While many innovative LBS (Location Based Services) applications such as friend finders and location based search will be launched by carriers in the next few years, personal navigation will remain the most important LBS category providing high value and clear benefits to end users. But according to ABI Research principal analyst Dominique Bonte, “Enterprise LBS applications for asset and vehicle tracking and work force management will become an important revenue generator for carriers in the future as companies will increasingly deploy mobile solutions to reduce costs, increase efficiency and improve customer service.

What happens to most mobile devices when people no longer use them? That was the question Nokia asked more than 6, 500 people in 13 countries around the world recently. The surprising results showed that most are stored away at home because very few of us don’t know that that they can be recycled or how to do this. The survey conducted in Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, UK, United Arab Emirates, USA, Nigeria, India, China, Indonesia and Brazil, found that only 3% of people recycle their mobile phones. Very few are being thrown away (4%) instead the majority (44%) are simply kept at home and never used.

Nokia announced that Warner Music Group will make its diverse catalog of new stars and legendary artists available through Nokia Music Stores around the world as well as through Comes With Music, a revolutionary way for people to discover and enjoy music offered uniquely by Nokia.

As categories of mobile devices converge, there are four primary types of productivity tools - the ultra-mobile PC (UMPC), the mobile Internet device (MID), smartphones, and smartphones with mobile companions, reports In-Stat, the clear winner in an In-Stat survey of U.S. consumers is the smartphone, either alone or with a mobile companion, the high-tech market research firm says. Nearly half of the respondents chose the benefits and capabilities associated with smartphones. Fewer than 10% indicated a preference for the capabilities of MIDs.

With the imminent launch of its 3G iPhone, Apple has a window of opportunity to have a significant impact on the mobile TV market, according to the latest report from Analysys Mason, the premier advisers on telecoms, IT and digital media. There is considerable speculation about what next to expect from Apple’s iPhone ahead of CEO Steve Jobs' keynote at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco on Monday.

Cell phones are great for a lot of people, but they become very difficult to use for those with poor eyesight, fading memory or problems with remembering number sequences. A telephone accessory called FotoDialer empowers senior citizens to regain use of their home telephone without having to know or remember the number to dial. The innovative device connects to any home telephone. FotoDialer allows the user to thumb through one of six pages of photographs for the desired place to call. The call is placed as simply as touching a button next to the photograph of the person or place, and FotoDialer automatically dials the call.

While the latest and greatest cell phone bells and whistles may spur lively party conversation, a new national survey shows that the majority of consumers actually prefer basic personalized options and good old fashioned personal service over fancier techno-fare. Jitterbug announced the results of its survey conducted by Kelton Research showing that consumers of all ages tend to have a preference for personalized cell phone features and services and share a strong dislike of cell phone service contracts.

Wirefly, the online leader in one-stop comparison shopping for cell phones and wireless phone plans, announced the Top Ten hottest cell phones for summer travelers this season. The BlackBerry Curve, Palm Centro and BlackBerry Pearl are among the most popular choices. All three models showcase the features consumers are craving – converged functionality, a selection of attractive colors, and features tailored for enhanced productivity and convenience on the road.

Synaptics, a developer of human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications and entertainment devices, announced that its ClearPad and ClearArray solutions provide the interface on the LG Secret (model LG-KF750), the third model from the successful LG Black Label Series cell phones. The LG Secret introduces additional multimedia features to the Black Label Series such as an advanced 5.0 megapixel digital camera and advanced graphical user interface (UI) that takes advantage of Synaptics' intuitive ClearPad touchscreen technology.

A select group of BART riders is helping to launch a first-in-the-nation technological trial that will allow participants to walk up to any BART fare gate with a specially-equipped Sprint wireless phone and pay for their ride by tagging the cell phone on a reader located on top of the gate. Once through the gate, the 230 trial participants can hold their specifically-equipped Sprint cell phone up to certain Jack in the Box and Sprint “smart advertisements” on BART station walls and download either directions to the nearest Jack in the Box restaurant or content from Sprint.