Amazon Leads Charge Against Clamshell Packaging

Invests $300M in Nook-based subsidiary

(NEWSER) - There's a new major player in the battle for the e-book market. Microsoft is investing $300 million in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary devoted to the bookseller's Nook e-reader plus its College division. Microsoft will have a 17.6% stake in the company (currently dubbed "Newco"), valued at $1.7 billion. The move could set a course for B&N to spin off the subsidiary as its own firm—one Microsoft could potentially buy—while possibly providing a boost to the Windows 8 tablet and Windows Phone. More»

Handheld DS system will be upgraded eventually

(NEWSER) - Nintendo is planning to release a 3D version of its portable DS system, with one really intriguing twist: there won’t be any glasses. Dubbed the Nintendo 3DS, the company is calling the device the successor to the current DS series. Nintendo won’t reveal any more details until June, and some analysts questioned the timing of the announcement—the new DSi XL goes on sale Sunday, and some fear it could undercut sales. More»

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.

Microsoft, HP, Amazon, Lenovo launch preemptive strike

(NEWSER) - Denizens of the non-Apple world—Microsoft, HP, Lenovo, etc.—appear to be starting competition with the Mac-daddy’s rumored tablet computer before its expected unveiling later this month with a preemptive strike at the Consumer Electronics Show. But whatever the CES reveals, Apple is keeping mum. A look at what's out there:

• Microsoft, of course, has its own rumored “Courier” tablet—which the New York Times notes is a collaboration with HP—that may see the light of day tonight during Steve Ballmer’s keynote speech.

Environmentalists claim credit; industry blames economy

(NEWSER) - Bottled water sales are sinking, and environmentalists point triumphantly to their hard-fought campaign against the wasteful industry. Consumption is expected to drop 2% this year, following a 3.2% drop last year, MSNBC reports. But industry executives say it’s just a natural result of the economic downturn, noting that sales of soda and other drinks have seen even worse declines. More»