James Rosewell writes:

Microsoft’s Windows 8 announcement today is as significant to the mobile industry as Apple’s iPad launch 2 years ago. Windows 8 will work on tablets, ultra books, desktops, laptops and 82” big screens. Not only that but it’ll support touch on all these devices.

“We're in a world where tablets are about touch, and PCs are about keyboard. We're changing those assumptions” Steven Sinofsky President, Windows and Windows Live Division says.

Facebook says it’s currently working with AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, T-Mobile USA, Verizon, Vodafone, KDDI and Softbank to introduce operator billing.

This would enable Facebook users to buy digital goods via a mobile web application and pay by charging the purchase to their mobile phone account.

Mobile payment company iZettle, which launched its plug-in ‘chip card’ reader and associated mobile payment app in Sweden last year, has now launched a beta version of its service in Denmark, Finland and Norway.

The first 5,000 chip-card readers in each country will be available free of charge.

Yesterday at Mobile World Congress, Ford revealed that its new B-MAX car would be launched in Europe with the company’s SYNC in-car connectivity system.

Ford SYNC is already available in the USA, although the B-MAX was making its first public appearance. 3.5 million people are expected to be using SYNC in Europe by 2015.

James Rosewell and Mark Bridge report for The Fonecast from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

As day 2 begins, there’s a review of Monday’s news headlines, a conversation about user experience with Jerome Nadel of Option and a look at water protection for mobile phones from P2i.