Nokia struggles to make a comeback, a high-profile plagiarism case is the talk of the manga industry, and don't look for the Playstation 4 any time soon! Join us as we wrap up the week in news!

Economics/Geekonomics

Mortgage Delinquencies Increase Strongly in January: Another sign we're definitely not out of the woods yet, as is existing home sales below expectations.

Smartphones

Android May Outsell iPhone in Middle of the U.S.: The Google OS is reportedly ahead in eight states, but there's a catch: Verizon, home of the Droid, has much greater coverage than AT&T in those parts of the country. Sounds like a good idea for Apple to not renew its exclusive deal with AT&T.

Nokia Charts its Comeback Plan: The once-mighty cellphone maker is preparing for life in the smartphone world with some high-end models, but they're  definitely on the "see how it goes before you even think of sending them a resume" list.

Palm Cuts Revenue Forecast: They're lowering expectations after sales of the Pre and Pixie fell short. Hopefully, their new deal with Verizon will turn things around, but . . . see what we said about Nokia above.

Computers/Web Tech

Browser Wars: The Sequel: An analysis how increased competition, especially from Google's Chrome, is driving improvements throughout  the industry – including to Internet Explorer, which Microsoft pretty much ignored after it kicked Netscape to the curb. (We all know, of course, that Mozilla rose from the ashes as Firefox).

Online Dating in a Slump: Match.com purchased Singlesnet.com, but Match.com itself has lost traffic, as has the rest of the industry. Another victim of the recession, and another area of tech it may be best to avoid, job-wise, for awhile.

Social Media

Facebook Patents the Social Media News Feed: Which could get interesting legally if other social media sites utilize technology that falls under Facebook's filing. Keep an eye on this one, especially if your work, or plan to work, in this area. (Meanwhile, Facebook says it's taking a 30% cut on revenue from its Credits virtual money system, leaving developers to take a whopping 70% cut).

Netbooks/Tablets

iPad Accessories Planned Already: The device isn't even due until next month, but companies such as  Belkin, Scosche, and Griffin have peripherals on the drawing board. Tablet accessories are about to become a booming market, so this is a good one to get in on the ground floor of.

Video Games

Plants vs. Zombies iPhone Game Generates $1 Million in Sales: PopCap Games set a nine-day sales record for the app store. Keep in mind, though, that  this is the exception, rather than the rule, and the "you won't get rich designing iPhone apps" saying still stands, nine times out of ten. (Needless to say, PopCap Games is also a company to watch).

Sony America CEO Can't Imagine the Future of Playstation: Jack Tretton says he isn't even thinking about the PS4 because the PS3 hasn't even reached its midlife crisis – so count on it being around awhile. (Good thing, since it's just starting to gain steam in the marketplace).

Gamasutra Network Jobs Lineup: You know what to do.

E-Books

How Amazon Innovates: A look at how its corporate culture ultimately resulted in the Kindle – and how Microsoft's didn't.

Anime/Manga

Controversy Rolls On Over Nick Simmons Manga: Gene Simmons' son apparently plagiarized entire pages of Bleach for his "American manga," Incarnate, and has also been accused of lifting art from titles such as One Piece and Hellsing, as well as DeviantArt fanarts. Fortunately, Viz got on this one fast and they're taking action – another sign that geek law is going to be a very profitable career. (And remember folks, steal art and you'll get caught, no matter who your daddy is)

Comics

Captain America Movie on Hold?: Rumors to that effect have surfaced after director Joe Johnston's "The Wolfman" flopped. Given how hot comic movies though, are, and how talked-about this project has been, we imagine Johnston will merely be replaced, rather than scrapping the whole film.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Can Nokia make a comeback, or is their entrance into the smartphone game too little, too late?

- Bonnie