When you mention “OLED” and “portable media player” in the same sentence, one of two devices probably come to mind. Sony’s OLED Walkman, or more recently, Microsoft’s forthcoming Zune HD. But really, there’s a media player that’s been touting an OLED panel longer than either of those two, and it goes by the name S9. Cowon’s quiet yet powerful entrant into the touchscreen media player realm has remained largely under wraps here in America thanks to a dearth of marketing, but there’s at least a fighting chance

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Intel reported a profit excluding one-time items that was lower than last year but which blew out analysts' expectations, and the chip maker gave a forecast for current-quarter revenue that also topped analysts' estimates. Intel reported a profit, excluding one-time items, of 18 cents a share in the second quarter, against 28 cents a share in the same period last year. Sales in the most recent quarter reached $8 billion, compared with revenue of $9.47 billion last year.

“Intel's second-quarter results reflect improving conditions in the PC market segment with our strongest first- to second-quarter growth since 1988 and a clear expectation for a seasonally stronger second half,” said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. “Intel's strategy of investing in new technologies and innovative products, combined with ongoing focus on operating efficiencies, continues to yield benefits that are evident in our strengthening financial performance.”

Less than a week after Google announced plans to venture into the operating system business, Microsoft is firing back with plans to offer a free version of its popular Office software suite that will run on the Internet. Although Microsoft didn’t mention the competition from Google during the announcement, many analysts see this latest move from Microsoft as part of the company’s strategy to protect one of its most profitable businesses against Google. Sheri McLeish, an analyst with Forrester Research, said

Bummer, that about sums up the communal groan around the Internet last night when Take-Two let slip it was delaying BioShock 2 until 2010. I was busing back from London to Oxford battling a fickle Virgin Mobile USB wireless connection when the bad news blipped into my laptop's RSS reader. Or would that be good news? According to Take-Two CEO Ben Feder, the game's being delayed because it simply wasn't up to snuff for a 2009 release.

“The decision to shift a release date is never an easy one, especially with a product as highly anticipated as BioShock 2,” said Feder in a statement. “We felt that it was essential to invest the additional time to ensure that this title will deliver what its fans expect and deserve.” Take-Two was leveraging BioShock 2 as a fiscal fourth quarter top-five charter. Now the game's off the table and the company's upped its estimated fiscal third and fourth quarter losses.

Dell recently said that year-over-year demand for its information-technology products appears to have stabilized, and that it expects to report a slight sequential revenue increase in its fiscal second-quarter 2010, which ends July 31. The company also anticipates a modest decline in Q2 gross margins, the result of higher component costs, a competitive pricing environment, and an unfavorable mix of product and business-segment demand.

Speaking in advance of a Tuesday meeting in Austin with securities and industry analysts, Brian Gladden, the companys chief financial officer, said that while demand for Dells products and services seems to have stabilized, it varies significantly by customer segment and geography. The company stated that, over a longer time horizon, it will be targeting 5 to 7 percent compounded annual sales growth, operating income at or above 7 percent of revenue, and cash flow from operations exceeding net income. However, such results are dependent on broad global economic improvement accompanied by higher worldwide IT spending, including a sustained double-digit growth rate in demand for computer systems.

The tech earnings season kicks off today with chip giant Intel, which is expected to report a sharp drop in sales and profit even as Wall Street anticipates signs of a stabilizing market. Intel is scheduled to report its second-quarter results after the closing bell.

Analysts now expect the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip maker to report earnings of 8 cents a share on revenue of $7.3 billion, according to a consensus survey by FactSet Research. That's well below results from the year-earlier period, when Intel reported earnings of 28 cents a share on revenue of $9.5 billion. But analysts say Intel is benefiting from several trends, including improving demand for personal computers, marked by an anticipated uptick in corporate spending as more companies refresh their aging PCs. The upcoming release of the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system is also expected to drive sales in the coming months.

In another “Really? Someone paid to do a study on this?” news, the Michigan State Medical Society announced today that text messaging while driving is dangerous. The news here, however, is exactly how dangerous it is. Apparently, if you text while you drive, you are six times more likely to become distracted and cause an accident. It is, apparently, the biggest distraction while driving, according to some studies. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration puts all cell phone use, including texting,

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As a 21st-century consumer, computers are an integral part of your life. But does your home computing environment work for you? Even if you already have a wireless network, you’ve probably found “dead spots” in your home where your Internet connection fades in and out, or drops off completely. This deal ends 7/15/09 at 12:00pm ET.