Acer comes back down to earth, Dell rises

Fastest-growing PC company of the last few years stumbles during the second quarter. Observers say it has to do with Acer's reliance on notebook sales as desktops gain.

Two years on, Chrome reshapes browser market

The influence that Google's browser has had on the market is broader than its actual use. On Chrome's second anniversary, Google releases the sixth stable version.

HP wins 3Par for $2.4 billion

update Dell walks away from the storage company after a bidding war that started at $18 a share and ended up with Hewlett-Packard's winning offer of $33 a share.

A peek inside a new HP Netbook and ultrathin

The newest compact laptops from Hewlett-Packard strike an improved balance between performance and power efficiency.

Tab tweaks land in Chrome Canary

Google adds a new labs feature to its bleeding-edge version of Chrome to make it easier for users to test features that are still in development, but at least partially ready for users to explore.

For 99 cents, Amazon sells shows, Apple rents them

A number of Fox shows are for sale on Amazon's video service for the same 99 cents that Apple is charging to rent the shows.

Microsoft releases Windows Phone 7 to manufacturers

With most of the engineering done, Microsoft releases Windows Phone 7 to its OEM and carrier partners for final customization in preparation for a holiday launch.

Cisco, Itron team on smart-grid networking

Cisco and smart-meter maker team on communications system based on IP to connect everything from people's homes to power distribution equipment on the grid.

IBM ships 5.2GHz chip, its fastest yet

A chip in IBM's new zEnterprise System clocks in at 5.2GHz. The fastest IBM microprocessor to date is targeted at mainframes. It packs in four cores, plus a respectable helping of DRAM.

IE slips in usage share; Chrome resumes growth

In August, earlier trends reasserted themselves, with IE dipping, Chrome rising, and Firefox flat. Microsoft is happy to see IE6 on its way out.

Windows 7 continues to gain ground on Vista

Usage of Microsoft's Windows 7 outpaces that of Vista for the second month, though XP remains the dominant operating system, Net Applications says.

Survey: Few companies virtualizing critical apps

Despite hype and promise of virtualization, many companies are avoiding the tech for mission-critical applications. A new survey helps to explain why.

Exploring a healthy cloud-computing job market

In a struggling economy, the tech industry is a shining light. Even within the strong tech economy, though, cloud computing stands out right now.

Microsoft brings back Windows 7 'family pack'

Once again, though, the software maker bills the three-copy bundle of Windows 7 Home Premium as a limited-time, "while supplies last" offer.

Benchmarking-software industry remains profitable

A new survey suggest that SaaS companies can remain highly profitable, even in a down economy.

Gartner throttles back on 2010 PC forecast

Worldwide shipments of PCs are expected to rise 19 percent for the year, but the market researcher says economic uncertainty points to somewhat less robust growth in the second half.

HP, Hynix team on flash memory replacement

Hynix signs on to manufacture the once-theoretical memory resistor developed in HP Labs. The first commercial product will arrive in "three to five years."

Digg confirms ex-Amazon exec as new CEO

The hiring of Matt Williams comes as the news aggregation site manages criticism of its recently introduced redesign.

HP promises private cloud in 30 days

HP launches CloudStart, a comprehensive cloud infrastructure package aimed at helping businesses set up their first private cloud using the set of complementary products.

Microsoft, Yahoo move forward on paid search

The two companies say the move to combine advertisers on Microsoft's AdCenter tool is on track to be completed by the end of October.