Mark Bridge writes:

A report in The Independent says Apple won't be putting a Near Field Communication chip in the next version of the iPhone. Although Apple is thought to be working on its own NFC service connected to iTunes, it's said to be "concerned by the lack of a clear standard across the industry".

On the surface, that phrase doesn’t make sense.

Mark Bridge writes:

Sadly we’re ending the week with yet another natural disaster. Barely two weeks after New Zealand’s earthquake comes news of Japan’s biggest quake in living memory.

Still, I’m here to talk about mobile phones, so – after a quick mention of the great work being done by the Red Cross – I’ll get on with it.

Microsoft says it's delayed its forthcoming Windows Phone 7 update, which is due to add copy-and-paste functionality and other updated features to the company's mobile platform.

The first WP7 update, designed to improve the update process itself, caused problems with some devices when it was released last month.

Mark Bridge writes:

In recent weeks there’s been a lot of talk about the partnership between Nokia and Microsoft. But taking a look at today’s Form 20-F - the annual report that Nokia is filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission - provides a valuable reminder that nothing’s set in stone.

Rovio, the Finnish company that created the Angry Birds series of games, has acquired a $42 million investment. The funding round was led by venture capital firms Accel Partners and Atomico Ventures with participation from the Felicis Ventures fund as well.

As part of the deal, Niklas Zennström of Atomico Ventures - the man who co-founded Skype, Kazaa and Rdio - will be joining the board of Rovio.