AuthenTec recently sponsored an independent survey of U.S. mobile phone users (men and women, ages 18-25) indicating that the vast majority would like to see widespread availability of fingerprint-enabled phones in the U.S. between now and 2009.

According to the consumer survey conducted this month, a vast majority of mobile phone users (89 percent) use the device for short message service (SMS) text messaging and transmitting photos and files, and nearly half send more than 5 text messages a day.  In spite of the privacy of these messages and files, only a small percentage (14 percent) use a password to protect the phone or its stored files and messages today.

“For mobile marketers this technology can be helpful because it think ensures that the user on the other end is who they say they are,” said Brent Dietz, director of communications for AuthenTec, Melbourne, FL.

Read on for the results.

Each day, the American consumer is exposed to thousands of advertisements, but how many of those do they actually recall? A recent Mobile Response Survey found that mobile/SMS marketing recall rates were extremely high compared to other forms of media.

Some key findings:

58 percent of consumers are interested in receiving mobile coupons.

The National Restaurant Association is expanding its partnership with Fishbowl to bring a “broader array of revenue-generating services” to restaurant members of the Association and its state restaurant association partners. Translation: They will now offer text message marketing to their customers, among other digital services.

Given the state of the economy, this sounds like a swell idea. Who doesn't like free or discounted food offers from your favorite restaurant?  Our clients do it all the time!

Fishbowl is the leader in permission-based e-mail marketing solutions for the restaurant industry, and currently serves more than 30,000 restaurant locations.

Read more.

It's great to see the big brands continue the foray into mobile.

The latest? None other than Nestlé.

Nestlé’s Arrowhead water used a mobile sweepstakes to build awareness around its association with Universal Studios’ The Mummy and to build a database of consumers to remarket to. Signs at convenience stores nationwide asked consumers to text to enter the sweepstakes to win an action packed day at Universal Studios Hollywood, CA and an ARCO gas card.

Upon completion of the campaign, a survey was conducted and found that 44 percent of the opted in consumers will consider buying Arrowhead products after seeing and participating in the promotion.

Also, 25 percent felt more favorable about the brand after seeing the promotion.

Lastly, 38 percent have already bought Arrowhead products because of the promotion.

Calling - ahh hemmm - Texting All Librarians!

Mosio has launched Text a Librarian, a new service that helps libraries set up mobile Q&A systems so they can answer patrons’ questions via text message to any mobile phone.

Every year, libraries answer more than 374 million reference questions, according to the American Library Association. Americans text almost twice as much as they talk on mobile phones, according to a recent Nielsen Mobile Survey, making it a preferred means of communication while on-the-go.

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Mobile video services provider Transpera announced a partnership with Ford Motor Co. to launch a new mobile video advertising campaign touting the automaker's new 2009 Lincoln MKS. The campaign, which will run across the Transpera mobile content network from October 6 through December 15, will feature a combination of ad units including pre-roll video, display banner placements and proprietary overlays served via the Transpera Ad Platform. According to Transpera, the Lincoln MKS campaign will specifically target the mobile platform's technology-savvy audience.

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Health sites Waterfront Media and Revolution Health have announced a merger that will value the entity at $300 million. Steve Case will join the board, while Waterfront CEO Ben Wolin will remain in his post. Our co-editor and EVP Staci Kramer interviewed Wolin this morning on the possibility of upcoming M&As, competition and of course, WebMD.

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 Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) has struck a deal wih UK content provider GoSpoken to launch an audiobook service for the operator’s customers, who will be able to download audio versions of books to their mobile from several of the country’s biggest publishers, including HarperCollins, Random House and Penguin. Timesonline.co.uk reports that the books will cost between £5 and £15 ($9-$26) and will be billed directly to the customer’s monthly mobile bill. GoSpoken was launched in April and was co-founded and co-funded by author Andy McNab. An e-reader version of the service which will deliver text versions of the books to mobile is slated to follow shortly.

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The press and positive response to my upcoming white paper on mobile advertising has been overwhelming. Over 100 practitioners and professionals have already signed up to download the white paper, confirming my view that mobile advertising is a market waiting to happen. The impetus clearly came from major brands and agencies that got in on the ground floor with mobile marketing campaigns as early as 2000, but the real action will start when the Long Tail of advertisers gets on board.

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Consumers should get ready for the mobile internet boom, according to chip maker Intel.

Intel has more than a vested interest in the future of the mobile internet - it doesn't make the type of fatty chips that go with your fish fingers, more the super-skinny ones that fit in your ever-shrinking cellphones.

"The demand is there and the need is there and our technology can meet those needs," said Intel's Gadi Singer told BBC News.

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