IBM is testing smartphone software designed to predict traffic jams and warn motorists before they even take to the roads.

IBM said late Tuesday that its employees in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley areas of Northern California have been testing technology that "will ultimately help drivers around the world" avoid fouled traffic.

Nokia Corp. on Tuesday launched its first smartphones to run on the updated Symbian software with new icons, enhancements and a faster browser.

Nokia said the two models — the E6 and X7 — have longer battery life, better text input and new Ovi Maps applications with improved search and public transport routes.

Kindergarten classes are supplementing crayons, finger paints and flashcards with iPads, a development that excites supporters but that detractors worry is wasted on pupils too young to appreciate the expense.

Next fall, nearly 300 kindergartners in the central Maine city of Auburn will become the latest batch of youngsters around the country to get iPad2 touchpad tablets to learn the basics about ABCs, 1-2-3s, drawing and even music.

U.S. online retail powerhouse Amazon on Monday introduced a cut-price version of its Kindle electronic reader that features on-screen ads.

Kindle with Special Offers e-readers priced at $114 each will begin shipping in the United States on May 3, according to Amazon.

PushLife, a Toronto-based mobile music service, announced Monday that it has been acquired by Internet giant Google.

Details of the transaction were not released but the technology blog StartupNorth put the purchase price at $25 million.

Michael Jackson fans will get to show off how well they sing and dance like the King of Pop in video games crafted by Ubisoft for play on Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) consoles.

The French video game titan on Tuesday will release versions of "Michael Jackson: The Experience" that tap into motion and voice sensing capabilities of popular Kinect and Move accessories for the Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively.

Google has added a Latitude feature that lets people using iPhones or Android-powered smartphones get rewarded for loyalty to shops or restaurants.

The feature that Google rolled out across the United States late Thursday lets people unlock discounts by regularly using location-sharing Latitude applications to check in at a select set of establishments.

Microsoft has tailored a version of Internet search service Bing for Apple's hot-selling iPad tablet computer.

A free Bing program for iPads available Friday at Apple's online App Store was designed "from the ground up" for touch controls so tablet users can browse online offerings with finger taps or swipes, according to Microsoft.

Online travel giant Expedia announced plans on Thursday to spin off TripAdvisor into a separate publicly traded company later this year.

Expedia shares soared 12.68 percent to $25.35 in after-hours trading following the announcement.

A new, ultra-fast wireless Internet network is threatening to overpower GPS signals across the U.S. and interfere with everything from airplanes to police cars to consumer navigation devices.

The problem stems from a recent government decision to let a Virginia company called LightSquared build a nationwide broadband network using airwaves next to those used for GPS. Manufacturers of GPS equipment warn that strong signals from the planned network could jam existing navigation systems.