This Week in Global Mobile | April 1, 2011

At times it's difficult to keep pace with the latest global mobile developments. I hope this selection of news stories from the past week will help you navigate the growing global network of connectivity:

• On its blog, the State Department acknowledged the role social media played in Japan’s disaster response, highlighting Facebook, Twitter, and other services.

• Writing for Havana Times, Pedro Campos explained how the Internet is due to play an important role as “the great equalizer” in Cuba’s socialist tradition.

• In a special to Al Jazeera, Jillian York examined how Western tech companies are making big bucks producing the censorship tools being employed in the Arab world.

• The number of Americans watching mobile video increased 40% in 2010, while smart phone penetration jumped 9 points from 2009 to 31%, reported Nielsen.

• Three Chinese dissident bloggers, arrested in February, were indicted for “issuing online appeals for a Jasmine Revolution in China,” reported Boxun News.

• Influential blogger Mahmood al-Yousif, whose writings advocate for desegregating the Sunni and Shiite populations, was taken into custody by Bahraini officials.

• Amazon, Google, and Microsoft both revealed intentions to incorporate Near Field Communication technology in mobile payment services in the near future. More on NFC here and here.

• In response to data caps imposed by Canadian ISPs, video provider Netflix downgraded its streaming content and compressed its content to keep it accessible in Canada.

• Google launched +1, a social media service which prioritizes search results based on votes submitted by a user’s contacts and friends.

• According to ABI Research, shipments of smart phones reached 302 million in 2010, reflecting a shocking 71% increase over 2009 worldwide.

• Despite the growing usage of social media tools in times of unrest, Malcom Gladwell explained why he remains unimpressed by social media in this CNN interview.

• London authorities abandoned plans to outfit the Tube with mobile service in time for the 2012 Olympics, citing funding and time constraints. NFC should be there in time, though.

• MTN, Africa’s largest mobile operator, began offering life insurance to Ghanaian customers via their mobile phones, bringing security to the country’s low-income earners.

• Nokia began distributing E8 Android-based phones to Egyptian Twitter activists, marketing the devices as important social media tools for activists.

• Mobile money service M-PESA received a new feature allowing them to transfer funds from any Western Union account from 45 countries and 80,000 agents around the world.