retail prices

Nokia announced two new slider 3G phones Tuesday -- the 6700 Slide and the 7230. The Finland-based company described the new models as "made for the design-conscious consumer and optimized for socializing and sharing." The devices are among a series of steps Nokia is taking to recover from a downturn.

In a move that could help counter some of the criticism of its pricing plan, Microsoft appears to be preparing a Windows 7 Family Pack/Home Premium upgrade. According to reports surfacing on the Web, the software giant has assigned a product number and UPC code to the Family Pack, along with pricing of about $135-$140.

No Formal Announcement Yet

ASUSTeK Computer is joining other manufacturers in offering a free upgrade to Windows 7 on a number of its PCs as more details about the rollout to the Vista successor emerge.

Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo have already said they will participate in the upgrade program, where customers who purchase Vista machines can, until the release of Windows 7 in late October, receive a free or low-cost upgrade.

T-Mobile and handset maker HTC are taking the cover off the first Android-based cell phone Tuesday at a press conference in New York. The Open Handset Alliance, a group that includes Google, T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola and others, is billing Android as the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices.

What will a Google Android-based HTC look like? And how will it shake up the market? Here's what we can discern from leaked photos: It's a touchscreen device with a full, slide-out keyboard. Pricing rumors peg the device at $199, in line with Apple's iPhone 3G.

EU regulators warned Thursday that they may take action against mobile phone companies who overcharge users for calls made abroad.

EU spokesman Martin Selmayr said some European phone operators are fixing roaming fees by the minute instead of by each second of a call.

On average, users pay 24 percent more for calls they make outside their home nation and 19 percent more for calls they receive, he said.

Selmayr said EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding "may tackle this issue" in draft rules to be presented at the end of September.

Apple's all-in-one iMac line is being upgraded with new Intel Core 2 Duo processors with 6MB L2 cache, a faster 1066-MHz front-side bus throughout the entire line, two gigabytes of memory for most models, and the most powerful graphics yet available.

The 24-inch iMac can now have a 3.06-GHz Intel processor and optional, high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics with 512MB of video memory. Apple said it can provide up to twice the standard performance for graphically intensive applications.

'An Incredible Hit'