MICROSOFT

Microsoft's Oct. 26 release date for Windows 8 is quickly approaching, and fans of the long-time PC software creator have seen some new devices that will utilize the OS. At Berlin's IFA 2012, hybrid laptop-tablet gadgets were unveiled such as the Sony VAIO Duo and the T-Series 13 Ultrabook.

After the iPhone 5 euphoria, it's back to Goliath Microsoft. The Redmond-software giant seems to have ushered in Christmas in Fall by deciding to distribute free surface RT tablet, Windows Phone 8 device and a refreshed Windows 8 work machine, Geek Wire reported.

When the first customers for the iPhone 5 from Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, get their new products next Friday, chances are they’ll rave over the latest model, the upgrade for the nearly year-old iPhone 4S. But some anticipated items are absent, like an upgrade to Siri, NFC and biometric security.

Facebook Inc. (FB), Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) face fresh patent suits from a University of California patent licensee, which sued some of the biggest U.S. companies previously, Reuters reported.

Apple Inc on Wednesday took the wraps off the iPhone 5, the thinnest-ever version of a smartphone that yields the majority of its profit and helped it become the world's most valuable corporation.

Apple is predicted to unveil its iPhone 5 at a press event today, Sept. 12, after a long period of anticipation, gossip and speculation about what the next-generation device will feature. The company has a history of keeping its plans under wraps, although the Internet has been flooded with purported photos and leaks of what is expected to be the iPhone 5.

The new iPhone 5 has to be more than just another smartphone as it carries the weight of Apple's future on its slim frame. Here is the preview of the new iPhone.

Microsoft has announced a deal with cloud-streaming company Agawi in its plans to bring the service to its Azure platform. The deal, which effectively gives users of Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS access to game streaming content, indicates Microsoft’s passion for a more cloud-based experience.

It's been about a month and a half since Apple released OS X Mountain Lion into the wild, and even though iOS will be the centerpiece of Wednesday's iPhone 5 event in San Francisco, reports say Apple will also announce release a new update for Mac users on OS X Mountain Lion that day, which will reportedly fix an issue with fast-draining battery life. On Monday, Mac Observer was able to test a series of three Mac laptops running OS X Mountain Lion, and discovered that the 10.8.2 upgrade .....

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) is expected to debut the iPhone 5 on Wednesday but there are at least five pitfalls that could endanger the company's huge success in the market. Here they are.

The Nokia Lumia 920, a flagship Windows Phone 8 device that was recently unveiled, will be released in the United Kingdom as one of the first smartphones in that area to feature LTE connectivity. UK carrier Everything Everywhere has just announced that its plans to roll out a 4G LTE network will be put into effect, and it will be rebranding itself as EE from here on forward.

Amazon.com Inc. is reversing its decision announced just last week with the unveiling of its new HD line of Kindle Fires to supplement the devices' low cost with ad-based support. In a statement emailed to the press, Amazon said that it will now give customers the option to opt out of advertisements for a premium price of $15. The decision reflects a growing need to slash hardware prices and monetize users in other, more creative ways in what is becoming a fiercely competitive tablet marketpl...

China has more Internet users than any other country in the world has inhabitants. Is that mass of people going to push for greater freedom? Not with government controls as stringent as they are now.

Following a slew of announcements about Valve Corporation expanding beyond game development and distribution into general software and hardware possibilities, Steam is officially releasing a beta version of its "Big Picture Mode" today. Showing a sleek and innovative approach to a television-based user interface, the new version of Steam raises questions about the future of PC game development.

Proofpoint Inc. (Nasdaq: PFPT), the security software developer that conducted an April IPO, is confident it can beat bigger rivals like Symantec (Nasdaq: SYMC) in the market because it uses the cloud, offers lower cost of ownership and is spending cash to devise new products. So far, none of its accounts has been successfully cyberattacked, said CEO Gary Steele.

Rumors about Microsoft’s Xbox 720, which is the title believed to accompany the PC-maker’s next-generation gaming console, have been circulating for quite some time now. Back in 2010, a document detailing the company’s plans leaked, and now a recently discovered patent reveals that Microsoft intends to take video games out of the television screen and into players’ immediate environment.

Venerable forecaster IDC predicted global spending on information technology this year will rise six percent to about $3.6 trillion, despite sluggishness in sector like PCs. The market also includes telecommunications services.

Chances are there few personalities as creative, disruptive and rich in the technology sector as Jeff Bezos, the founding CEO of Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), the No. 1 e-retailer. He's put Borders Books out of business and could even put Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) in its place.

We don't know the exact features Apple has packed within the iPhone 5, but we have a pretty good idea of what CEO Tim Cook might unveil onstage this Wednesday. Over the past year, we've been watching reports, rumors and the U.S. patent department, keeping a keen eye out for possible software features Apple could introduce in its next iPhone. Read about the 14 features and tech specs we're expecting to see in the new iPhone at its release this week.

Each week, the IBTimes Money team picks the six biggest, most dramatic, or most compelling winners and losers in business. For the week of Sept. 3-7, the former include global automakers such as the Honda Motor Co. (NYSE: HMC), and the latter include the Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK).

BitTorrent and link-sharing sites like Demonoid, BitJunkie and Megaupload have all been shut down, but they are still the targets of anti-piracy organizations.