* The real story behind former Windows Mobile head Andy Lees’ removal from his role. According to The Verge, Lees’ lofty, public estimates for Windows Phone 7’s success — and the hard reality that it hasn’t made much of a dent in the market — created a rift. (The Verge)

* Google’s response to Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, is reportedly coming in the form of a project dubbed “Majel,” a nod to the computer voice in the Star Trek franchise. The service will enable, among other features, the recognition of commands with more natural language. Majel could arrive within the next few months. (Android and Me)

* Another look at Research in Motion’s recent struggles, which include shares falling 74% since the start of the year and calls from analysts to change the company’s management, explore a sale, or radically change strategy. (The Wall Street Journal)

* Intel (INTC) is creating a new business unit, the mobile and communications group. The group will be led by Intel execs Mike Bell and Hermann Eul and will consist of four current divisions including mobile communications, netbook and tablet, mobile wireless and ultra mobility. (Fortune)

* PayPal wants to get into the online daily deals business and plans to offer customized coupons based on users’ buying habits and locations. Expect that to happen sometime during the first quarter of next year. (Bloomberg)

* Online survey startup SurveyMonkey, which colleague Miguel Helft profiled several months ago, acquired many of the assets of MarketTools as part of a deal that values SurveyMonkey at slightly more than $1 billion. (Fortune)

* IBM (IBM) settled an antitrust case with the European Union by agreeing to supply spare parts and technical information to rivals for five years. (The New York Times)

* SAY Media acquired tech blog ReadWriteWeb for around $5 million, TechCrunch reports. SAY Media CEO Matt Sanchez told Fortune that the tech blog will undergo a redesign and add new editorial staffers, including Business Insider co-founder Dan Frommer. Currently, SAY Media’s Technology channel reaches 75 million-plus readers a month. (TechCrunch and SAY Media)

* CNET reports that Don Coyner, leader of the Xbox design and experience group, has been replaced by Emma Williams, who worked on the recently redesigned Xbox Live experience. (CNET)

* Flipboard for iPhone is doing well. Since launching a mere week ago, the app has been downloaded a million times. (Flipboard)

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