Webwire: Apple doubles profit, shipments; Facebook claims economic boost

Apple’s expanded iPhone portfolio is already paying off, with sales of 37 million devices in 4Q11 double the figure for the same quarter in 2010. The strong demand drove net profit to $13.06 billion (€10 billion) in 4Q11, compared to $6 billion in 4Q10.
 
Facebook claims it added $15.3 billion (€11.7 billion) to Europe’s economy in 2011, and created 232,000 jobs in the region. The figures form part of a global study of the social network’s impact by consultancy Deloitte.
 
London’s underground train network operator plans to install Wi-Fi in 120 stations by the summer. The move follows the collapse of efforts to roll out cellular coverage on the rail network.
 
Microsoft is fingering a former employee of an anti-virus firm as the brains behind a botnet that took control of 41,000 PCs and, at its peak, sent 3.8 billion spam e-mails a day.
BBC 
 
Pension charges dragged US carrier Verizon into the red in 4Q11. The operator registered a loss of $2.02 billion (€1.5 billion) in the quarter, compared to a $2.64 billion profit in 4Q10.