The global downturn finally caught up with telecom gear maker Ericsson on Thursday as it posted falling sales and lower-than-expected quarterly core earnings.

LG Electronics posted better-than-expected results thanks to strong sales of key handsets and TVs, but faces weakening earnings momentum.

China Mobile posted a 2.8 percent rise in quarterly profit, but the result fell short of expectations because of rising costs from its costly 3G network rollout and intensifying competition, while the economy is still recovering.

Maxis, Malaysia's biggest telecom firm plans to list on the stock market by mid-November, media reports said.

Verizon Wireless and Google say they are teaming up to speed development of new mobile devices based on Google's  Android software that will run on Verizon's cell phone network.

Tens of thousands of Americans have turned their cars, vans and trucks into mobile offices, wired with phones and computers to stay in close touch with bosses and customers. Many don't realize the danger, the New York Times reports.

The national union representing flight attendants wants Congress to ban in-flight phone calls, and survey after survey of airline passengers shows strong opposition to allowing cellphones on planes.

Research in Motion reported a profit that rose over last year and topped expectations, but sales fell short of forecasts and the Blackberry maker's shares plunged in late trading.

Initially rolled out by Microsoft in 2006, the Zune was positioned as a wannabe iPod killer – and was promptly squashed by Apple’s popular system. Now the Zune HD, a redesigned, flashier version of the system, is hitting retail shelves.

More than 20 million other smartphone users are on the AT&T network, but other phones do not drain the network the way the nine million iPhones users do.  Howls of protest are more numerous in the dense urban areas with higher concentrations of iPhone owners.

Stocks closed with modest gains, helped by a rally among bank stocks as well as oil prices.

Stock index futures are indicating a similar lack of conviction Thursday, drifting downwards on flat European stocks and losses in Asian markets.

AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone, said on Friday it played no role in a decision by Apple to reject Google's voice application on the handset.

Africa's investment fortunes are shifting, as the 'Dark Continent' becomes gradually less depended of its main trading partner, Europe, and attracts investor from fast-growing emerging countries.

The early days of iPhone applications resemble the early days of the Internet. Media companies know they need to have an app for the iPhone, and so they are creating appealing ones that are loaded with features.  Yet, as with the Web, it is far from clear how much revenue media apps for the iPhone can produce.