Microsoft's Kinect currently functions as an optional peripheral for the Xbox gaming system and uses a camera and microphone to watch and listen to a user for commands. Soon, however, Kinect may be coming to laptops. Microsoft is said to be working on integrating the Kinect motion sensor into laptops.

The Kinect has been successfully hacked to work on a computer, but in order to work on a portable device like a laptop, significant modifications would be needed.

The Kinect was released in early November 2010. Microsoft has not given an estimates as to when consumers might see the Kinect-integrated laptops, but what we do know is that they'll be licensing the technology to manufacturers rather than building their own in-house solution.

Should AT&T's planned acquisition of T-Mobile USA fall through, as it is likely to considering the intense governmental scrutiny over the deal, Dish Network says that it is interested in partnering with the wireless carrier. Dish Network CEO Joseph Clayton revealed the company's interest during an interview with Bloomberg on Monday.

Clayton believes that Dish Network could combine its spectrum with T-Mobile's existing network, giving it enough muscle to actually be able to compete with AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Clayton said:

“We’re not interested in making money on selling our spectrum. We want to use it to create a national wireless network, video, voice and data. We’ve got expertise in satellite-TV, and we will in satellite broadband. The voice part, we’ll need some help with.”

Several other companies have expressed interest in purchasing assets from AT&T or T-Mobile, should they instead decide to divest assets in an effort to gain approval from U.S. regulators.

The first Windows-powered Nokia phones have already been released in Europe, where Nokia still has a good stronghold in the mobile phone arena. Those of us in the United States, however, have been told to wait. Now, we know how long of a wait it will be. BoyGeniusReport.com reports that the U.S. will be getting the Lumia 900, and that it will likely be released in January.

The Lumia 900 is similar to the Lumia 800 smartphone that Europe got, but the 900 has a bigger display and other enhancements. It will reportedly feature a 1.4GHz processor, an 8-megapixel camera, and a 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display. It will also ship with Windows Phone Tango. The current release of Windows Phone is "Mango".

BGR also reports that Nokia is getting ready to launch a massive marketing blitz in the U.S. for January and February. In other words, the first Windows-based Nokia phones will be hitting the American shores some time after the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas held annually in January.

ATMs are best known for dispensing cash, but some allow you to purchase things like stamps. Even more rare, however, are the ATM machines that dispense gold. Those have started popping up all over the world this year, as gold prices soar and economies falter. Now, you can add diamond-dispensing ATMs to the list as Mumbai, India, became the first city in the world to launch a diamond-dispensing ATM.

The Gitanjali Group, which claims to be the world's largest integrated manufacturer of branded jewelry, opened the diamond ATM in a luxury shopping mall in the city on Sunday. A rep for the group says that it has already served "a substantial number of people."

Gitanjali Group is hoping to roll out 75 addition ATMs that dispense diamonds, in addition to gold and silver coins. They will be opened in shopping malls, airports, and Hindu temples.

Prices range from 1,000 to 30,000 rupees, and customers can pay by cash or credit.

Following Ford and General Motors ratifying new contracts, the last Detroit automaker, Chrysler, has reached a deal with the United Auto Workers union. On early Wednesday, Chrysler Group LLC. and the UAW agreed to a new four-year contract that would create 2,100 new jobs.

Under the agreement, Chrysler will also invest $4.5 billion in its plants, which covers 26,000 workers in the United States. No other details of the agreement have yet been made available, and workers must still ratify the agreement.

This is the first contract since Chrysler was bailed about by the government and its bankruptcy two years ago. It's also the first contract since its management was taken over by the Italian automaker Fiat.

In a statement, UAW Vice President General Holifield said in a statement:

"This agreement is the latest in a remarkable turnaround for Chrysler."

According to a person briefed on the contract, the deal is not quite as generous as the agreements the UAW has with GM and Ford.

You can now add peanut butter, a long-time recession staple food item, to the list of things that "the 99 percent" may no longer be able to afford. Thanks to droughts, the price of peanut butter has gone up from $450 a ton to $1,150 a ton in just one year and now peanut butter makers are about to pass on the increased costs to consumers.

The Wall Street Journal reports that wholesale prices for Jif are going up 30 percent beginning in November. Peter Pan will increase its prices by as much as 24 percent in a couple of weeks. Skippy prices are already 30 to 35 percent higher now than they were a year ago, and Kraft Foods Inc., which launched Planters peanut butter in June, is raising its prices by 40 percent on October 31.

It will be interesting to see if consumers cut back on their peanut butter consumption in light of the rising cost and tough economy.

Apple's highly anticipated iPhone announcement earlier this month was a rather huge disappointment. Not only did Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) decide not to release a major update to the phone in the form of the iPhone 5, instead opting for the intermediary modification, the iPhone 4S, but the new features they did add to the device were pretty underwhelming. There is at least one bit of good news that has come out since the iPhone 4S was announced, and that is that Apple is actually going to sell an unlocked version of the iPhone 4S this time.

Apple has not done this previously, and all versions were "locked" to the specific carriers selling them. Apple is currently selling locked versions for AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.

According to a line on the Apple website, an unlocked version of the iPhone 4S will be available in November. Of course you won't be able to snag the unlocked version at the carrier subsidized pricing. Pricing on the unlocked iPhone 4S will be $649 (16GB), $749 (32GB) and $849.

Steve Jobs is dead, and this time the news is not another internet hoax perpetuated by social media. The Apple chairman and former CEO passed away today after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer.

Jobs, 56, passed away on October 5, 2011. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) confirmed the news with a statement issued by the company's board of directors which said:

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

This evening, the homepage of Apple's website changed to feature a full-page image of Jobs along with the text "Steve Jobs: 1955-2011".

It's been two years since the Zune HD has had a redesign, and a refresh was initially slated for late 2010. However, Microsoft shifted its focus to the Windows Phone and the idea that it could include both a smartphone and a media player in a single package. Not surprisingly, Microsoft has finally decided that it will not making any more Zune HD personal media player devices.

If you want to use Zune now and in the future, you'll still be able to use your old Zune devices, but for updated devices you'll just have to go the route of a Windows Phone with built-in Zune functionality.

Microsoft announced today:

“Your device will continue to work with Zune services just as it does today, and we will continue to honor the warranties of all devices for both current owners and those who buy our very last devices.”

In late September, Microsoft announced reduced pricing for its subscription music service, Zune Pass.

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Friendly's chain of restaurants is getting ready for a possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and potential sale.

Friendly Ice Cream Corp., which is based out of Wilbraham, Mass., operates more than 500 restaurants. The casual dining restaurant, best known for its ice cream and hamburgers, could seek bankruptcy protection as soon as next week, and then try to sell itself through a bankruptcy auction.

Private equity firm Sun Capital Partners Inc. acquired Friendly's in 2007 and is among is creditors.

A spokesperson for Friendly's declined to comment on the bankruptcy rumors, but did say that the restaurants were feeling the impacts of the recession and rising costs.

Last week Friendly's launched a new "brand revitalization campaign" dubbed the "High 5 initiative", which features $5 menu items and promotes "friendlyness." This is reportedly doing well.

The WSJ reported that Friendly's hired the law firm Kirkland & Ellis to negotiate with creditors and prepare its bankruptcy filings.