• Spansion announced that it has started sampling its 65nm MirrorBit Eclipse Flash memory solutions for mobile phones to strategic OEM customers. Production in volume is planned at Spansion’s new flagship 300mm SP1 fab in Japan in the second half of 2008.

• Mobile text messaging service ChaCha announced it won the grand prize award in a mobile software developer contest sponsored by AT&T. ChaCha, along with more than 100 other mobile software developers, participated in the third annual Fast Pitch contest held at CTIA Wireless 2008 last week in Las Vegas. Indianapolis-based ChaCha won a $25,000 grand prize. ChaCha also will be promoted on AT&T’s premier wireless application portal MEdiaNet, giving it exposure to AT&T’s customers.

• Panasonic announced that it shipped its 100 millionth handset to the Japanese market, becoming the first cell phone manufacturer to ship 100 million units in the Japanese market.