It’s certainly an impressive-sounding announcement, but with the potential complexity of some these services, the devil will be in the detail. Once I get to play with some demo devices with these services loaded, I’ll let you know how it (widget) plays out (pun intended!)

Orange has announced the launch of Social Life, a mobile social networking aggregator which brings together activity on Facebook, MySpace and Bebo in one central place. Accessible from Orange World, Orange’s mobile internet portal, Social Life allows customers to view and post updates and get in touch with friends and family across all three social networks at the same time through a single log-in.

Available to all Orange mobile customers, the Social Life home screen allows users to:

• upload photos
• update their status
• keep track of friends’ status updates from all three leading social networks
• view social network notifications, including messages, events, pokes and friend requests
• send and receive messages

Customers have full control over which information they provide to each of their social networks – they can update their status and upload photos to some or all of them through the Social Life home screen. Social Life also allows customers to keep on top of social network activity through SMS – with them able to set up free text alerts on specific social network activity and send updates via text message. Offering access to Facebook, Bebo and MySpace from launch, the service will also look to incorporate more social networks and Web 2.0 sites in 2009.

Orange was the first operator to offer pay-as-you-go customers free access to Facebook, MySpace and Bebo, while contract customers receive free mobile internet access on certain tariffs.

Orange also announced today that it has launched Orange Widget Player, a customisable interface which provides fast access to useful content and favourite applications from the Orange home screen on Orange Signature devices.  Using Widget Player, customers can instantly access news, weather and sport updates along with applications such as search, Wikipedia, world clock and others from a widgets catalogue that will grow throughout 2009. Currently available on the Nokia 6303, Widget Player will be rolled out on further devices through the course of 2009.

Mark Watts-Jones, Head of Product Management for Orange UK, said: “With Social Life and Widget Player we’re making it simple for customers to manage their favourite content, applications and social networks at the touch of a button. Over time we will be looking to add more sites to the service – helping users to stay in touch in touch with the people and content that matters most to them”.

It’s certainly an impressive-sounding announcement, but with the potential complexity of some these services, the devil will be in the detail. Once I get to play with some demo devices with these services loaded, I’ll let you know how it (widget) plays out (pun intended!)

Related News from IntoMobile:

• O2 Signs Deal with Twitter to Offer Text Alerts
• Orange and Twitter get it together, with MMS support included!
• Social Networking = Orange World (at least for Orange users)
• Motorola DEXT on sale in UK this week – exclusively on Orange
• Mobile social address book Xumii launches iPhone app

In case you missed it a few days back, Facebook 1.6 for BlackBerry is now available. You can get it from your Berry’s browser via www.blackberry.com/facebook/mobiledownload or via your desktop browser at www.blackberry.com/facebook. After upgrading myself and giving the app a spin, I have to say the update is actually a pretty solid improvement. I love the new features, but there’s still one feature in the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) version of Facebook that is lacking… a feature that is included in the iPhone version of the app. Live chat. Hopefully we’ll see this in version 1.7!

At any rate, here are the key features of the update:

• Status updates and highlights on the home page – you can now view your friends’ most recent status updates right on the home page. Highlights like photo uploads and wall posts are just a click away and you can comment on a photo, poke a friend, etc. right from the home page.
• Wall access from within Facebook for BlackBerry – with one click on your friend’s profile picture from the home page, you can access their wall without having to go to the mobile site.
• Photo viewing in a simple, easy-to-use slideshow format – check out your friends’ latest photo albums with improved photo viewing, and view albums in a simple and easy-to-use slideshow format. Just scroll back and forth through the thumbnails along the bottom to display the larger picture in the center of the screen.
• Facebook for BlackBerry 1.6 will also support three new languages: Thai, Indonesian and European Portuguese

Again, you can download Facebook 1.6 for BlackBerry by hitting up one of the links above.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Facebook 1.6 for BlackBerry Coming May 28th
• Blackberry and Facebook connect…
• Facebook 1.7 for BlackBerry Now Available
• FriendMobilizer pushes Facebook notifications to Windows Mobile home screen; Helps you stay in touch with your buddies while on the go
• Facebook Version 1.5 Coming to BlackBerry in January 2009

There’s no denying Canadians’ love for the mobile device, especially when you consider the numbers over the past few years. 67% of Canadians now have a mobile device, and we will see that percentage grow through the end of 2009. With that in mind, some interesting numbers have come out detailing how mobile devices and social networking have really taken off north of the border.

ZINC Research has released a study that outlines how Canadians use their mobile devices to browse, search and socialize. The study shows that almost half (47%) of all Canadians that have cell phones access the internet from their device. Of the 47%, 36% surf and use Facebook, while 14% hit up MSN sites, and 9% go to MySpace.

The study conducted by ZINC Research ran from February 19th to 21st of this year, and picked the brains of over 1,200 people. You can read more about it here.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• MySpace mobile launches, too little too late
• Australian mobile users getting blocked from MySpace Mobile – down with MySpace
• Nokia donating devices to a pair of San Fransisco High Schools
• Most people will be accessing the InterWeb via Mobile in…..2020!
• Facebook Version 1.5 Coming to BlackBerry in January 2009

We all know about the Facebook apps readily available for the iPhone and BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM)… But what if you’re running another device and simply need that Facebook fix? No need to pout, as today Emoze announced the availability of a new Facebook messaging support for Symbian devices.

The new offering will allow you to read, reply and send messages. It will even auto-populate your friends list for you. If you’re on a Symbian powered device and want to get on this, head on over to emoze.com from your device for full details. Emoze will also have the Windows Mobile and Java clients available at some point this week. That should make just about everyone happy, should it not?

I will keep my eyes open for the Win-Mo and Java version as soon as they become available. Until they arrive, may the Symbian-powered Facebook addicts enjoy themselves more than ever, wasting time away on that beautiful productivity killer we know and love as Facebook.

For more info read the press release from Emoze.

Note: Had to add here… of all the Mobile Facebook apps I’ve tried thus far, the Facebook for iPhone app is killer. I don’t even know where to start… But if you’re a fan of Facebook, and you have an iPhone, you’re going to want to get it. It’s free, and you can download it right here (iTunes link alert).

[Via: BGR]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Emoze 2.0 launched with a great fanfare
• mplayit – Crowd sourced mobile app discovery for Facebook users
• The case for Facebook as a mobile app portal
• UK: 3 partners with GetJar and launches online applications store
• Symbian Foundation looking to deliver first handsets in 2010

Fans of Skype will be pleased to hear that a new mobile beta is available. The new version supports 30 new handsets including:

• Motorola (NYSE: MOT) v6maxx, L9, Razr2 V9
• Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 5310, 5610, 6300, E61, N70, N72, N73, N76, N78, N81, N82
• Samsung G600, G800, U600, U900
• Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) c702, c902, k660, k770, k850i, w580, w660i, w760, w890, w910, w980, z770…

…and of course there’s the usual batch of improvements and bug fixes. The mobile beta is totally free to get, and easy to download, however you should be aware that there are charges associated with calling features and data usage from your carrier.

To get the Skype Mobile Beta, simply click here and provide your mobile number. Their system will send you a text message with OTA download links and instructions.

[Via: PhoneArea]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Skype 3.0 beta brings SMS and file transfer Windows Mobile!
• Pinger launches voice-SMS kind of service
• Free SMS text messages from your iPhone and iPhone 3G!
• Skype 3.0 goes final on Windows Mobile
• Android App of the Day: AutoReply