In a move designed to keep its Flash format as the default for a much of the video on the Web, and help it become more prevalent on mobile devices, Adobe has launched the Open Screen Project.

Showing how serious it is about making Flash ubiquitous in all sorts of devices, the company is even ditching the license fees it charges for distributing the Flash player on mobile devices and removing the restrictions it places on developing apps in the FLV and SWF formats, Ars Technica reports. Also, Adobe is planning to publish open specs for its Flash Cast protocol so developers can build their own Flash streaming applications.

Adobe's launch partners for the Open Screen Project include ARM, the BBC, Cisco, Intel, MTV, Nokia and Samsung.

Engadget Mobile reports on some new software called iSwish that gives Windows Mobile-based touch-screen phones an iPhone-like user interface. iSwish, from Flick Software Research, is due out in beta form in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, you can see what you're missing in the following video:

Sony Ericsson is moving beyond handsets with something called Project Capuchin, a mashup of Java ME and Adobe's Flash Lite technology.

According to a Telecoms.com report, the idea behind the hybrid platform is to let developers build apps with the "clean user interface made familiar by Flash" without losing the richness made possible by Java. Benefits on the Flash Lite side include the ability to add a full presentation layer. Java fans will benefit from being able to define the Java ME user interface components in Flash.

The Project Capuchin technology will be available to developers in the second half of the year.

iPhone Matters reports on a new program that adds handwriting recognition to the iPhone, making the on-screen keyboard much easier for folks who aren't so nimble of finger.

The HWPen app, from a Chinese software developer, recognizes both Latin characters for English, Spanish and such and Chinese characters. According to the review, the software works fairly well except for one major drawback - it doesn't come with a stylus.

Adobe is combining its mobile and devices business unit with its experience and technology group to better fit with its strategy of providing "an integrated technology platform and runtime environment for personal computers, mobile handsets and consumer devices."

CTO Kevin Lynch is heading up the combined group. Gary Kovacs, who was VP of product management and marketing for the mobile unit has seen his position upgraded to VP and general manager of the new business unit where he'll report to Lynch, according to a Bizjournals.com report.

InformationWeek reports that Quickoffice has released new versions of its mobile office software suites. The Quickoffice Premier application and Quickoffice 5.0 Microsoft Office-compatible products are now available on the latest smartphones from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, LG and Samsung. The new offerings add support for both the S60 and UIQ smartphone platforms that run on the Symbian OS.

Quickoffice claims that it has the only product to support Microsoft Office 2007 viewing and editing on S60 phones.

The software gives users full access to open, edit and create Word and Excel files on their smartphone. Upgrades include the ability to print from the phone, additional shortcut keys, better Adobe Reader integration and the ability to receive over-the-air software updates.

Turns out last week's rumor of a new Windows Mobile version today wasn't an early April Fool's joke. Microsoft really did launch Windows Mobile 6.1 this morning at CTIA. According to a report on Pocket-lint, the upgrade enables faster set-up, one-tap Bluetooth and Wi-Fi access, better e-mail management, threaded SMS and a new home screen look.

An upcoming version of Internet Explorer Mobile, due to handset partners in Q3, will upgrade the Windows Mobile experience to "desktop-grade."

The first phones with Windows Mobile 6.1 should be out sometime in Q2. Handsets with the new IE Mobile are due by the end of the year.

The LiMo Foundation has launched release 1 of the LiMo Platform, a global open source Linux operating system for mobile devices that provides some competition for Google and the Open Handset Alliance's Android platform.

According to Pocket-lint, LiMo Release 1 provides basic operating system software and the ability to build a custom user interface and applications on top of it.

Release 2 is already in the works through some collaboration among LiMo members. It's scheduled for release in late 2008.

LiMo's 30 or so members include Samsung, Motorola, Vodafone, NTT and DoCoMo.

KillerStartups.com has a profile of a company called Tapioca Mobile. Well, sort of. There's not too much info on Tapioca Mobile available yet, except that the San Diego start-up has raised $5 million in seed money to move forward with its rich-media mobile content publishing platform.

On its Web site, Tapioca Mobile says it "enables publishers and advertisers to deliver rich multimedia ubiquitously to mobile users."

Pocket-lint is reporting that Microsoft will unveil Windows Mobile 6.1 on April 1. According to the post, leaked screenshots of the new rev show a simplified display with "less mess than the Vista-inspired version 6." It also says to expect new fonts, a new home screen, a task manager and the ability to copy and paste in Internet Explorer.