As of last Friday, Orange is charging pay as you go (PAYG) customers an additional 25 per cent on calls and an additional 20 per cent on texts.

A recent report showed that income derived from voice calls has dropped for mobile phone service companies. However, that does not mean mobile phone service providers are suffering.

Kevin Russell, the head of the UK mobile phone network 3 (Three) is upset by the way that mobile phone tariffs are being advertised in the UK. His comments come after a ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in which a claim made by rival network Orange was challenged.

It seems that Orange and T-Mobile have been busy joining forces: on 11 May 2010 the two companies announced the name of a new joint venture company. Whilst still remaining as separate entities to a certain extent, Orange and T-Mobile UK will now also be operating as “Everything Everywhere Ltd”.

On my desk sits a sleek, hot, fashionable, all-the-bells-and-whistles mobile phone. It goes where I go, is on whether I am awake or asleep, and everyone has the number. In my desk drawer is a Samsung E1120 from Orange – for which I paid £10 at Asda. There’s no contract attached, it’s pay-as-you-go, so I don’t feel pressure to carry or use it. In fact most of the time, it’s in my drawer. But I’ve very glad to have it.

Dick Tracy had one in the 1940s. In the 1980s, it was Michael Knight. Now, you can have one too. What is it? It’s a WatchPhone!