MICROSOFT

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.

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).

Apple quietly lifted part of Steve Jobs' famous reality distortion field on Sunday, switching out a statement that claimed its Mac computers were completely immune to viruses with a less-forward statement: It's built to be safe. Apple can no longer say its Macs are perfect, but the company is making great strides to improve the honesty of its PR while making users and developers feel safe all the same.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Intel Corp, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Cellcom Israel, Nokia Corp, Banco Santander, Deutsche Bank and Microsoft Corp are among the companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trading Monday.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion is considering splitting its business in two, separating its struggling handset manufacturing division from its messaging network, The Sunday Times reported.

In the 1950s, a consumer who wanted to buy eyeglasses borrowed $40 from the bank. Fast-forward to 2012: how about using your digital wallet to buy those glasses with your mobile phone? Maybe later this year.

Stereo systems. Clock radios. External speakers. In-car entertainment. It's possible that none of these iPhone accessories will be compatible with Apple's upcoming sixth-generation iPhone, presumably called the iPhone 5.

A document surfaced last week that had video-game fans guessing about what's in store for Microsoft's next-generation Xbox 720. It quickly circulated around the Internet, leaving gamers wondering whether there was any truth behind the alleged plans in it. One source has contended the paperwork is in fact legitimate.

Just weeks after E3 2012, Nintendo has announced its next release in its family of gaming products. Fans may be awaiting more information on the Wii U console, but the company has just unveiled its Nintendo 3DS XL handheld, a follow-up to the three-dimensional portable gaming device.

One of the members at the XDA-Developer forum named Lil Jones noticed that the section dedicated to the latest Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the Google Play Store mentioned the imminent software upgrade for the handset would be Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

On June 20 Microsoft officially unveiled its Windows Phone 8, which will be closely tied to its upcoming Windows 8 operating system. The new mobile device is expected to launch this fall along with the new Windows software for tablets and PCs.

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), the world's biggest software company, has won major support from smartphone makers led by Samsung Electronics (Seoul: 005930) to battle Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company.

One of Microsoft?s major highlights from E3 2012 was the introduction of its newest project Smart Glass. The company has just revealed that the first title to be compatible with this feature is the Xbox Live Arcade baseball title ?Homerun Stars.?

It may not be the sexiest feature, but it may be one of the most rumored. Although Apple doesn't discuss product pre-releases, several tech sites claim that Apple has built smaller dock connectors for its new phone, dubbed the iPhone 5, by some. TechCrunch is the latest to report on the mini dock connector, but the first to confirm it.

Larry Ellison, the CEO of software giant Oracle, is said to have paid between $500 million and $600 million for the 141 square mile Pineapple island.

Microsoft has struck again. Just a couple of days after launching the Surface tablet, the Redmond company took the wraps off the latest iteration of its mobile operating system, the Windows Phone 8, during a nightclub-themed media event in California Wednesday. With an exciting set of new features, the upcoming mobile OS has indeed managed to get the first impression of many onlookers already.