A new handset running on the AT&T network is the first to combine standard cellphone service with satellite radio. It means the handset will fit in your pocket but make calls even in areas with no cellphone reception – but at a price.

There are a growing number of phone apps which take advantage of the way cellphones work to provide location-based tools such as navigation. But now one of the biggest firms in the Global Positioning System marker it making its own handset.

Walmart is undercutting Amazon by offering the Palm Pre for just $79.99. But even that’s more expensive than in Europe where a network is offering the handset free of charge with a service plan.

It’s been another week of mixed news for Palm over its Pre handset. The device will likely get a boost in sales thanks to a major price cut by Amazon, but it appears Verizon has ditched plans to carry the handset on its network.

New rules on the way firms prepare their accounts could lead to a much rosier picture for smartphone providers. While the new-style figures will arguably become more realistic, it could lead to an artificial boost for profit numbers in a couple of years.

Windows Mobile 6.5 won’t be Microsoft’s flagship mobile system for long, but it will be debuting with a bang. The firm says at least 30 devices, from 15 manufacturers, will be running the system before the end of this year.

Google is bringing the always-on “push” version of Gmail to both the iPhone and Windows Mobile devices. It plugs a gap in Google’s services on such devices, though could noticeably diminish battery life.

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed that the principle of net neutrality be enforced with laws covering the wireless industry. It would force cellphone networks to treat all types of Internet traffic equally.

It’s been quite the week for Palm, from both a financial and product standpoint. The firm has announced better-than-expected results and the abandonment of Windows Mobile, while analysts appear split over its future prospects.

Opera has released the beta edition of the next version of its Mini browser. It’s designed for low-spec phones and reduces demands on both bandwidths and processing.