Best of British mobile innovation at MWC (pictures)

A U.K. government-led competition brings 20 of Britain's most innovative mobile technology companies to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. I've picked out my favorites from the bunch. The Mu folding plug by Made In Mind previously won the Brit Insurance Design of the Year award in 2010 thanks to its innovative, space-saving design. Made In Mind hopes it will soon be shipped with all new phones as standard.

To assist in the detection of skin cancer, Skin Analytics' app allows you to submit photos of skin abnormalities to track them over time. It's able to warn you if its algorithms detect a potentially dangerous change that should be examined by a doctor.

Previously shown off at CES in Las Vegas, Damson Audio's Pearl portable speaker uses the vibration of almost any solid surface to amplify its sound.

Free app App Magic by Magic Solver distills the hundreds of thousands of free apps in the iOS and Android stores to provide three choice picks a day. The company also works with developers to offer normally paid apps for free.

Sensum provides market research companies with sensors that they can then give to audience research participants to test their responses to adverts, music, and films. The participants are able to engage in the research in their own homes, and the results automatically feeding back through their phones, rather than in an intrusive laboratory setting.

Multiplay.io is a 3D gaming engine that allows you to edit the levels in its shooter game in real time as you play with your friends. You can place and move a variety of interactive objects, and 3D designers are able to upload their own objects for anyone to use. A racing game and others are currently being worked on, too.

Scan a QR code at the checkout of online stores, and the Paddle app will allow you to quickly pay using a three-digit code, saving you the hassle of typing in all your details each time you visit a store.

Software from Real VNC allows your in-car dashboard to mirror your phone's screen. It allows you to use your phone's satellite navigation software, rather than an awkward built-in one, as well as send videos to rear screens to keep the children entertained on long trips.

Tired of your phone running out of battery halfway through the day? The Energenie mobile charger charges any phone over Micro-USB and sticks to the back of the handset, doing away with awkward, trailing cables.