Ba-ding-ding-ding

News Corporation has bought VeriSign’s minority share of the Jamba mobile entertainment company, giving it total control of the former joint venture. Jamba is best known to many for its marketing of the 'Crazy Frog' ringtone. [Press release]

Shouting is most annoying trait of mobile users

Speaking too loudly on mobile phones is the most irritating thing about people using mobiles in public, according to a survey from easyMobile.com. Other annoying traits included ringtones (presumably melodic) and taking calls while at the dinner table. Nearly two thirds of people said they ignored calls from some people when they saw who was calling, with more than 80% lying about it afterwards. [Press release]

Condom ringtone

Visit www.condomcondom.org for a free ringtone that sings "condom", courtesy of the BBC World Service Trust. It's part of an Indian campaign to prevent the transmission of HIV.

Ringback tones to lead mobile content growth

Ringback tones - music heard when you're waiting for someone to answer their mobile phone - are likely to become the most attractive mobile content category within the next four years, according to research from MultiMedia Intelligence. It says worldwide revenue for ringback tones will nearly triple to $4.7 billion (£2.5 billion) by 2012, with ringback tone revenue coming a close second to mobile gaming revenue. (The mobile premium content figures don't include mobile video and mobile TV). Total revenue is expected to reach $29 billion by 2012. The company says ringback tones are largely unaffected by Digital Rights Management or piracy, unlike conventional ringtones. [Press release]

EU investigates ringtone providers

The European Union's crackdown on ringtone providers really does affect as many UK companies as the Sunday Times had previously suggested. In the UK, 39 out of the 43 websites checked need further investigation. Overall, of the 500 websites visited in 27 countries, 80% need further investigation for suspected breaches of EU consumer rules. The EU said almost 50% of all the sites checked had irregularities about price; over 70% were lacking contact information and over 60% of websites checked were misleading. All offending websites will be contacted by their national regulator; a follow-up report is expected in 2009. [Press release; FAQ]

90% of UK ringtone web sites are misleading?

The Sunday Times says the European Commission is preparing to investigate a number of websites selling ringtones in the UK and in Europe. It claims over 90% of UK web sites selling mobile ringtones are misleading children and teenagers with unclear charges and confusing information, committing their customers to subscription services when they just expect a single payment.

Mobiles are changing birds' songs

This isn't a new story but it's back in the news again. Apparently wild birds are imitating mobile phone ringtones, according to German ornithologists. [Source: IPSnews.net]

Premium rate phone watchdog to investigate mobile phone promotions

PhonepayPlus, the premium rate phone regulator, has said it will be reviewing premium services on mobile phones. The UK market is estimated to be worth around £350 million annually. The regulator will look at ringtones, games and other chargeable downloads, with a particular focus on unsolicited promotions, price transparency and subscription services. (PhonepayPlus was previously known as ICSTIS; it's the regulator for services that allow you to charge purchases to your phone account). [Press release]

Mobile Content Platform Market up 20% in 2007

The market for premium mobile content platforms - web sites that aren't operated by mobile networks - grew almost 20% in 2007, resulting in a $3.4 billion share of the total $18.5 billion generated by the mobile premium content market, according to figures from MultiMedia Intelligence. However, the company points out that ringtone sales figures are dropping, other content categories aren't making as much as expected and mobile networks have their own compelling services. [Press release]

Over half a billion music mobiles shipped in 2007

Researchers at MultiMedia Intelligence say almost 300 million more music phones were sold last year than stand-alone personal music players. Worldwide music phone shipments exceeded 500 million units in 2007. They also report that the global mobile music content market of ringtones, ringback tones, streaming audio and full-track downloads) will hit $6 billion this year. By 2011, they estimate that half of all mobile phones will be music phones, which they define as having a memory expansion slot and the ability to play music. [Sources: News.com, Cellular-News.com]

Ringtone drum medley

Italian drummer Andrea Vadrucci has posted a YouTube video of his Nokia ringtone medley. Impressive.

[Originally spotted on SMSTextNews.com]

Top mobile searches of 2007

Internet service provider AOL has published this year's most common searches from its mobile portal. Iraq was the most popular mobile search term of the year, followed by MySpace, iPhone, Games, Mail, Chat. Music, Facebook, Ringtones and eBay. [Sources: RCRnews.com, Cellular-News.com]