This week’s podcast from The Fonecast includes European & US approval for Google’s acquisition of Motorola, job cuts as Nokia restructures its manufacturing, a new type of upgrade scheme from Phones 4u and security problems for satellite phones.

As always, you can listen to the programme on our website audio player, via iTunes, by using our RSS feed or by downloading the MP3.

This week's headlines include Google and Motorola getting the go-ahead for their acquisition deal, 4000 Nokia staff losing their jobs, satellite phones being hacked, a new upgrade scheme from Phones 4u... and much more.

Cubic Telecom has signed a Mobile Virtual Network Operator agreement with Vodafone UK, enabling customers with a Maxroam SIM card to use voice, text and data services on the Vodafone network.

Maxroam had previously offered discounted mobile use when abroad but didn’t have an equivalent deal for the UK.

The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility by Google. It had investigated the plans under EU Merger Regulation rules and says it approved the transaction mainly because it would not significantly modify the market situation in respect of operating systems and patents for these devices.

In the USA, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division has closed its investigations into the Google/Motorola deal and a number of other patent acquisitions.

Apple says it’s asked the US-based Fair Labor Association to conduct audits of its final assembly suppliers, including Foxconn factories that produce iPhones and iPods in the Chinese regions of Shenzhen and Chengdu.

The first inspections took place yesterday morning.