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Apple announced Monday that over 2 billion apps have been downloaded from its App Store since the e-commerce site's launch in July 2008, and the pace continues to accelerate, according to chief executive Steve Jobs.

Apple Inc said on Monday that downloads from its iTunes applications store had passed 2 billion and that it now has more than 85,000 apps available for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The mobile music landscape is very much a study in good news, bad news.

South Korea's KT Corp, which is holding talks to sell Apple's iPhone in South Korea, plans to introduce 3G smartphones supporting WiFi and mobile WiMAX from Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, its chief strategy officer told Reuters.

France Telecom's Orange will start selling the popular Apple iPhone in Britain later this year, it said on Monday, when the exclusive contract held by Telefonica's O2 will expire.

China Unicom, the country's No. 2 mobile carrier, will begin to sell Apple Inc's iPhone in China for a retail price of 5,000 yuan ($732.50), as it leans on the phone to launch its 3G service.

China Unicom, the country's No.2 mobile carrier, said on Monday that Apple's popular iPhone will retail in China for 5,000 yuan ($732.50), above market expectation, as it seeks to build up its 3G service.

O2, Palm Pre's exclusive carrier when it comes to the UK from 16 October, has announced pricing for the iPhone rival which will cost the same in monthly charges as Apple's 3GS device.

Twitter closed a new round of funding on Friday with five investors including mutual fund giant T. Rowe Price and private equity firm Insight Venture Partners, underscoring growing investor interest in the three-year-old Internet microblogging service.

As reported earlier this week, AT&T began to deliver multimedia messaging service (MMS) for iPhones in the U.S. on Friday.

Fed anticipates; G20's Shift; BofA Urges

Vanguard Group Inc wants to help investors watch their money while they're on the go, even as it wonders how much interest its long-term oriented customers have in minute-by-minute updates.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion could see its share of the smartphone market eroded by competing devices like Apple's iPhone, analysts warned on Friday as RIM's stock plunged more than 16 percent in the wake of a disappointing profit and outlook report.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion said on Thursday its profit dropped and gave an outlook that fell short of analyst forecasts heading into the holiday shopping season, sending its shares down almost 10 percent.

Research In Motion is expected to forecast strong gains for its current quarter on Thursday as it gets set to update its BlackBerry smartphones for consumers and business users.

Apple may soon see a to their revenue thanks to revisions of reporting rules made Wednesday finalized by the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

Vodafone launched a Web service meshing social networks, contacts and entertainment in a bid to fend off stiff competition from Apple,, Google and Nokia.

U.S. accounting rule makers approved a change in reporting regulations on Wednesday that might benefit technology companies such as Apple Inc , allowing them to recognize more revenue when products are sold.

Google Inc expects to buy one small company a month as it rekindles its acquisition engine and moves beyond the worst phase of the global recession, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said in an interview on Wednesday.

Apple Inc. received approval from an industry group to block rival Palm Inc.'s Pre phone from connecting with iTunes software.

Ever since it launched the Pre, smartphone maker Palm Inc has been quite the belle of the ball, if deal chatter is any indication.