Web and mobile. The Google+ Web app is well designed and acts as much like a native app as any Web app I have tried. However, it is missing a lot of functionality and many things you can do on the Website are not available on the Web app, such as uploading a photo to name one example. This is of course understandable, but it needs to change.

In addition, Google+ launched along with its own native Android app, which based on the video below, is both impressive and rich in features. The problem is, I don’t know about you, but based on my personal searches of the Android Market, the app is nowhere to be found (Update: I found it on a Google Search). No, it is not featured, it fact, it is not even in the top 50 list. Now, I am assuming this will change in the coming hours and days as the service becomes more widely available, but nothing will change the fact that Google+ was available to thousands of people if not more, and the accompanying app was M.I.A.

The iPhone app, despite the latest numbers proving that Android is the dominant player right now, is important for the launch and success of Google+. So where is it? In the process of being approved by Apple. Now I get that Apple and Google are competitors but something tells me Google could have spoken to Apple and expedited the approval of the Google+ app prior to the release of the platform (even of it is a limited release).

Here is the thing, Google clearly recognizes just how important mobile is, and there are various proofs of that. Last month, the company announced new features for their Web search interface, including voice search and search by image. Both features were available on mobile for months.

In addition, by the very nature of Google+, it is clear that it was built and designed with the mobile phone in mind. The notification system, which is actually pretty great, will only get better with mobile push notifications. The ability to share and view posts based on location, well that is clearly something perfect for the mobile environment. The list goes on, but the point is, this platform is good now but with the proper mobile execution, it can be great.

Does Facebook have what to worry about? Well with previous Google launches in the social sphere, I would have said point blank no, but in this case, despite my initial impressions in the first five minutes of using Google+, I truly believe that if Google gets its mobile game together, it can definitely give Facebook a run for its money.

If you are the type to think “Facebook is too big, no one can compete”, well just look at Myspace and their sell out yesterday. A company once valued at well over $580 million that sells for $35 million. How is that for proof that anything and everything is open when it comes to the Web and technology?

• Rumor: HTC’s Buffy is The Facebook Phone
• 5 Steps Google Must Take Now To Bring Google+ into the Mobile Sphere
• Google Search Options now available for mobile
• Facebook and Google sued for mobile social networking patent infringement
• Updated Google Mobile App for iPhone available now

The following are 8 upcoming trends we can expect to see in the world of mobile apps in the coming years:

Consolidation

Right now, the amount of app stores out there across all mobile platforms is borderline ridiculous.. Between each platform’s own store like the App Store, App Market, App World, Marketplace etc. and the independent app stores such as Getjar, Mobango and many others, it is getting seriously overwhelming. The CMO of GetJar predicts in this interview that the app ecosystem will undergo some sort of consolidation over the next few years and the big players such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and others, will swallow up the smaller players by way of acquisition. In five years down the line, we can expect to see one or maximum two app stores per platform.

Augmented Reality

Among the many new types of mobile technology out there, augmented reality has to be the most futuristic and coolest. Qualcomm recently introduced its platform for augmented reality development that enables a developer to create an augmented reality app in a matter of minutes. There is no doubt that augmented reality technology will become more mainstream over the next few years and apps from all categories including games, utilities, entertainment, and tools will most likely utilize this new and exciting technology.

New APIs

A trend we have seen a lot of lately is app developers creating an app that serves as a platform for other apps to connect to. Apps that stand alone and do not offer their own API are so 2009. Whether it is Instagram, Dropbox, Instapaper or many other super popular apps, this is a trend we can expect to increase over the next few years. After all, why limit your audience to just the people who actually download your app when you can offer your functionality via many other apps?

Integrated Social Features

I feel like it was just yesterday when the first “Tweet this” appeared in a mobile app and yet today, if you can’t tweet from your app, it is considered lacking a basic functionality. Whether you have a news reader, a photo sharing app, or a game, the ability to share information with your various social graphs is an absolute must. This functionality will only become more of a necessity in the coming years with social media showing no signs of slowing down and some might say even replacing traditional media in various industries.

Cross Platform

While one year ago, it was enough to have an iPhone app, in today’s app ecosystem, cross platform availability will guarantee further distribution, increased monetization, and true scalability. Of course, with the ridiculous growth Android, iPhone, and even other platforms like Windows Phone 7 are experiencing, the need to port your app onto other platforms is pretty much a given and will only increase in the coming years.

More Ads

In yesterday’s Distimo report, the company analyzed the app consumer market in Asia and to summarize the report, it is safe to say that Asia, when it comes to mobile apps, is a monster. It ranks second place after the US in terms of downloads. However, when it comes to monetizing apps in Asia, only one model seems to work and that is in-app advertising. In-app purchases are a complete failure and the ability to incorporate ads in your app and offer it for free has taken off in Asia and other places for both developers and consumers. Based on various predictions, the mobile advertising industry will surpass $50 billion by 2015. We can expect to see a whole lot more ads in apps over the next few years.

NFC

Near Field Communication is a new technology that seems to be replacing barcodes, which never really took off. Using NFC, you can interact with real life objects such as billboards with integrated NFC, or as Google is pushing hard for, pay for your groceries by placing your phone’s NFC chip close to the NFC scanner. All in all, this is a relatively brand new technology, but based on initial predictions, NFC will be reaching the mainstream in no time (it already has in many parts of Asia). Developers are sure to start developing apps to take advantage of NFC technology by the hundreds and thousands.

Voice Activation

Chances are, you have not been exposed to this trend yet, but there are already countless apps that use voice activation technology. In fact, Apple actually acquired a voice activated search company, Siri, and voice search is integrated into both Android as well as Google on the Web (as of last week). We can expect to see many games show their faces over the coming years that are controlled by your voice and other app categories are going to being adopting voice integration as well.

There are many other trends we can expect to see and of course, there are many new technologies being worked on now that we are not aware of. Whatever the case may be, mobile technology is a super exciting space to be operating in right now.

Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the comments or reach out to me on Twitter. I am @hilzfuld.

• Nokia and LG to have phones with augmented reality features
• Google Search by voice available for S60, in Chinese too
• First handsets running Symbian Foundation’s open-source OS out in 2010
• LG Opens Developer Network
• Sony Ericsson offering mobile apps through PlayNow arena

The following are 9 mobile apps that enable you to make voice and/or video calls for free or at extremely reduced rates:

1. Viber

This app is at the top of my list not only because it enables you to make calls completely free, but mainly because it is integrated with your phone book. That means you do not need to sign up for the Viber service or open an account like on Skype. In addition, the company is about to release an Android apps and in my experience with Viber, and I use it quite often, the call quality is far superior to others and often as good as a regular GSM call. The obvious down side is that both sides need to install the app in order to call.

2. NetTalk

While Viber lets you call others with the app, NetTalk lets you call all landlines in the U.S and Canada for free. The app is designed well and requires pretty much no setup on the part of the user. The call quality is excellent and just like Viber, the app is free. With NetTalk you can also record conversations and import your phone book and favorites, then call them for free over Wifi or 3G. Yep, this one is pretty much a no-brainer.

3. Fring

Fring is an old-timer in the VoIP space and works on its own network, much like Skype. The company used to allow Skype calls through the Fring app, but then one day, out of the blue, Skype shut down access. Since then, Fring has released multiple versions of its app on various platforms including iOS and Android, and the latest innovation it released is four way video chat over 3G. You can also make cheap international calls using Fring Out, similar to Skype. For me, Fring’s major down side is the fact that you cannot see your friends categorized by network so you don’t know who is on Aim, Gtalk, Facebook, etc. Other than that, Fring is a great solution.

4.Tango

As opposed to the apps mentioned above, Tango specializes in free video calling across iPhone and Android. It is the only app that allows users on both platforms to video call, but in my experience, the app is a little buggy and seems to have somewhat of a personality of its own. In Tango’s defense, its stability has improved significantly since the first version and I have used it many times between iPhone and Android successfully.

5. Nimbuzz

Nimbuzz, like Fring, used to enable its users to Skype on mobile phones, until Skype disabled that feature. Nimbuzz is one of the main players in the cross-platform IM apps and like Fring enables you to call other Nimbuzz users for free and has Nimbuzz out for cheap international calls. I have been a fan of Nimbuzz for years and its fully customizable UI is something I find convenient and lacking in some of its competitors. Nimbuzz recently announced that it has hit the milestone of 50 million users. Another significant advantage that Nimbuzz has is that it is truly cross platform, available on every smartphone platform worldwide.

6. Vonage for Facebook

Vonage is a leading name in the VoIP space and even has an iPhone app for its customers. However, this app is different. It is free and allows you to call your Facebook friends for free. Your friend needs to have the app installed but once it is, you can call them free of charge and in my experience, the call quality is superb. The app is super simplistic in its design, which in the case of many mobile apps enables an intuitive and seamless experience for the user.

7. TalkBox

This one is a little different. TalkBox has taken off in popularity lately, and more and more friends join the service every day. With TalkBox, you can essentially push a button to talk to your friend in real time, sort of like voice SMS. The app works flawlessly and in the months that I have used TalkBox, I have never once encountered an issue of any kind. Other TalkBox features include group chat, one click photo transfer, sharing audio on Facebook, and conversation history. All in all, this app gets a “Highly recommended”.

8. Vtok

I stumbled on this app accidentally, and I am very happy I did. Vtok enables you to make video calls to your Gtalk friends. The new Android 2.3 also supports this so using Vtok, you can call your contacts in Gmail whether they are on a PC or a mobile phone. The app is well designed and works perfectly. You can also chat with Vtok then switch on the camera, both front and back. This is a gem of an app for Gmail users.

9. Skype

Of course, last but not least, with over 600 million active users and a recent Microsoft acquisition of $8 bilion, Skype is the king of VoIP, both mobile and desktop. The iPhone app also supports video, but the Android version does not. Yet. All in all, both the sound and video quality is superior, but there is one UI issue that drives me nuts. There is no way to chat with a person using the iPhone app when your camera is activated, so you cannot chat and video chat in the same call. Maybe it’s just me, but that is a definite down side when it comes to user experience. Other than that, the app is great.

Of course, a simple search of the words “free calls” in the App Store will produce dozens of results, but these are the cream of the crop when it comes to VoIP apps on iPhone… If you have any others that you recommend, please let us know in the comments or on Twitter, I am @Hilzfuld.

• Fring finally comes to Android, available for download now
• iOS and Android Video Calling: Which App to Use and When?
• fring VoIP app for iPhone
• How Fring is Schooling Skype on Every Single Front
• Did Skype block fring, or fring ditched Skype?

The latest device – Nokia N95 – was a masterpiece of technology. It took more then a year for Nokia’s biggest competitor – Samsung – to launch anything remotely competitive. Most of the hardware feature set that Nokia introduced with N95 way back in September 2006, is still more or less the same standard feature set even for the top smartphones today. 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS navigation, accelerometer, hardware graphics acceleration your shiny new iPhone 4 sports today? Nokia N95 had them back then.

Fast forward 4 years. Nokia has been out of trend setting business since 2007. Their overall sales are starting to decline, Nokia’s smartphone sales and market share is in a free fall and has been for almost nine months now. The margins have thinned, profits evaporated, and we are now seriously discussing the possibility that Nokia may not survive 2011 as an independent company.

What happened?

To those familiar with Clayton Christensen’s disruptive innovation theory, the answer should be pretty obvious. Nokia was disrupted

How great companies get disrupted

Every industry goes through 2 different development/change cycles. The period of sustaining innovation/growth and a period of disruptive innovation/change.

During the period of sustaining innovation, players in existing markets innovate by adding features to the products that makes them better and more attractive to the ever growing number of users. Eventually those products reach the level where they are already good enough for most users and use cases. Incremental improvement of existing features only gives diminishing returns. 8 megapixel camera vs 5 megapixels in my current phone? Ok. But what’s the point? Wi-Fi N connectivity vs B/G I already have? 2.8” display instead of 2.6” on the next T9 candybar? 64GB of storage vs 32GB, most of it unfilled, on my current phone?

But that’s not what incumbent will hear from it’s best customers, or their traditional market research efforts. Fans and early adopters, buying the newest, most expensive, high margin devices will always look at that 3 megapixel camera sensor bump as a good reason to get one. Ask any focus group whether they prefer 5 or 8 megapixel camera, I’ll bet most will say 8. And hardcore fans will happily replace their Nokia N95 8GB with Nokia N86, just as they happily traded N95-1 for the same phone with a bit of a memory bump. So the incumbent players listen to their best customers, and do “the right thing” – focus on improving the stuff they know works and their customers ask them to.

Meanwhile, some new player, a market outsider, comes along, takes a hard look at how the products with current technology work, what they are used for and sees a lot of redundancy and waste. He also has the idea how by trimming this waste, and focusing on some unappreciated before set of features, he can create a product with a new, entirely different value proposition. The new entrant effectively creates a new product category, which may look pretty similar to the old one, but has some key differences in how the new product is used and bought. It starts as a small niche, with limited customer appeal and sales potential.

Incumbents dismiss the new development as a fad, too insignificant, or not profitable enough. They compare the features of their own offerings and see that the new entrant product is inferior in almost every way. And incumbents think that if they ever want or need to, they can crush the new competitor/product in a heart beat, with their own tweaked offering. But other industry outsiders now see the new value proposition, recognize the emerging new category and jump in with their own products, focused around the newly important feature set. A cycle of disruptive innovation starts, with new entrants rapidly improving their own products around the new value proposition, and slowly adding the missing bits and pieces from the incumbent’s product feature list. With each new iteration, the products in the new category become good enough and accessible to a wider and wider market, taking over the ever increasing share of the market previously owned by incumbent. Eventually, the products in the new category reach effective feature parity with incumbent offerings in every way that is important to most customers. At the same time, the new entrant products are much better at their own core feature set/focus then anything the incumbent can offer. And the incumbent, after ignoring, neglecting or simply being unable to compete in the new category all this time, is now generations behind in what today’s customers begin to consider to be the key features of the product. The new category explodes and becomes mainstream, displacing former incumbent product to an irrelevant niche. For the old incumbent, it’s game over. The new entrants become incumbents and start the new cycle of sustaining innovation and growth. Until the next disruption comes along.

And that’s exactly what happened in a smartphone industry over the last 4 years.

Nokia disruption starts

Before 2007, Nokia, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and even RIM were focused on perfecting mobile phone. The pace of innovation and growth in the mobile phone industry was already staggering. Mobile phones were rapidly consuming everything around that could fit into them – digital cameras and camcorders, stand alone navigation devices , PDA’s, etc;. Each added feature improved the attractiveness of the mobile phone itself. At the same time, Moore’s law allowed to keep the prices of the most feature rich devices steady, while pushing the simpler device prices down, making the phones accessible to virtually anyone.

During the last decade, a clear leader in mobile device technology emerged – Nokia. It was at the forefront of introduction and popularization of almost every new major feature mobile phone acquired since the nineties. Music player, ringtones, internet connectivity, camera, big storage, GPS, Wi-Fi – you name it, Nokia was either the first to launch a phone with that feature or was a very fast follower, quickly becoming #1 in unit volumes for a phone with that particular capability. And one of the ways to make the phone better, was to make it smarter. So Nokia created the smart phone category, where third party developers could write software applications to extend the capabilities of the phone. The problem is – all these innovations, however radical they have been, were sustaining innovations for a mobile phone. The pinnacle of this mobile mobile phone innovation was Nokia N95 – finally putting all the pieces that define today’s smart devices together.

Unfortunately, when viewed primarily as a phone, Nokia N95 was an overkill for average user. Yes, millions of them bought Nokia N95 and were extremely happy with it. Some of them liked the camera, some of them liked the music player, others enjoyed the cheap Wi-Fi connectivity to browse the net, some may have even installed few apps. Most of them also enjoyed it as a status/fashion statement – everywhere except U.S., Nokia N95 was THE coolest most advanced device you can get for most of 2007. Even if you only used it to call and text your friends – you still were a proud owner of the coolest gadget of the year. Very few were able to use N95 for what it  actually was – a small, always connected computer in your pocket. The phone centric design hid those potentially useful features from the average user very well.

Then, worried about the threat to it’s iPod media player empire, Apple took a hard look at the latest mobile phones. And, with their deep user centric PC industry roots, figured out what all the incumbents with their phone blinders were unable to see. The computing and communication hardware in those phones has advanced so far, as to make a general purpose true mobile computing device possible. And the key to competing in a computer world is a great and user friendly platform software, enabled by powerful computing hardware. So Apple went out and built an always-on computer for your pocket. Focusing on the things that matter for a computer: CPU, RAM, display and software.

The only specs where original iPhone beat Nokia N95 are telling – faster CPU (620 MHz vs 332 MHz), more RAM (128MB vs 60MB) and display. And, of course, software user friendliness/usability. Which was the only thing to give Nokia and other incumbents a pause. But it too was dismissed as a “gimmick”. With “we can easily do that better when we want to” cavalier attitude.

After seeing the iPhone, another outsider with mobile ambitions – Google – quickly pivoted their own mobile efforts and now started working on a real computer instead of a smart phone for your pocket. The disruptive innovation cycle has started.

Both companies started pushing for/adding the latest available mobile CPUs, GPUs, copious amounts of RAM, bigger/better displays, and were rapidly innovating on the software side. They were also enabling a vast ecosystem of 3d party developers with easy to learn development tools, while making mobile development economically attractive with streamlined app store distribution channels. Apple and Google (via their partners) were also improving/adding traditional smartphone features along the way, and achieved effective feature parity with Nokia devices by the summer of 2010.

Continue to part 2 of Nokia disruption story, to see how Nokia tried to fight back, lost and surrendered. And what the future may hold for the Finnish cellphone giant.

• How Nokia was disrupted. Part 2
• Samsung sells 50 millionth touchscreen phone. 40 million of them this year!
• On the way to irrelevance, N9 shows what Nokia could have been
• Nokia Mobile Games Innovation Challenge inspires the Future
• Nokia patents a dedicated gaming console/phone idea

We already addressed the first two, but the iPad app has been making headlines for days and no one really knows when it will show its face. Supposedly, the Facebook iPad app will have extra features not found in the iPad-optimized Facebook site and will have a completely revamped full screen UI, which is sure to make iPad users smile.

If I may, I would like to name some features that would be incorporated in my ideal Facebook iPad app. Some of the features I will mention will surely make an appearance in the Facebook app, and some will remain a fantasy, but a man can dream, right?

The following are 10 features I would love to see in the up and coming Facebook iPad app:

1. Full Screen Photos and Videos: The most important and impressive characteristic of a tablet device and the iPad specifically is the large screen. The display is what differentiates tablets from smartphones and enhances the overall experience. There has been much said about the new photo UI on Facebook.com and suffice to say, most people are not fans and find the new UI to be buggy and confusing. A solid photo and video UI on the Facebook app is a must-have.
2. Dropbox Integration:  This feature will most likely remain a fantasy, but the thought of full Dropbox integration in an iPad Facebook app raises all kinds of possibilities. Easily backing up your Facebook data to Dropbox, easily adding notes or files to Facebook from Dropbox, and many more scenarios. This might be a far fetched feature, but it sure would be an awesome one.
3. Photo Slideshow: If you have used the Facebook iPhone app, you surely found that the photos often load way too slowly. How cool would it be if the new Facebook iPad app somehow pre fetched your photos and loaded them automatically as a slideshow? This is a feature that can’t be too hard to implement and would have me opening my Facebook app before I look to my iPad Photo app to show my photos off to my friends.
4. Simple Privacy Options: The privacy settings on Facebook.com are so annoyingly complicated, despite their importance; I almost never go there to adjust them. If the iPad app is to replace the site, Facebook should provide a well designed Privacy screen in which I can configure my privacy settings without getting a headache. Wouldn’t that be nice?
5. Multiple Account Support: Everyone is on Facebook nowadays. The other day someone tweeted that “I am not on Facebook” is the new “I don’t own a TV”. It would be great for users to access their Facebook in the new iPad app, then be able to hand the iPad over to their wife/husband and have them use the same app to access their Facebook, without the need to log out and log in again. The Facebook iPhone app does not support this but almost all Twitter apps do, no reason the iPad Facebook app should not support multiple accounts.
6. Instapaper Support: This, just like the Dropbox feature will most likely never come to fruition, but the ability to save Facebook posts to Instapaper and read them later, would definitely make the iPad Facebook app more usable and efficient. Again, this is a feature found in most social apps on iPhone and iPad including Flipboard, which only recently added it, I would love to see it in the Facebook iPad app as well.
7. Social Sharing Options: Think Tweetdeck meets iPad meets Facebook. I am fairly certain this will never happen, but the ability to tweet a Facebook post or add it to LinkedIn would make this iPad Facebook app an absolute killer. Unfortunately, something tells me Facebook’s ego (read Zuckerberg’s ego) is too big to include Twitter functionality in any Facebook app, and the iPad app is no different.
8. Facebook Apps/Games Support: Many people use Facebook to play games and access apps. Unfortunately, most of these Facebook apps are Flash-based and we already know how much Steve Jobs loves Adobe. I am no developer and am not sure how or if this is possible or if it would require the developers to rewrite their entire app, but if somehow the iPad app was released with supported Facebook apps, that would make a lot of people very happy.
9. Photo and Video Upload: The Facebook iPhone app allows users to upload photos but as far as I know, videos are a no go. The iPad Facebook site does not support either one. With cameras now built into the iPad, it is kind of a no brainer for the iPad Facebook app to enable photo and video uploads. I am pretty sure this is a feature we will see in the new iPad Facebook app.
10. A non-annoying Group Implementation: Here is the thing with Facebook, the company; they have done a lot of things right, but along the way, they have made many mistakes. The way groups are implemented on the site is one of their worst mistakes in my opinion. Notifications for groups you did not even ask to join, as well as posts you did not subscribe to are just two examples of how bad and annoying Facebook groups are. The iPad app is Facebook’s opportunity to fix this error and make it right. Let’s just hope they seize the opportunity.

The question is not whether there will be a Facebook iPad app, the question is when it will be released. Supposedly, the company has been working on it for over a year, which leads me to want to believe that when it is eventually released, we will see a superior product like the Facebook iPhone app when it was released. Then I remember, we are talking about Facebook here, so I might want to lower my expectations.

This post has been written by Hillel Fuld. Hillel  is a tech blogger who manages multiple sites such as Technmarketing, Appboy, and inneractive. In addition, Hillel has written on many leading online publications such as Mashable, Gigaom, and others. In addition to his blogger hat, Hillel is an active Twitter personality who defines himself as a “Social media addict”. When Hillel is not blogging or tweeting, he is the Head of Marketing for inneractive, a mobile startup that deals with app monetization across all mobile platforms.

• Facebook To Create Photo-Sharing App For iPhone
• Facebook for iPhone 3.0 is almost completed
• How Facebook Plans to Take over the Mobile World
• Facebook App For iPad in The Works
• Skype for iPad promo videos leaked on Youtube, confirmed by Skype Exec.

According to Android and Me and a Verizon insider, there’s a software update scheduled for June 30, which will bring not only Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, but also Sense UI 2.1, Skype and gTalk video functionality, pre-installed Amazon Appstore, enhanced aGPS functionality, and enhanced Microsoft Exchange extensions.

The update should also fix the issues appeared after the previous software update was rolled-out.

The HTC Thunderbolt currently costs $249.99 at Verizon (new 2-yr contract required) and, alongside the Samsung Droid Charge and the LG Revolution, is presented as being “twice as fast as any AT&T smartphone.” Well, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Verizon will market its 4G handsets after AT&T launches its own LTE network (which should happen sometime later this year).

• Samsung Droid Charge Android Gingerbread update arriving on November 29
• Verizon’s LG Revolution officially launching tomorrow, $250 on contract
• Samsung Droid Charge launch date and price announced by Verizon
• Verizon LG Revolution 4G LTE Android smartphone now only $99.99 at Wirefly
• Verizon’s Samsung Droid Charge can be pre-ordered for $249 at Let’s Talk

Of course, this is not confirmed by anyone, but maybe the reason Zuckerberg has not released an iPad app on the App Store is because he wants to release one on his own app store, a Facebook branded app distribution channel. Sound unrealistic? Keep reading.

Based on various TechCrunch reports in the last few days, Facebook knows all too well just how big the mobile space is and how crucial it is for the company’s future to bring its Web dominance to the mobile phone.

Facebook’s shift of strategy from a Web company to a mobile entity is starting to show its face. Of course, Facebook is not alone and just this week we witnessed how Google now launches new features on mobile phones, and only then pushes it to the desktop.

Facebook’s jump into the mobile ring is composed of several steps, two of which became apparent to us this week.

Facebook Photo Sharing Platform

By now, we are all very familiar with the booming trend of mobile apps that enable photo editing and sharing. Instagram leads the way with over 5 million users, 100 million photos, and a 100,000 new users who joined the service last weekend alone.

The newest development is that Facebook itself, with its 100 billion hosted photos, 6 billion photos uploaded monthly, and 700 million active users will be launching its own app for photo sharing.

Here is the thing with Facebook’s mobile development skills. Historically speaking, they rock, and based on initial photos of the app, this app is no different. The Facebook native app is the most downloaded iPhone app ever and this new photo app, whether integrated into the Facebook app or as a standalone, will really give other photo sharing apps a run for their money.

The secret to the success of a Facebook photo app is in its numbers. In fact, whether Facebook launches a photo app, a video sharing app, or any other app that involves sharing with your friends and contacts, the fact that the company brings 700 million users means the app will almost automatically become an overnight success.

Facebook App Distribution Channel

OK, as big as the photo sharing trend might be, that is not how the company intends to leave its mark on the mobile space. The next piece of news, also coming from TechCrunch implies that Facebook is entering the mobile game on the distribution front, which as far as apps are concerned, is the most crucial component of the development process.

According to TechCrunch, Facebook has elaborate plans to create its own app store, which will be HTML5-based and will run on top of the popular iOS browser, Safari.

That’s right. Facebook knows it cannot compete with Apple from within the App Store given Apple’s tight grip on the whole iOS ecosystem, but the Web is an open space and Safari is the vessel Facebook is going to use to its advantage.

This new Web-based app store is part of a new mobile platform code-named Project Spartan and its initial goal is to reach 100 million mobile users via Safari.

Supposedly, there are already more than 80 developers working with Facebook on Project Spartan, including big names like Zynga and Huffington Post, which will surely help the new app store take off upon launch.

The basic concept of how this new app distribution channel will work is as follows. A user opens Safari, accesses Facebook, and is presented with a dropdown displaying apps to download. Once downloaded, the app will appear within a Facebook wrapper that will have some basic Facebook functionality, including payments and most likely social sharing.

Of course, all this is hot off the press so many questions remain unanswered, but one thing is for sure, if this is even partly accurate, and TechCrunch has apparently seen the new project first hand, then this may symbolize a true reversal in app distribution and monetization, as far as the industry is concerned.

Many experts claim they do not see this Facebook HTML5 app store taking off and users will always prefer the native app experience with Apple’s tight integration over a Web app experience, even if it is Facebook-branded.

Of course the other side to that coin is that an HTML5 Web based app environment will offer true cross-platform distribution, as well as a significant decrease in app development time and resources. Develop once, deploy for all platforms. This can mean a heck of a lot more revenue for developers, whether they charge per download or use other models of app monetization, such as in-app advertising. Of course, that would require Project Spartan to be available on other mobile browsers, but that is the next logical step with Android numbers continuing to explode.

The one point that is undisputable here is that Facebook, like others before it, now clearly recognizes the explosive potential of the mobile phone and its surrounding ecosystem. Why is there no Facebook iPad app? You can be sure it is not because Facebook does not intend on entering the space, it might be because it wants to make a grand entrance on its own terms.

This post has been written by Hillel Fuld. Hillel  is a tech blogger who manages multiple sites such as Technmarketing, Appboy, and inneractive. In addition, Hillel has written on many leading online publications such as Mashable, Gigaom, and others. In addition to his blogger hat, Hillel is an active Twitter personality who defines himself as a “Social media addict”. When Hillel is not blogging or tweeting, he is the Head of Marketing for inneractive, a mobile startup that deals with app monetization across all mobile platforms.

• Facebook App For iPad in The Works
• Facebook To Create Photo-Sharing App For iPhone
• 10 Features I Would Love to See in the New Facebook iPad App
• Nokia Image Space app provides a new way of viewing photos
• FCam for the Nokia N900 is an open-source digital photography platform

First of all, the mobile homepage now includes shortcut icons for commonly searched local categories, including restaurants, bars, coffee hops, gas stations and ATMs. These will provide quick access to more detailed results, as well as a map that “remains at the top of the page and adjusts automatically to the listing you are looking at.”

Another new enhancement is related to typing searches. Just like in the Google Search app, now you can add suggested phrases to the search box (in order to build more complicated searches) directly from Google.com.

Both new features are details in the videos embedded below:

The new Google search features only work on Android 2.2+ and iOS 4+ devices, and are available in 40 languages.

Via Google Mobile Blog

• Google Mobile Search with My Location now available on Windows Mobile
• Google explains Search on Android
• Google Maps 4.6 for Android available now
• Voice-enabled Google Mobile app for iPhone now available
• Google Search Options now available for mobile

The service (accessed via a free Android application) “stores virtual versions of your existing plastic cards on your phone”, thus allowing you to tap your phone to pay for goods “wherever MasterCard PayPass is accepted.”

Google Wallet is currently in testing and it should be released “soon” – Google hasn’t mentioned just how soon. It did indicate that the service will be out in the US, with potential expansion in other countries.

At launch, customers will only be able to use Citi MasterCard cards and the Google Prepaid Card. Sprint’s Nexus S 4G will be the only supported handset for the beginning, but more devices will be added later on. Apparently, Google Wallet will work on any phone as long as it has an NFC chip – not just on Android phones.

Google is really excited about the new service, implying it’s “the next big shift” in the way people pay. Of course, time will be the judge of that. Let’s wait to see this launched, used and liked by people, and then we’ll talk. Much more info on Google Wallet can be found here at Google.

Via Google Mobile Blog

• Wireless carriers abandon dreams of replacing VISA with NFC-enabled devices
• Google Wallet update adds coupons, rewards, and more retail partners
• Google now lets you register for Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus
• Google Nexus One available with AT&T and Rogers 3G, shipping to Canada
• Verizon Galaxy Nexus will not have Google Wallet

According to Recombu, Sony Ericsson UK confirmed that the upgrade will bring Android 2.3.3 on the two smartphones, fixing some security issues.

The upgrade will also bring “Facebook inside Xperia”, the new feature announced at the same time with the Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro, which provides a deeper Facebook integration on your handset.

For the moment, it’s not clear if Android 2.3.3 will hit the Xperia Play and Arc next week only in the UK, or in other countries, too. Anyway, the upgrade should be available everywhere eventually.

Speaking of which, if you’re interested in the Play on Verizon Wireless, you can check it out here on Amazon.

• Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade for Sony Ericsson Xperia 10 coming this summer
• PlayStation certified Sony Ericsson Xperia Play gets official on Facebook
• SE plans to bring Android Ice Cream Sandwich to its 2011 Xperia lineup
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc may be released in the US this summer
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play headed to Rogers in Canada?

The Cupertino-based company already has such a deal in place with Warner Music, and CNET reports they are nearing the end of negotiations with Sony and Universal.

Were they able to complete deals with all four major US labels by June 6, Apple could announce their long-rumored cloud music service at next month’s WWDC.

Spotify, the European streaming service that hasn’t yet found a way to negotiate U.S. licenses, could be rendered irrelevant stateside if Apple’s service proves to be popular. If the business model is successful, it could also lead to Google and Amazon giving in and accepting the labels’ terms.

It remains to be seen which model provides what consumers want; Amazon is limited by meek storage size options, Google’s service isn’t even technically out yet, and the terms of Apple’s rumored service have not yet been revealed.

via CNET

Photo: RouteNote

• HP in talks with labels about cloud music service
• Apple’s iCloud agreement with major US labels worth $100M+ in upfront cash payments
• Who needs iTunes Match? Apple’s new cloud music service is for the nerds
• Google leaves major labels at negotiating table with Music beta launch
• Apple finally offers DRM-free song downloads for iPhone 3G over 3G

The patent calls for a wireless media syncing service between a “Host Device” (ie. home computer), Electronic Device (iPhone/iPad/iPod) and a content source (iTunes).

In the patented (and currently theoretical) system, portions of cloud-stored files are stored in a local cache, creating a buffer that enables a seamless streaming experience. When a user clicks on a song, the first few seconds begin playing immediately from a local cache, then switch to the cloud stream once the connection to the file is acquired.

Some argue that this isn’t a “true” cloud experience, though the feature is simply an option (“Sync partial music”) that can be unchecked.

Evolver.fm makes the (valid) point that Pandora and Spotify have already been using similar strategies to make their streaming services as seamless as possible. It’s not perfect, but with the current state of bandwidth (and the wireless carriers’ draconian methods of punishing heavy data users), it definitely seems like the most efficient way to stream an entire library. Millions of Pandora and Spotify users most likely agree.

Unusually large music libraries could possibly be limited by local device storage. Not only can portions of data from the beginning of each track be stored, but even randomly selected or even “important” portions (ie. authentication tokens). Just like they limit the number of users you can connect to your Home Share on iTunes, Apple also has plans in place to prevent you from having your whole block streaming your music collection.

One thing that isn’t mentioned in the patent is remote Web access. If the files are stored on the cloud, users should theoretically be able to access them from any device or computer, regardless of whether or not iTunes is installed. It’s a feature of both the Amazon player and Google Music beta. It’s doubtful Apple would include this feature, which would require the development of a brand new Web interface to access and play music files independent of iTunes. Apple would much rather just sell you an iPhone and have you play your music from there.

Patently Apple via TechMeme

• Apple iPod/iPhone as a remote control for Apple Media Centre
• Who needs iTunes Match? Apple’s new cloud music service is for the nerds
• Apple announces iCloud, iTunes Match at WWDC 2011
• Mobile Cloud Music Showdown: Unwired View Reviews the U.S. Subscription and Locker Services
• Localized iTunes stores at Starbucks for iPhone needs patent?

Now the experience finally comes to the iPhone. The most recent (v 1.5) update of their Xfinity app now allows iPhone and iPod touch users to join the iPad in streaming onDemand content from Comcast’s servers.

Comcast may be under fire for their massive merger with NBC Universal, but one thing that hasn’t yet drawn much negative attention is their Xfinity TV service. Cable companies are racing with each other to get their content out of the living room and into our pockets (as well as stave of Verizon’s FIOS).

Now that the cable giants have finally realized that their customers don’t just want to watch their content in their homes in front of their TVs, Comcast, Cablevision and Time Warner Cable has found ways to pump their Xfinity TV content into devices that users can take anywhere (with a Wi-Fi connection, that is).

The importance of this particular migration to the iPhone is clear: while Apple has done brisk sales of the iPad and iPad 2, the numbers pale in comparison to the number of iPhones in circulation.

The main advantage Comcast’s app enjoys over those of their clueless brethren at Cabelvision and Time Warner is that despite the functionality’s Wi-Fi limitations, users of the Xfinity app can use the service over ANY Wi-Fi connection, not just their home network. The number of people who would want or need to watch TV on an iPhone in a home that already has cable service is undoubtedly miniscule, but for those who do, TWC and Cablevision have you covered.

No word on where Comcast customers who have 4G service with a mobile hotspot fit in regards to the “Wi-Fi-only” restrictions.

iTunes via Engadget

• Comcast announces $25 Novatel MiFi 4082
• WatchESPN app now available for Android
• Sources: Sprint forms cabal with cable companies to buyout Clearwire
• fring VoIP app for iPhone
• FaceTime is coming to the iPad and iPod Touch

While an important part of the upcoming features will be unveiled “in the coming weeks and months,” Microsoft presented some of Windows Phone Mango’s capabilities during its annual TechEd conference, which debuted today in Atlanta.

So, here’s what we should expect from Mango (apart from Internet Explorer 9, HTML5 support, and all the other things we’ve already heard about):

• “the ability to save and share Office documents through Office 365 and Windows Live SkyDrive”
• Threaded email
• Conversation view in email – “emails in your inbox are organized by conversation, bringing replies to a thread into a consolidated view so it’s faster and easier to stay on top of the conversation”
• Pinnable email and RSS folders – letting you pin folders to the start screen for easy access
• Lync Mobile – which will be a free app providing “Unified Communications capabilities, including instant messaging and the ability to see the presence of your co-workers”

Microsoft has yet to announce the official launch date of Windows Phone Mango. Anyway, the new version of the OS should be out sometime in the second half of the year – when Nokia will be ready to introduce its first Windows Phone handsets.

• Microsoft Windows Phone Mango officially announced, brings IE 9, Groups, Threads and more
• You can now try out Windows Phone on your Android or iOS device
• Microsoft: Windows Phone Mango will support custom ringtones
• AT&T HTC HD7S now receiving Mango Update
• iPhone App Review: Box.net

The upgrades are made via the Kies software, and will be rolled-out starting mid-May (meaning right now) in “the UK and Nordic countries.” Not long after that, Samsung will bring Gingerbread to other European markets, plus North America, Asia, Africa, and the rest of the world.

We already knew that the Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S would get Gingerbread, but I’m quite surprised that Samsung is also upgrading the Galaxy Ace, Gio, Fit and Mini smartphones (since they’re all mid to low-end devices). Anyway, that’s quite a nice surprise, isn’t it?

Via Press release

• Android Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note coming in Q1 2012
• Official Android 2.2 Froyo update for Samsung Galaxy S finally available
• Dual SIM Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos officially announced
• Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus with Android Gingerbread announced
• Samsung Corby II S3850 officially announced, it’s like an Android-less Galaxy Mini

According to this thread over at the Androidiani Forum (the largest Android community in Italy), Samsung has started rolling-out an update to Androdi 2.3.3 Gingerbread for its 7-inch tablet.

The update is made via KIES, and seems to be out only in Italy for the moment. Anyway, users in other countries should expect to get Gingerbread soon, too.

As reported not long ago, the Galaxy Tab P1000 will likely not be upgraded to Android Honeycomb, and probably neither to Android Ice Cream Sandwich. But at least it’s getting Gingerbread.

Via SamFirmware

• Samsung Galaxy Tab Android 2.3 Gingerbread update out “within the next couple of weeks” in the UK
• Samsung Galaxy S GT-i9000 Android 2.2.1 update now rolling out
• AT&T Samsung Captivate Android 2.2 Froyo update now available for download
• Android Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note coming in Q1 2012
• Samsung confirms Android ICS updates for the Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note, and recent tablets

Microsoft will obviously bring Skype to its devices, including Xbox, Kinect, and Windows Phone – that’s kinda funny, since a year ago Skype said there were no plans to bring Skype mobile to Windows Phone. But, well, you never know what the future holds, right?

Microsoft also said that it will continue to support Skype applications on non-Microsoft platforms, including Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. So if you have an iPhone or an Android smartphone and love Skype – fret not, Microsoft’s acquisition won’t take the service away from you.

“Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world. Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world,” declared Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Microsoft and Skype expect the acquisition to be completed before the end of 2011. To find out more about the deal, you can check out this press release.

• No Skype for Windows Phone 7, says Skype Vice President
• #MWC10: Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series is official; first phones coming in late 2010
• Did Microsoft offer Nokia $1 billion to choose Windows Phone over Android?
• Ballmer: Windows Phone Mango handsets are “coming out this Christmas”
• Skype Expands Their Unlimited Calling Subscription Options

Now the HTC Thunderbolt support page shows off a vague “coming soon” message. In conclusion, if you own a Thunderbolt, you’ll have to wait a bit more until a new version of software for it is released.

Bear in mind that the software update will not bring you Android 2.3 (not for now anyway), but stability improvements, and enhancements regarding GPS, data connectivity, and messaging (SMS, MMS).

Via Droid-life

• Verizon HTC Thunderbolt software update now rolling out
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Bionic and 4G LTE Xoom get software updates
• Verizon’s Motorola Droid Razr gets a software update
• Verizon rolls out software updates for Motorola Droid Razr and Razr Maxx
• Motorola Droid Bionic software update rolling out now

The update is made over-the-air, and HTC Europe’s support webpage mentions that the new build number for the Desire HD should be 2.36.405.5 after the update, and 2.12.405.7 for the Incredible S.

An update notification should appear on your Desire HD or Incredible S sometime soon.

The Incredible S is also offered by Verizon in the US under the name of  Droid Incredible 2. However, an upgrade to Gingerbread for Verizon’s new Incredible is likely not coming too soon (although it will be available eventually).

Via Mobile Bulgaria

• Verizon Droid Incredible 2 User Guide and full specs leaked
• Verizon HTC Incredible now official as “Droid Incredible by HTC”. April 29 seems to be the launch date
• Verizon HTC Droid Incredible to get Android 2.2 Froyo on Wednesday
• Verizon HTC Droid Incredible Froyo build leaks, official update starts tomorrow
• Verizon Droid Incredible 2 promo materials leaked