The latest study from Strategy Analytics predicts that 350 billion mobile apps will be downloaded to smartphones and tablets between 2008 and 2017, with paid application downloads generating more than $57 billion worldwide.

However, free apps are expected to account for more than 91% of all downloads by 2017.

Computing technology company Intel Corporation has announced that Paul Otellini, its president and CEO, has decided to retire at the company’s annual meeting in May.

He’s been with the company since 1974, just six years after Intel’s formation, and became CEO in 2005.

New figures from information and insights firm Nielsen show that people in the UK with Android smartphones transfer 78% of their internet content using WiFi and just 22% over a mobile connection.

Unlike network-focussed surveys, these figures have been compiled from a panel of over 1500 adults who’ve installed a Nielsen metering app on their handset.

A new UK virtual mobile network is promising to give 25% of its profits to charity.

The People’s Operator (TPO) has set up a separate organisation - the TPO Foundation - that receives 25% of its profits and passes them on to good causes. In addition, customers can ask the TPO Foundation to give 10% of their individual monthly spend directly to a different charitable organisation of their choice.

Mark Bridge writes:

The last few days have been particularly busy for UK telecoms regulator Ofcom. It started the week by announcing its rules for next year’s UK 4G mobile spectrum auction – expect services to go live in around six months – and it ended the week with plans to avoid a 5G capacity crunch.