Facebook has enhanced the iOS version of its Messenger application to enable users in the USA to speak to each other without paying call charges.

The VoIP feature was originally launched in Canada earlier this month.

Mobile search is a hot topic again. Earlier this year we reported on mazoom.mobi, an internet search engine designed in the UK for smartphones, and now another mobile-optimised search provider has launched.

Kickvox claims to be the first of its kind, offering “a visual, integrated and categorised search experience that is designed exclusively for mobile devices”.

Research In Motion says its forthcoming BlackBerry 10 platform has received FIPS 140-2 certification, which means it meets security standards demanded by government departments in the USA and Canada. As a result, government agencies will be able to use BlackBerry 10 smartphones as soon as they’re launched.

This is the first time that BlackBerry products have been FIPS-certified before going on sale.

Sony Computer Entertainment says it’ll start the full-scale launch of PlayStation Mobile in the autumn.

The service, previously named PlayStation Suite, will bring Sony PlayStation games to a variety of mobile devices. This initial launch will include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK and the USA.

Earlier this year Starbucks introduced its iPhone mobile payment app to the UK - and the coffee company has now added an Android app as well.

The new Android app, which is also launching in Canada, enables customers to pay via a Starbucks Card account using an on-screen barcode. It’s also possible to manage a card account, check loyalty rewards and find local stores.