In connection with its developer conference this week, Google unveiled much-needed changes to its Android Market to improve discoverability of apps as its catalog surpasses 200,000 titles. The revamped storefront features new charts showing top free and paid apps, an editor's choice section, recommendations of related apps based on others' selections, and a showcase of trending apps.

That year-of-mobile meme just won't die. The big breakthrough year for mobile advertising has been predicted for so long it's become something of a tired running joke within the industry. Nevertheless, there seemed to be agreement during the morning panel sessions at the Mobile Upfront event in New York today that 2010 was indeed the long-heralded year of mobile. Proponents pointed to Apple's unveiling of iAd, the iPad and the explosive growth of Android as evidence.

With its proposed $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype announced today, Microsoft has taken another step toward bolstering its mobile business and catching up with major rivals such as Apple and Google in the smartphone race.

What most brands call their mobile strategy really just amounts to a collection of mobile tactics, according to Altimeter Group analyst Jeremiah Owyang. In a new blog post based on a presentation he gave at the recent Mobile Marketing Strategies Summit in San Francisco, he argues companies should look at how their customers use mobile technologies and build a strategy accordingly.

Research from Nielsen Thursday on how tablets are eating into the use of PCs and laptops as well as newer devices like e-readers stirred a buzz in the tech blogosphere. Yes, the tablet drives another nail in the coffin of the traditional desktop computer in the era of cloud computing and portable machines.

President Obama may not be releasing a photo of Osama bin Laden's body, but another photo connected to the Al Quaeda leader's killing is getting lots of media attention -- he one of Obama and top government officials huddled in the White House's Situation Room, transfixed as they watch the raid on bin Laden's compound unfold in real-time. But where's the mobile gear?

The report today that Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are pulling back on their ambitious plan to launch a mobile payments system to compete with Visa and MasterCard sounds all too familiar. The history of ventures formed to launch mobile payments in recent years has been fraught with frustration and failure because of the difficulty in getting all the big stakeholders -- carriers, financial institutions, handset makers, software providers and retailers -- to agree on a strategy and implement it.

Whether to invest in building a mobile-specific site or a mobile application has been one of the debates defining mobile advertising in the last two or three years. But it's a false choice, according to Forrester mobile analyst Thomas Husson.

A recent study by male-centric cable network Spike TV found that half the 1,018 men surveyed said they were "addicted" to their smartphones. Well, I guess guys are really into their iPhones, Android devices, BlackBerrys or whatever other high-end device they have. Wait a second. A survey last month from Baby Center found 51% of moms are also "addicted" to their smartphones. Hold it, you mean smartphones are popular among both sexes?