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• Intel to respond quickly to antitrust queries on deal with STMicroelectronics

  Intel Corp. plans to respond quickly to a U.S. Federal Trade Commission request for more information on a plan to merge its flash memory chip business with that of Switzerland's STMicroelectronics NV.

• Corning to Reaffirm 3Q Outlook

  Corning Inc.'s Chairman and Chief Executive Wendell P. Weeks will reaffirm the glass and specialty materials company's third-quarter guidance at a conference Wednesday.

• Gateway to Sell Professional Unit to MPC for $90 Million

  Gateway  said on Wednesday it plans to sell its professional business segment to MPC Corp for about $90 million.

• Dell Beats Profit Forecasts, Helped by Lower Costs

  

  Dell reported preliminary second-quarter earnings of 35 cents a share on sales of $14.8 billion Thursday, topping expectations as it benefited from lower costs for disk drives, microprocessors and other components.

• Motorola Shares Rise on Lehman Analyst Upgrade

  Lehman Brothers upgraded mobile phone maker Motorola to overweight" from "equal weight," saying improvements in operating expenses should help the company's phone unit return close to breakeven by the fourth quarter.

• Apple Rallies on Hopes Of New Line of iPods

  

  Shares of Apple  rose sharply after the company said it will hold a product launch next week, prompting speculation that a new line of iPods will be unveiled.

• Tech Data Shares Up Sharply as Earnings Top Estimates

  Tech Data, a distributor of computer products, Wednesday posted a quarterly profit that handily beat Wall Street estimates on strong growth in the Americas, sending its shares up more than 8 percent.

• Microsoft Cuts Xbox 360 Prices in Europe

  Microsoft Corp is cutting the European price for its Xbox 360 video game console by 50 euros to 349.99 euros ($470), following a similar cut in the United States.

• Qualcomm Says Sprint May Lose $2 Billion Due to Injunction

  Sprint Nextel stands to lose a $2 billion investment in a new phone feature if a court bars Qualcomm from making the necessary chips, Qualcomm executives told the court on Thursday.

• The New HP Way: License to Print Cash

  

  It's the kind of blowout quarter weary tech investors were hoping for. Just about everyone suspected that HP would beat estimates, thanks to ongoing momentum in the personal computer industry, as well as falling component prices, especially memory chips like DRAMs which have seen a 40% decline in some sectors.

• Journalists, Family Members Sue HP over Boardroom Spying Scheme

  A group of reporters and their family members whose private telephone records were secretly obtained as part of Hewlett-Packard's boardroom surveillance scheme sued the technology giant and two former executives.

• Broadcom Seeks Ban on Qualcomm Chips

  Qualcomm, hoping to rebound from a string of legal setbacks, urged a federal judge Tuesday to reject a competitor's request to stop it from selling cell phone chips that infringe on patents.

• Nokia Warns 46 Million Phone Batteries Could Overheat

  Nokia said it plans to replace 46 million batteries used in its phones that could overheat for free, but it will continue to negotiate with battery maker Matsushita over who would bear the costs.

• Network Appliance Cuts Sales Guidance, Shares Plunge

  Network Appliance, a maker of data storage-network equipment, said on Thursday that quarterly revenue fell more than its previous pessimistic forecast amid slower spending by large customers in the United States and Europe, sending shares down 21%.

• Apple Shares Plunge On Rumors of iPhone, iPod Problems

  Apple shares  plunged 7% in heavy trading Tuesday after a report--later denied--that cited production problems with the company's popular iPhone and iPod devices.