"Patently Apple did what it does and dug up a patent related to building 3D avatars:"

"Remember the controversy surrounding one of Android 4.0′s more interesting features, Face Unlock? Instead of using a PIN code or a complicated gesture, Android Ice Cream Sandwich would use your phone's forward-facing camera to take a look at you, and if your face matched the picture in its files, unlock the device ready for use."

"Samsung's unusual smartphone/tablet hybrid, the Galaxy Note, really shouldn't have been a success. It's overall size, thanks to the massive 5.3-inch screen, makes it difficult to squeeze into a pocket or operate with one hand, but as it is smaller than the majority of tablets, it's less desirable for home use."

"Google is embarking on a rethink of its Wallet strategy amid slow adoption and the departure of two key managers, according to sources close to the project."

"Sony has announced a £19 million campaign to promote its debut range of Xperia smartphones in the UK, trebling the amount of its 2011 marketing spend."

"Vodafone and O2 have levelled criticism at Ofcom's handling of the upcoming 4G spectrum auction and have warned of further delays in the process, according to a report by Mobile News."

"Sony has filed a patent for a technology that will allow smartphone users to use their device to scan fingerprints via the handset's screen."

"Manufacturer trebling its 2011 marketing spend to as it pushes its Xperia, S, P and U handsets"

"Im looking for a real cheap blackberry deal, don't care on the phone its just to run along side my iphone so i can use the BBM on it... im looking at a few awesome deals but i cant see it stating they include the usage of bbm? ive herd a lot of times its a separate bolt on?"

"Enjoy our roundup of ten mobile phone related news stories you may have missed this week including bad news about the Samsung Galaxy Note Android 4.0 update, the Panasonic Eluga's UK launch being pushed back and Vodafone complaining about Everything Everywhere's 4G plans."

"Nokia on Thursday announced that it will cut as many as 1,000 jobs at its plant in Salo, Finland. The company's layoffs will happen gradually through 2012, with most cuts happening by the end of June, Reuters reported. The Salo plant is the last large cell phone manufacturing plant in Western Europe, as most businesses have moved their manufacturing to Asia. Last month, Nokia shed 2,300 workers from a plant in Komarom, Hungary and 700 others in Reynosa, Mexico as it too shifted much of its manufacturing to China. This new round of layoffs comes as part of a larger effort to cut costs following the €1 billion loss the company reported last quarter. "

" Cellphones Galaxy Note ICS upgrade pushed back to Q2, adds exclusive set of stylus-ready apps (video) By Richard Lawler posted Mar 22nd 2012 3:11AM Unfortunately, Samsung's Galaxy Note won't join the Galaxy S II with its own upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich in Q1 as originally announced, since the company has now scheduled its arrival for Q2. It will however, arrive worldwide as part of a "Premium Suite" software upgrade packed with exclusive apps meant to highlight its S-Pen stylus. One of them is S Note, which combines notes and sketches with other apps like Shape Match and Formula Match which are also included to assist recognition of geometric shapes and hand drawn formulas. The final app packed in is My Story, designed to create personalized cards. We're not sure how much use you'll get out of those unless you're a math professor, project manager or just love sending e-cards, but there's one more treat in the form of an exclusive Angry Birds Space level and free access to 30 "Danger Zone" levels for a limited time. Press play on the video above for a peek at the apps -- and the Note's TouchWiz-styled flavor of Android 4.0 -- or check out the press release after the break. "

"Later this year, another tablet operating system is going to hit the market in the shape of Microsoft Windows 8, and there are quite a few companies said to be already working on devices using the software. Probably the most talked about is Nokia, and given the company's close relationship with Microsoft and dedication to Windows Phone, it's expected that the Finnish firm will come up with an exciting option come release day."

"With the new iPad now on sale, it's time for the rumour mill to start grinding up some stories about the next iPhone, and today we have the return of an old favourite."

"UK sales of Nokia's Windows Phone devices have overtaken the company's smartphones based on its older Symbian system for the first time."

"An unnamed Samsung executive has stated that the forthcoming Galaxy S III will have a quad-core processor."

"Today's batch of Samsung Galaxy S III rumors is brought to you by one of Samsung's very own executives. He confirmed an Exynos-branded chipset with four CPU cores will be used in the Galaxy S II successor."

"Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung could be about to invest in ailing smartphone manufacturer RIM, if the latest news emanating from Wall St proves to be accurate."

"Following on from the news this week that a Caribbean hotel resort has set up a mobile-free zone on some of its beaches to increase the peace and quiet for holidaymakers, it seems like a good time to prove that people can relax with the aid of gadgets."

"Enjoy our roundup of ten mobile phone related news stories you may have missed this week including the new TAG Heuer Racer phone, an Angry Birds-sponsored F1 driver and more iPad Mini rumours."