BARCELONA–Facebook would like to build more mobile Web apps and fewer mobile native apps. Really, it would — but browsers just aren’t up to it, the company has concluded. Web apps naturally span the multitudes of mobile devices that Facebook loves to run on, but they support Web standards so inconsistently that it’s a developer’s …

BARCELONA, Spain–Telefonica today showed off B2G, the Mozilla browser-based operating system for mobile phones, saying it’s good enough to sell to today’s feature-phone customers later this year. You may or may not agree. To help you judge, here’s a video of Carlos Domingo, Telefonica Digital’s director of product development and innovation, demonstrating a prototype phone at a press conference today …

BARCELONA, Spain–Later this year, some people should be able to buy mobile phones you can take into the shower. So forecast two companies specializing in waterproof coatings for electronics, HzO and Liquipel, that are showing off their technology here at the Mobile World Congress. There’s a certain shock value to seeing high-end Apple and Samsung phones swimming in the drink, …

BARCELONA, Spain–Mozilla took a big first step in making something real out of B2G, its browser-based mobile operating system, by signing on mobile network operator Telefonica as a partner. In addition, the Firefox maker discussed another step, a close relationship with mobile processor maker Qualcomm to create the hardware for the first phones, expected to launch later in 2012. Those …

LG Electronics, a second-tier smartphone maker hoping Google’s Android operating system will lift its fortunes, today unveiled its new Optimus 3D Max. The phone, like its 2011 Optimus 3D predecessor, includes glasses-free 3D display technology on a 4.3-inch display and an ability to shoot 3D videos and photos with dual cameras. This year’s model is thinner, has faster 21Mbps HSPA+ …

LONDON–Multitouch revolutionized user interfaces, and if Nokia researchers get their way, a mobile device that’s sensitive to how it’s being flexed could be the next revolution. At the Nokia World show here, the Finnish mobile phone maker showed off its “Nokia kinetic device” with a flexible display. Gripped with two hands, it would scroll through music collections or photo albums …

BERLIN–With its new Galaxy Note, Samsung is adding another size category to its already broad range of Android devices. The company already had more conventionally sized Android smartphones with its Galaxy S line, larger tablets such as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9, and intermediate ones such as the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab and the new Galaxy Tab 7.7. The …

SAN FRANCISCO–Android, Google’s top developer priority, hogged the spotlight at Google I/O today–in part as the foundation for new Google music and video services. Among the Google I/O announcements today: • Google announced Android 3.1, an update to Honeycomb that adds new interface options, lets people plug in USB devices, and sports a movie rental service that works directly from …

BARCELONA, Spain–Here’s another reason besides video chat that you might want a front-facing camera on your next mobile phone: controlling it by waving your arm or moving your hand. This type of touchless gesture interface is coming to mobile phones from top-tier handset makers this year, promised Ofer Sadka, chief technology officer of a start-up called Extreme Reality based in …

Motorola, attempting to expand its brand among European customers, today announced retail partners that will carry its upcoming Android-based Xoom tablet. Among those partners in the U.K. are The Carphone Warehouse and its ally Best Buy, along with Dixons Retail, with its Currys and PC World chains. In addition, Deutsche Telekom will carry it in “selected markets,” Motorola announced at …