While the use of mobile bar codes has been mainstream in Asian countries like Japan, it is not until last year that we’ve witnessed their adoption in U.S. and Europe by brands in order to provide holistic experiences to their customers, blurring the line between the online and the offline world. According to aresearch reportby3GVision, the U.S. is leading the way in mobile bar code usage’s global growth -outside of Japan- in absolute numbers, followed closely by Hong King, Canada and Germany....

Back in June, we reported on howNokia’s former employeeswere helping to kick-start the Finnish tech startup scene. As part of this feature, we spoke withPetra Söderlingwho is Head of Open Source, Symbian Smartphones (Nokia), a member of the board at the Finnish Mobile Association and also founder ofMobile Brain Bank. Mobile Brain Bank is a Finland-based non-profit organization which seeks to join the skills of developers and other experienced individuals who have left a safe corporate career behind....

Research by eBay has revealed that mobile shopping could receive a £4.5bn boost in the UK by 2016, rising to as much as £19bn by 2021. The research reveals that m-commerce is on the verge of a potential four-fold increase, increasing to £6bn over the next five years, as consumers become more accustomed to shopping from their portable devices, but it will depend on the roll-out of fourth generation (4G) mobile networks across the country....

According to a study conducted by international research firmComScore, display advertising on mobile devices in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two years. Hans Fredericks, comScore vice president, attributes the surge of mobile ad consumption to the wide adoption of smartphones, 3G/4G networks and unlimited data plans. This allows advertisers to find alternative ways to reach consumers through mobile browsers, apps, SMS, and other platforms. In April 2011, 689 advertisers used mobile display advertising campaigns to reach American consumers, up 128 percent from two years ago....

South African mobile telecommunications company,MTNwill soonlauncha mobile money service inSwaziland, the Swazi Observerreports. The offering follows successful deployments of mobile money services on the continent such as Kenya’sM-Pesaas well as previous deployments of MTN’s mobile money services in Rwanda and Uganda. “This is an exciting new product. It is envisioned as something that will change Swaziland’s landscape in the way we do things. It is fast, secure, convenient and affordable,” said MTN’s Head of Mobile Money, Sam Shogwe....