Performics: 49pc of mobile searchers make purchase
Performics? 2011 Mobile Search Insights Study found more than half (57 percent) use the mobile Web more than once a day, with more than three quarters (77 percent) using mobile search more than five times in the last month.

Here are some of the key findings of the study in terms of mobile search:
? 75 percent said mobile search makes their lives easier

? 63 percent said access to mobile search has changed the way they gather information

? 32 percent said they use mobile search more than search engines on their computers

? Use of mobile search at home topped the list with 81 percent reporting evening use, 80 percent reporting weekend use and 59 percent reporting use before work.

? Another 61 percent reported using mobile search at work.

? Respondents also revealed dual screen multitasking, reporting at least occasional use of mobile search while watching TV (66 percent) or using the computer (45 percent).

? 84 percent look for local retailer information (phone, address, hours)

? 82 percent find online retailers

? 73 percent find a specific manufacturer or product Website

? 71 percent learn about a product or service after seeing an ad

? 68 percent find the best price for a product or service

? 63 percent search before purchasing offline in a store or from a catalog

Facebook to acquire Snaptu
Facebook is looking to deepen its penetration of the global mobile device market with the acquisition of Israeli company Snaptu.

Millennial Media?s February Mobile Mix
Some key findings of Millennial Media?s February Mobile Mix report:

Samsung grew 50 percent month-over-month to reclaim the number two position on the Top 15 Manufacturers ranking. The Samsung Galaxy Tablet made its debut as a Top 30 Mobile Device - the first Android Connected Device to make our ranking.

After being offered exclusively on AT&T for more than three years, the Verizon iPhone launched in February. The Verizon iPhone represented 4.5 percent of all U.S. iPhone impressions on Millennial?s network for the two weeks following the introduction of the device last month.

Android continued to lead iOS as the largest smartphone OS on the Millennial network for the third consecutive month, with a 51 percent impression share in February.

According to eMarketer, Apple was the clear leader in tablet device sales, with more than 10 million Apple iPads sold in 2010.

Apple is predicted to remain the market leader over the next two years, selling an estimated 50 million devices by 2012. This year, Android and Microsoft tablet sales are expected to grow more than 400 oercent. More than 32 million Android tablets are predicted to be sold by 2012.

OptumHealth helps friends connect and compete for better health
OptumHealth, one of the nation's largest health and wellness companies, released of its OptumizeMe mobile application for iPhone and Android devices.

Initially launched for Windows Phone 7 devices, OptumizeMe is now also available for free on these two widely used mobile operating systems.

With the OptumizeMe application, people can create and challenge each other to fitness competitions and trade both encouragement and "digs" along the way.

Users can network with friends using the app or link to their existing social networks to create new fitness challenges.

The application tracks their progress on challenges and rewards them with virtual badges as they achieve their goals.

Navteq enables orientation, guidance and routing for interior spaces
Navteq has rolled out Destination Maps, which let location-based applications extend beyond streets and sidewalks and into complex interior spaces.

The new offering moves the industry beyond the interactive floor plan maps available today and into a three-dimensional data model essential to a more advanced exploration and guidance experience. It does this by providing pedestrian-specific attributes unique to interior requirements like stairs and elevators as well as recognizing different floor levels (called Z-levels) that are essential for applications to "understand" movement between floors once inside a venue and generate routes and guidance. 

Comviva strengthens ring back tone content portfolio in Africa
Comviva has signed an MoU with Starfish Mobile International Inc., one of the leading content aggregators and mobile marketing agencies in Africa. This tie-up with Starfish Mobile will further strengthen Comviva?s RBT (Ring Back Tone) content portfolio in the region.

With this partnership, both Comviva and Starfish Mobile bring their expertise and resources to the table with the content strategy that allows mobile operators to drive the quantity of users on their networks and to achieve sustainable usage of their services.

Gogobeans debuts shake to bounce mobile app at CTIA
Gogobeans announced a new shake to bounce application to its content sharing platform. 

Shake to bounce enables customers to share any content with their friends simply by shaking their mobile handset to connect friends online and then share content. This extends to files, photos, music, web pages, contacts and now your favorite apps.  

Gogobeans works across devices, OS and networks. The initial launch is targeted to iPhone, iPad and Android users with BlackBerry and Windows apps due for release later this year.