The editors at Fortune wanted to find out who, if anyone, might be able to answer those questions in the affirmative. Working with AccountAbility, Csrnetwork and Asset4, they determined to rank the world’s 100 largest corporations by the quality of their commitment to social and environmental goals.

Who made the prestigious cut?

Here’s the list of most accountable companies:

1. Vodaphone

2. G.E.

3. HSBC Holdings

4. France Telecom

5. HBOS

6. Nokia

7. Electricite de France

8. Suez

9. BP

10. Royal Dutch Shell

To read about why these companies are regarded as having a higher level of social consciousness, click on over to Fortune.

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Unfortunately, many of those high-tech devices have a common problem: They’re prone to break easily, and no one wants to fix them. Ergo, you can find yourself on the perpetual Two Year Service Agreement from Hell with a pricey phone that seems designed to last, oh, 18 months or so.

Some folks are beginning to figure this out. Not long ago, Forbes decided to produce a list of “Cellphones Your Wallet Will Love.” They may not be particularly sexy, but you just might be able to make a call…which is really the point, right?

Many of these first were made available in developing nations, where bells and whistles weren’t given quite so high a priority. Still, the list gives you an idea of what you should actually be able to get for a reasonable price.

Here goes:

– Nokia 1200: $55

– Nokia 1680: $80

– Nokia 7070 Prism: $80

– Samsung B100: $43

– Samsung C188: $50

– Motorola W230: $50-$100

– Motorola W270: $50-$100

– Motorola W161: $50-$100

– LG Flare: $29.99

– Hop-On 1900: $20

To read all about these, and to see a slideshow, visit Forbes.

Google, Apple, Amazon.com, Zara and Nintendo are among this year’s top gainers in Interbrand’s annual ranking of The Best Global Brands, and not surprisingly, financial services giants Merrill Lynch, Citi and Morgan Stanley are among the companies that have slipped dramatically down the list. Coca-Cola (No. 1) remains the best global brand for the eighth year in a row.

Here are the top 10 global brands:
2008 Rank (2007 Rank)

1. (1) Coca-Cola
2. (3) IBM
3. (2) Microsoft
4. (4) GE
5. (5) Nokia
6. (6) Toyota
7. (7) Intel
8. (8) McDonald’s
9. (9) Disney
10. (20) Google

For more details and the complete list of global brands, go to the Interbrand web site.

Source: Interbrand

Nokia has named the initial group of exceptional mobile application developers in its 2008 Forum Nokia Innovation Series program, designed to provide select small- and mid-sized developers with key business and market support and facilitate access for cutting-edge applications and services to the largest mobile device market in the world today.

The developers recognized for the 2008 Forum Nokia Innovation Series include:

• Application: Plusmo | Developer: Plusmo, Inc., Santa Clara, CA — Plusmo (pictured)  is a leading provider of standards-based mobile widgets that deliver rich personalized experiences for consumers on a broad range of mobile devices.
• Application: Whrrl | Developer: Pelago, Inc., Seattle, WA — Whrrl is a location-based social discovery tool that gives users access to more than 6.5 million points of interest in the U.S. using Nokia’s Assisted-Global Positioning System (A GPS) service.
• Application: Qik | Developer: Qik, Inc., Foster City, CA — Qik is a multimedia communications service that enables users to stream video, audio and IM live over the Internet, from S60 3rd Edition devices to any PC, laptop or mobile device that has Internet connectivity.
• Application: WebMessenger Mobile | Developer: WebMessenger, Inc., Los Angeles, CA — WebMessenger provides a native Symbian client application for Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) that extends OCS functionality to Nokia S60 devices.
• Application: Backup-Pal(R) | Developer: Advanced Wireless Solutions, Burbank, CA — Advanced Wireless Solutions’ Backup-Pal(R). provides a solution to the problem of data loss resulting from lost, stolen, and damaged cell phones, as well as data transfer problems associated with cell phone upgrades and switching carriers.
• Application: Hava Mobile Player | Developer: Monsoon Multimedia, San Mateo, CA — Hava Mobile Player is a TV “place shifting” application that leverages Monsoon Multimedia’s Hava device to lets mobile users watch live home TV or their own recorded content on their mobile device, wherever they may be.
• Application: JoikuSpot | Developer: Joikusoft Oy Ltd., Espoo, Finland — JoikuSpot is a free mobile application that can be installed directly onto a 3G connection-enabled S60 3rd Edition device to turn a user’s 3G mobile connection into their own secure WLAN hotspot, virtually wherever they are – whether stationery or in a moving train or car.
• Application: UbiSafe | Developer: UbiEst., Treviso, Italy — UbiSafe is a location-based services (LBS) application built on Java technology that enables mobile device users to easily address their own personal security and emergency needs, as well as those of family, friends and individuals with special needs, such as children, the elderly and invalids.

For more information, go to the Forum Nokia Innovation Series.

Source: Nokia Corporation

In today’s wireless age, students need more than the typical school supplies. Cell phones are now on the list of necessities, and the new generation of techno-savvy students is not satisfied with having just any wireless device. Teens and young adults want the most-current, up-to-date cell phones with specific features and capabilities before they head back into the classroom.

Wirefly, the online comparison shopping site for cell phones and wireless phone plans, announced its Top 10 hottest selling “Back-to-School” cell phones for 2008:

1. AT&T LG Vu CU920 (Black, pictured) – This sleek touch-screen phone has a large display and a matte black finish, with 3G data speeds, wide-screen virtual keyboard for texting, and streaming live TV.
2. Verizon LG enV2 VX9100 (Black, Maroon) - The highly anticipated LG enV2 is slimmer and lighter than the original enV, and operates at EV-DO speeds; its large QWERTY keyboard and 2-MP camera help complete the package.
3. Sprint PCS LG Rumor (Black, Green, White, Blue) - Sprint’s LG Rumor was designed to deliver a top-notch messaging experience, and it does. A full keyboard and a built-in music player are among the features hidden inside the small shell.
4. T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8320 w/ myFaves (Titanium, Sunset Red) – The best-selling BlackBerry is available for all carriers, with internet browsing, texting, instant messaging, plus camera, music, and video.
5. AT&T Sony Ericsson W580i Walkman (Black, Pink, Grey, White, Red and Green) – The W580i is Sony’s best-selling Walkman phone, and it’s equipped to handle all of your music needs; features like Shake Control and Track ID set this phone apart from the competition.
6. Sprint PCS Palm Centro Onyx – The slimmest and best Palm ever is power-packed with Microsoft Windows applications plus high-speed internet, camera, video and music player.
7. Verizon Motorola W755 (Black Slate, Purple) – The solidly constructed Motorola W755 is housed in an elegant metallic shell with smooth touch-sensitive buttons, and supports V CAST, Bluetooth, and turn-by-turn directions.
8. AT&T BlackBerry Pearl 8110 (Red, Titanium) - As BlackBerry’s slimmest offering, the Pearl combines the power of a productivity device with the stylish look of a compact cell phone. The 8110 model adds GPS to a strong set of features.
9. T-Mobile Nokia 5310 XpressMusic (Red, Orange, Purple) – The Nokia 5310 XpressMusic is an eye-catching music phone with sleek external controls, support for 8 GB of expandable memory, and an FM radio built-in.
10. A&T LG Shine CU720 (Red, Black, Silver)- The LG Shine’s unmistakable 2.2″ mirrored QVGA display will attract attention anywhere, but its streaming TV & radio, video sharing, and 2-MP camera deliver more than just good looks.

Source: Wirefly