MICROSOFT

Nokia (NYSE: NOK), the ailing Finnish mobile products maker, will add tablets to new smartphones as part of its turnaround, Chairman Jorma Ollila said.

The Microsoft's Windows Phone marketplace is still at a very nascent stage. Hence there are not nearly as many apps as there are for the Apple app store and the Google Play store. However, to keep up with competition, the company has made recent efforts to avail their marketplace in 22 new countries.

Microsoft is planning the deal of a lifetime for gamers who have not yet purchased an Xbox, as the company is offering the console package along with a monthly subscription for just $99 beginning next week.

Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system has plagued by porn apps. The company intends to put an end to that with an emphasis on the user guidelines.

Symantec (Nasdaq: SYMC), the largest provider of security software, reported flat revenues and fourth-quarter earnings because it sold fewer software licenses.

Motorola Mobility Holdings (Nasdaq: MMI) won a patent ruling in Germany that bans Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), the world's biggest software company, from selling Windows 7 and other products.

The IPO on everyone's minds for the past few years -- and possibly the biggest one in history -- is upon us: Facebook will finally make its Wall Street debut on Friday, May 18, 2012. Sources also say Facebook will begin its IPO roadshow on Monday, May 7. Will Mark Zuckerberg enjoy the biggest IPO in history?

The HTC One X, which features a mammoth yet bright and beautiful 4.7-inch HD display with 1280 x 720 pixel (720p) resolution, Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon S4 CPU, a 1.5-GHz dual-core chip, 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage, is finally launching on the AT&T network on May 6 for $199. The phone will face major competition from other AT&T phones like Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket 4G, iPhone 4S, Nokia Lumia 900, LG Nitro HD and Galaxy Note.

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), the world's biggest software company, announced it'll invest $300 million into a new business with Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) to burnish the future of the Nook.

Many believe Apple will finally use its recently licensed patents for liquid metal in its sixth-generation iPhone, presumably called the iPhone 5. In response to these rumors, French designer Antoine Brieux conjured up several artist renderings of what the liquid metal iPhone could look like. Check out pictures of Brieux's iPhone 5 liquid metal LM concept here.

Samsung Electronics (NYSE: SSNLF) reclaimed the No. 1 rank in mobile phone shipments overall and in the smartphone sector, market researcher IDC reported.

Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), the largest provider of security software, is likely to confirm prior guidance for lower-than-expected fourth-quarter results on Wednesday.

Microsoft is all set to invest $300 million in Barnes & Noble's e-reader and tablet business, foraying into the race for digital publishing and online education.

Mergers and acquisitions are on the upstream as low interest rates, rising business and consumer confidence plus depressed prices for some assets have companies seeking buys that will allow them to expand or cut costs through synergy.

Grupa ADV (Pink: GPVSY), a fast-growing Polish media and software group, expects international sales to double this year, said CFO Adam Kuszyk.

Barnes & Noble announced today it will be forming a strategic partnership with Microsoft by creating a new subsidiary, which has not been named yet, that will aim to accelerate the transition to digital publishing and significantly boost e-book sales.

Shares of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, fell 3 percent after Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), the world's biggest software company, and Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) announced a new partnership to battle the iPad.

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), the world's biggest software company, and Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS), said they?ve agreed to collaborate on new tablet technology to battle Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company and Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN).

Futures on major US stock indices point to a lower opening Monday ahead of economic data including core PCE price index and Chicago PMI.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade Monday are: Demand Media, Barnes & Noble, Sunoco, Mannkind Corp, Boston Scientific Corp, Vivus Inc, Range Resources Corp and Humana Inc.

Recently-granted patents suggest Apple will implement a near-field communication (NFC) chip into its sixth-generation iPhone -- presumably called the iPhone 5 -- but in addition to sending and receiving payments from customers to merchants, Apple will also reportedly use this chip to send and receive gifts from one iPhone to another.