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.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of Mobile Device Market Trends in 2008 to their offering. The objective of this report is to identify the rising trends in the global mobile device market in 2008. The research material in this report is based on our strategic research and consulting projects conducted in 2007 on the major mobile operators and handset vendors in Asia (particularly on Korea, Japan and China). In addition, interviews with professionals in the industry, including mobile service providers were used as a reference for carrying out a comprehensive market analysis.

A recent survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, an infoUSA company, fielded by international data collection and panel specialists Research Now, revealed that Smartphones (excluding iPhone and RIM Blackberry) were the most returned electronic technology products of the holiday season, with slightly more than one-fifth (21%) of Smartphone buyers returning their purchase to the retailer.