Pocket Picks round-up: February 17th - Playstation certification coming to HTC phones, Samsung unveils 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2, Barclays releases Pingit e-cash system

Having gritted our teeth through February's surprise snow storms and sub-zero temperatures, we're all in need of a little something to warm our hearts.

Luckily, Pocket Picks has stepped in to offer up a round-up of mobile gadget-related goodness to get your pulse racing and your blood pumping.

Okay, maybe it's not quite as exciting as, say, winning the lottery or skydiving with a parachute made of Quality Street wrappers, but there are enough announcements, insider scoops, and innovative apps in the list below to warrant at least one skipped heartbeat.

Don't believe us? Read on, sirrah, and let Pocket Picks bring you up to speed on this week's updates in the wonderful world of mobile technology.

After a year of brand loyalty with the Xperia Play (and a few other Ericsson devices), Sony's PlayStation catalogue has apparently decided to expand its horizons and play the field.

What do I mean? Well, a post from PocketLint alleges that HTC will be the first non-Sony handset manufacturer to get its hands on the catalogue's previously exclusive charms.

Depending on the veracity of the claim, mobile gamers may soon find themselves one upgrade away from owning a HTC handset with PlayStation Certification, something that might give the handset manufacturer a much-needed boost in 2012.

The middle-weight Samsung Galaxy Tab is about to be superceded by a souped-up successor.

Announced this week, the predictably named Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is an improvement on its forebear in almost every regard, and will be the first Samsung tablet to arrive with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

The device will arrive on UK shelves in March sporting 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB or RAM, a 3 megapixel rear camera and a front-facing VGA camera.

While this will be an Ice Cream Sandwich-driven tablet, a new version of the TouchWiz user interface will be implemented over the top, alongside a host of improved multimedia apps.

Sky is about to make it possible to watch a wide range of its subscription channels on your Android device.

Sky Go will let account holders keep up with ESPN, Sky News, Sky Movies, Sky Sports, Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts, MTV, and a whole host of other channels on the go - provided you have a compatible Android handset.

So, if you own any of the more powerful Android devices (HTC Desire and above, Samsung Galaxy S and S II), the days of squabbling over the TV remote or pretending to pay attention in class may be over for good. You lucky people.

In an effort to reverse its ailing fortunes, BlackBerry manufacturer RIM seems to be looking to the competition for software design cues. At least, if photos leaked earlier this week are anything to go by.

The Crackberry-sourced images show what is believed to be a new BlackBerry handset running BlackBerry 10, the company's new OS.

What's attracting internet scrutiny is the widget-based nature of the unnamed handset's operating system, a look that strongly echoes Android and iOS's visual layout.

If the photos are genuine, this represents a whole new era for Blackberry handsets, placing them directly alongside other touchscreen devices in the features department.

Barclays thinks it has an alternative to change filled pockets and cash-stuffed wallets in the form of its new e-cash app Pingit.

The app allows smartphone owners to transfer money to other Pingit users simply by specifying an amount and entering the intended recipient's mobile number.

Available for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry, a Barclays rep described this forward-looking transfer system as "free, quick, convenient, secure, and easy to use."

Sounds dandy. However, only Barclays customers are able to use the app at present, so expect to hold onto your change jar for a little longer.