Facebook has acquired cross-platform mobile messaging service Beluga. The service works with most mobile devices and desktop web browsers, enabling users to send individual or group instant messages.

In a statement on their website, the Beluga management team said “Beluga and Facebook are committed to create new and better ways to communicate and share group experiences. For now, Beluga will continue to function as it does today. We'll be providing more details on future plans for Beluga in the coming weeks.”

Mobile ticket technology company Masabi says the mobile rail ticket purchase application it developed for thetrainline.com now supports most smartphones and conventional handsets.

Mobile users can search train times and buy tickets using a credit or debit card before picking up their tickets at the station. The application will also display tickets as secure on-screen barcodes when rail operators start supporting this feature.

History is full of product names that didn't translate very well. Some people can't think about the Lancia Y10 without hearing chicken noises - while Portuguese purchasers of Kagome fruit juices probably think of a less-pleasant sound.

The latest on the list is the HTC ChaCha 'Facebook phone', which is being renamed for the Spanish market.

A new report from Juniper Research says the worldwide Mobile Entertainment market was worth $33 billion last year, with this figure expected to reach $54 billion in 2015. It says the rise will be driven by smartphone adoption and an increase consumer-oriented application downloads.

The combination of app stores and smartphones are described as having created 'an unprecedented level of awareness and usage of services' including social media, games, video and streamed music.

Mobile security company Lookout has found more than 50 applications in the Android Market that were infected with a new type of malware called DroidDream. Google has now removed all of the infected apps from their store.

The rogue applications can send information from the smartphone and can also allow additional software to be installed remotely.