The Mobile Marketing Association announced on July 1 it has released the latest version - its fourth - of its US Consumer Best Practices Guidelines for Cross-Carrier Mobile Content Services. MMA updates the guidelines twice a year.

Taking advantage of the fact that mobile applications continue to gain traction, Google has introduced a new way to sell ads on the mobile phone. The new product, called AdSense for Mobile Applications, lets advertisers place text and image ads within mobile applications. Urbanspoon, a restaurant and bar directory on the iPhone that lets mobile users search for restaurants based on their location, worked with Google on its test phase.

The Publishers Clearing House Online Network has launched a new mobile site for the iPhone and iPod Touch devices. The new mobile site, at www.pch.com/iphone, lets visitors enter the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes once per day.

Just in time for the summer bicycle-riding season, outdoor retailer REI has launched a new iPhone app that helps consumers monitor and share their biking experiences.

Virgin Mobile USA has launched Broadband2Go, a 3G nationwide wireless Internet service, bringing 3G level wireless Internet to the pay-as-you-go mobile service. The Internet service was developed in conjunction with Novatel Wireless and runs on the Sprint Nationwide Network on Virgin's MC760 Broadband2Go device.

At Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference today, the computer maker announced its latest update to the iPhone OS and a new handset model, the 3GS, which will make rich media easier to interact with and expanding the reach of consumer base. The price of the current 8 GB iPhone 3G, which will remain on the market, drops to $99, effective today with the announcement.

Mobile marketing represents 1.8% of all marketing expenditures in 2009, and while this may seem like a small number, the average mobile marketing budgets are growing by 26% per year, according to research by Peter Johnson, VP of market intelligence and strategy at the Mobile Marketing Association, presented today at the MMA Forum in New York. This growth, it should be noted, is happening when marketers are seeing a 7% drop in their average marketing budgets.

On May 26, Nokia launched its Ovi Store, an online software and content repository, to an estimated 50 million Nokia device owners worldwide.

Indiana-based HotBox Pizza has found the second time the charm for its mobile loyalty and rewards program. After only a month in test drive, the new program, which is being powered by mobile services firm Tetherball, has already seen a 24% redemption rate from the opt-in offer and a 10% redemption rate on the proceeding coupons.

According to The Kelsey Group's Annual Forecast, local advertising is shrinking. In 2008, the market size of the US local media and advertising market was estimated at $155.3 billion.