MICROSOFT

A smartphone is no longer a style statement, rather it is a necessity. So there is no wonder that 2011 has been an exciting year for smartphones. A number of smartphones flooded the market this year and the phones manufactured by HTC stole a considerable share in the market.

The New York Times accidentally e-mailed millions of subscribers, erroneously notifying them of a canceled subscription.

When Apple first partnered with Intel to include Thunderbolt ports on the MacBook Pro, they may or may not have known how much interest the technology would generate in the computer world. In 2012, Thunderbolt looks to make a bigger splash by making its way onto several different PC platforms.

As Apple gears up to release its most anticipated tablet yet, Android competitors are getting ready to rival the iPad 3, with Google plotting the latest aspiring iPad-killer.

The digital world is moving fast. We know it very well. But how fast? Here is some idea on how fast the digital world is moving. Put on your seat-belts as - hold your breath - it is moving at the speed of light.

Google+, Google’s challenge to Facebook, is adding 625,000 daily users and already may have as many as 62 million signed up, unofficial statistician Paul Allen claimed.

Lumia 800, which Nokia's best high-end smartphone and is the fruit of its partnership with Microsoft, is rumored to hit the U.S. market in January 2012. It will, however, face immense pressure from LG Nitro HD, which has more specifications.

As T-Mobile gets ready to bring the Nokia Lumia 710 smartphone to its lineup, the Microsoft system at the core of the device has seen its app store grow to 50,000 available apps. This is the number of apps published, and there have been around 6,000 apps pulled by the developers or Microsoft for a variety of reasons tech blog All About Windows Phone reported.

Shares of BlackBerry developer Research in Motion soared as much as 7 percent Tuesday on speculation it may attract a suitor in 2012 or take steps to improve shareholder value.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics aims to raise its global handset sales by 15 percent next year by boosting its smartphone sales, putting it in a closer race with bigger rival Nokia.

Apple newbies can rest assured. This handy guide to the top ten free apps is guaranteed to put your shame to rest.

Nokia's best high-end smartphone - the Lumia 800 - which is the fruit of its partnership with Microsoft is rumored to hit the U.S. market in January 2012. It will, however, face heavy competition from Samsung's Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, which has more specifications when compared to Lumia 800.

One day after vocalizing its support for the SOPA Bill in 2012, GoDaddy decided to pull its support from the bill after many threatened to boycott the company's services.

Web hosting company GoDaddy voiced its support for the SOPA Bill 2012, which would effectively let the U.S. government shut down any websites it feels are in violation of copyright.

Apple won a new patent for switching applications during calls, which will give Android developers a big obstacle to work around. Steve Jobs would be proud.

Microsoft, one of the biggest supporters and mainstay attraction at CES for years, will cancel its keynote presentation and booth at the show after 2012.

Nokia's long-awaited Windows phones may be too little, too late in the smartphone war dominated by Apple and Google, despite positive reviews by handset critics.

Players can also expect a variety of Spec Ops missions.

Yahoo Inc is considering a plan to unload most of its prized Asian assets in a complex deal valued at roughly $17 billion, sources familiar with the matter said on

The largest consumer technology trade show in America has been a launch pad for some of the biggest new technologies and has gathered over 100,000 visitors every year. According to a report on Associated Press, the Consumers Electronics association which organizes CES, has received interest from other exhibitors for Microsoft's booth space.

2012 looks to be a big year for gadgets, as Apple, Google, Microsoft and others are all expected to debut dozens of new devices that push the limits of technology. Here are the release dates for several tablet computers and smartphones coming next year.