Over 2 billion mobile phone and tablet users will make some form of mobile commerce transaction by the end of 2017, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

That’s up from an anticipated 1.6 billion people this year.

Facebook has announced its latest quarterly earnings figures and has also revealed details of the social network’s mobile-based users.

The number of monthly active users (MAUs) was up 15% year-on-year to 1.28 billion, with mobile MAUs up 34% to 1.01 billion.

Facebook has agreed to acquire virtual reality company Oculus VR in a deal worth approximately $2 billion (£1.2 billion).

Oculus VR has become well-known for its ‘immersive’ virtual reality technology, having received more than 75,000 development kit orders for its Oculus Rift 3D virtual reality headset.

Facebook has agreed to acquire cross-platform instant messaging app WhatsApp for around $16 billion (£9.6 billion).

The deal to buy the five-year-old company includes $4 billion in cash and around $12 billion in Facebook shares.

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?

This week Iain Graham, Mark Bridge and James Rosewell cover a wide range of industry headlines in The Fonecast, from dealer clawback and dodgy ads to irresponsible text messaging and internet search. There’s even time for a quick preview of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smartphone.

Iain Graham, Mark Bridge and James Rosewell discuss the latest mobile industry news in this week's edition of The Fonecast. There's also a feature about the new Nokia 'Comes With Music' service and a preview of the 8-megapixel LG KC910 camera phone.

In The Fonecast this week, host Iain Graham is joined by the usual team of Mark Bridge and James Rosewell for a look at the latest industry news. Iain talks to James Tagg, CEO of Truphone, about the mobile VoIP company’s plans for the future – plus there’s also time for a preview of the new Nokia N79.

Iain Graham, Mark Bridge and James Rosewell from the The Fonecast discuss the week's mobile industry headlines. They also look at the developments in Mobile VoIP and review the 5-megapixel LG KC550.

Iain Graham, Mark Bridge and James Rosewell celebrate the hundredth edition of The Fonecast this week. There's also an interview with James Browning from 20:20 Logistics, a review of the Samsung i8510 and a look at the week's industry headlines.