Mark Bridge writes:

Atria Books, part of the Simon & Schuster publishing family, has released what it’s calling the first-ever smart book. A thousand copies of ‘The Impulse Economy’ by Gary Schwartz will have an NFC sticker attached, providing a web link to book-related content.

Hmmm. That’s not really a smart book, is it?  The same kind of logic means my NFC credit card turns my wallet into a ‘smart wallet’ and transforms the pocket of my jeans into ‘smart jeans’. It means my NFC-equipped smartphone is a smart smartphone.

With Iain away this week, Mark and James discuss the week's mobile industry news - from Nokia's new Windows Phone handsets to Samsung's success and a multi-million pound investment in mobile money.

Nokia and independent WiFi provider Spectrum Interactive are trialling a free WiFi service on some of the busiest streets in London, including Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road.

It’s available from today for the rest of the year from hotspot locations in 26 telephone boxes owned by Spectrum Interactive. If the trial proves a success, the companies plan a large-scale rollout across London from early 2012.

Juniper Research predicts that the total redemption value of mobile coupons will exceed $43 billion globally by 2016, eight times more than this year’s anticipated m-coupon total of $5.4 billion.

Its new report says mobile coupons are increasingly delivered by mobile apps. It notes that innovative targeting techniques are being used to deliver mobile coupons to users based on more than just their location, with lifestyle, work patterns, social networking and gaming opportunities all becoming factors.

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has produced a series of maps showing coverage of digital communications services, including outdoor mobile coverage and mobile broadband availability.

The maps have been created from data supplied by communications providers.