IPHONE

Nokia will close its only two flagship stores in the United States, in a sign its retail strategy of flashy brand-booster outlets is needing a refresh.

Facebook, the world's No.1 Internet social network, took a step toward opening up parts of its site to outsiders on Wednesday by introducing a broad revision of its users' privacy settings.

Stocks ended higher on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar fell and investors' appetite for risk returned, lifting shares of financial, technology and natural resource companies.

It could be argued that 2009 was the year of the App Store, as Apple's bustling storefront for downloadable iPhone programs caught fire with consumers. The store - with more than 100,000 apps - has seen more than 2 billion downloads. It has also become one of Apple's most powerful marketing tools, leaving competitors scrambling to catch up.

Stocks ended higher on Wednesday, reversing earlier losses, as a weaker dollar fueled appetite for riskier assets, boosting shares of financial, technology and natural resource companies.

In a note to clients issued Wednesday, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster believes there is a 70 percent chance Apple may finally roll out the iPhone on the Verizon sometime next year.

Apple Inc is preparing to launch a tablet personal computer in late March or April, with manufacturer partners poised to roll out as many as 1 million units per month, according to an Oppenheimer research note.

Taking a page out of Apple's book, France Telecom's mobile phone unit Orange launched its own shop to sell downloadable videos, games, music and other content to its 130 million mobile phone subscribers.

Apple Inc is preparing to launch a tablet personal computer in late March or April, with manufacturer partners poised to roll out as many as 1 million units per month, according to an Oppenheimer research note.

It could be argued that 2009 was the year of the App Store, as Apple's bustling storefront for downloadable iPhone programs caught fire with consumers.

China Mobile and Research in Motion will offer BlackBerry handsets and Internet service to consumers as well as smaller firms in China, the two firms said on Tuesday.

The doors of restaurants and barbershops are increasingly plastered with stickers touting various online rating services, from Yelp and Citysearch to the distinctive red crest of Zagat.

Apple Inc has acquired digital music service Lala, as the dominant online music retailer explores new models for selling songs.

Apple Inc has acquired digital music service Lala, as the dominant online music retailer explores new models for selling songs.

Apple Inc is in early talks to acquire digital music service Lala, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Apple Inc is in early talks to acquire digital music service Lala, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Welcome to an orchestra of the 21st century. iPhones are being used as musical instruments in a new course at an American university.

Following much date-guessing from bloggers and Apple fans about when the highly rumored “Apple Tablet” would debut, now a top industry analyst predicts it will debut next year. Frank Gens, chief analyst at IDC, said it's a “no-brainer” that it will be released in 2010.

Canada's Absolute Software Corp said it acquired LANrev security software product suite from Germany's Pole Position Software GmbH for about $14.6 million in cash and stock, to strengthen its position in the asset management and data protection markets.

Michael Jackson's surprising death made him the most searched term online in 2009. Michael Jackson is the only search term to appear on all three (Google, Bing and Yahoo) search engine's top 10 lists, and at the top of the three lists. On Yahoo, it ended singer Britney Spears' four-year reign as the most searched term.

Apple has seen about 60,000 units of iPhones sold in South Korea on its debut on Saturday, which is pretty good as the nation has already reported 400,000 smartphones sales in the third quarter.