MICROSOFT

Early adopters, this is the battle you've been waiting for. Samsung Focus S and HTC Titan are two of the best smartphones out there with the Microsoft system running their insides. Windows Phone 7 replaced Windows Mobile as Microsoft's mobile operating system in 2010. Now, with an updated 7.5 version, called Mango, the Windows Phone system is ready to duke it out with the likes of Android and Apple.

Chip giant Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) slashed its fourth-quarter outlook Monday citing hard disk drive (HDD) supply shortages related to flooding in Thailand.

Microsoft Corp appointed a new head for its mobile phone software group on Monday, as the company continues to search for ways to extend its dominance in the PC market to the fast-growing and highly-competitive smartphone business.

The International Trade Commission this week is expected to determine if Taiwan's HTC infringed upon Apple's smartphone patents. Isn't there a more sensible way to manage the IP wars?

Good news to smartphones and tablet users who crave for gaming without compromising on splendid graphics - OnLive, a Silicon Valley-based gaming service, has announced the launch of an application (app) which enables users of mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad and Android-based smartphones and tablets, including Amazon's Kindle Fire, to enjoy console-class gaming.

Nokia, on Thursday, released its first software update for its Lumia 800 smartphone, which is the fruit of its partnership with Microsoft, whose Windows Phone 7 operating system powers the device.

As we cast our eyes over the year that was, the computer tablet market across the world strikes one as having been the sort of space most affected by a constant stream of products, with each one trying to outdo the other, in terms of innovation, design, components and performance. At the end of it all, however, if you've played the waiting game, hoping that 2012 will be an even better year, here is a brief rundown of what to expect...

With support for current proposed anti-piracy legislation waning, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) released on Thursday a compromise proposal that would likely receive the endorsement of the tech community.

In an IDC report on 'Top 10 system software prediction for 2012', the potential success of Windows 8 was given a poor evaluation by the global market research company.

Should the tablet live up to its promises, at the price, it should provide a lot of bang for your moolah, making it one of the top tablets to look out.

General Electric Co and Microsoft Corp are forming a joint venture to develop and sell software systems to make it easier for healthcare providers to store, access and share patient information.

EU antitrust regulators are set to accept concessions offered by International Business Machines Corp and end an antitrust investigation this month, averting a possible fine, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Research In Motion has unceremoniously dumped the BBX brand name it had chosen two months ago for its new BlackBerry operating system after a U.S. court embarrassed the beleaguered smartphone maker by slapping a temporary ban on its use.

Apple’s expected unveiling of iTV a year from now, coupled with continued huge sales of iPads and iPhones should create “a halo effect” to propel shares to around $500, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek told International Business Times.

Employees in fast-growing economies have more freedom over the technology they use for work than their counterparts in developed countries, and are more likely to see corporate provision of devices as a perk, according to a study.

Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ:RIMM) is said to have delayed the launch of its first BlackBerry 10 OS-run London smartphone by at least 3 months.

According to Jeffries, Verizon Communications Inc.'s (NYSE: VZ) standalone video streaming service, which is expected to launch in 2012, could be another potential competitor for Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX).

Amazon.com Inc is known as the world's largest online retailer, but the company is aggressively expanding in online advertising, putting it on course for a clash with Google Inc, the leader in the space.

Verizon Communications Inc plans to launch a standalone service allowing customers to stream movies and television shows over the Web, in a fresh challenge to Netflix Inc and the traditional cable TV business, according to several people briefed on the plan.

Microsoft is the latest technology giant to storm cable's barricades.

Less than a day after the Indian government urged social networking Web sites and Internet companies to screen alleged derogatory and defamatory content about the country's religious figures and leaders, Facebook has responded noting that it removes content that violates its rules.