Almost any device with email connectivity – from PCs and laptops to mobile phones and tablet computers – can send documents to one of HP's forthcoming printers. The new HP ePrint platform uses 'cloud computing' to receive documents from anywhere in the world.

Each compatible printer will have its own unique email address, allowing users to print a document simply by sending an email. (Full details of the way this'll work haven't been explained yet). An HP ePrint mobile application will offer additional options. Customers will be able to send a range of popular document formats including Microsoft Office files, Google Docs, Adobe PDFs and JPEG images.

It's relatively unusual for companies to campaign for more regulation… but that's what Sony Ericsson is doing. The mobile manufacturer has formed an alliance with Acer, Dell and Hewlett-Packard – along with ChemSec, Clean Production Action and the European Environmental Bureau – calling on EU legislators to ban the use of all brominated flame retardants (BFR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in electronics put on the market from end of 2015 onwards.

This week's edition of The Fonecast is full of big names. HP acquires Palm, HTC and Microsoft do a deal over Android, Apple sells a million iPads - and handset sales show some dramatic increases.

Technology company HP has agreed to purchase smartphone manufacturer Palm for a total of approximately $1.2 billion. It's a 'friendly' takeover that has been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors. Palm shareholders will receive $5.70 in cash for each Palm share they hold when the merger is completed. The transaction is expected to close by the end of July.