Last month, Strategy Analytics calculated that global smartphone shipments had grown by 44% year-on-year to reach 117 million units in the third quarter of 2011, while total global handset shipments were up 14% to 390 million units.

Now Gartner has released its calculations. It says worldwide sales of mobile devices were up 5.6% year-on-year to 440.5 million units, with 460 million units actually sold to retailers.

From this week, the UK’s Financial Services Authority requires mobile phone conversations and text messages to be recorded by certain regulated financial organisations.

In addition, these firms will need to take ‘reasonable steps’ to make sure employees don’t conduct any regulated business on private mobiles.

The BBM Music service from Research In Motion has gone live in the UK, charged at £4.99 per month after the 60-day free trial ends.

The downloadable app, which was revealed in August, lets users save up to 50 music tracks on their BlackBerry device.

Nokia is planning a unique music and light show at the Millbank Tower next to the River Thames in London on Monday 28th November.

Canadian music producer deadmau5 will be working with 4D projection artists for a unique audiovisual show that’ll be visible from both sides of the river. The performance will include two new tracks specially composed for the event.

Last month we reported on Charles Dunstone’s investment in Swedish mobile payment business iZettle. Today iZettle has launched its product commercially.

Registered users (currently just in Sweden) need to download a free app to their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch and order a plug-in card reader from iZettle. They’re then able to take ‘chip and PIN’ payments whenever they want.