Google maps, solar-powered phones and some GPS bull

Mobile news came thick and fast this week on our sister site Pocket Picks, with the first fresh tidbits trickling through before the working week had even started: Those of you who suffer from a terrible sense of direction can put your fears of arriving late to rest as Google Maps for Mobiles is now officially up-and-running in Europe.

In other European mobile developments, it is looking increasingly likely that T-Mobile will be the carrier that wins the rights to distribute the iPhone on the continent, which now that it has been officially approved by America's Federal Communications Commission should be allowed to release on schedule.

Those lucky Apple-lovers who do manage to snaffle an iPhone at launch might be getting yet another unique mobile feature thrown into the bundle, if Apple's recently-approved accelerometer-based theft protection patent makes its way into the finished device.

There was lots of other handset news, beginning with confirmation that the leaked Nokia N81 and N82 pictures are in fact the real deal. More pics of the as-yet unannounced Nokia 8600 also appeared, and yet another Sony Ericsson handset was leaked, this time in the shape of the sleek-looking Shinobu Walkman slider.

There was a disappointing anti-climax served up by Motorola though, which revealed that its new media monster that it had been talking up was in fact the Z8, a handset that was announced long ago. More welcome was the official announcement of the RAZR 2, which amazingly is even thinner than the ultra popular original.

Capping off handset news was the debut of the Elegance, a handset claiming to be the world's smallest mobile.

Software-wise, the Symbian juggernaut is showing no signs of giving into Microsoft's push for Mobile OS dominance. It has shipped in 126 million smartphone handsets in the first three months of 2007 alone. Which means that Virgin's new Podcast Player for Symbian phones will no doubt appeal to a fair few of our readers.

Elsewhere we saw the debut of some strange communication devices made from wood, a Chinese solar-powered phone, and another breakthrough in mobile battery tech involving the use of manganese to help prolong the life of regular batteries.

Oh, and the world's first GPS bull was unfenced. Lordy! It's tough to keep up with the fast-paced world of mobile technology. If it all gets too much for you, you could always indulge in a free pint of Strongbow cider to help steady your nerves.