Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP) operator sponsors 3 Group, AT&T, T-Mobile, Telenor, Telefonica, Telecom Italia and Vodafone have banded together to work out a roadmap for the development of open, secure Web services.

The so-called BONDI initiative has the goal of providing "a consistent and secure Web services interface that can be used by all Web developers across all phones," Pocket-lint reports.

A group devoted to helping developers build applications that work across various operating systems, platforms, handsets and operators. Haven't we heard that one before?

Folks who've been eagerly anticipating getting their hands on a phone built on Google's Android mobile platform will have to wait a little longer.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the handsets that were expected to start hitting the market early in the second half won't be making an appearance until the fourth quarter. And that reported delay might not even be enough for some operators and application developers working on Android support, people "familiar with the situation" told the Journal.

As large as Google is, apparently there aren't enough resources to go around. One example noted in the story alleges that Google is spending so much time and resources working with T-Mobile USA to get an Android phone to market that it's neglecting other carriers, including Sprint Nextel and China Mobile, both of whom had hoped to launch Android-based handsets this year as well.

Google announced the Android open software platform in November with the support of more than 30 partners in various areas of the mobile industry.

TechRadar has gotten a glimpse of the upcoming new BlackBerry operating system and reports that version 4.6 will use the Ajax Web browser and provide for better page layouts and easier zooming.

The new version is going into the next BlackBerry Bold and Thunder models.

Other upgrades include a Music Sync feature for easier transfer of music and other content, an improved spell checker and enhanced HTML and JavaScript support.

RIM has yet to announce a release date for the new OS but, as the article points out, the new handsets are due out soon, so it can't be too far in the future.

Software developer Avanquest has come out with Ringtone Media Studio 3, a new version of its ringtone creation software that lets consumers "showcase their personal flair."

Although the software is only $29.95, Avanquest is giving users who register on its Web site the chance to download a free trial version.

Ringtone Media Studio 3 lets users create ringtones from their own music library as well as create new ringtones from scratch using any of the more than 10,000 unique instrument sounds, videos and photos included with the software. There's also an online locker where users can store and send music and ringtones to their phone via text message. The new version includes a photo editing program and the ability to convert and transfer movies and TV shows to a cell phone.

Users can also get their Avanquest content onto their phone via Bluetooth, infrared or a connector cable.

Some 3,000 lucky programmers at Google's annual developer conference on Wednesday got an advance look at the almost-completed Android mobile platform. The AP reports that demo may have been quick, but it did show off some never-before-seen features of the software. According to the AP:

The bells and whistles unveiled Wednesday included: a way to unlock phones by drawing a specific shape on the touchscreen instead of entering a password; bookmarks for favorite Web sites on the device's home page; a 'compass' tool that automatically roams with the phone while a user looks at photographic images of a city map; a magnifying tool to zoom in on Web content; and a mobile version of the video game 'Pac Man.'

Although the company acknowledged that Android is nearly complete, the folks involved with the platform declined to say when an Android-based phone might hit the market.

As demand for smartphones grows, Microsoft sees its Windows Mobile growing as well to the tune of a 50% increase in global unit sales in the next two fiscal years, Reuters reports.

Chatting with Reuters at a news conference, Eddie Wu, the managing director of OEM embedded devices for Microsoft in Asia, said the software giant expects to sell 20 million copies of the Windows Mobile software in its current fiscal year, which ends next month. In its fiscal year ended June 2007, Microsoft sold more than 11 million units of the operating system and forecasts growth of at least 50% a year for the next two years, Wu said.

The fastest-growing markets for the smartphone software are Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Brazil, Russia and India, he said.

Placeshifting software outfit Orb Networks and BitTorrent have partnered to bundle the BitTorrent client with the Orb PC application. BitTorrent enables content downloads over a broadband connection; Orb enables access to that content from any connected device, so the hookup makes a lot of sense.

The resulting joint solution is supposed to make it faster and easier for users to access downloaded, PC-based and online content from any Internet-connected device. According to the companies, together, their applications create a "seamless media experience" for the "anywhere enjoyment" of all the movies, TV shows and music consumers have on their computers.

With Orb and BitTorrent installed on their PC, users will see the familiar media library view of all the media on that computer, organized by media type. Within the software, they can create playlists and share the content via e-mail, SMS or on a social network.

The bundled application can be downloaded from www.orb.com/bittorrent or www.bittorrent.com.

No, this is not a joke. Comcast is putting money into a file-sharing start-up. Yes, the same Comcast that's being investigated for allegedly blocking its Internet users from downloading content from some P2P sites.

The cable giant said it's investing in GridNetworks, which uses file-sharing to deliver high-def video. In addition to making the investment, Comcast also plans to work with GridNetworks to develop ISP-friendly P2P file-sharing methods, the AP reports.

Verizon Wireless, SK Telecom and Mozilla are among the latest group of companies throwing their weight behind the LiMo Foundation's open mobile Linux operating system. Infineon Technologies, Kvaleberg, Red Bend Software, Sagem and SFR also added their support.

MocoNews reports that although Verizon Wireless has now publicly said it will add Linux to the platforms it supports, this doesn't mean it won't add support for Google's Android in the future. As for why it opted for Linux first, Kyle Malady, a network VP at Verizon Wireless, noted that LiMo already has handsets on the market and supporters from all parts of the industry, while the first Android phone has yet to make an appearance.

Fierce Wireless has the list of applications that won the first round of Google's Android Developer Challenge, a contest set up to find the best Android applications. Sure, there might not be any Android-capable handsets on the market yet, but the developers might as well get their apps ready.

The top 50 apps, which will all be supported by Android, were selected from some 1,800 submissions, and the winning developers will each get $25,000. Round two, which will narrow the field to 20 applications, will end in late July. The top 10 contenders will each get $275,000, with the next 10 each winning $100,000.

Click here to check out a slideshow of some of the winning applications.