Nokia says its forthcoming Symbian Belle operating system, which is expected by the end of the year, will include a range of Microsoft productivity applications.

They’ll be called Microsoft Apps and will include mobile versions of Microsoft Lync and Microsoft OneNote. A further update in the first half of 2012 will introduce Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint as native applications.

In a couple of deals that echo Microsoft’s agreement with HTC in April 2010, the software giant has come to separate agreements with Acer and ViewSonic.

In Acer’s case, the two companies have “executed a patent license agreement that includes broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for Acer’s tablets and smartphones running the Android platform” - and with ViewSonic they’ve “signed a patent agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for ViewSonic’s tablets and mobile phones running the Android or Chrome Platform”.

HTC has bought a number of patent from Google in a bid to strengthen its legal case against Apple.

It’s amended its US International Trade Commission complaint, it’s amended a similar US legal case and has filed a new case as well.

HTC has revealed two new smartphones that’ll use the Windows Phone platform.

The HTC TITAN has a 4.7-inch screen in a 9.9mm aluminium casing, while the HTC Radar is formed from a single piece of aluminium and has a 3.8-inch screen. Both are expected to become available from next month.

Mark Bridge writes:

Last month, News Corporation's Rupert Murdoch said the News of the World had accounted for just 1% of his global business. It's a figure that put the overall size of News Corp into perspective.

This week, some analysis of Microsoft's financial results seems to suggest Windows Phone is only generating a similarly small percentage for its parent.