trilliarde

There's no doubt that China is the largest untapped source of consumers in the world, which means this report has to be encouraging for Google. Half of the smartphones sold in China in Q3 2010 were Android phones.

The report comes from Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt. His research note said that Chinese consumers purchased an estimated 8 to 10 million smartphones in Q3 2010, up from an estimated 2 to 3 million in Q3 2009.

At the same time, last year Android had zero sales. This year, Android represents nearly 50 percent of Chinese smartphone purchases.

At the same time, both Apple and RIM sold sold fewer than 500,000 units last quarter, which McCourt said has "to be viewed as somewhat disappointing." However, sales of iPhone 4s, recently released, may change that. He added:

“Apple (must be) viewed as somewhat disappointing through Q3:10, but we suspect iPhone 4 and a WiFi-capable iPhone 3GS will substantially improve iPhone results in Q4:10 and beyond in China. The bigger picture is that the Chinese market for smartphones is exploding, but is at a much earlier stage of development than North America or Western Europe.”

As China starts more widespread adoption of these technologies, it still catching up in regular cell phones, as well. While the Chinese smartphone market grew some 200 percent year-over-year, the overall cell phone market grew 220 percent.

Former Labour MP David Chaytor has admitted fraudulently claiming Parliamentary expenses.

He became the first politician to get a criminal conviction in connection with the expenses scandal when he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to three charges of false accounting.

Chaytor, 61, had previously denied the charges and was due to stand trial at London's Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

But he changed his plea on Friday at the Old Bailey. The move came after legal challenges to stop the trial failed.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court published its reasons for rejecting a claim by Chaytor and two other former MPs that criminal proceedings against them would infringe parliamentary privilege.

Chaytor was MP for Bury North, a seat he had held since 1997, when the expenses scandal broke last year. At the time, he apologised "unreservedly" for what he called an "unforgivable error in my accounting procedures".

He referred himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, John Lyon, and was suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party. Hundreds of MPs were ordered to repay a total of £1.12 million in the wake of the expenses scandal.

Chaytor, a former lecturer, was charged in February this year. He faces a maximum of seven years in jail, but is expected to receive a more lenient sentence because of his guilty plea. Three other former MPs and two members of the House of Lords were also charged by police in relation to their expenses and are due to face trial later.

Chaytor pleaded guilty to false accounting involving a total of £18,350 which he charged on his expenses.

He had claimed £12,925 between 2005 and 2006 for renting a flat in Regency Street, near Westminster, which it turned out he owned the lease to. He produced a tenancy agreement falsely showing he was paying £1,175 a month rent. He also falsely claimed between 2007 and 2008 £5,425 for renting a home in Castle Street, Bury, which was owned by his mother. He had produced a false tenancy agreement showing he was paying £775 a month.