Google PowerMeter comes to UK
British Gas has partnered with energy consumption monitoring outfit, AlertMe. The partnership allows British Gas customers to monitor their electricity usage, from their office, using Google’s online PowerMeter Service. Google's PowerMeter  generates graphs of electricity usage that can be viewed anywhere using a mobile phone or computer.
Techworld

Microsoft and Yahoo delay search deal
Yahoo and Microsoft have declared that they need more time to finalise their search deal. The two companies agreed to the deal back in July and told investors it would be finalised by 27th October, but both informed the Security and Exchange Commission of an extension.  The deal is now expected in early 2010.
PC Pro

Ovi Store gets re-downloading feature
Nokia has continued in the footsteps of Apple, and is now letting users of its mobile application store, Ovi, re-download premium apps and content they have purchased in the past. The move follows a number of problems with Ovi, including network connection loss and software updates rendering content incompatible.
Mobile Entertainment

Netlog gets a major makeover, now growing at 500,000 users a week
Social networking site, Netlog, is holding it partner summit today and will be revealing the lastest design of the popular Web2.0 site often dubbed, The European Myspace. Netlog has also announced that it is receiving 250 million visits from 56 million unique visitors on a monthly basis and is handling half a million new sign-ups every week.
Tech Crunch

TalkTalk will resist net piracy plans
UK ISP TalkTalk revealed that it will not cut off internet access to its customers that illegally file-share online.  The government’s legislation to tackle internet piracy will kick into effect next April. In a move set to outrage the government and content providers, TalkTalk has launched the “Don’t Disconnect Us” campaign in a bid to ensure Brits aren't disconnected from the web without a trial.
PC Advisor

Westminster readies 'wave and pay' parking meters
Westminster City Council is to trial "wave and pay" parking meters. Drivers with contactless debit or credit cards will be able to wave them at the relevant meter from the New Year. The technology - being used for the first time in the UK - will be trialled on 20 meters in the West End, but could be extended if it is successful.
The Register

Motorola unveils Droid handset
Mobile phone vendor Motorola has unveiled its much-hyped Droid handset. The new smartphone will be based on Google's Android 2.0 platform and will sport the traditional 3G and Wi-Fi connections. Other hardware features include a 3.7 inch screen, 16GB of storage and a five megapixel camera.
V3

BBC Radio 4 adds 750,000 listeners in a year
Around 10.22 million people now listen to the station every week, up from 9.45 million people last year and 10 million in the previous quarter.  The figures are the highest for the station since new research methods were set up in 1999.  They were boosted by the popularity of the Today programme, which has 6.60 million listeners, an increase of nearly half a million on the same time last year.
Telegraph

Amazon to simplify online shopping
Amazon.com is set to launch a system to simplify the process of online shopping. Amazon PayPhrase will let consumers purchase goods with a short phrase such as "Shopping Fanatic" and an identification number. PayPhrase requires only a phrase and PIN instead of giving a credit card and address to buy things on Amazon and other websites that accept this PayPhrase system.
Yahoo News

New approach to ID verification aims to safeguard privacy
Government and industry are being encouraged to take part in a new electronic identity scheme that could put control of online privacy back into the hands of individual web users. International policy body the Global Trust Council (GTC) hopes to put a universal legal framework in place that will see online identity verified using “relationships”, sidestepping the need for database-held information, and upholding the individual’s right to privacy and to retain details of their identity.
Computing