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Chance favors the connected mind. That is what author Steven B. Johnson says to those looking for the next big idea. Johnson is the author of "Where Ideas Come From" a book that looks at the macro trends on how innovation evolves.

Ideas are rarely created through a "eureka" moment. It may seem like Doc Brown fell off his toilet and invented the flux capacitor, but really the idea for time travel and how to do it were converging in his brain for quite some time before the blow tothe head. Instead of an "aha!" moment, Johnson believes that ideas are born of a "slow hunch" that are made possible through periods of technological innovation and evolution. If you are creating a startup, where do you get your ideas from?

Telecommunications company Vodafone says that it has been forced to send pro-government messages to its subscribers in Egypt during the country's recent protests.

In a short press statement released today, the network said that the Egyptian government had invoked emergency powers to instruct the mobile networks of Mobinil, Etisalat and Vodafone to send scripted messages to subscribers.

Panda Security is reporting a second incident of malware on Vodafone's HTC Magic, a Google Android smart phone. it provide a clear example for how smartphones are prime targets to become botnets once connected to a user's personal computer.

The incidents provide real-world examples of how companies can inadvertently spread malware. It also raises questions about the quality assurance testing done by manufacturers and the carriers.

Vodafone is launching a cloud-based service designed for business people and consumers who are looking for a way to back up the data on their desktops, laptops and netbooks. The move is significant as Vodafone is making another move beyond the mobile market and is using cloud-based services to get there.

Vodafone's service is built upon Decho's Mozy platform, the popular backup service, which consistently receives ringing endorsements. Mozy has been on a tear as of late, closing deals with China Telecomm and McAfee.

New Zealand will be the first country in the world to get the Apple iPhone 3G, because of the country's position on the international dateline. Vodafone NZ is the carrier which is offering the iPhone, but its pricing plans - released today - have attracted a storm of criticism. Vodafone NZ has decided to charge extortionist prices for the iPhone 3G. Kiwis (including yours truly) are naturally outraged.