Sony Ericsson has released a promotional video for its forthcoming Xperia Play smartphone - hailed by some as the company’s ‘PlayStation Phone’ - and says the device will be launched officially on the evening of Sunday 13th February.

As well as having PlayStation-style slide-out controls, the device is being promoted as ‘PlayStation Certified’ and is expected to run version 2.3 of Android.

Mark Bridge writes:

Last December we reported on the launch of the Google Nexus S, which was being sold exclusively in the UK by the Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy UK (which is run in partnership with the Carphone Warehouse).

Visa Europe and Monitise plc have signed an agreement to develop and supply mobile payments services for banks and other financial institutions across Europe.

Monitise will work as an ‘advanced development engine’ for Visa Europe, enabling it to provide member banks with a market-ready mobile payments service in Europe.

Seven men have been sentenced to over 40 years in jail for their part in stealing £38 million from HM Revenue & Customs in a ‘missing trader’ tax fraud. A further two men will be sentenced in the next few weeks.

The fraud centred on the import and sale of mobile phones and computer parts through a chain of companies, including Sky Computers UK Ltd of Middlesex and Maxro Technology Ltd of Surrey.

Mark Bridge writes:

Last year, mobile payments seemed a lifetime away. Even Visa Europe's head of mobile wasn't overly optimistic about the likelihood of the 'mobile wallet' becoming a reality in the short-term.

This week we have not one, not two, but three mobile payment announcements.