Eight mobile technologies to watch

Research company Gartner has published a list of eight mobile technologies that it says will have an impact on mobile strategies and policies over the next couple of years:

1. Bluetooth 3.0,
2. User Interfaces,
3. Location Sensing,
4. 802.11n WiFi,
5. Display Technologies,
6. Mobile Web and Widgets,
7. Mobile Broadband and
8. Near Field Communication.

[Press release]

Nokia buys another map company

Nokia has agreed to buy bit-side GmbH, a Berlin-based services and software company with 39 employees. It says integrating the company in its Services unit will strengthen and accelerate its mobile development for Nokia Maps. Nokia acquired digital map company NAVTEQ last year. [Press release]

Google drops Dodgeball mobile application

Google says it's going to close Dodgeball, which lets users in the USA share their location with friends via text message. It bought the company in 2005. [Google blog]

82 million location-aware mobile social networkers by 2013

Research company ABI Research says there'll be 82 million people using location-based mobile social networking services by 2013. [Press release]

Kenyan elephants send text messages before rampaging

Here's a prime contender for this week's "And finally..." story on the Mobile News podcast, I reckon. An elephant conservancy group in Kenya is fitting troublesome elephants with mobile-equipped collars that send rangers a text message if the elephant heads towards crops. It means the rangers can divert the elephant, protecting farmers' livelihoods without causing the elephant any harm. [Source: Ol Pejeta conservancy]

Mobile tracking technology helps researchers

UK technology company Path Intelligence has proved that its anonymous mobile phone tracking technology can be used for practical purposes. The company's first project has tracked shoppers in a shopping centre, showing that spend increases in line with the amount of time spent in a shop. [Sources: BBC News; TechCrunch]

30% of mobile users will be using local online search by 2013

By 2013, nearly 1.3 billion mobile users – 30% of all customers worldwide – will be using mobile search to find local services, according to a new report from Juniper Research. Advertising-supported results will drive the sector, although the quality of the user experience - combining relevant directory information with accurate location data - will be the most important factor. Juniper Research also says 43% of the revenue from mobile search advertising over the next five years will come from local search... and warns that "advertising overload" could discourage consumers from using the service. [Press release]

Mobile location-based services worth £6.6 billion by 2013

ABI Research says Mobile Location Based Services (LBS) are starting to grow, thanks to the incorporation of GPS capabilities in mobile phones. They reckon the revenue from LBS will reach $13.3 billion worldwide by 2013, up from around $515 million in 2007. Personal navigation is expected to remain the most popular service, although friend finding is expected to become increasingly popular. [Press release]

Mobile location-based social networking service launches

A new location-based social networking service has been launched at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It's called GyPSii and adds location-based searching to the usual combination of people, places, information and events. GyPSii can be downloaded to Windows Mobile phones, BlackBerry devices and the Nokia N95, N73, N82 & 6110 Navigator. [Press release]