Bono on your Blackberry. Could there be a cooler combination?

If you’re a U2 fanatic, today is an exciting day. Research In Motion is reportedly teaming with superstar recording group U2 for the release of a new mobile album.

For now, all reports are light on details. A blurb on BlackBerry.com, however, gives a quick synopsis of what appears to be a “U2 App” with music, photos, tour info and a few other morsels of insider information. As soon as more details are made available, you will be among the first to know if you sign up for an email notification on the status of the project.

Earlier this year, U2’s band manager Paul McGuiness foreshadowed “new and innovative ways to enhance the mobile music experience on the BlackBerry platform for U2 fans.”

The comments heightened speculation that a mobile album was in the works and we can now confirm the accuracy of those earlier suspicions.

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It didn’t last long.

After much controversy, the iPhone app store has dropped “Hottest Girls,” the first Apple-approved iPhone and iPod touch application to offer adult content.

The application, which serves up a host of topless models and other mature content, caused an uproar when news broke that Apple was breaking its somewhat squeaky clean reputation by including the application in its offerings.

The negative press, however, must have been too much to handle.

“Apple will not distribute applications that contain inappropriate content, such as pornography,” said Apple spokesperson Tom Neumayr. “The developer of this application added inappropriate content directly from their server after the application had been approved and distributed, and after the developer had subsequently been asked to remove some offensive content. This was a direct violation of the terms of the iPhone Developer Program. The application is no longer available on the App Store.”

Despite claims from TechCrunch, the developers of “Hottest Girls,” that they were the ones to pull the app from the store, it is becoming evident that Apple was the deciding force that ultimately pulled the plug.

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Barnes & Noble has unveiled a new B&N Bookstore application for the Apple iPhone.

Providing access to millions of books now at the touch of your finger, Barnes & Noble worked with software partners Evryx Technologies and Spotlight Mobile to design, customize, and launch the new app, which is a red-hot download so far this week.

The app lets users take a photo of a book cover and, seconds later, the user gets all the information his or her heart could possibly desire about the title, author, publisher, etc.

More importantly from a business standpoint, however, consumers can use the app to purchase or reserve a copy of their desired title directly from the application.

The decision to plunge into the mobile realm isn’t new for the book giant. B&N recently bought digital book retailer Fictionwise for close to sixteen million dollars.

Given that Barnes & Noble operates nearly eight hundred bookstores in all 50 states, there is huge potential for this seemingly long-overdue app.

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A major lawsuit is rocking the mobile world.

ASCAP, a performance rights organization abbreviated for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, isn’t happy with AT&T.

The organization claims that the ringtones supported by AT&T violates performance and copyright law when they are played in public.

As a result, ASCAP has filed suit against AT&T.

Although mobile carriers and content providers pay songwriters and music copyright owners a license fee to carry the downloadable ringtones, ASCAP contends it isn’t enough and that additional royalties are due.

Now.

The legal eagles are weighing in on both sides at this hour. And while it isn’t clear exactly what will happen, it’s unlikely that consumers will be deprived of their beloved ring tones as a result of the suit.

After all, if we want to listen to “Ice Ice Baby” when we’re in the middle of grocery shopping and our mom calls, that’s our prerogative entirely.

Not that I would know anything about that.

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go2 Media, as we’ve seen, has been busy launching a new mobile advertising service called “Dynamic Content Marketing.”

With a heavy slant on all things local, the mobile site for go2 delivers local entertainment and information to users. And because the new service allows for front pages to be “branded,” the feature bodes well for the movie industry, for whom that service is exclusively available for now.

The first campaign underway is for the Transformers sequel, “Revenge of the Fallen.”

Cutting to the chase, Transformers is an enormous beta test for go2, which is stepping up efforts considerably to brand the movie on its site and allow a one-click link to local showings of the film.

It obviously isn’t much, but it’s a start for Dynamic Content Marketing.

And if things go well for the Transformers campaign, you may very well come to see more of the same at a theatre near you.

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Microsoft has unveiled a mobile advertising agreement with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts.

In hopes of tapping into Microsoft’s search and display ad partnership with Verizon Wireless, the deal is driven by the heightened prospect of raising Hyatt hotel’s web presence and giving hotel-seekers a mobile advantage through their Gold Passport frequent guest rewards program.

Microsoft announced that Verizon Wireless subscribers will have an easier and more effective means by which to find hotels and points of interest through the mobile web. This includes, of course, finding, booking, rescheduling, and even checking out of rooms at Hyatt hotels. As you can imagine, the partnership also brings to life a number of other bells and whistles well suited for the mobile hospitality industry.

“Microsoft Mobile Advertising provides us with a compelling and scalable solution that can drive awareness, and encourages people to interact with our mobile Web site as another channel to register for our rewards program and reserve a room,” said Amy Curtis-McIntyre, senior VP of Brand Communications for Global Hyatt Corp.

“The powerful combination of Microsoft’s popular destination sites like MSN and Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Web service not only offers exceptional reach to our target audience, but provides us with an efficient solution to work with both a large publisher and service provider through one simple platform.”

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Nothing says international travel like National Geographic.

Without question, the recent announcement from the venerable brand is likely a welcome development for cosmopolitan country-hoppers.

National Geographic is rolling out what has been dubbed “the National Geographic Duet Travel Phone,” which is designed specifically for “the needs of the international traveler.”

According to the announcement, the new handset supports two SIM cards and offers additional features useful for travelers: Bluetooth, a camera, FM radio, television and 1GB storage card.

As expected, the Duet comes packed with National Geographic content like ringtones, wallpapers and travel-related videos from the National Geographic Channel.

In case you were wondering, the Duet also includes National Geographic’s pay-as-you-go National Geographic Travel SIM card, allowing affordable calling in 185 countries, free incoming calls in more than 80 countries and 30 minutes of outgoing call credit (for most countries). Users have the option of inserting another SIM card in the phone and having a secondary number and service.

There’s no question that the Duet is cool and convenient. But will a National Geographic product catch on with most young travelers who don’t equate National Geographic with much of anything considered “cool”?

Only time will tell.

For now, the National Geographic Travel Phone is available online through CellularAbroad.com, Amazon.com, Expansys-usa.com and other select retailers.

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