Microsoft has laid out a wide-ranging plan to overhaul its Windows software platform, marking an attempt to stem the erosion of its core PC software business amid the rise of touchscreen computing popularised by Apple.

NTT DoCoMo will partner with several Japanese hardware makers and Korean manufacturer Samsung Electronics to develop core chips for use in future smartphones, Japan's biggest business newspaper reported Monday.

TV viewers are spending slightly less time watching scheduled broadcast TV and spending more time watching streamed online content.

Phoenix Solar, through its Italian subsidiary Phoenix Solar Srl, has secured several contracts for the supply of solar modules for power plants in Italy.

Recognizing the long-term potential of solid-state lighting and high-brightness LEDs, the Chinese government has supported both demand and supply sectors of the industry, estimated by some analysts to grow from about $10bn in 2010 to over $100bn worldwide by 2020.

The Italian network agency, GSE, reports that photovoltaic installations in Italy have reached over 10 gigawatts (GW). Already this year, says the agency, 6.5 GW have been installed.

These aren't your father's vending machines. For instance, the Diji-Touch has a 46-inch Samsung touch LCD screen that lets consumers see the product, its ingredients, and nutrition facts.

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's top TV supplier, is considering a reentry into the Japanese TV market after it quit the country four years ago, an industry source said Tuesday.

The majority of the reduction is from the company's wireless products, which have experienced an unexpected decline in demand and pricing.

Looking to push the exposure of its Kindle electronic book reader even further, online retailer Amazon is reportedly preparing to launch an eBook rental service for its wireless E Ink device.

Touch specialist Synaptics is working on technologies that will allow touchscreens to mimic the feel of a physical keypad, in order to make smartphones easier to use, according to company technology strategist Andrew Hsu.

To evaluate the performance of imaging devices used in cameras, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST; Gaithersburg, MD, USA) are developing a Hyperspectral Image Projector (HIP).

JVC isn't messing around - they've announced five new 3D projectors that range from the easily affordable to the expensive. The two most high-end of this new set of projectors is capable of displaying resolutions up to 4K.

Samsung hopes it can entice developers to create apps that can connect televisions, phones, tablets and laptops. For the second year in a row, Samsung is hosting what it calls the Free the TV Challenge.

University research consortium Semiconductor Research has awarded seven research contracts to four universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

While the debate continues in the Korean government concerning the well-being of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), LG is planning to further accelerate its years-long initiatives for balanced growth with Korean SMEs in Poland.

TSMC reportedly is raising prices on 28nm wafers.

Italy's centre-right government is turning to cash-rich China in the hope that Beijing will help rescue it from financial crisis by making "significant" purchases of Italian bonds and investments in strategic companies.

Tim Cook is definitely not Steve Jobs, at least when it comes to charity. It might feel like a small change, but make no mistake: this is Cook starting to leave his mark as CEO and he's moving in a direction that no one expected from Jobs.

Japan's economy contracted more severely in the second quarter than was initially estimated, revised government data has shown. The decline came as companies cut back spending due to concerns about a slowing global economy and a rising yen.

Toyota Motor may start exporting subcompact cars from Thailand for sale in other markets, a senior executive said.

Amid sharpening technology, there is no doubt that 3D TV is here to stay with the whole industry currently at the same stage as when high-definition (HD) was introduced.

Haier may not be the first name to spring to mind when it comes to cutting-edge electronics, but the company has been a major force in the kitchen and appliance market for years.

Android's purveyor crossed a line when it sold arms to be used against Apple.

Last we heard of Velocity Micro it was coughing up licensing fees to Microsoft for its Android range, so it makes sense that the company should have a few new products to make the most of that spend.

Sony's two recently unveiled tablets, the Tablet S and Tablet P, are rumoured to become the first real competitors to Apple's iPad and iPad 2.

PIOL, a joint venture between Panasonic Electric Works and Idemitsu Kosan Company in Japan, began shipping OLED lighting panels to local and overseas lighting module and fixture manufacturers this month.