Microsoft has released an Android version of their OneNote application, and it is available to download now from the Android Market.

The OneNote application is compatible with Microsoft Office, and allows you to create notes, complete with text, pictures and bullets, and manage to-do-lists with check boxes.

Notes and lists can be synchronised and managed online via the SkyDrive storage service, giving you access to your notes from any connected PC or mobile device, so you can manage and edit your content on the move.

The app is available to download from the Android Market free of charge, and can be used to create up to 500 notes at any one time. Should you have need for more than 500 notes, a one-off fee of £2.99 will give you unlimited notes.

You will need an Android device running Android OS 2.3 or above for OneNote compatibility, as well as a free Windows Live ID. If you have a Windows Live ID for use with Hotmail or Windows Live Messenger, you can use that, otherwise sign up for a free ID online.

There is already a OneNote app available for iOS, and the application is built in to the Office section on Windows Phone handsets. Now with the Android version, OneNote is available on all the major smartphone platforms.

To download OneNote for your device, head to the Android Market, or scan the QR Code below:

Google has launched a beta version of their desktop web browser Chrome, for Android handsets, bring a range of desktop browsing features to Android smartphones and Tablets.

The new mobile browser is only available for handsets running Android ICS 4.0, which doesn't cover many handsets currently, although the range of devices running Ice Cream Sandwich will grow in the coming months.

The mobile beta Chrome utilises the same combined search box/address bar found on the main browser, to cut down on wasted space, loading search results in the background as you type text. This means pages load faster, leading to a better browsing experience.

Tabs that are open on a desktop PC can be easily synchronised between the PC and mobile device, as well as synchronise bookmarks across devices, too, by signing in to Chrome. This will also give you smarter suggestions for your web browsing, such as offering auto-completion when entering websites you browse regularly from your home PC.

Tabs are designed to fit better on a mobile device, automatically sizing for viewing on a smartphone or on a Tablet device. Flipping between an unlimited number of tabs by swiping across the screen, similar to holding a deck of cards in your hand.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Chrome for Android beta is available to download now from the Android Market in selected countries.

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Whilst the number of PC's shipped worldwide continues to decline, those of smartphones have never been better. According to Canalys, shipments of smartphones reached almost 488 million in 2011.

In comparison, the number of PC's totalled 414.6 million units. This equates to an increase of 62.7 per cent of smartphone shipments, compared to just a 14.8 per cent increase for PC's. Included in the PC shipment total were Tablets, netbooks, notebooks and desktops, which make the smartphone figures that much more impressive.

Canalys Vice President and principal analyst, Chris Jones, said: “2011 saw a fall in demand for netbooks, and slowing demand for notebooks and desktops as a direct result of rising interest in pads. But pads have had a negligible impact on smartphone volumes and markets across the globe have seen persistent and substantial growth through 2011.”

“Smartphone shipments overtaking those of PC's should be seen as a significant milestone. In the space of a few years, smartphones have grown from being a niche product segment at the high end of the mobile phone market to become a truly mass market proposition.”

Of course, one of the major factors in the success of smartphone sales is the wider availability of smartphones at lower price points, particularly budget Android devices, available on both Prepay and Contract options.

Android devices accounted for 52 per cent of global shipments during the last quarter in 2011; iOS was at 23 per cent, with Symbian at 12 per cent. Overall in 2011 Android devices accounted for 49 per cent of all devices shipped worldwide, with iOS in second place at 19 per cent. Symbian was in third place at 16 per cent.

Analysts are cautious about smartphone sales increasing in 2012; the general consensus seems to be that manufacturers will move away from budget models, and focus on more profitable high end devices.

One of the major problems plaguing the Android Market is the frequent number of malicious apps that find their way into the market, and on to users' handsets. Now Google have taken steps to prevent this with software added to the Market that will automatically scan for undesirable apps.

The addition of the Bouncer software will be pretty much unnoticed by end users, as Google claim the security layer has been added without need of action by users or application developers.

The security program will analyse all newly added applications to the Android Market, as well as applications already available, for malware, spyware and Trojans.

The software will also look for suspicious behaviour that would indicate the existence of unwanted apps, as well as comparing with previously scanned applications for indications of possible problems. There will also be a system in place to prevent developers registering multiple accounts to flood the market with dodgy software.

Although detail of the Android Bouncer protection is only just coming to light, it has in fact been in place for a while, and Google state there has been a 40 per cent decrease in the number of potentially problematic applications in the Android Market.

Google are also keen to highlight some of the other core features built in to the Android Operating System, designed to help prevent unsuitable applications being able to cause too many problems on your device. One of these is a technique called Sandboxing, which places virtual walls between malicious apps and your device. Permissions help you understand the level of access an application will have on your phone, so you can review these before installing an app. Also the Android OS is designed to prevent malware from altering any core elements or hiding away in the background. Google also has the facility of remotely removing malware from Android smartphones and tablets.

A British design student has built the world's first smartphone to be made from Bamboo. The ADZero is set to be launched in the UK during 2012.

The handset was created by Kieron Woodhouse, a student at Middlesex University, and developed during his own spare time. He received financial backing for the idea from an entrepreneur after publishing details of the handset design online.

The handset will run on the Android Operating System, and runs the latest version, Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

The weight of the device is around half that of an iPhone, although it comes with a larger display. Additionally, the phone includes a technology called 'Ring Flash', which reduces shadowing on pictures captured in low level lighting conditions.

The handset was originally intended to be released into the Chinese Market, but is now set for a UK release following high interest during London Design Week back in 2011.

Kieron Woodhouse said: “I cannot wait to see my mobile phone in shops. The whole experience so far has been incredible and completely unexpected. It is a great start to my career. Bamboo may seem like a strange material to use for a phone, but it is actually extremely strong and very durable – perfect qualities for this kind of application.”

The handset is set to be released later in 2012 – it will be interesting to see at what price point it attracts, and whether it is picked up by any of the networks.

A YouGov poll has found that 21 per cent of UK children have accessed inappropriate content on their smartphones, including sites with violent and pornographic imagery.

The survey questioned just over 1,000 children aged between eight and fifteen, and found that the higher the age the more likely this was, although some claim to have found sites 'by accident'. In the higher age group of 14 to 15 year olds, almost one third admitted to viewing unsuitable sites from their mobile.

The survey, which was carried out by YouGov for the Carphone Warehouse, showed that 25% of UK children aged 8 – 12 owned a smartphone. 87 per cent of those surveyed said there were no parental restrictions on their device, with 46 per cent of parents admitting they were unaware that parental controls for mobile phones existed.

The most popular activity for younger phone users was gaming, with 73 per cent using their phone for games, followed by accessing social networking sites, with 38 per cent of respondents, with watching videos in third place with 36 per cent.

Cyber Bullying via mobile phone continues to be a real problem for a large number of youngsters; the survey found more than 1 in 4 kids had received unwanted calls or messages on their phones, with 18 per cent reporting this to an adult.

The Carphone Warehouse is going to publish a leaflet, in partnership with Professor Tanya Byron, detailing some of the steps parents can take to help reduce the risk of their children accessing adult sites from their phone, and ways to communicate to their children about safe use of the internet.

Professor Byron said: “With a digital divide existing between generations, and with only 13 per cent of children having the correct parental restrictions installed on their phone, it is important we enable parents to support, educate and, as necessary, protect their children. This can be done by ensuring their mobile phone use is responsible, safe and as secure as possible. It is also important parents develop an honest communication with their children so that they can support them to be responsible digital citizens and help them with any worries or concerns that should arise.”

Sky Go has been one of the most popular apps for iOS devices since its release, and Sky have been working to bring the application to Android devices. That moment is a step closer, with Sky confirming the application should be available in February, initially for 'popular' HTC and Samsung Android devices.

The initial batch of handsets that will be supported for Sky Go include the HTC Desire, HTC Desire S, HTC Desire HD, HTC Incredible S, HTC Sensation, Samsung Galaxy S and Samsung Galaxy S2.

Once the Sky Go app has been downloaded and installed, customers of Sky will be able to watch a range of programming via their handset, including all five Sky Sports channels, ESPN, Sky News and movies from the 11 Sky Movies channels. The exact content available will be dependent on the subscription package with Sky.

Additionally, Sky have released an update for their iOS app today, which brings the popular Sky Atlantic channel to Sky Go; this channel will also be added to the Android line-up of available channels, with Sky 1, Sky Living and Sky Arts 1 also being added to both the iOS and Android versions of Sky Go.

Head of Sky Go, Holly Knill, said: “Sky Go is all about helping more people watch the TV they love wherever and whenever it suits them, so I am delighted to announce the rollout of Sky Go to Android. We know how much Android users have been looking forward to the launch of Sky Go on Android smartphones, and we have done everything we can to make sure that our bespoke design is worth waiting for. This latest announcement is all part of the process of constant evolution that has seen Sky Go move from strength to strength over its first six months, and we look forward to bringing more developments to the service as the year progresses.”

Transport for London has announced that WiFi access is to be rolled out across the transport network by the summer of 2012, giving internet access to tube travellers in time for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The announcement follows the successful trial of WiFi coverage at Charing Cross station. TfL has confirmed that WiFi will be in place at 120 stations, allowing users to access internet services from the platform. WiFi coverage is not planned in the tunnels when passengers are travelling from one station to another.

Information on who will be providing the WiFi service, and any costs, has not been revealed. Last year TfL were said to be working with the four main mobile network operators to provide coverage to users, however these talks came to an end without any fruitful action planned.

“London Underground is continuing with preparations to install the necessary infrastructure and is on schedule to complete the project as planned,” said Gareth Powell, TfL's Director of Strategy and Service Development. “An announcement will be made in early spring leaving plenty of time for this to be delivered to customers in time for the 2012 Games.”

The trial at Charing Cross was done in conjunction with BT Openzone. WiFi coverage was available in the ticket hall area as well as on platforms, and gave free access to travel information, but other content was chargeable to non-BT customers.

It seems the biggest draw for smartphone users is the range of apps that can be used on their device. Indeed, in a survey by the Sunday Times, over 50 percent of smartphone owners claim to use their device for the apps more than anything else, including emails, calls and texts.

The survey was conducted ahead of the publication of the Sunday Times Apps List 2012, set to be published this coming Sunday (22nd January), which will aim to highlight the 500 essential smartphone apps.

Other details from the survey found that more than 50 percent of the UK population now own a smartphone, and the average smartphone owner keeps around 38 apps on the device.

More than half of smartphone owners download a new app each week, whilst 80 percent of apps downloaded are free. During 2011 there were more than one million available apps to choose from, and in the last week of the year there were 81 million downloads in the UK alone.

The figures are not surprising, and corroborate the findings of many other similar studies carried out recently. Smartphones are more readily available, and at a wide range of price entry points. Given the numerous uses of a smartphone, it makes more sense now than ever to make a smartphone your next device.

For the latest offers on a range of devices from Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and the iPhone, see our smartphones page.

Google has released detail of its earnings for Q4 2011, and whilst the figures failed to meet the expectation of investors, the report included some interesting facts about the continuing growth in popularity of Android.

For example, it is confirmed that more than 250 million Android devices have been activated, which is a phenomenal number. With a large number of manufacturers continuing to produce Android devices across the market, from budget prepay handsets up to top end smartphones, it is easy to see how Android can fulfil the prediction of many analysts and become the leading smartphone platform.

The number of devices that are recognised as being activated only include new subscribers; Google doesn't count second hand devices activated on a new account as a new activation. Smartphones sold in record numbers this past Christmas, and these figures only go to endorse the prediction that 2012 will be the year of the smartphone.

In December last year, Google ran a promotion to celebrate the download of 10 billion apps from the Android Market, offering many leading titles for just 10p each over a ten day period. It seems that the appetite for apps keeps on growing, as the Q4 report notes that the Android Market has now surpassed 11 billion.

With Android smartphone activations continuing to rise, the number of apps downloaded is only set to go one way, making the platform more appealing to developers.

“I am super excited about the growth of Android,” said Google CEO Larry Page, “I am very excited about what we can do in 2012 – there are tremendous opportunities to help users and grow our business.”

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