Mobile security company NQ Mobile has published a new report that says the number of mobile malware threats increased by 163% last year to more than 65,000. Almost all of the new malware discoveries were targeted at the Android platform.

NQ Mobile estimates that 32.8 million Android devices were infected with malware last year, which is an increase of more than 200% since 2011.

Last April, UK telecoms regulator Ofcom suggested some changes to the way non-geographic numbers are regulated.

It wanted calls to numbers that began 080 and 116 to be free from all fixed-line and mobile phones; currently some mobile operators charge for calls that are ‘free’ from fixed lines. In addition, it proposed a new tariff structure for other non-geographic calls.

Mark Bridge writes:

It’s claimed there’s recently been some dodgy equine activity in the mobile industry. No, I’m not talking about the dancing pony that promoted Three UK. I’m not even making lasagne jokes. I’m talking about the ‘Trojan horse’ threatening to monopolise the mobile marketplace.

Figures from ABI Research predict tablet sales this year will increase 38% year-on-year to approximately 150 million tablets worldwide, with the total retail value of shipments up 28% to an estimated $64 billion (£42 billion).

Around 60% of tablet shipments in 2012 were Apple iPads using the iOS operating system software while 37% ran Android or derivative platforms.

VOA News writes:

New market research has many technology experts thinking the era of the personal computer (PC) is coming to an end as consumers worldwide begin to embrace tablet computers and smartphones.