Mobile Numbers

Some facts from NewsWeek on the world's usage of mobile phones portrayed in a more interesting fashion than your average bar chart.

Spotify for iPhone

Spotify awaits Apple's much criticised vetting process for it's iPhone application. Despite the acceptance of music apps Last.fm, Deezer and Pandora, the outcome is not certain as the process has been highlighted for it's inconsistency. Whether Apple will see it as infringing on the iTunes market will remain to be seen.

Further reading at Guardian Online.

Augmented Reality App for iPhone 3GS

Acrossair has developed a new GPRS application which allows you to view where the nearest London tube stations are by simply pointing the iPhone camera in any direction.

Universal chargers for mobiles by 2012

The mobile (cellular) phone world joined hands today with the announcement that 10 companies including Apple, LG, Motorola, Nokia and Sony Eriksson, have all agreed to use the Micro-USB format by 2012.

This is good news for consumers and environmentalists as the universal chargers will not only reduce thousands of tonnes of electronic wastage from the disposal of obsolete chargers, but be more energy efficient by reducing carbon emissions by 13.6 million tonnes to 21.8 millions tonnes a year.

Manufacturers had been under increasing pressure from the European Commission to create a standardised charger. EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen told German radio station Deutche Welle that there were more than 30 different kinds of chargers in use across the 27 nations of the European Union.

The GMSA, an umbrella association for the industry, estimates the potential of eliminating up to 51,000 tonnes of duplicate chargers.

Read the article at the Guardian Online.