Nokia Visa and MeritaNordbanken are using WAP with infrared and Bluetooth to enable customers to purchase either on-line or at the actual shop by using their WAP phones. The system integrates the mobile internet with a reliable credit card payment.

Mobile handsets are transforming into multipurpose tools enabling users to make calls connect to the internet and make purchases with the added benefit of knowing their payments are authenticated and secure commented Pertti Lounamaa vice president at Nokia Internet Communications.

The co-operation with MeritaNordbanken and Visa on dual-chip technology demonstrates that the involvement of leading payment associations will drive forward customer acceptance of electronic mobile payment services.

Security is guaranteed by user authentication and digital signature.

Regulatory Type Approval of the Bluetooth Module hastens mass market acceptance of the Bluetooth wireless technology into future mobile and other devices.

Regulatory Type Approval Two must be carried out before a manufacturer may release a product with the Bluetooth wireless technology on the market.

The product must first comply with the required Bluetooth Specification to make sure it works with other products with the Bluetooth wireless technology.

This Specification has been drawn up by the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) and agreed on by the Bluetooth Adopter Group made up of 1400 leading computer telecoms and other companies. A manufacturer must also obtain Regulatory Type Approval from the country where it wants to release a Bluetooth product.

Users of the existing Nokia 9110 Communicators will be able to upgrade with an accessory package.

The revamped Nokia 9110i Communicator will be available from June. An upgrade for the Nokia 9110 Communicator providing the same new functionality will be available at the same time.

The Nokia 9110i Communicator will continue to support the Internet browsing and e-mail. But the add-on WAP application will provide users with access to new mobile internet services such as mobile banking news and various corporate Intranet applications.

Over 70000 ads are available. These are updated daily. WAP phone users will be able to enter price and location parameters. A daily search alert facility sends updates on potential offers are forwarded every 24 hours.

This means Loot.com users will be informed of the days bargains immediately.

This is about making WAP technology relevant to peoples everyday lives said Fonedata products director Julian Luttrell

House hunting or buying a new car can be incredibly stressful. The last thing you need is to miss out on a bargain because youre stuck on a train or in a meeting. Lots of new WAP services offer updated news and listings which are great. But Loot.com and Fonedata are offering a practical service that can genuinely make life easier.

Loot.com customers over Fonedata have access to the same information on cars and property as Loots highly successful PC web service which has over 190000 daily users. Loot.com expects hand held wireless distribution to be the corner-stone of their its service and that distribution over WAP phones and other hand held devices has the potential to account for as much as half of total revenue.

WAP and handheld devices will be one of the key UK growth areas over the next year. By 2003 receipt of information via the phone will outstrip the PC said a Loot.com marketing manager.

The company has developed a www.amazon.co.uk mobile site on which users can search for read reviews and purchase from Amazons on-line catalogue.

Nokia and Amazon.com have worked together developing the service and will promote the Amazon.com services on the Club Nokia website.

The UK web site will be later extended around the world and to other Amazon sites.

Amazon.com has very quickly gained success and brand recognition in Internet commerce. We are happy to see that the company is now expanding their effort into mobile commerce said Nokia president Matti Alahuhta.

This is the right time to start pursuing this market and creating brand in the mobile world. Amazon.com is an excellent service to complement other mobile internet services available today. We look forward to working with Amazon.com in the exciting field of mobile commerce.

Said Amazon president Joe Galli:

This is a great day for customers in the UK and for mobile commerce. Consumers will be able to set up their account browse search and shop from wherever they are simply by using their mobile phone.

Mobile commerce at amazon.co.uk extends the service we offer our customers to an exciting new dimension. We believe in the future of mobile commerce and are very excited to be working with Nokia.

Nokia and Amazon.com will carry out joint marketing campaigns this year and next year to promote their new relationship.

Amazon.com will also be the first major company to be promoted in Club Nokia the software which accompanies new handsets to guide users to Noklas web site and associated links.

Dataroams business strategy is to host manage and implement software which will allow companies to communicate more efficiently with their staff in the field.

Another 2.5 million has been put in by investment fund Spark. Dataroams services will be provided over the existing mobile networks and the Internet deploying WAP and other emerging technologies.

This represents the largest single investment either company has made to date. Dataroam was formed in November 1999 by Simon Gibbs who previously worked as Director of Strategy at Cable & Wireless.

He is joined by senior industry executives from Compaq Digital PWC and United News & Media. Dataroam will use this 5m first-round investment to launch its services in the UK. It plans to raise additional financing to scale the business across Europe.

This is the first time The Carphone Warehouse and Spark have made a joint investment and they anticipate working together in future investments in the wireless sector.

The Carphone Warehouse chief operating officer David Ross said: This represents a great opportunity to invest in an outstanding management team in a sector which we understand well.

We are well-placed to add value through our industry knowledge and understanding of the commercial applications.

The pack available only from Dextra contains a Nokio 8210 personal handsfree kit Psion Revo organiser docking station leads and blue leather case.

It is being sold in five language versions: English French German Dutch and Nordic.

The pupils were allegedly held at knifepoint on the Tube for part of their journey after a night out.

Keith Barber (19) is charged with robbing Alexander Lewis of an Ericsson phone Alexander Druttman of another mobile and Grant Chien of 15 in cash on January 28 on a train between Bayswater and Earls Court.

More than 10 companies who were illegally using the Ericsson brand were served with cease and desist letters as a part of the companys commitment to design and trademark protection.

Previous raids reduced the number of companies infringing on Ericssons design or trademark rights.

During CeBIT Ericsson issued approximately 30 cease and desist letters to more than 10 manufacturers who were illegally using the Ericsson brand on their products or infringing on Ericssons registered design rights. The German court issued three injunctions to prohibit exhibitors from showing and selling counterfeit products.

Ericsson says the action at CeBIT is partly made to protect the brand but also because counterfeit products often do not meet the manufacturers quality and safety standards making them suspect to malfunctions. In such cases Ericsson says it can not accept warranty claims.

We have seen clearly this year that previous efforts have paid off the number of companies exhibiting counterfeit products were considerably lower says Jan Ahrenbring vice president marketing and communications at Ericsson Mobile Communications.

The actions taken will be carefully evaluated and possible future legal actions will be considered.

Scott-Crawford had appeared in February at Skipton Magistrates Court charged with attempting to obtain a pecuniary advantage by wrongly claiming his previous employer Kay Petty of Mobile Telecom in Harrogate was bankrupt.

The case has been dropped because there was not enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.