With the development of new technology comes the problem of a lack of control. This is particularly the case where children are concerned.

If you are a parent and at a loss as to how to take control of who your children text or speak to on their mobile phone, there is an answer.

Developed by a rather unknown company in the mobile phone world, Bemilo, the new handset is aimed at parents who worry about who their children are in contact with. One of the features enables parents to control who their offspring can add as a friend to their contact book. Parents can even decide when the phone should be switched off.

Simon Goff, founder of Bemilo, said: “Unlike an app, Bemilo’s SIM will work on any mobile device or tablet, and most importantly cannot be bypassed by the child.”

Welcoming this, Katherine Rake, chief executive of the Family and Parenting Institute said that parents had wanted “something like this for a very long time.”

She added: “Parents being able to read texts means if bullying is going on they will be alerted straight off and can deal with it straight away.”

If you fancy getting your hands on this new device, it is currently only available on the Vodafone network. It is on pay as you go, with a monthly subscription of £2.95 for the parental control service.

This new idea has not been welcomed by everyone, however. Nick Pickles of Big Brother Watch believes that while the protection of children is obviously important, this maybe a step too far.

Google recently acquired the US mobile phone manufacturer Motorola, but before the sale could go through officially it had to be approved.

Interestingly, approval had already been given by the US and European authorities, but China also had a say in the matter. The authorities in this huge nation finally gave the nod to the £7.9 billion takeover.

A spokesperson for Motorola Mobility said: “We are pleased the deal has received approval in all jurisdictions. We expect to close imminently.”

The new acquisition paves the way for Google to take on the mighty Apple, which many analysts believe was the primary purpose of the buy-out. Google has for quite a while now been involved in legal wrangling over patents; Apple accused Google and Android together with partners of patent infringement.

This could well be behind Google now, as the deal with Motorola also sees the search engine giant take over all the patents owned by the US conglomerate. This apparently amounts to no fewer than 17,000 patents. Commentators believe this could finally give Google and Android much needed protection from any legal attack by Apple, or anyone else.

“Our stance since we agreed to acquire Motorola has not changed and we look forward to closing the deal,” Google spokesperson Niki Fenwick said.

As part of this deal, Google agreed with the Chinese to ensure its Android software will be free and open for the next five years.

The Metropolitan police have been accused of storing text messages and other digital information of suspects, even though they were never charged with any offence.

Perhaps even more disturbing is that the contact phone numbers of the suspects are also kept on file.

Until now, any information stored on an arrested person’s mobile phone was sent off to the forensic laboratory for testing; this is no longer happening. Instead, the police themselves are retrieving and storing the information. Moreover, they are keeping it on file indefinitely.

This latest news comes hot on the heels of revelations that News of the World journalists hacked into celebrity and other people’s mobile phones, resulting in the establishment of the Leveson Inquiry. The Metropolitan police were also accused of colluding with journalists, so this latest accusation will probably not go down well with people who found themselves arrested but not charged with a crime.

Further, it is likely to anger people who just happen to be connected with those arrested.

The news came to light when it was realised that there is currently a yearlong experiment being carried out. A new computer system is being trialled, which extracts and saves digital information that can also be printed out when a handset is plugged in. No fewer than 16 London boroughs are involved, and it is hoped that, if deemed a success, the system will be rolled out across the country.

As to be expected, this news has attracted the attention of privacy campaigners. Emma Draper of Privacy International said: “We are looking at a possible breach of human rights law.”

It seems that over 100 global network carriers are expected to offer the new Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone. Analysts also say that they expect least nine million devices to sell when the handset is officially launched.

The Galaxy S series has already become a major rival to Apple’s iPhone, which demonstrates the popularity of the Android operating system. It also appears to show that despite the success of Microsoft’s Windows Phone software in the US, the platform may struggle to improve on its market share.

What is more, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is this year’s official phone for the Olympics, which take place in the UK in about 70 days time. A spokesperson for Samsung said: “A limited edition showcase device enabled with Visa’s mobile payment application, Visa payWave, will be available for Samsung and Visa sponsored athletes and trialists.”

The Galaxy S3, which is already being heavily promoted, will be officially released on 29^th May. The handset is said to feature the largest display screen of any smartphone, at 4.8 inches.

Other features include a personal assistant that is similar to Apple’s Siri, and 50GB of online storage via Dropbox. Apple, by contrast, has its own iCloud system.

There is also another useful feature that enables the screen to remain ‘on’ by just looking at it.

If you live in the UK you will be able to get hold of the Galaxy S3 for free on a monthly contract of around £36.

Sony has confirmed that its flagship smartphone, the Xperia S, will finally be getting the Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) treatment as early as the end of May.

A spokesperson for the company said: “Xperia S is planned to get ICS somewhere around late May/early June. That’s what’s been said and that’s still what we’re sticking to.”

The spokesperson added: “Any other dates (such as June/July) is just speculation. The roll out is, as always, gradual and will not happen over night for all phones.”

It must be noted, however, that this timetable applies only to SIM-free models. Those on a contract will still have to wait until their network operator decides to upgrade.

Interestingly, the update is also thought to include other Sony handsets as well as the Xperia S. These include the Xperia Active, Xperia Arc, Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro. Also thought to be included are the Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, Xperia Pro and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman.

Android has been criticised by many in the digital world for dragging its feet over all of its updates, including those before the hybrid Ice Cream Sandwich. While everyone is hoping this timetable is correct and more importantly fulfilled, they are not holding their breath.

Further, with Android 5 also expected to be launched later in the year – probably during the autumn –Android once more may find itself in something of a pickle.

The Government has warned that around two million homes are likely to suffer some form of television disruption when 4G network installation gets under way.

Responding to a question posed in the House of Commons, Ed Vaizey, the Culture Minister, said that 945,000 households that use signal amplifiers could be affected, while the number that use communal aerials could be as many as 953,000.

Mr Vaizey does not say which areas will be most affected by the signal disruption. However, he did say that he expects the networks to pay recompense for any disruption incurred.
The 4G installation programme, while welcomed by network operators, government ministers and others, has not been universally welcomed. Sophie Chalk of the Voice of the Listener and Viewer said: “[The plans are] a major threat to the principle of universal provision in public service broadcasting.”

She added: “These proposals to sell spectrum to mobile phone operators in order to raise millions for the Treasury could remove the option of free-to-air television from millions of viewers.”

Ms Chalk went on to point out that the proposals run counter to the idea of public service broadcasting, which gives people universal access to terrestrial channels.

A new independent body called MitCo will oversee the installation plans. This will be given £180m in funding from operators who buy 4G licenses in the 800MHz range. This particular frequency is thought to affect Freeview channel signals.

MitCo has been charged with ensuring that any interference will be minimal, but critics think even this will be too much.

Image Courtesy of Apple

Google’s mobile phone interests took a step further when it announced that it intends offering early access to manufacturers of its Android operating system.

Next, Google wants to sell its mobile phones directly, bypassing the network operators. The idea, it seems, is to try to take on Apple, which Google perceives as its main rival.

What does this mean in the short term?

Well, despite Apple’s continued silence over whether the company intends offering a new iPhone 5 in the autumn, it is thought that Google wants to pre-empt this by offering the latest update of the Android platform, codenamed Jellybean, to manufacturers before the American festival of Thanks Giving, which takes place in November. This gives it time to get the phones out before Apple has got its own out on sale.

The assumption is that Apple may not release the new iPhone 5 before December. Google and its partners could then steal a march on its rival.

When asked about this story, Google management refused to confirm or deny it.

While on the surface this news looks useful for both Google and customers alike, experts also point out that the next lot of Android phones are likely to be more expensive, as they will be sold unlocked. This means that consumers would just need to insert a SIM card.

Will customers be prepared to do this rather than have the chance of getting a free phone on contract? This is possibly a big ask.

As the Olympics approaches there will be many people who want enjoy the event but are unable to watch it live, whether it is because they cannot get tickets or because they have other commitments.

However, there is now another way of keeping tabs besides the TV. This is a mobile app created by the BBC, which will mirror the broadcaster’s web site. You will now be able to watch your favourite sport without having to either take time off work or wait to watch the highlights at home.

Roger Mosey, BBC director, London 2012, said: “The London 2012 Olympic Games is likely to be the biggest sporting event in the UK in our lifetimes.”

This comment was supported by Dave Gordon, BBC Sport’s head of major events, who said: “The BBC’s coverage will ensure that our audiences need never miss a moment.” He added: “It’s serving audiences in a way we’ve never been able to do before.”

Sports fans will have a choice of 24 live streams plus the option to rewind and bookmark particular events. The app itself will also be available on Android phones as well as Apple’s iPhone.

The BBC is well known for managing to get in first with many innovative technological ideas, particularly when it comes to sport and large outdoor events. As such, the new app is likely to be a popular download.

The broadcaster, however, has not yet released any further information as to when the mobile app will be available.

LG is releasing the Optimus 4X HD, and it should be here in June.

The LG Optimus 4X HD features Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display, and NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 Quad core CPU.

Dr Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics, said: “Beyond the fast processor, superb display and largest-in-class battery, the Optimus 4X HD is the first LG smartphone to feature the new User Experience (UX).”

Dr Park added: “As the smartphone segment consolidates even further, it’s becoming more and more apparent that both great software and great hardware are crucial to stay on top of the game.”

Dr Park, however, did not elaborate on the phone’s supposed new feature.

Other specifications include an eight-megapixel camera, DLNA-support, and something called Fingertip Seek. This allows users to preview a video frame by touching the progress bar. Also featured are live zooming by pinching, video speed control and thumbnail list play. This last feature is very interesting, as it allows you to view a thumbnail version of a video while still playing another video on full screen.

In other news, NVIDIA, the company that has provided the microprocessor for the above-mentioned LG Optimus handset, has apparently bought 500 patents relating to wireless communication. This seemingly involves 4G technology as well as 3G.

A smart move, it seems, as NVIDIA believes mobile technology is set to expand radically over the next few years, and particularly wireless mobile technology.

It seems networks are effectively blacklisting websites that are perceived as corrupting, but in reality the reverse is true.

Networks are supposed to censor sites such as pornographic websites unless adults ask for the ban to be lifted.

However, it appears that while everyone thinks this is a noble way to protect children, networks are also blanket banning particular sites that they think are not suitable. This has resulted in some bizarre bans, such as a website built by residents of St Margarets in Middlesex.

This particular site acts as an online centre for the people of the village, but it also has a blog that looks into the impartiality of the BBC. Whether it is this last facet that has caused the website to be censored is not known, but some experts have argued that if true then it is an attack on free speech.

The news came about after the London School of Economics compiled a report to look at censorship. The report suggests that this blacklisting has gone too far at times, and goes on to say: “It can mean a business is cut off from a slice of its market. It can simply see people unable to get directions to a bar. It may stop a prominent political organisation from reaching concerned citizens.”

As many sites are also accessible by smartphones and other mobile gadgets, it could be a case that an individual travelling to an area may want instant information, but this is denied simply because a network has blocked it.