Rumors are circulating that the Symbian Foundation is finally nearing the end, falling under the pressure of Android and iOS in the smartphone race.

The Nokia-backed consortium has been hit with massive member departures and a complete lack of funding to keep its momentum strong enough to continue its fight.  As a result, the board managing the Foundation has asked its new executive director to close operations.  The Foundation itself wouldn’t confirm or deny the report, but stated its board is reviewing strategy.  ”The future business strategy for the Symbian Foundation is still under review by the board,” the group said.  ”As no decisions have been made, we will not be offering further comment.”

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Zoove, the provider of branded “dial codes” — which aim to go above and beyond short codes in terms of technology and marketing potential — today announced the launch of the “National Mobile Dial Code Registry” and the general availability of StarStar Codes for brands and trademark holders.

StarStar Codes are branded mobile phone numbers that begin with “**,” such as “**BRAND,” and act much like short codes in terms of functionality, but aren’t limited to five digits.  With StarStar Codes, marketers can then interact with the consumer via content delivered to their phone such as a coupon, web page, picture or video, text message or application.  Callers can also be connected directly with a call center or IVR system, and many of these responses can be delivered in combination.  For example, callers can be greeted with a custom voice message and then sent to a web page on their phone to view product information, contact sales or request more information.

The company has already been leasing StarStar Codes to early adopters, and has even signed with Verizon to integrate its technology for mobile marketing campaigns.  With the launch of its registry, StarStar codes are now ready for prime time.  ”As people are increasingly using mobile phones to find out about upcoming arts events, music shows or even to decide where to go next during a night out, being able to connect with consumers using a mobile phone is an increasingly important capability,” said Marci Weisler, Digital Business Director of Time Out North America. “Through our unique StarStar Code, **TONY, Zoove gives our users a really simple way to access and download our mobile application without searching and seeking, in a streamlined way. Quick access is important if the user needs information immediately to decide where to go. While other technologies have attempted to close this loop, Zoove’s StarStar Dialing is the first that allows us to secure easy to remember, branded Mobile Dial Codes.”

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AT&T is partnering with Major League Soccer and the U.S. Soccer Federation to secure a very cool title: the “official communications sponsor” of MLS and the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National teams.

Distributing original mobile content tailored to soccer fans is becoming the growing aspiration of many telecommunications companies, and it’s clearly the mobile marketing priority for AT&T at the moment.

According to the official announcement, AT&T will deliver extensive “behind-the-scenes content” ranging from pre-game player interviews to post-game memorable highlights.

This newer and more comprehensive agreement builds upon AT&T’s existing sponsorship of the Mexican National Team and InterLiga.

“We’re pleased to associate our brand with this world-class game that’s arguably the most popular sport around the globe,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer at AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We look forward to working closely with Major League Soccer and the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams to better connect soccer fans around the world to the excitement of the game through our leading edge technology and platforms – AT&T mobility, broadband, voice and video services.”

For more info on the sponsorship deal and how to get access to all the features it brings with it, please check out http://fanzone.att.net

For a while, it seemed that beer companies missed the boat (and missed an opportunity) to get on the mobile marketing bandwagon.

But not Coors. In fact, they are literally on the boat.

Molson Coors – through their subsidiary Different World Drinks – is now working with Adeye to produce a mobile marketing campaign to its “specialty beers,” which include: Kasteel Cru, Grolsch Weizen, Dos Equis and Blue Moon.

According to the official announcement, Adeye has already used a range of innovative mobile marketing and live promotional techniques to help Different World Drinks showcase its beers at a “boat launch in Bristol Docks for its top 30 regional customers” yesterday.

Fittingly, invitations for the big party were sent out via SMS.

And from the looks of it, the mobile bells and whistles proved a bigger hit than the beer, as bluetooth technology was also in full bloom on the docks as various beer brands were promoted right on guests’ mobile phones.

Based on the successful response to its new efforts, Coors is poised to take its aims to newer, higher levels.

Gavin Hogg, sales manager at Molson Coors said: “Mobile is definitely the way forward for our industry and also allows us to build valuable marketing data and help our clients target customers directly, wherever they are.”

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.

It seems like a match made in mobile heaven.

Monitise has announced a “global strategic alliance agreement” with Visa International Service Association, a subsidiary of Visa Inc.

The reported five-year agreement combines “Visa’s unmatched reach, payments expertise and trusted brand with the Monitise Mobile Money platform and toolkit.”

Basically, Monitise will be an enormously helpful vehicle for Visa’s already teeming offering of mobile services (including payments, transaction alerts and special offers) by providing support and even greater reach to the millions of Visa customers with mobile phones.

Although not many details have yet emerged, the news of the partnership is considered significant and an incredibly beneficial arrangement for Visa, which in recent months, has found increased competition in the mobile marketing realm from both Mastercard and American Express.

According to the announcement by Monitise, the five year contract value amounts to $13 million dollars.

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.