A new generation of 3D mobile phones that don't require special glasses, could go on sale by the end of this year.   Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp unveiled a new three-inch liquid crystal display screen that played 3D animations over the weekend.  The company also showed off a touch-panel screen that could flick from one 3D photo to another and a display connected to a camcorder that showed video it was taking in 3D.  The new technology is expected to be incorporated into mobile phones, electronic dictionaries and digital cameras in Japan from as early as September.

It comes as manufacturers look for the next 3D market following the success of movies such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland.  The Sharp screen shows 3D images to a user up to 12 inches away without such glasses.  They achieve this using parallax to display different images to each eye to give the illusion of three dimensions while retaining image clarity. 

The future of 3D mobile phones TBC...

For all those of you who think that Google already knows a bit too much about your online behaviour, the latest patent that they have applied for might really terrify you. If you can't be bothered to read through all of the technical detail, here is a summary.

The technology they are patenting uses the accelerometer found in their Android mobile phone handset (as well as the iPhone) which can detect the speed and direction of movement of the phone. In this way they hope to be able to determine what you are doing whilst carrying your phone, and offer you functionality accordingly. For instance, if you are going for a jog at 6am it might start playing music for you automatically. Then you drive to work and the phone automatically switched to speakerphone mode. Or perhaps you catch a train in which case it will offer you up some light reading to pass the time, perhaps the news headlines. You arrive at work and put your phone on your desk and all of your awaiting work voicemails are loaded onto it for you whilst you make yourself a cup of coffee.

Of course, just because they have applied for a patent does not mean they actually have the technology to implement any of these ideas yet. But I wouldn't bet against them being able to do it soon.