Pocket Picks round-up: March 16th - the new iPad arrives, Google files patent for ringtone advertising, Android to get Instagram

The weekend is here at last, my friend, and that can mean only one thing: it's time to take stock of this week's developments in the world of mobile technology.

The last five days have brought us peculiar patents, free sat nav web apps, and a new way for Android owners to make those pseudo-vintage photos you never tire of seeing on social network feeds.

Oh, yeah, and the new iPad came out on Friday. That was nice.

So, lock your Easy Chair in its upright position, and prepare your face for several Gs worth of top-flight tech news, as we plummet nosefirst into this week's Pocket Picks round-up.

After teasing us for weeks with cryptic announcements and an ambiguous image, Apple put us all out of our misery by launching the new iPad on Friday.

Equipped with a 2048x1536 resolution Retina display - a figure that puts high-definition TVs to shame - a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p video at 30fps, and a dual-core CPU / quad-core GPU, it's the most advanced tablet to roll off the Apple conveyor belt to date.

If you didn't pre-order one of these slinky new slates, you'll probably have to join the back of a rather long queue. Saying that, there were rumours on Friday of a few devices going spare. Tuck in.

In a move that can only be described as 'profoundly alarming' (sorry), Google has filed a patent for an 'innovation' that has the potential to annoy mobile phone users the world over.

In its filing for the "Ringback Advertising" patent, Google proposes a technological process that will allow ringtones to be replaced with targeted adverts based on the user information of both caller and receiver.

Whether The Big G actually plans on putting this wince-inducing idea into action is another matter. However, the prospect of listening to advertising jingles while I wait for my girlfriend to answer her phone already has me eyeing my old pager longingly.

Nokia has charitably released a free version of its turn-by-turn route-planning system Nokia Maps on iOS and Android.

If you fancy putting this portable pathfinder though its paces, visit m.maps.nokia.com. You'll be en route to your next destination in no time.

Be aware, though, that you'll need a decent 3G connection to stay on the right track, and the Voice Navigation option requires a 1.9MB download before it can be activated.

Still, it's an interesting move by the Finnish mobile phone behemoth. What next: that ringtone made available for purchase from the iTunes Store?! Hmmm.

iOS users have been lording their overly saturated, sepia-tinted fauxlaroid snaps over Android devotees ever since Instagram first appeared on the App Store.

It seem that the maker of this hugely popular app decided the time was right to share Instagram's image-sharing prowess with the 'droid crowd, stating that the photo-editing software will be coming to Google's mobile platform "soon".

According to Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, Instagram has a staggering 27 million users worldwide, with that figure set to skyrocket once Android punters get their chance to fiddle with its retro-loving settings.

Samsung has just filed a patent for a unique wraparound display that can cover the entire surface of, say, a mobile handset.

If the Korean manufacturer can get this idea beyond the concept stage, it means that users could effectively change the theme of their fascia with a simple swipe or tap.

This "wallpaper for your handset" idea, while seemingly far-fetched, has apparently got real legs - or so the Samsung execs would have us believe. We'll have to wait and see whether it makes it off the drawing board, though.