It was announced today that mobile location-based infrastructure provider Location Labs has acquired two companies — mobile development platform Wirkle and group messaging provider Volly.

Location Labs has largely been known to provide an underlying location-based infrastructure for mobile apps, but has recently transitioned into a provider of specialized location-based services for niches such as family safety and safe driving.  Both Wirkle with its development platform and Volly with its group mobile messaging solution fit nicely with Location Labs’s future plans, making both acquisitions timely and relevant for the company.

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Google Wallet has been updated to include a variety of new features, an improved UI for the transaction detail screen and several bug fixes, according to the search giant.

For those unfamiliar, Google Wallet is a new service that allows users to make mobile payments from their mobile devices using Google Prepaid Cards or a Citi MasterCard.  At the moment, the service is extremely limited — only available to users rocking Sprint’s Nexus S 4G — but availability to other phones and carriers should be announced in the coming months.

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The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has published a new whitepaper on location based services marketing.

The whitepaper underscores the MMA’s commitment to expanding knowledge about and familiarity with Location Based Services (LBS).

“Mobile Location Based Services Marketing” was created by the MMA Privacy and Preferences Committee.

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ShopKick, the mobile shopping app with a unique twist on location-based engagement, has come out with impressive numbers detailing how the startup has grown since its launch in August of last year.

ShopKick forgoes the ever-popular “checkin” concept and instead uses a proprietary signaling method.  When someone using one of ShopKick’s free mobile apps walks into a store that has integrated the ShopKick system, a signal is detected and the app subsequently delivers reward points called “kickbucks” to the user.  Kickbucks are rewarded for anything the store desires, such as simply walking into the store, or actions such as trying on clothes, scanning a product barcode and more.  These kickbucks can then be redeemed across all partner stores for gift card rewards or for Facebook Credits.  Users can also receive special discounts on specific products at partners stores like Macy’s, Best Buy or Target.

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While the popularity of location-based services like Foursquare, Gowalla and many others have been in the spotlight over the last couple years, their popularity with mobile consumers might not match the hype.

According to a recent study conducted by Pew Research, checking in via geosocial services like Foursquare are the least popular activity among smartphone users.  While more than half of the smartphone owners in the survey of 2,277 adults report accessing social networks, sending photos and viewing email, just 12% of smartphone owners say they use checkin services.  Not surprising, the most popular activity was sending SMS messages.

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Location-based mobile marketing provider Placecast has unveiled a new self-serve option of its popular “ShopAlerts” platform.

We’ve covered Placecast’s ShopAlerts service quite a bit on MMW, and it’s gained significant traction since its introduction.  The service has garnered big-name clients like The North Face and AT&T who want to leverage the latest concepts in location-based marketing.  With the new self-serve version, merchants can now create, deliver and track redemption of mobile promotions via a simple Web-based portal.

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It was announced recently that Ace Marketing & Promotions — known primarily for their location-based (proximity) marketing solution — is expanding its network (known as the Mobiquity Network) to an additional 50 malls in the third quarter of 2011, bringing the total to 67 malls across the U.S.

Ace’s mobile technology allows advertisers to deliver offers and rich media content via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi as shoppers pass by — without the need to download apps or be tracked by GPS.  At the heart of the network are small units provided by “out-of-home mall media specialist” EYE.  EYE’s units enhanced with Ace’s mobile technology are strategically positioned near entrances, anchor stores, escalators and other high-traffic and high dwell-time areas throughout each mall to maximize advertising messaging reach and frequency.

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