-- Opera launches Mobile 9.5: Opera Software (OSL: OPERA) released today Opera Mobile 9.5 in beta, a new browser for Windows Mobile touchscreen devices. The browser can be downloaded at http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/. Opera Mobile 9.5 beta is supposed to be faster and is also nice because it defaults to the page overview mode, allowing the user to view the entire Web page to be able to recognize the Web site. The user can pan and zoom to focus on specific areas of the page.

-- Verizon (NYSE: VZ) launches mobile banking: Verizon Wireless said today it is launching mobile banking services on the BlackBerry Curve, Pearl and World Edition smartphones, and phones that have Get It Now. The banking application allows users to check account balances and transactions; transfer funds between accounts and view and pay bills. Currently, the banks that support the application are: Wachovia, Regions, SunTrust, USAA, Synovus, America First Credit Union (AFCU), Arvest, Bancorp South, FirstBank, South Financial and BECU. Once customers sign up, they will receive an eight-digit code that will allow them to access the Mobile Banking application on their phones. The app is free, bit data charges apply.

-- Google (NSDQ: GOOG) launches mobile reviews: Google said today it is launching a new feature that let’s people review and rate restaurants and local businesses from your phone. All you have to do is go to google.com on your phone’s browser, search for the business by name or location, click on the business name on the results page, and scroll down to click on “Sign in to write/edit your review.” The results are also published on Google Maps. Sorry iPhone users, this one’s not available to you yet.

-- Mobile Posse Partners with STATS: McLean, Va.-based Mobile Posse, which provides advertising and content for a phone’s idle screen, said today it partnered with STATS, sports information provider. Mobile Posse has found in surveys that current subscribers of the service value sport scores and sports content, and produce a click-through rate of about 20 percent. Release.