Google has announced financial results for the first three months of this year.

Revenue was up 27% on the same quarter in 2010, reaching $8.58 billion.

Mark Bridge writes:

Oh, those nasty mobile networks. They're robbing us blind… at least, that's what you might think if you've been reading the headlines this week.

Mobile users 'overpaying by £200', said the BBC. £5bn 'wasted' on mobile phone bills, said the Financial Times. It's the wrong tariff, Gromit!, said Telecom TV after hitting the Wensleydale.

Channel 4 News reports that Everything Everywhere has suspended its 10% handling charge for text message donations to charities. The company, which is responsible for the Orange and T-Mobile UK networks, says it's unlikely to reinstate the charge.

UK networks started cutting the costs of SMS donations in 2009, with O2 and Vodafone removing all admin charges last summer. This move was followed recently by Virgin Mobile and Three.

Juniper Research has published a new report that forecasts rapid adoption of Near Field Communication services over the next three years.

It expects there to be almost 300 million NFC-capable smartphones by 2014; the equivalent of at least 1 in 5 worldwide. Half all those NFC smartphones are expected to be in North America, followed by Western Europe.

The International Data Corporation has reported the first contraction in the worldwide PC market since the end of the recent recession. It says year-on-year PC shipments dropped 3.2% in the first quarter of 2011.

A cautious business mentality and waning consumer enthusiasm combined with an increase in fuel and commodity prices are being blamed.