Computing company Intel has agreed to buy around 1,700 patents and patent applications from wireless technology business InterDigital.

The deal, worth $375 million, involves patents related to 3G, LTE and 802.11 technologies.

Microsoft has revealed a range of own-brand tablet computers called Surface.

At an event a few hours ago it demonstrated two Windows tablets:  one with an ARM processor running the forthcoming Windows RT platform and another with an Intel Core processor featuring Windows 8 Pro. The Windows RT model will be available in the US when Window 8 is launched later this year, while the Windows 8 Pro model will follow around three months later. There’s no mention of UK availability at the moment.

Nokia has launched a new service for UK customers called Smart Setup. Customers who buy a new Nokia Lumia smartphone can book an appointment via the Smart Setup web site and receive help over the phone.

It follows the introduction of Smart Setup in the USA a few months ago.

T-Mobile has launched new tariff options that give customers a fixed data allowance when they’re using a smartphone or mobile broadband device abroad. When the allowance is used, the data connection will stop and customers will be unable to run up any additional costs.

The smartphone options are called ‘Internet Travel Boosters’ while the options for mobile broadband devices are called ‘Broadband Travel Boosters’.

Mark Bridge writes:

Is there any product that offers as much potential for additional sales as the mobile phone?

When I visit a coffee shop to buy a coffee, I’m often asked “would you like any pastries or muffins with that?”

On the one occasion that I bought a new car, I was offered the option of paying extra for different colours, for floor mats and for a fancy stereo. When you buy a DVD player or a games console, it’s pretty obvious you’ll be paying extra for entertainment.

Yet, when you consider the variety of add-ons available in the mobile industry, I’d say smartphones were in a league of their own.