The new group will work towards standards compatibility and ease of use. Other members include Dell France Telecom and Toshiba.

The virtual network operator has appointed a new general retail development manager Rob Shardlow with the job of finding new non- specialist routes to the end-user.

Shardlow has a retail background in sales channel management distribution planning and strategy.

He has previously worked for Kodak and One 2 One and was involved in the Up 2 You pre-pay launch as well as One 2 Ones specialist retail channel.

Robs experience will prove valuable in broadening our current customer base through the provision of new third party distribution channels said Virgin Mobile sales director Graeme Hutchinson.

Virgin Mobile says it now has 750000 customers.

The company has already taken the Virgin Mobile brand overseas with Virgin Mobile (Australia) a partnership with Cable and Wireless Optus and Virgin Mobile (Asia) with Singapore Telecom.

The majority of players are subscribers to Omnitel Digital Bridges first live operator customer and Italys second largest mobile phone network with more than 12 million subscribers.

The 100000 barrier was made in just six weeks equating to one new game being played on the site every two minutes.

The 100000 games have been played via WAP phones connecting to wirelessgames.com the gaming content channel of Digital Bridges which is delivered on the Digital Bridges UNITY content delivery platform.

The announcement is a huge boost for the WAP market in general as it proves that the technology is stable and that consumers are using and enjoying it said Kevin Bradshaw CEO of Digital Bridges.

Subscribers can access 18 games ranging from quiz games puzzles card games and two player board games.

There are also a couple of more complex games such as a two-player boxing game and a two-player tank game. All of the games have been designed specifically for WAP users lasting around five minutes to provide a short contained and enjoyable experience.

Improveline says Britains builders and home improvement contractors are struggling to keep up with advances made in technology.

This is a tremendous opportunity to bring the benefits of WAP to a significant area of the UK workforce which does not yet have a high degree of technological penetration said Improveline chief executive Marshall King.

The home improvement professionals who take up this offer will be able to receive e-mails via their mobile phones access the internet and other useful information. In a market that requires speed of response and access to relevant data this service could mean the difference between winning and losing a contract. The biggest obstacle we face is convincing them that technology does not have to be expensive and that the benefits can far outweigh the cost King added.

Although around 75 per cent of small and medium-sized business have an on-line presence only nine per cent of professional traders have a website.

Improveline says it has processed around 60 million home improvement job requests from homeowners via its website.

The two giants will collaborate on research and development to ensure compatibility between MasterCards electronic payment systems and Motorolas WAP and other mobile internet devices.

The MasterCard/Motorola alliance also includes cooperation initiatives to promote the benefits of m-commerce to consumers through joint marketing activities.

This collaboration is a critical step that will speed the delivery of e-commerce capabilities to the mobile consumer thereby enabling m-commerce and ensuring that the experience is superb said Janiece Webb senior vice president and general manager of Motorolas Personal Networks Group.

The agreement between MasterCard and Motorola includes

Europay International MasterCards European affiliate for the promotion of m-commerce throughout Europe.

The companies also plan to work together to adapt existing intelligent payment systems for the mobile environment.

These other systems include

MasterCard M/Chip its chip-based integrated credit/debit system and

Mondex MasterCards chip-based electronic cash payment system which has been trialled in Swindon.

MasterCard is moving at web speed to work with Motorola and its other alliances to develop secure methods for payment to service the growing mobile electronic commerce sector said Chris Jarman senior vice president Mobile Commerce MasterCard International.

Motorolas alliance with MasterCard will enable Motorola to work more closely with MasterCards 22000 member financial institutions.

Motorola expects to realise continued improvements in the capabilities and functionality of its existing wireless internet devices and platforms such as the dual-SIM StarTAC which can take a cash card as well as the regular network SIM.

Both companies should also benefit from the respective experience leadership and brand recognition of the other

MasterCard International claims it has more than a billion MasterCard Cirrus and Maestro credit charge and debit cards in circulation today in 210 countries and territories with more than 18 million acceptance locations.

Core benefits include a free audit on business tariffs and a preferential customer support hot-line and upgrade programme. CMCs Business Specialist status applies to London and Home Counties.

Anthony Croucher (43) of Eastwoodbury Crescent Leigh Southend was also ordered to pay 50 costs.

Croucher a former genuine fire extinguisher inspector strolled into The Carphone Warehouse Strand shop on May 4 asking employees to show him the stock room to check fire extinguishers kept there.

The conman was carrying an empty cardboard box with a picture of a fire extinguisher on it. He used the box to smuggle out two mobile phones.

A few days later Croucher phoned the same store and told them his company had recommended swapping one of the fire extinguishers.

He returned to the shop on May 9 along with another empty box. Staff again showed him into the stock room. When he emerged an employee asked to inspect the box.

Croucher made a run for it leaving behind the box which was found to contain six stolen phones.

A member of staff noted his car number plate and police tracked him down. He admitted both offences of burglary.

In another case Neasden woman Lorraine Medrick was given 50 hours community service and placed on probation for using a stolen credit card to buy two phones from The Link in Oxford Street.

Suspicious staff alerted other Link stores. The woman tried the same scam 30 minutes later at another Link store and police arrested her.

PNC will sell the 07 through its rece tly-acquired KJC Mobile Phone outlets as well as its own dealer network.

It will also cross-sell its current internet and telephony product range to Flexinumber users.

We have the widest range of handsets possible and offer mobile internet handsets to pre-pay customers that compare to those available to monthly contract customers said BTCellnet marketing director Peter Richardson.

Other BTCellnet prepay WAP phones are the Trium Geo ( 49.99). Alcatel One Touch View ( 49.99) Motorola T2288 ( 59.99) and Nokia 7110 ( 109.99).

Of 10000 people questioned around 52 per cent said they were concerned about using mobile devices to buy goods over the internet.

Around 65per cent of those questioned were worried their privacy will be invaded through the misuse of personal information stored on the internet.

Nine per cent of people were worried that receiving junk mail would out-weight the benefits of m-commerce.

The survey revealed 58 per cent of people fear work may invade their private lives with m-commerce.