HP Earnings Spike 28%

From the improbable to the top secret, it takes all kinds

(NEWSER) - The Business Insider figures you've also wanted to know how your favorite high tech concern got its name. Well, you're in luck! Here goes:

1. SUN Microsystems: It's actually an acronym for Stanford University Network, the school where the founders met.
2. Cisco: Actually not an acronym, as often assumed. It's just San Francisco without the San Fran, which is why the "c" was not capitalized originally.

Company now has 1.5M followers on Twitter

(NEWSER) - Twitter has proved to be a bit of a gold mine for Dell—the computer maker said promotions over the social-networking site directly resulted in more than $6.5 million in sales this year. The number of subscribers to Dell's Tweets has risen 23% over the last three months, to the point where 1.5 million people—as far-flung as China, Mexico, Japan, and Brazil—now follow along, reports Bloomberg . More»

'Adamo' mystery sets tech world abuzz

(NEWSER) - Dell's mystery product Adamo could be a super-slim laptop even lighter than the MacBook Air, but it's proving impossible to get solid information about it, Ashlee Vance writes in the New York Times. The firm has registered the trademark and set up a teaser site, but declines to comment on Adamo. A Dell exec appeared shocked when asked if a lighter-than-Air product was in the works. More»

Cost-cutting kills off plans for flashy new product lines

(NEWSER) - Shifting consumer demand and the sagging economy spell trouble for Dell's turnaround strategy, the Wall Street Journal reports. Founder Michael Dell had been making progress since returning to the company last year with a two-pronged rescue plan, but weak sales mean his goals of cutting costs at the low end of the PC market while developing high-end gadgets are starting to conflict. More»

Dell performance rallies tech; Commerce Department gives bad news

(NEWSER) - Stocks ended mixed after a seesaw session today, with strong performance by tech and energy shares contrasting with bad news on consumer spending and incomes, MarketWatch reports. The Dow closed down 7.90 at 12,638.32. The Nasdaq gained 14.34 to 2,522.66, while the S&P 500 ticked up 2.12, ending at 1,400.38. More»