China Unicom talks iPhone

China Unicom chief executive Chang Xiaobing confirms the company is in talks with Apple about introducing the iPhone in China, but didn't give details on the progress of the talks, reports CNNMoney.

"We are in talks with many handset suppliers, including Apple," said Chang. Unicom's larger rival, China Mobile, has been in talks with Apple for over a year with no agreement so far.

An exclusive deal with Apple to distribute the popular phone in China would give China Unicom a much-needed competitive edge over its larger rival, analyst Sherrie Huang of telecom research firm Ovum said in a recent note.

The speed and scale of the world's love affair with mobile phones was revealed in a UN report last week that showed more than half the global population now pays to use one, states Taipei Times.

The survey, by the International Telecommunications Union, an agency of the UN, also found that nearly a quarter of the world's 6.7 billion people use the Internet.

But it is the breathtaking growth of cellular technology that is doing more to change society, particularly in developing countries where a lack of effective communications infrastructure has traditionally been one of the biggest obstacles to economic growth.

It may not have made a huge splash in the US, but WiMax coverage continues to grow in many international markets, says PC World.

According to the WiMax Forum, about 100 carriers worldwide will offer the 4G wireless technology for the first time this year.

That number was first quoted in an InformationWeek article last week. Although the Forum has not published a report with that estimate, its marketing director Scenna Tabesh confirmed it in a phone call with the Industry Standard. "It's an estimate we firmly stand behind," she said.