We start this week with a look at troubled UK retailer HMV before moving on to research that sheds new light on mobile data usage.

You'll also find a new mapping app, increasing free WiFi coverage, a phone service designed for children and preliminary quarterly results from Samsung and Nokia.

Mark Bridge writes:

Oh, how the mobile industry loves a superlative. Much like the work ethic celebrated by Daft Punk (or Kanye West, if you prefer), it’s always looking for a new angle.

NTT Docomo says it’s working on a mobile phone that’s aimed specifically at pre-teen children and teenagers who are upper elementary and junior high school students in Japan.

The Smartphone for Juniors SH-05E is being manufactured by Sharp and will go on sale in early February.

Seven major mobile network operators - KPN, NTT DOCOMO, Rogers, SingTel, Telefónica, Telstra and Vimpelcom - have formed an alliance that’ll see them working together on machine-to-machine (M2M) projects.

The initiative is also open to other operators.

Mark Bridge writes:

It’s time for my summary of last week’s mobile industry news… and what a week it’s been. Not just for me – I made my first-ever visit to Over The Air on Friday – but for the world of mobile devices.

By incorporating advanced algorithms and machine learning capabilities, AI can help to optimize a smartphone's performance, providing users with a faster, more efficient and user-friendly experience.

Mark Bridge writes:

I've been taking a look back at the devices I've written about during the past few years. Some are still faithful companions, others... well, let's just say my faith was misplaced.

Mark Windle, head of marketing at OpenCloud, predicts that this year’s reduction in the number of traditional telecoms operators in some countries will provide an opportunity for other operators to innovate and capture market share in 2016.

He says next year will be a year of rapid change for telecoms… whether it’s MVNO disruption, competitive tariff pricing or simply defence from the ‘dark art’ of hacking.

Mark Bridge writes:

The most memorable moments in life often go unrecorded. You don't have your camera in your hands. Your finger is still hovering over the 'pause' button on your audio recorder. Or you were simply too busy experiencing whatever was happening. It's all about the one that got away.

That's where Kapture can help.

Mark Bridge writes:

James Rosewell shows me a colourful roll of paper that's the width of an iPhone but well over three metres long. When I look closer, I can see it's a printed copy of the Wall Street Journal's mobile website. That's a lot of scrolling to do... and a pretty unfriendly user experience for anyone reading the news online. Why does it work so badly?

Iain, James and Mark take a look back at the mobile industry's high points and low spots from 2011. Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung and RIM all come under the spotlight, along with legal action, mobile payments and tablet sales.

Iain, James and Mark look at all the top mobile industry headlines from the past couple of weeks... covering everything from BlackBerry results to tweeting in court. They'll be back on Friday with a review of 2011.

Iain, James and Mark do their best to predict what'll be happening in the mobile industry next year - and also take a look at how accurate their 2011 predictions were. Expect some surprises... and a few excuses, too!

We've brought together a handful of experts and business leaders to discover what they think will happen in the mobile telecom industry next year. Listen to predictions for 2012 from Hans Eriksson, Steve Litchfield, Mark Smith, Windsor Holden and Jack Wraith.

Iain, James and Mark discuss the week's mobile industry headlines... starting with HP and webOS, then mentioning Samsung, Panasonic, Ofcom, Jawbone, Everything Everywhere, RIM and Google, before ending with a new retail scheme from O2.