Mobile security business Lookout has published a study into lost mobile phones and has launched an interactive website to reveal when and where phones are frequently mislaid.

The company analysed data from more than 15 million users worldwide, discovering that a user’s location was a significant factor when it came to phone loss.

We start today’s podcast with some big-name departures, as RIM welcomes a new Chief Executive and Yahoo! says goodbye to one of its founders.

There’s plenty more, too - from impressive quarterly results to unsuccessful mobile insurance fraud.

A man from Harrow has been fined and given an evening curfew after pleading guilty to wasting police time.

Pedro Barreto had claimed his mobile phone was stolen during a mugging last November but later admitted making up the story in order to claim on his phone insurance.

HM Revenue & Customs has released details of a £250 million VAT fraud that generated its money from the supposed import and export of mobile phones. A number of people were arrested in July 2003, with the first sentences being handed down in 2008, although reporting restrictions prevented details of the crimes being published at the time.

Fifteen people have now been sentenced in six separate trials.

Mark Bridge writes:

As 2011 draws to a close, many of us start looking towards 2012 and wondering what’ll be happening in the mobile phone industry. Here at The Fonecast we’ve invited a handful of industry experts and business leaders to offer us their thoughts about the coming year.

Today’s podcast contains analysis and insight from Hans Eriksson, Steve Litchfield, Dr Windsor Holden, Dr Mark Smith and Jack Wraith MBE.