The European Patent Office says 2012 was a record year, with more patent filings and grants than ever before.

Last year, the EPO received 257,744 patent filings from around the world: a 5.2% increase from the previous year.

Following the recent launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform and the Z10 smartphone, the company has recently received its largest-ever purchase order.

It’s described the customer as an established partner but hasn’t given any more details, although the purchaser could well be the US government.

Vodafone has decided not to renew its sponsorship deal with McLaren after the 2013 Formula 1 motor racing season finishes.

The mobile network is ‘title partner’ and official communications provider for what’s currently known as the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team.

David Akka writes:

The issue of choosing the right MDM solution has become more and more pressing, especially for companies implementing a Bring Your Own Device policy. The market place is becoming increasingly crowded with 50 or so vendors who now position themselves as MDMs. Some vendors offer application sharing, some multitenant management, other vendors have a heritage in security or a different strength all together. For organisations considering which option is best it is important to discern between the best known names or the most expensive solutions and select an MDM solution that is fit for purpose.

Andy Rubin, who’d been responsible for the Android operating system as Google’s Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital Content, is moving to a new role at Google.

Sundar Pichai, who’d previously managed Chrome for Google, will now lead Android.