Broken Thumbs Apps settles with FTC over data collection practices
Broken Thumbs Apps will pay $50,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that it illegally collected and disclosed personal information from tens of thousands of children under age 13 without their parents? prior consent.

This is the FTC?s first case involving mobile applications.

The FTC found that Broken Thumbs Apps violated the Children?s Online Privacy Protection Act and the FTC?s COPPA Rule, which requires parental notice and consent before collecting children?s personal information online.

The FTC alleges that the defendants collected and maintained thousands of email addresses from users of its apps for children. The FTC also alleges that the defendants allowed children to publicly post information, including personal information, on message boards

Broken Thumbs Apps develops and distributes mobile apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch that allow users to play games and share information online. According to the FTC there have been more than 50,000 downloads of the company?s apps for children.

Mobile video calling users to exceed 130M by 2016: Juniper Research
The number of mobile phone owners using mobile video calling is expected to exceed 130 million by 2016, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

The prospects for mobile video calling have improved in the last 18 months as a result of several developments, including the launch of mobile video calling services by major industry players, an increase in the availability of front-facing cameras on smartphones and underlying technology improvements, according to Juniper?s "Mobile Voice & Video Calling: Strategic Opportunities & Business Models 2011-2016" report.

By 2016, the penetration of mobile video calling will be less than one in 10 smartphone users.

With mobile page views up 400pc, LinkedIn revamps apps
LinkedIn has introduced a new HTML5 experience that can be used across mobile Web browsers.

The company is introducing the new Web browser experience and making other adjustments to its mobile presence in response to its growth in mobile, with LinkedIn mobile page views having grown more than 400 percent year-over-year. As a result, mobile is the fastest growing consumer service on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn has also revamped its mobile applications to make them faster across all features and completely reorganized to make it easier for members to accomplish tasks.

Additionally, iPhone and Android users will now be able to LinkedIn?s Groups.

Verizon Wireless tests low-priced data plan promotion
Verizon Wireless is running a promotion offering users 300 MB of data for $20 per month, according to reports.

The promotion is available in select markets and is available as an add-on for current and new customers who have a voice plan. It is running in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, DC.

The promotion runs through Sept. 30.

Apple increases iPhone orders for second half
Apple is increasing its second half order volume for iPhones by 12 to 13 percent, according to DigiTimes.

Apple estimated an order volume totaling 50 million units at the end of the second quarter but has recently revised this number to more than 56 million units. DigiTimes said the information comes from Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

IPhone 5 orders for the third quarter have been lowered from 7 million units to a total of between 5.5 million and 6 million units. Fourth quarter orders were increased to 20 million units from 14 million.

Total iPhone shipments in 2011 are expected to reach 95 million, according to the report. 

Hispanics embrace mobile to enhance movie-going experience
Hispanics attend movies more frequently than other racial demographics and they are using their mobile devices to find theaters, movie times and reviews, according to a new report from Briabe Mobile and MocoSpace.

The report found that Hispanic Americans use their phones for almost every part of the film-discovery process, with 72 percent using their mobile devices for overall movie planning. Of these, 65 percent use their mobile devices to find showtimes and locations; 39 percent use it to view trailers; 35 percent use it to discover movies; 28 percent use it to get reviews; 14 percent use it to buy tickets and 55 percent use their phones to access movie information within the four hours just prior to seeing a movie.

The study also found that Hispanics are influenced by mobile advertisements, with one out of four interviewees saying they look to search and mobile banner ads when deciding what film to see.