The market of iPhone applications is emerging since Steve Jobs iPhone developer kick off at the WWDC 2007. The essential decision of Apple to open up "only" the web browser Safari for third party developers is disappointing on the first view. But when you drill it down, there are many advantages and sure, some disadvantages, too:
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It’s hard for the traditional fixed and mobile network operators – like the Deutsche Telekom – to cope with those innovative VoIP companies like Skype or Jajah, these days.
Right now, the Deutsche Telekom bought shares of the start-up Jajah via their venture capital subsidiary T-Venture, according to Financial Times Deutschland.
The two Austrians Daniel Mattes and Roman Scharf founded Jajah in 2005. The VoIP telephony service works without the need of any client software installation. You just have to leave your personal telephone number when registering your Jajah-account. You can even use your mobile phone number. Via the Jajah-website you type in the telephone number of the person you want to call. Some Seconds later, you’ll get a phone call from Jajah and the system connects you with the desired person. The VoIP call can be triggered from every Internet-connected Computer and even with your mobile phone with integrated web browser.
According to information provided by the company the average revenue per user per Mont his 6 Euro and the margin is 40%. At the end of the year Jajah wants to increase its customer base from 3 to 10 Million. That’s a bright earnings outlook for this start-up company!

Sources: Manager Magazin, Financial Times Deutschland

It looks like Google is not settling with it’s current role as a small Google-Maps software supplier for mobile phones like the Apple iPhone. According to The Guardian, Google held talks with several companies like Telefonica/O2 to find a European partner for rolling out a "Phone", optimized for Google’s core competences: Search, find, locate, advertise. Samsung shall be the hardware and mobile OS software partner for Google. But until now, non of these aspects are officially acknowledged.

Sources: Guardian.co.uk, ftd.de

The German mobile service "Call a Bike" shows, that mobile services do not only need to be virtual. This year the mobile phone based bike-sharing service is rolled out in Stuttgart, the city you probably know as the home of DaimlerChrysler.
The system is quite simple to use: At all major crossings within the city users can rent a bike with a mobile phone call – and return it. The user receives a code via SMS to his or her mobile phone and is able to open the electronic lock of the bike. Returning the bike is as easy as renting it: Just leave it at a major crossing and check out with another phone call and the deactivation code of the electronic lock. The registered user is charged by minute. Mehr …

Lemgo, a German town situated between Hannover and Dortmund, is testing a new mobile application in a field trial: By sending a 50-cent premium-SMS a street of houses can be illuminated for 15 minutes.
Many communities in Germany turn off their street lighting system from 11 pm to save energy and funds. It’s a bad solution for pedestrians at night, but a town like Lemgo saves about 50,000 Euro a year. Mehr …