Worldwide spending on information technology is expected to grow six percent this year in constant currency, a slight dip from 2011, a research firm said Monday.

International Data Corporation said the growth pace, down from seven percent last year, comes "in spite of continuing macroeconomic uncertainty."

Microsoft said Monday it is launching more than 30 pop-up holiday shops in the United States and Canada as it gears up to sell its new Surface tablet computer.

"Microsoft is excited to expand on its existing retail footprint to deliver an assortment of best-in-class products and a premium retail experience to new locations," the U.S. tech giant said in a statement.

Moody's on Monday cut its credit rating on Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic, citing the struggling firm's weak profitability and high debt.

The global agency said it lowered the rating on Panasonic by two notches to Baa1 from A2, while keeping its outlook stable.

Apple becomes the focus of the technology universe Wednesday as the world awaits a new iPhone with a big, beautiful touchscreen and connectivity to blazingly fast telecom networks.

Apple has been tight-lipped about what is in store at its media event in San Francisco, but hinted at a keenly anticipated "iPhone 5" in invitations that bore the cryptic message "It's almost here."

Bill Moggridge, a British industrial designer who came up with an early portable computer with the flip-open shape that is common today, has died. He was 69.

The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum said Moggridge, its director since 2010, died on Saturday from cancer.

Emma Watson is the favorite celebrity bait for cyber criminals trying to lure Internet users.

McAfee said Monday that the "Harry Potter" star is the "most dangerous" celebrity to search for online. That's because many sites use Watson to trick users into downloading malicious software or to steal personal information.

A man has been sentenced to 2½ years in prison for selling access to botnets in a computer malware case.

Federal prosecutors say 30-year-old Joshua Schichtel also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his 30-month prison term. He was sentenced Thursday by a federal judge in Washington.

In New York, you still must hail a taxi the old-fashioned way, by raising your arm, no smartphone apps allowed.

A startup called Uber seeking to launch a service allowing New Yorkers to summon a cab with their smartphones got shot down this week by the city's Taxi & Limousine Commission.

U.S. retail sales of new video game hardware, software and accessories fell for the ninth straight month in August, according to research firm NPD Group.

Overall sales fell 20 percent to $515.6 million.

Intel's sales are falling at a rate that blindsided the chip-maker's management, amplifying Wall Street's worries about the slumping personal computer market and the frail economy.

The foreboding news came out Friday in revisions to Intel Corp.'s financial guidance for its current quarter.