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International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM), the no. 2 computer maker that?s also one of the biggest chipmakers, said it plans to acquire private Texas Memory Systems to bolster its offerings in the flash-memory sector crucial for new servers and mobile products.

The Apple stock (AAPL) has emerged a market favorite ahead of the September 12 event, cited to be the probable launch date for next-generation iPhone, iPhone 5 and iPad Mini. Witnessing a huge rally for the last few days, the stock closed August 20 at an all-time high of $665.15 resulting in a market capitalization value of $665.15 billion.

Dell is scheduled to report second-quarter results Tuesday below last year?s. For the first time, the company founded by Chairman Michael S. Dell nearly 30 years ago in a dorm room will be ranked No. 3 in PC sales, having lost its No. 2 ranking last quarter to China?s Lenovo Group.

Don?t say technology companies aren?t enormously profitable. An IBTimes review of the cash and investment holdings of 11 of the top technology leaders shows they are sitting atop nearly $375 billion in cash and investments ? or about 24 percent more since the last survey nine months ago.

The famously all-male Augusta National Golf Club has officially admitted its first female members -- former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and business executive Darla Moore.

China’s Lenovo Group (Pink: LNVGY), the No. 2 PC maker, reported first-quarter net income jumped 30 percent , ahead of estimates, as global revenue rose 35 percent – far better than performance for its U.S. rivals, Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) and Dell (Nasdaq: DELL), the No. 3 PC maker.

Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO) reproted fourth-quarter results that exceeded analyst estimates.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.B) dumped its shares of Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC) last quarter and cut its stake in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) while boosting its exposure to oil refining and oil services.

Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), the No. 1 provider of Internet gear, is scheduled to report fourth-quarter results Wednesday that are expected to be much better than last year’s when CEO John Chambers said the company was overmanned and was in the midst of layoffs and retrenchment.

Shares of Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), the No. 1 search engine, set a record high of $672.85 on Tuesday, not quite eight years to the day of its initial public offering in which co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin pledged to “make money without doing evil.”

Market researcher Gartner Group (NYSE: IT) said global smartphone sales eased 2.3 percent in the second quarter to 419 million units, accounting for a record 36.7 percent of all mobile phone sales.

At a time when big banks are constantly raising fees or imposing new ones to help them recover lost revenue from new regulations, not-for-profit credit unions are booming.

Shares of BlackBerry developer Research in Motion (Nasdaq; RIM) jumped on speculation IBM (NYSE: IBM) might be interested in part of the company. But others like Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL), might also want its technology, too.

BlackBerry investor Victor Alboini said he welcomed a bid for Research in Motion's enterprise business by IBM, saying it would greatly enhance value of an undervalued asset.

BlackBerry developer Research in Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM) has been approached by International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) about a possible sale of its enterprise services unit, Bloomberg News reported, citing two insiders.

Friday marks 13 weeks since the first public trading in shares of Facebook at $42. Now it's near $21.

Technology may have a good second half of 2012 after all, despite all the fears of economic collapse, lower demand for PCs and other worries. After Computer Sciences reported better-than-expected results on Wednesday, Hewlett-Packard said third-quarter results would be stronger, too.

Shares of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) rose more than 3 percent Monday, trading at midday at $21.81, up 72 cents. But they’re still nearly 50 percent below the $38 set at their May 17 initial public offering.

Lenovo, the second largest PC manufacturer, unveiled a lighter and faster ThinkPad laptop Monday to appeal to users who prefer the convenience of tablets and smartphones.

We may think of academics as a liberal, open-minded lot, but lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender scientists have had as rocky a road to acceptance in the scientific community as in other segments of society.

Chances are second-quarter results from Xerox Corp., the No. 1 copier maker that’s moved increasingly into services, will be a disappointment, keeping in line with the general technology sector.

Asian stock markets advanced Thursday as signs of an improvement in the U.S. housing market and better-than-expected quarterly earnings from corporate majors buoyed the sentiment.

The top after-market NYSE gainers Wednesday were Emulex Corp, New York Times, Tempur-pedic International, International Business Machines and Titan International. The top after-market NYSE losers were Greenhill & Co, Convergys, Whiting USA, Stryker Corp and Diana Shipping.

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM), the No. 2 computer maker, boosted its full-year net earnings estimates to “at least” $14.40 a share from the previous estimate of $14.27.

Banking on software, services and cost controls, International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM), the No. 2 computer company, is expected to report improved second-quarter earnings despite a decline in revenue.

Second-quarter earnings season heads into full swing next week. The results will provide guidance on how much the global slowdown is affecting U.S. companies.

Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL), the No. 1 database developer, said it will acquire Involver, a five-year-old social media software developer, its third sector acquisition in three months.

The late King Hussein of Jordan titled his autobiography ?Uneasy Lies the Head.? That could be the title Thorsten Heins, CEO of Research in Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM), the ailing BlackBerry developer, could use for his book, too.

As investors await second-quarter earnings from leading technology companies, several warning signs indicate that save for special cases, it won?t be a blow-out.