MICROSOFT

As if CES 2012 couldn't get more hectic and crowded, now media and technology fans need to prepare for a Justin Bieber appearance.

Struggling phone maker Nokia Oyj basked in brightening prospects for its much-hyped Windows phone on Thursday as it prepared to strengthen the hand of new boss Stephen Elop by replacing its old-guard chairman.

Yahoo named PayPal President Scott Thompson as its chief executive on Wednesday, hoping the well-regarded Internet technology and e-commerce expert will replicate his success at eBay Inc and turn around the struggling company.

Google's patent portfolio just got stronger. The software corporation managed to acquire over 200 patents from IBM Corp.

Now that Scott Thomson, 53, has been elected as Yahoo’s new CEO as well as a director, here are a couple of items the technology savvy accountant needs to take care of fast:

The 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) from Jan. 10-13, will feature thousands of exhibitors and special events. Here, we break down the 10 most exciting events and awards ceremonies of the Vegas showcase.

Robert W. Baird said its technology team has identified ten key themes that it expects to drive investment opportunities in 2012, across a range of technology verticals.

Thompson has been president of PayPal, the online payments processing company, since 2008 after previously serving the company as its chief technology officer. According to AllThingsD, Yahoo and PayPal refused to comment on the story. PayPal, owned by eBay, processed $29 billion in payments in the third quarter of 2011, according to records.

The demo is only for Gold members.

Yahoo is poised to name PayPal President Scott Thompson as chief executive after firing former CEO Carol Bartz in September, Web site AllThingsD reported, citing sources close to the situation.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) is likely to name Royal Bank Canada's Barbara Stymiest as its chairman, says Jefferies.

Halo 4 is one of the most anticipated games of 2012.

Shares of troubled BlackBerry developer Research in Motion leaped as much as 9.3 percent Tuesday on reports the company would elect an outside director as chairman.

Intel are expected to provide a glimpse of their Clover Trail-based prototype tablets at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Steam, only last September, had 4 million users online at the same time.

If you are yet to decide how to use the new gadgets you've just received this Christmas, hold your breath as another set of minblowing tech bonanzas are ready to turn you around next week. This year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas from Jan. 10 to Jan. 13.

It is no secret that Sony has been working on the PS4 for a while

Earlier this week, Experian Hitwise released its annual list of the most-visited Web sites of 2011; unsurprisingly Facebook topped the list, surpassing Google. Just a few days after that Nielsen Research came out with its own analysis and released its own list of the 10 most-visited Web sites, putting Google on top.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime is expected to hit the U.S. market in January 2012. However, the latest news suggests that pre-order stock available at both Best Buy and GameStop has been sold out and is currently listed as not being available.

If the rumors are to be believed, the Microsoft Corp. may be ready to release in January its most anticipated next-generation gaming console, the Xbox 720.

The iPad 3 was initially rumored to be thicker than its predecessor in order to accommodate an alleged retina screen, but new reports have revealed that the tablet's new design will be slightly thinner than the iPad 2, the DigiTimes reported.