Google makes advances in battle with Facebook
Google defied the global economic slowdown last night by posting a 26 percent rise in net profits for the last quarter. The internet search engine company also claimed to be making strides in its battle with Facebook, announcing that more than 40 million users have joined Google+, its social network. Google beat Wall Street expectations by reporting net income of $2.73bn (£1.73bn) for the three months to 30 September, from $2.17bn a year ago. Net revenue, excluding payments to partner websites, surged by 37 percent to $7.51bn.
Guardian

RIM offers Blackberry users apps as apology
Canadian mobile communications firm Research in Motion (RIM) will give its subscribers $100 worth of premium applications as compensation for the four days of service problems it suffered last week.
The Inquirer

Future phones may rewire and reinvent themselves
Future mobile devices may be able to reconfigure themselves to meet new demands, ¬according to researchers that have developed a nanomaterial that can “steer” electrical currents. The discovery could lead to the development of smartphones and devices that can reconfigure their internal ‘wiring’ and evolve into an entirely different and new device, to reflect the changing needs of consumers.
Telecoms.com

HP promises new tablet, could it be Windows 8?
HP says a non-webOS tablet is on its way, and the PC business will only spin off if it makes it stronger. Hewlett-Packard will launch new tablets in future, despite cancelling the webOS-based TouchPad, and is evaluating Windows 8 for the purpose, executives have said. HP was being tight lipped about its tablet plans at the Canalys Channel Forum in Barcelona, but executive vice president Ann Livermore assured the conference that HP would only sell off the PC business – a prospect announced by former CEO Leo Apotheker in August – if it made the division stronger.
eWeek Europe

Siri on the iPhone 4S falls short in the UK
The Inquirer has got its hands on an iPhone 4S and discovered that its Siri voice control software can't search local businesses in the UK. Siri, your personal iPhone assistant, can't tell you where the nearest restaurant is or guide you to local attractions in the UK. The software is one of the big selling points for the iPhone 4S, which went on sale earlier today.
The Inquirer

YouTube launches online movie rental service in the UK
YouTube has launched its movie rental service in the UK with thousands of blockbusters including The Dark Knight and Reservoir Dogs. Film fans in the UK can now rent new releases for £3.49 and older titles for between £2.49 and £3.49 from YouTube. The move puts the Google-owned site in direct competition with Amazon's LoveFilm, which claims some 1.6 million customers in the UK and Europe. LoveFilm makes new releases available to non-members for between £2.49 and £3.49 a film.
Guardian

iPad rival alert: Viewsonic ViewPad 10e on Preorder for £199.99
Viewsonic is upping the ante in the race to become the most prominent Apple iPad rival on the market and has chosen the easiest way to do it; by launching a tablet that has almost the same hardware as the Apple iPad with some minor improvements.
ITPro Portal

Mobiles increasingly used in front of TV
A lot of money and research is currently being put into social TV, as companies of all kinds seek to capitalize on the growing trend of people using their mobile devices in front of the TV. While the use of laptops in the living room is not unheard of, the greater convenience of smartphones and tablets has accelerated this trend.
Hexus

Mobiles generating equivalent of $2.5bn a year, says Google chief
Google's chief executive Larry Page says that there are now than 190m Android devices in use, and that mobile advertising through it is on course to generate $2.5bn (£1.5bn) annually. Speaking at the company's earnings results, Page said: "The growth of Android is mind-boggling too. Over 190m devices have now been activated globally. I'm super-excited about the soon-to-be released new version of Android called Ice Cream Sandwich, that's right, Ice Cream Sandwich. You won't believe what we manage to get done in this release."
Guardian

Microsoft gives £28 million to Nokia and Samsung
Microsoft's shy and retiring CEO Steve "there's a kind of hush" Ballmer has scribbled his name on the bottom of a £28 million cheque to Nokia and Samsung. The cunning plan is that the pair will use the money to push their Windows Mobile based products.
TechEye