[posted by Olesia Klevchuk]

Although not the first online tracker, the free Palm Trend Tracker is definitely an interesting and useful addition to the mix. The tracker trends the buzz on Twitter and displays the top 30 tweets. At the same time these can be customised and allows you to see conversations on any topic you need.

The site displays the current and emerging trends on Twitter, real time tracking and the location of the tweets. The idea is simple – to let you know in advance of raising topics on Twitter.

The ability to track the emerging and available trends will be helpful for those who use Twitter to market their ideas, products or services. 

If you haven’t seen it yet, have a look here: http://palmtrendtracker.com/

[Posted by Ed Kountz]

Buzz in the mobile device world this week, as the Apple Insider reports that Apple is testing iPhones embedded with an RFID chip. As regular readers of my research know, such a step would open the iPhone up to contactless POS interactions, including the ability to make payments at the point of sale.  Read about it here  

[Posted by Neil Strother]

Google has just announced an all-stock deal to purchase mobile ad network AdMob for $750 million in a bid to solidify its position as the leader in mobile advertising.

By acquiring AdMob, the search giant gets a mobile ad network that has leveraged the power of the mobile Web and in-app advertising, particularly on the iPhone. Now, as more people adopt devices that mimic the iPhone experience (Androids, of course, as well as BlackBerrys, Palms, etc.), Google stands to gain from a growing audience that will be increasingly attractive to advertisers.

The deal also signals a shift in the landscape, and it will be interesting to see how competitors like Microsoft, Millennial Media, Quattro Wireless, among others, respond.

Big picture: mobile advertising remains a small fraction of the overall interactive marketing spend (see our forecast report if you are a Forrester client). Google, however, expects mobile to be a key growth driver in the coming years, and the acquisition of AdMob plays right into that strategy.