Vodafone mobile TV figures better than expected
In the UK, Vodafone has released the first customer usage figures for its mobile-TV service. In the first two weeks of going live, 341,000 users have accessed more than 1 million streams. The service offers 19 mobile-TV channels, including 24-hour news, sport, entertainment and documentaries. A Vodafone spokesperson told website NMA.com that the uptake has exceeded expectations and that the figures have greatly boosted the operator's confidence in the service, which is free until January 31, 2006.

Millions of Russians reach content with a click
After only six months, Russian operator VimpelCom reports it has 6.4 million subscribers to its Chameleon service. The service sends streams of free content - such as news headlines, weather updates and games - to idle mobile phone screens and lets users access more information about the topics at the press of a button. The application is based on UK developer Celltick's LiveScreen technology. Capacity for a further 3 million subscribers has been ordered, which makes the operator on track to reach its target of 10 million users by the end of the year.

SMS-crazy in the Philippines
Filipinos are one of the world's most messaging-addicted populations. The service has become a vital tool for daily communication - every day, 39 million mobile subscribers send more than 160 million SMS messages. Users pay as little as USD 1.80 for a bundle of 100 SMS messages, which represents a seventh of a voice call. The country's telecoms industry grew by 17 percent last year, boosted by SMS, while most other sectors experienced flattened growth, mercurynews.com reports. Studies have shown that 40 percent of the 3 billion SMS messages sent every day originate in Asia, compared to 14 percent in North America.

Korean mobiles bark at dogs
Mobiles are increasingly gaining ground as the center of South Koreans' lives. South Korean operator KTF has launched a service that allows owners to communicate with their dogs through their mobiles. The application translates a dog's bark into emotions shown on the display and vice versa. The service, priced at USD 1, is a big hit and was downloaded 15,000 times in the two months after launch. Experts told The Korean Times that compelling features will continue being added to mobile phones, which are constantly evolving at a fast pace.

By Lars-Magnus Kihlström