MICROSOFT

Duke Energy, Infosys, Seadrill Ltd, Barclays, Microsoft, Royal Bank of Scotland, Silvercorp Metals and Kraft Foods are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Tuesday.

Microsoft will be offering even more upgrade promotions for its upcoming operating system Windows 8, which is said to debut sometime in the fall. The company has announced the price of its Windows 8 Pro upgrade: $39.99 for online updates and $69.99 in-store.

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), the world's biggest software company, said it would take a $6.2 billion onetime charge to write off its 2007 acquisition of aQuantive, an online advertising agency.

Now that we?ve passed through the first half of 2012, it?s time to reflect on some technology events and anticipate what might be ahead. Maybe we can make a few predictions.

The Dawnguard DLC for ?The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? has finally launched at the end of June, and diehard fans of Bethesda?s open-world RPG have gotten what they?ve been waiting for. Gamers have the option of playing as either a bloodsucking vampire lord or a hunter of these creatures, and each choice will take you on a different path.

It's finally happened. After several years of dominance, Microsoft's Web-based email service, Hotmail, has officially been unseated by Google's significantly younger webmail service, Gmail.

Microsoft has just unveiled its San Diego Comic Con schedule, which will feature numerous Xbox 360 panels and some hands-on gameplay with ?Halo 4.?

Shares of BlackBerry developer Research in Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM) fell nearly 20 percent after announcing a first-quarter loss of $518 million and a further delay in shipping the next-generation BlackBerry 10.

AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL), the No. 7 website, got a tepid response from investors Thursday, the start of a $400 million Dutch auction tender offer.

Google unveiled its Nexus Tablet 7 at its I/O developer?s conference, as analysts and critics predicted. The device boasted a host of alluring new features such as the latest version of Android?s operating system. But underneath the sleek build and smooth software lies what could represent a turning point in the gaming industry.

Microsoft Corporation's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Athens, Greece headquarters was firebombed on Wednesday by gunmen who drove a van loaded with gasoline through the doors of the four story building, Reuters reported.

The release date for ?Halo 4? is still a ways away, but that hasn?t stopped new details from emerging. An internal survey for Microsoft retailers reveals that there will be two new vehicles, 10 new weapons and 10 multiplayer maps that come with the launch.

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), the No. 1 search engine, Wednesday showed its first tablet, the Nexus 7, priced at $199, as part of its annual Google I/O developers conference.

Troubled BlackBerry developer Research in Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM), once the king of the smartphone hill with business, is scheduled to report first-quarter results after Thursday?s close.

Several tech sites claim that Apple has built smaller dock connectors for its new phone, dubbed the iPhone '5,' by some. Three independent manufacturers have agreed the 19-pin port is in the works, but one extremely interesting fact mentioned was the size of the 19-pin port: Apparently, the new mini dock connector is very similar to the size of the Thunderbolt port available on many current MacBook laptops. That got me thinking: What if that is a Thunderbolt port?

The first downloadable content expansion for 'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' will finally be released on June 26. Fans have anticipated an add-on for Bethesda's open-roam RPG since its Nov. 2011 release, and now the day has finally come.

Passbook will be formally introduced with iOS 6, but Apple may also announce an expansion of that software, specifically for an NFC-capable iPhone. With the recent discovery of iPhone prototypes embedded with code that specifically mentioned near-field communication components, there's an excellent chance the company's next iPhone, which many have already crowned the iPhone 5, will feature Apple's patented iWallet technology.

The online travel site Orbitiz came under criticism Tuesday after admitting it is showing Mac users pricier travel options than PC searchers

Windows 8 marks the beginning of the new WinRT (Windows Runtime) computing era and the end of the WinNT era, according to a new Gartner report.

Did 11-year-old Willow Smith get her tongue pierced? In case your feathers were about to get your feathers ruffled you can calm down, Willow Smith did not actually get her tongue pierced.

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), the world's biggest software company, said it will acquire Yammer, a social network specialist, for $1.2 billion, to battle Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG).