EBay completes Zong acquisition
eBay Inc. has completed its previously announced acquisition of Zong for approximately $240 million.

Zong leverages connections with over 250 mobile network operators to offer mobile payments that are charged to a user?s wireless service account.

The deal brings complementary technology to eBay to help strengthen PayPal?s position in the mobile payments and digital goods. PayPal expects to process more than $3 billion in mobile payments this year.

Android tablets taking share away from iPad: ABI Research
Collectively, Android media tablets have taken 20 percent market share away from Apple?s iPad in the last 12 months, according to new data from ABI Research. However, no single vendor using Android poses a significant threat to iPad.

ABI Research mobile devices group director Jeff Orr says fragmentation within operating system software is hindering growth in the tablet category.

The introduction of low-cost media tablets will help bolster year-over-year growth in the category but could also create the impression that media tablets are not fully ready yet.

AT&T invests in mobile security
AT&T is investing in a new mobile security platform that will allow customers to protect their mobile devices against security threats.

AT&T has signed an agreement with Juniper Networks to deliver the new capability and provide additional services based on the platform.

AT&T?s strategy is to provide a comprehensive security solution that will integrate wireline and wireless security policies for consumer, enterprise and government customers.

The first phase of the platform ? the AT&T Mobile Security application ? is expected to be available later this year and is based on the Juniper Networks Junos Pulse solution.

Local search grows on mobile devices: Ground Truth
Local search is increasingly common on mobile devices, according to mobile metrics firm Ground Truth.

Yellowpages.com had a 17.46 percent increase in the number of unique visitors it attracted via mobile in June compared with the previous month.

Yellow.com also performed well, with the number of unique visitors skyrocketing 1,887.53 percent in June compared with the previous month.

When compared with Kantar Media?s results for online local search, Ground Truth?s data shows stronger growth in mobile browsers for local searches than online.

Google+ adds games
Google is adding games to its Google+ social networking platform.

Users can click the games at top of their stream to play games. They can view the latest game updates from their circles, browse invites and check out games that people they know have already played.

The company is gradually rolling out games in Google+. The initial lineup of games available includes Angry Birds, Sudoku and Dragons of Atlantis.